The Saint and His Virgin

THE SAINT AND HIS VIRGIN
http://www.health-science-spirit.com/saint.html

Sacred Sexuality in Early Christianity
and the Inner Teachings of Jesus
by Walter Last
The Gnostic Gospels as well as other writings point to a central role of sacred
sexuality in early Christianity. No details of these practices seem to have survived
as the Church later tried to erase all records. In the following I will show that,
according to my understanding, these sacred sexual practices are central to the
teachings of Jesus about the Kingdom of Heaven, and that they are still relevant
in our time.
The Unique and Authentic

Image of the Master Jesus
From
http://www.gnosticteachings.org
/content/category/5/108/114
Taken from an emerald cutting
said to be engraved by order of
the Roman Emperor Tiberius. It
comes from the Treasure of
Constantinople
and
was
surrendered by the Sultan of
Turkey to Pope Innocent VIII as
ransom payment for his brother,
held captive by the Christians.
This image has been taken
directly from the priceless
emerald, belonging to the
Vatican Treasury.
Historical Background Information

Early Christianity had a strong oral tradition of what Jesus had said and done, and
this was only gradually written down. After the crucifixion the inner teachings of
Jesus seem to have been the basis of Jewish Christianity under the leadership of
James the Just, the first bishop of Jerusalem and the brother of Jesus. The
innermost teachings were always kept secret and never written down, but even
more general teachings went underground with the destruction of Jerusalem by the
Romans in 70 CE, and especially after the Bar Kokhba revolt in 135 CE.
At this time gentile Christians became the dominant group with their power base in
Rome, and the original Essene-based Jewish Christians were increasingly being
persecuted. The records of their teachings survived in hiding as the Gnostic
Gospels ascribed to various disciples of Jesus. They have been rejected by the
Roman church in favor of a version of the more general teachings and doctrines of
Paul. The Church never acknowledged that Jesus had secret inner teachings for
his disciples.
The apostle Paul did not know Jesus personally and seems to have had a different
agenda than Jewish Christianity under the leadership of James. Only one of the
1 of 16
28.05.2015 05:58
letters of James is in the New Testament. Most of his writings were apparently
destroyed by the church and survived only as part of the Gnostic Gospels. In
contrast most of the New Testament writings are by Paul and his followers. Many of
the Jewish Christian leaders rejected the writings of Paul in preference to oral
transmissions from reliable sources.
Paul was subordinate to James, but after the scattering of Jewish Christianity the
writings of Paul became the basis of Western Christianity. After the New Testament
scripts had been selected based on Pauls doctrines, writings with differing
viewpoints, such as now found in the Gnostic Gospels, were declared as being
heretical, and they and their owners were destroyed. Only some of them surfaced
again in the last century; see www.gnosis.org.
While this greatly reduced the number of Gnostic Gospels that did survive, it also
protected them from being creatively rearranged to correspond to changing church
doctrines as apparently happened to Canonical Gospels in the New Testament [1].
Furthermore, the Canonical Gospels are basically stories of happenings and
parables, while the Gnostic Gospels are mainly collections of sayings and
teachings of Jesus, and therefore more instructive.
The Kingdom of Heaven
In our modern perception we associate Jesus with the teaching of being good and
loving, but a different picture emerges from the Gnostic Gospels, and even from
parts of the New Testament and other writings.
For instance in the Gospel of Thomas Jesus said 16): "Men think, perhaps, that it is
peace which I have come to cast upon the world. They do not know that it is
dissension which I have come to cast upon the earth: fire, sword, and war. For
there will be five in a house: three will be against two, and two against three, the
father against the son, and the son against the father. And they will stand solitary."
Or in 10) Jesus said, "I have cast fire upon the world, and see, I am guarding it until
it blazes."
According to this more hidden understanding Jesus was not greatly concerned with
this world and did not try to improve it (e.g. give Caesar what is Caesars). Instead
his teaching was centered on the kingdom of heaven, and the quickest way to get
there.
It is clear that this kingdom is not just the afterlife but a special condition that
actually is the goal of human existence, similar to the Nirvana of Buddhism or the
highest goal of yoga. Jesus, Krishna and Buddha all taught special ways to
overcome the human condition. In present New Age terminology these teachings
are about ascending, and becoming an ascended master.
In order to enter the kingdom, we must first build a new and higher energy body
that is superior to the normal human soul. This is the goal of many religious and
spiritual traditions, such as Yoga, Tantra, Tao, Buddhism, Alchemy, Rosicrucians,
Theosophy, New Age, and it can also be found in the Gnostic teachings of Jesus.
There is general agreement that this higher energy body is an immortal light body.
Lao Tzu explained the light body thus: It is self-aware yet without ego, capable of
inhabiting a biological body yet not attached to it, and guided by wisdom rather than
emotion. Whole and virtuous, it can never die [2]. In the last paragraph of the
Gospel of Philip we read: He who will receive that light will not be seen, nor can he
be detained. And none shall be able to torment a person like this, even while he
dwells in the world. And again when he leaves the world, he has already received
the truth in the images.
The interesting part is that all these different traditions agree that to build this
immortal light body it is necessary to balance our male and female energies. In this
light we can understand the widespread practice during the early stages of
Christianity of devout Christian males living with their virgins.
The Agapetae
2 of 16
28.05.2015 05:58
Agape is Greek and defined as spiritual, selfless or universal love - in contrast to

Eros being romantic or sexual love. Agapetae may be translated as the beloveds or
holy virgins and described as holy virgins who personify and radiate universal love.
A further definition that needs to be cleared up is the term virgin. As I understand
it, in biblical times a virgin simply was an unmarried young woman who was not a
widow or a prostitute. Physical virginity was not the issue, although it may have
been assumed. Early Christian texts often were in Greek, and there the word
parthenos was used which meant virgin but also maiden or young woman.
There is very little known about the spiritual sexual practices of these Christian
males (agapeti) with their holy virgins (agapetae) because most of the writings that
survived were polemics against this practice. It seems to have been widespread for
several centuries until it was outlawed by the synod of Elvira (305 CE) and the
Council of Nicea in 325 CE, and replaced with asceticism and monasticism, except
for the clergy who could live with their subintroductae or housekeepers. This was
the beginning of the suppression of sexuality in Christian societies, the
consequences of which are still with us at present.
However, the practice seems to have survived in some form for several centuries
longer. When looking for AGAPETI and AGAPETAE I found the following entry in
the Dictionary of Religion & Ethics: Monks and nuns of the early Middle Ages, who,
while professing celibacy, dwelt together in what they called holy love. The practice
was suppressed by the Lateran Council, 1139.
The Cathars with their strong links to the Gnostics also encouraged chastity and
avoidance of procreative sex. They became prominent in Southern France and
neighboring countries from about 1000 CE to the middle of the 13th century when
they were massacred by the papal army. Afterwards the Inquisition was established
to eliminate any survivors and their teachings. There are also suggestions that the
Cathars have been the protectors of the Holy Grail of Christian mythology. From the
15th century the gnostic tradition of sacred sexuality was cautiously carried on by
the Rosicrucians who celebrated a mystical marriage, and later by the Alchemists
in their search for the elexir of life.
Marnia Robinson in Spiritual Brides of Early Christianity and Andrew Moore at
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~moorea/agapetae.html give many referenced
examples of the polemic against the agapetae custom, which I do not want to
repeat here but give just a few general descriptions.
"Our fathers," Chrysostom begins, "only knew two forms of sexual intimacy,
marriage and fornication. Now a third form has appeared: men introduce young
girls into their houses and keep them there permanently, respecting their virginity."
And later he continues: The virgin is free from these burdens (of a married
woman). She retains her vigor and her youthfulness, and even at the age of forty
may rival the young nubile girl (= teenager). He also described all the loving care
that these virginal sweethearts received even in public.
Desert ascetic St. Jerome wrote: I blush to speak of it, it is so shocking; yet though
sad, it is true. How comes this plague of the agapetae to be in the church? Whence
come these unwedded wives, these novel concubines, these harlots, so I will call
them, though they cling to a single partner? One house holds them and one
chamber. They often occupy the same bed
Even St. Paul alludes to the agapetae in his first letter to the Corinthians:
7:36 - But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if
she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he
sinneth not: let them marry. 37 Nevertheless he that standeth steadfast in his heart,
having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his
heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well. 38 So that he who marries his virgin
does well, and he who refrains from marriage does better.
Here Paul clearly states that it was accepted practice for a Christian man to live
3 of 16
28.05.2015 05:58
with his virgin. If she got on in years and now wanted a conventional family or if she
became pregnant, it was not a sin, and it was fine to marry. However, his preferred
way was for them not to marry but just live together as a holy couple.
While Paul states in the first Corinthian that he is single, he seems to have acquired
his own virgin some time later. The ACTS OF PAUL AND THECLA is a second
Century apocryphal of St. Paul and his virgin Thecla. After hearing Paul preach in
her home town on chastity, Thecla broke off her engagement which caused much
trouble for herself and Paul. This text became very popular and was translated from
the original Greek into a number of languages by the early church, and St. Thecla
became the most famous of virgin martyrs.
Another reference to the agapetae may be a saying of Jesus according to the New
Testament in Luke 23:29: Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore
and the breasts that never nursed. A similar saying is in 79) of the Gospel of
Thomas. Here Jesus seems to say that remaining a virgin or practicing undefiled
sex is preferable to reproductive sex.
Mary Magdalene
There must have been a powerful reason that caused this agapetae phenomenon
to erupt so suddenly and widely in our first century, and I believe that it was the
teaching of Jesus of the Sacrament of the Bridal Chamber and his relationship with
Mary Magdalene.
According to the Gnostic Gospels Mary Magdalene seems to have been the
consort of Jesus and the first of the agapetae. In paragraph 59 of the Gospel of
Philip [3] it says: And the Consort of the Christ is Mariam the Magdalene. The Lord
loved Mariam more than all the other Disciples, and he kissed her often on her
mouth."
In Chapter 9 of the Gospel of Mary Levi said to Peter: 8) But if the Savior made her
worthy, who are you indeed to reject her? Surely the Savior knows her very well. 9)
That is why He loved her more than us.
If Jesus and Mary Magdalene had been married it is unlikely that the disciples
would have been upset about his affection for her. Therefore it is much more likely
that this was a loving spiritual relationship.
The other aspect that concerned Peter and other disciples was Mary Magdalenes
role as a disciple because women had a rather low standing in their society. Even
worse, after the crucifixion Jesus gave teachings to Mary Magdalene, which she
passed on to the male disciples, so that she became the teacher or apostle to the
apostles.
However, Mary Magdalene was not the only female in that group. There were also
other women following Jesus and the disciples [4]. In those times such women
would either be wives or prostitutes. No further details are given, but these women
do not seem to have been disciples in the way that Mary Magdalene was, and
Peter did not voice any recorded objections against them. There are no indications
that they were wives or prostitutes. This points to the possibility that they were the
agapetae of some of the disciples.
Uniting Male and Female
According to all mystical and most religious traditions, in the beginning was the
undivided Whole which split into its opposite parts, and their interaction created the
multitude of manifestations. In regard to sexuality we see this when the androgynic
Shiva-Shakti splits into the male Shiva and the female Shakti, or when the
androgynic Adam-Eve splits into the separated Adam and Eve.
The idea is that a non-sexual or androgynic spiritual being manifests on a denser
plane of existence by splitting into dualistic male and female parts. Conversely, to
permanently ascend from a denser to a less dense plane, male and female need to
permanently unite to become again whole or androgynic.
4 of 16
28.05.2015 05:58
The commonly used term androgynous may lead some to think of hermaphrodites
with male and female sexual traits, or bisexual plants. However, the spiritual
condition of androgyny (andro = male, gyny or gynic = female) is rather different
and I prefer to refer to it as androgynic rather than androgynous.
The androgynic condition, required to transcend the density level of threedimensional humanity, commonly involves a body with normal male or female
characteristics but with an additional higher energy body that is neither male nor
female. We all have several energy bodies, such as the etheric and the astral
bodies which are part of what we call the soul, and which may be visible to some
psychics. But all of these bodies are polarized which then become manifest as our
sexual characteristics. It is not yet clear to me if or how far hermaphrodites have
balanced higher energy bodies.
The Gospel of Thomas speaks of the mystery of entering the kingdom of heaven
when male and female become one: 22) "When you make the two into one, and
when you make the inner like the outer and the outer like the inner, and the upper
like the lower, and when you make male and female into a single one, so that the
male will not be male nor the female be female, .. then you will enter (the
kingdom). This theme is also found in the Gospel of Philip and in other Gnostic
texts.
In 114) Simon Peter said: Let Mary leave us, for women are not worthy of (eternal)
life." Jesus replied: "I myself shall lead her in order to make her male, so that she
too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every woman who will
make herself male will enter the kingdom of heaven." This, too, refers to androgyny.
According to Lao Tzu: For those who aspire to the higher realms of living, there is
angelic dual cultivation. Because every portion of the body, mind, and spirit yearns
for the integration of yin and yang, angelic intercourse is led by the spirit rather than
the sexual organs. Where ordinary intercourse is effortful, angelic cultivation is
calm, relaxed, quiet, and natural. Where ordinary intercourse unites sex organs
with sex organs, angelic cultivation unites spirit with spirit, mind with mind, and
every cell of one body with every cell of the other body; culminating not in
dissolution but in integration, it is an opportunity for a man and woman to mutually
transform and uplift each other into the realm of bliss and wholeness [2a].
The saying of the Buddha Enlightenment is in the vagina" (in Sanscrit
Buddhatvam Yosityonisamasritam) points to the necessity of uniting male and
female energies for ultimate success. The same approach is used in the higher
tantric methods to reunite their Shiva and Shakti natures.
For alchemists, carrying on the tradition of the Gnostics, the 'completed work' has
recreated the Divine Androgyne. A 20-picture series of the alchemical and
Rosicrucian tradition has been discovered that shows an ethereal spirit being
emerging from a long and largely motionless male-female union [5].
Thelema Press promotes the teachings of the late Samael Aun Weor. It has
released a 75-minute documentary DVD on the mysteries of sacred sexuality. This
shows the symbols and parallels in the traditions of the Kabala, Alchemists, Tantra,
Mayan carvings, Tibetan Buddhism, Christian Gospels, and many others
(http://www.gnosticteachings.org/). We see that the central aspect of all these
teachings is the original male-female split that needs to be reversed in order to
return to our ultimate spiritual condition.
Nakedness
Early Christian leaders have written about the symbolism of nakedness as a sign of
innocence and perfection. This comes from the central teaching of Jesus that we
must become again sexually innocent like little children to recreate the conditions
between the sexes as they were between Adam and Eve before the fall.
In 36) of the Gospel of Thomas Jesus said, "Do not be concerned . about what
you will wear." And in 37: "When you disrobe without being ashamed and take up
5 of 16
28.05.2015 05:58
your garments and place them under your feet like little children and tread on them,
then will you see the son of the living one, and you will not be afraid." The idea
behind these sayings of Jesus is obviously that Adam and Eve were not ashamed
of their bodies while they were still pure and innocent like little children, and that we
need to become so again before we can enter the kingdom. To the pure everything
is pure, even their bodies and sexual organs and functions.
For the early Christians, nakedness and holy men living together in lust-free purity
with their virgins was a recreation of the condition of Adam and Eve in paradise
before the fall. The fall consisted of eating from the tree of knowledge.
Knowledge referred to procreative sexuality. In biblical terms to know a woman
meant to know her sexually. There are countless references to this in the bible.
Therefore, the fall means that the descending spirit entities became aware of
duality and with this of good and evil when they started to have orgasmic and
procreative sex. Accordingly, the aim of Jesus was to reverse duality by
encouraging men and women to live together in holy innocence as before the fall.
This then created the right condition for ascending back into the kingdom.
Here are some of the sayings in the Gospel of Philip to show this point:
76) In the days when Eve was within Adam, there had been no death. When she
was separated from him, death came to be. If she again enters and he receives her
to him, death shall no longer be.
86) If the woman had not separated from the man, she should not die with the
man. His separation became the beginning of death. Because of this, Christ came
to repair the separation, which was from the beginning, and again unite the two,
and to give life to those who died as a result of the separation, and unite them.
90) Adam came into being from two virgins from the Spirit and from the virgin
earth. Therefore Christ was begotten from a virgin, so that the fall which occurred in
the beginning shall be rectified. This saying also illustrates the importance of
symbolism in early religious thoughts.
Accordingly, reuniting the sexes in order to return to immortality was the central
task of Jesus, and nakedness was a symbol of innocence and purity of spirit.
Following this understanding of the teachings of Jesus many holy men have been
living more or less naked in the desert either alone or with their holy virgins.
Accordingly, the agapetae were sometimes derisively called unclad virtues or
having sun-clad power of chastity.
The Sacrament of the Bridal Chamber
Because the Church was so vigilant in destroying all dissident views and heretical
documents, we can only infer the details of the sacrament of the bridal chamber
and its relationship to the phenomenon of the agapetae. Our problem is to piece
together the original teachings to come to an understanding of how Jesus may
have taught this ritual. In this I regard the Gnostic Gospels as the most persuasive
sources, and of these the Gospel of Philip [3] has by far the most detailed
information. For relevant sayings from this gospel see the Appendix at the end of
this article.
The sacrament of the bridal chamber is obviously meant to reverse the
male-female split and make us energetically and emotionally whole again. From the
Gospel of Philip we can see some important elements in this sacrament. According
to Gnostic philosophy it is clear that saying 79 actually means that the bridal
chamber is not for sex as performed by animals, meaning reproductive or lustful
sex. Instead, saying 89 indicates that it is a restful union, in various translations
called a pure embrace or undefiled intercourse.
Associated with it is anointing. Commonly the oil used for anointing is called the
chrism. This consists of consecrated olive oil prepared with various fragrances,
such as balsam or myrrh. During anointing the oil may be applied to the forehead
and other parts of the body. However, in this gospel chrism is equated with
receiving the light.
6 of 16
28.05.2015 05:58
We see this in saying 101. The chain of anointing from Jesus to the apostles and
their disciples is clearly meant as transmitting the light. Also in 81) it says: The
light is the chrism (therefore it is not the oil that is used as the chrism). The crucial
explanation is in saying 71: The fire is the Chrism, the light is the fire. I do not
speak of this fire that has no form, but rather the other one whose form is white
and which is made of beautiful light and which bestows splendor.
This indicates to me that the beautiful white light is the halo of the saint, or in other
words the opened crown chakra which may more easily be seen in dim light. The
chakras are vortices in our energy bodies; for details see www.health-sciencesprit.com/bioenergies.html. Participants in this sacrament first received the chrism
to light the fire, and then used the sacramental male-female union to keep the
crown chakra permanently activated or open, and with this the whole chakra
system of the participants.
Emotional imperfections or imbalances show up as colors in our aura while white
light indicates perfection. Each chakra has a different rainbow color from red at the
base to violet at the top. A clairvoyant may see these different colors. However,
when all the chakras are fully opened and vibrating in harmony with each other,
then they appear as a unified field of white light. Therefore the sacrament is
intended to focus our emotions on our highest ideals and so clothe us in white light.
Saying 72 tells us on which image we need to focus in the bridal chamber to
become clothed in white light: It is certainly necessary to be born again through the
image. Which one? Resurrection. We need to focus on the image of the
resurrection. What is this image? It is the image of our perfected spirit body clothed
in white light. We may imagine this as a sphere of brilliant white light which makes it
difficult to discern the features of the figure inside from which this white light
originates.
Continued practice of this image was then associated with the development of a
higher energy body, an immortal white light body that was able to ascend into the
kingdom of heaven without being seen. This is indicated by saying 112. Those who
are not able to see and seize him (or his body) are the rulers of the different levels
of the astral world through which the ascending soul must pass on its way to the
kingdom. The highest level of the astral world is regarded as the Seventh Heaven,
and the kingdom is just above that at what in New Age is regarded as the mental
density level and the home of the ascended master.
Saying 113 indicates that those who are not completely perfected when leaving
their human body will get stuck in the astral world. Several of the Gnostic Gospels
give detailed instructions by Jesus on how to deal with the ascent through the astral
world. The simplest way is not to be seen by developing a perfected light body.
Jesus obviously regarded the sacrament of the bridal chamber as the fastest way
to prepare for ascension.
Central to it is guided imagery leading towards the resurrection or rebirth of an
immortal light body (72). Nothing compares with the effectiveness of this holy union
(82) which clothes us in the perfect light (85), and it had been recommended for all
disciples to rest in this union as a period of guided meditation (89).
The Immaculate Conception
There may also be a rational explanation for the doctrine of the Immaculate
Conception that also gives us a better understanding of the Sacrament of the Bridal
Chamber. The key to this is the Essene ritual of Temple Sleep. This is a very deep
meditation during a death-like sleep induced by a priest as a higher initiation
ceremony, and leading to out-of-body states. It seems to have been a central part
of the mystery traditions of all ancient cultures.
There are many indications that Joseph and Mary and later Jesus were associated
with the Essenes. Also James the Just (or the Righteous) is assumed to have been
the Just (or the Righteous) Teacher frequently mentioned in the Dead Sea Scrolls.
The Essenes believed that the time had come for the Messiah to incarnate. Edgar
7 of 16
28.05.2015 05:58
Cayce has given many readings on the way Mary was selected from a group of
twelve virgins as the purest and most suitable vessel for this purpose, and trained
in the Essene temple for her role. The priests also selected Joseph as her husband
to ensure a direct line of descent from King David [6].
Edward Smith in his book The Burning Bush about Anthroposophical interpretations
of the Bible outlines the position of Rudolf Steiner on this subject based on his
clairvoyant observations. According to Steiner it was literally a Virgin Birth and an
Immaculate Conception, not because there was no physical contact but because of
how the union came about and how the unspoiled soul of Mary remained
unspoiled.
In the same book we read about the visions of the illiterate nun Anne Catherine
Emmerich (1774-1824). Her visions showed Mary as a temple virgin, and the high
priesthood finding Joseph as a husband for her. According to Emmerich, Joseph
was later puzzled that the betrothed couple had gone through the temple sleep
under the guidance of the priesthood and conception had occurred during that time
[7].
Jesus would have been aware of the temple sleep and other ancient mystery
rituals. There were also such rituals for couples. The Nazorean Essenes still have
an extensive list of rites such as a Marriage Espousal Rite, a Marriage Nuptial Rite
and a Marriage Fruitful Rite (http://essenes.net/subindex6.htm).
I believe that Jesus developed the Sacrament of the Bridal Chamber out of the
temple sleep and relevant couple rituals. Temple sleep involved a death-like
unconsciousness of the biological body. The new ritual was instead designed to
lead to similar states of higher perception and initiation while remaining conscious
in the body. Rudolf Steiner mentioned that after the coming of Jesus temple sleep
was no longer needed to gain higher psychic awareness [7].
For this ritual to work the initiates need to develop a strong energy stream from the
base of the spine to the top of the head, similar to what is attempted in Kundalini
Yoga. Virgins have by far the highest amount of energy stored in the sexual energy
center, and by appropriately connecting male and female poles a powerful stream
of energy can now flow, similar to the attracting force between two strong magnets.
For this purpose it is sufficient for the outer genitals to touch, while for continued
high energy production into the future it is preferable that virginity remains intact. All
the Gnostic and biblical references seem to show that this is how Jesus taught this
sacrament, and that he preferred it to starting a family.
Other Sacraments
However, it is clear that candidates for this sacrament need to be suitably prepared
so that they have the right state of mind. This was the function of the other
sacraments. Baptism was a ceremony of spiritual cleansing, of washing away past
sins at the start of the spiritual path. Being a symbolic act, it was successful only if it
succeeded in uniting the conscious with the subconscious mind in a firm resolve
from now on to live a spiritual life. It was meant to be the birth of the spiritual body
in which fleshly vices such as greed and lust were replaced by love and
compassion.
In various traditions a five-fold process of rituals is practiced, some of them
performed only once, while others are frequently repeated for reinforcement. In the
Gospel of Philip we see five mysteries or sacraments:
1. baptism
2. anointing
3. Eucharist
4. redemption
5. bridal chamber
These are like five stages of initiation. Also the mystical path in general is
commonly divided into five stages, with the first being spiritual awakening and the
8 of 16
28.05.2015 05:58
last forming the immortal light body suitable for ascension. Specific invocations or
prayers were used with these sacraments, some of which have still survived with
the Gnostic Gospels.
It is known that oil or water and other liquids can be energized by a healer or during
a spiritual ceremony. This energized agent can then be used as the Eucharist or as
chrism oil to transmit uplifting energy to the recipient in a ceremony. However, the
strength of this transmitted energy is generally weak compared to the energy that
can be directly transmitted through laying-on of hands. To activate the crown
chakra a high initiate placed his or her radiating hands at the top of the head of the
neophyte. This was a ritual commonly practiced in early Christianity, and has been
described, for instance as part of the Valentinian sacraments and those of Marcus,
two prominent early Christian leaders with Gnostic tendencies. These practices
closely resembled those of other Christian communities of the second and third
centuries, and included some forms of the sacrament of the bridal chamber [6].
Looking at it from a practical point of view we may assume that the sacrament of
the bridal chamber consisted of a public and a private aspect. The public ceremony
was performed only once for each neophyte while the pure embrace was from then
on practiced in private by the couple at set intervals. During the public ceremony,
which included prayers, chants, sometimes dance, and invocations, there was the
laying on of hands to transmit the chrism, and presumably the practice of the pure
embrace was explained in detail, including the image or images on which one had
to focus. The public ceremony may also have been combined with a wedding feast,
the Eucharist, in which bread and wine was used to signify the body and blood of
the Christ, and included a redemption ceremony with specific prayers and
invocations to symbolically guide the soul back to its creator. Valentinus and
Marcus seem to have performed this combination of sacraments in weekly
meetings [6].
Actually Valentinus almost became the Pope or Bishop of Rome in 143 CE. He
claimed to have been personally initiated by a disciple of the apostle Paul who
taught him secret wisdom that Paul had taught privately to his inner circle [7]. This
line of initiation through Paul could be the reason why the Valentinian sacrament of
the bridal chamber seems to be more symbolic and less physical than that
portrayed in the Gospel of Philip. But in all cases the imposition of hands on the
head was used to activate the crown chakra as an essential part of the sacrament
of the bridal chamber, in addition to the sacrament of redemption which involves the
liberation of the mind from the clutches of the world. In later years similar rites
were used by the followers of the prophet Mani and the Cathars [8].
Preconditions and Conditions
In 1) of the Gospel of Thomas Jesus said, "Whoever finds the interpretation of
these sayings will not experience death", meaning that he or she will enter the
kingdom of heaven. It is instructive that Jesus did not require belief in his
teachings as the essential ingredient for reaching the kingdom; rather
understanding was the key.
This is also apparent from Matthew 13:10 -11ff: And the disciples came, and said
unto him: Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto
them: Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of
heaven, but to them it is not given. Jesus did not simply tell people what to believe
or do, but rather adjusted his teachings so that everyone could follow them
according to the level of their individual understanding.
In light of the presently growing interest in spiritual matters and ascension
teachings it will be interesting to reconstruct the sacrament of the bridal chamber in
a modern interpretation. It is clear that this sacrament was not meant to be
practiced by everyone but rather by those with a serious commitment to the
spiritual path. This interpretation is made easier by being able to draw on other
traditions with similar goals, such as Tantra, Tao and Yoga, and on the knowledge
of the chakra system and the higher energy bodies.
9 of 16
28.05.2015 05:58
A restriction on who may successfully use this method is contained in 75) of the
Gospel of Thomas where Jesus said, "Many are standing at the door, but it is the
solitary who will enter the bridal chamber." In 42) of the same gospel Jesus may
give a clue of what solitary means: "Become passers-by", and in 49) Jesus said:
"Blessed are the solitary and elect, for you will find the kingdom. For you are from
it, and to it you will return." From these and other passages of the Canonical and
Gnostic Gospels it appears that Jesus regarded as solitary those who heeded his
call to leave family and possessions to follow him and his teachings.
In our modern context I interpret solitary to mean spiritual seekers who are no
longer pursuing worldly goals, or those who are in the world but not of the world. It
could also mean independent- having found their own (divine) way and not being
dependent on other peoples or societys rules or guidance for living, no longer
dependent on others for survival and security [4a].
131) indicates that this sacrament is performed in the light of day with an attitude of
pure love and exchange of holy kisses (35). However, day may not be meant
literally but rather symbolic as spiritual light. An essential precondition for the
success of this sacrament is purity. This relates to our mind, emotions and body or
lifestyle (114). To achieve and maintain purity the conscious mind needs to obtain
the full cooperation of the subconscious mind or inner child. Traditionally this was
achieved with ceremonies and rituals which greatly impress the subconscious
mind.
Presently we have no ritualized initiation system complete with competent teachers
and supportive community to transform the subconscious minds of spiritual
seekers. Therefore those following the spiritual path need to do their own
homework for inner purification. For guidance in this process see The Spiritual Path
(www.health-science-spirit.com/spiritualpath.html).
The importance of natural, clean and spiritual living for the early followers of Jewish
Christianity can be understood from their connection with the Essenes. These had
desert communities with very strict rules in this regard. The Nazorean Essenes,
who are still practicing today, try to live according to these rules. They claim that
Jesus was one of them, and that they represented Jewish Christianity until 135 CE
when the Roman Christians gained the upper hand (http://essenes.net
/new/subnazoreans.html).
Further, in regard to clean living, early Christians lived on organic food and clean
drinking water, without any exposure to drugs, chemicals, electromagnetic or air
pollution. We have to make great efforts to purify our bodies to come to a condition
where early Christians started.
The Lords Prayer
The Lords Prayer supposedly is the only prayer that Jesus taught. Its origin is from
the 'Kadish' in the Talmud and contains key words and meanings that relate to
specific chakras or energy centers. While saying each line, one needs to focus the
meaning on the relevant chakra. It is very likely that Jesus also used it at the
beginning of the ceremony to activate the chakra system. However, the original
Aramaic has different layers of meaning, and while the commonly used translation
from Aramaic to Greek to Latin, old English and finally to modern English seems to
have been distorted to focus on the lower or material aspects, it is likely that Jesus,
especially as part of this sacrament, focused on the highest spiritual meaning.
For instance the line Give us this day our daily bread in Aramaic is: Give us
nourishment for our daily activities. This could mean bread in its lower aspects, or
it could mean love or wisdom and loving guidance if one is spiritually focused. Man
lives not by bread alone! For information on its origin and various direct
translations of this prayer from Aramaic into modern English see
www.thenazareneway.com/lords_prayer.htm.
Considering the Aramaic text, the meaning that Jesus would have given it as part of
the sacrament may be as follows, starting with the 7th or crown chakra and going
10 of 16
28.05.2015 05:58
down to the 1st or base chakra:

Divine Parent in Heaven, holy is your name,
Fill my whole being with Light, your kingdom come,
Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Fill my Heart with Love,
Forgive my mistakes as I forgive others,
Guide me in the right use of sexual energy,
And in my relationship with the forces of nature.
Amen (to seal and confirm).
If you use the common English version, you may focus on certain key words and
give them these meanings for the appropriate chakras. These key words are
HEAVEN for the 7th chakra, followed by NAME, then WILL, BREAD, DEBTS,
TEMPTATION, and finally EVIL [9]. The often used ending For thine is the
kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen was not present in
the original version but there is no harm in using it.
It is also possible that there was a short chant of AUM from which the present
Amen is derived at the end of the prayer. This activates especially the throat
center, and sound energy can be used instead of sexual energy to empower
images. This was supposedly the means by which our spirit ancestors created
(Philip 35) before they used guided imagery to genetically modify and inhabit
bipedal apes for their own sexual experiences, thereby causing the fall. This was
the 'original sin'. When the spirits started using the second chakra for procreation
instead of the fifth chakra, they became more deeply enmeshed in matter and lost
the connection with their home, the mental density level or kingdom of heaven.
A Modern Interpretation
In addition to general purity of participants, also each individual performance of the
sacrament of the bridal chamber needs to be approached with an attitude of purity.
Commonly dedication, invocation, prayer and anointing were used to uplift and
focus the mind on the holy mission. This may have been followed by a light
massage of key parts of the body with olive oil, and by some holy kisses. Holy in
this case means gently loving and uplifting rather than passionate. Holy kisses
were called the kiss of peace by the early Christians.
Our main disadvantage is that we do not have a transmission of light for opening
our crown chakra during the initiation ceremony of this sacrament. This means that
we need to concentrate more on the crown chakra during each session, and it may
take longer until we are successful. In a group setting the crown chakra may be
activated by several individuals placing their energized hands together on top of the
head of the one to be initiated.
Several bible passages (Matthew 6:22-23 and Luke 11:34-35) contain this saying:
When your eyes are single your whole body is full of light. This shows that Jesus
taught chakra meditation. It is common in chakra meditation to turn the closed eyes
up and inward as if looking behind the middle of the forehead, focusing on the third
eye. In this way you can keep this chakra activated without having to pay any
attention to it. With some practice you not only see an image like a spiritual eye
(your eyes being single), but also your whole body appears to be filled with light. I
have no doubt that this is what Jesus really meant and that he also taught to focus
on the third eye during meditation, thereby making the eyes single. Another
common meditation practice is to rest the tip of the tongue against the roof of the
mouth to facilitate the downward flow of energy.
The goal is the formation of an immortal light body. The purpose of the male-female
union is to balance each others polarized energies in the various soul bodies, and
in addition to generate a flow of kundalini or sexual energy up the spine to activate
the whole chakra system.
With very high energy and a new partner the sexual organs may not even need to
11 of 16
28.05.2015 05:58
touch. Otherwise they may just be in loose contact, or they may be quietly
connected without movement. The choice or decision on what is appropriate
depends on previous sexual activities of each participant, separately and in their
relationship as a couple. For those coming together for the first time it is definitely
better not to connect sexually, especially if they have not practiced ejaculation
control.
The stronger the sexual energy of the participants, the less closely they need to be
sexually connected, but skin contact is always required. A young, healthy and
spiritual virgin usually has extremely strong sexual energy, which will make it easy
for both participants to become uplifted. An old or elderly couple, on the other hand,
may require preparatory work to revitalize their sexual energies, and need stronger
stimulation for activation during the sacrament.
Couples in a long-term relationship, especially with orgasmic sex, may initially not
have the necessary charge of sexual energy that is required for the sacrament of
the bridal chamber. Therefore, they would be advised to avoid intimate contact for a
sufficiently long period until their love and sexual desire for each other have been
fully restored. Then they can enter the bridal chamber like singles. Alternatively
they may approach it gradually by initially adopting a period of Karezza. Also
elderly individuals may need first to improve their overall vitality.
The normal resting position would be a frontal embrace lying side by side with legs
intertwined. The initial connection of the bodies or the sexual organs should
produce a heightened awareness of feeling energy in the pelvic area and at the
base of the spine. With part of the mind this feeling may be maintained or
reinforced, possibly leading it upward with the mind and breath to the heart area.
You may do that by imagining that the energy bubbles upwards and you feel the
popping of these little bubbles like opening a bottle of soft-drink or champagne.
The other part of the mental focus is on the top of the head, the crown chakra. Here
you imagine sending out a loving feeling towards your High Self of God-Self. In
response you feel a strong inflow of love energy in the form of white light into your
crown chakra and also engulfing the rest of your body. For a suitable visualization
see The Magic Presence at www.health-science-spirit.com/spirituality.html.
When you can strongly feel the inflowing energy and preferably also the energy in
the sexual area, then switch the main focus of your attention to the heart center.
Feel the energies coming through the top and from the bottom condensing at the
center of your chest or in the heart, and now radiate it out onto your partner,
surrounding both of you with a cloud of love and white light. Become more and
more submersed in the feelings that these flows of energy generate.
This first part of the ceremony is designed to activate our chakras and energy flows
in a way that the transmission of the chrism of light by laying-on of hands and allied
sacraments may have achieved. After some time you can forget the energy flows
and just focus on the image of your perfected spirit body arising out of you as a
sphere of brilliant white light.
Eventually the participants may just remain still for an indefinite period, melting into
each other. Couples will need to experiment to find the best intervals at which to
repeat the sacrament for experiencing the strongest flows of energy and feelings of
love.
On Using Sexual Energy
Sexual energy is our most concentrated form of life-force energy. Life-force energy
is what maintains our body and what we need to live, heal and create. The basic
act of creating involves forming an image and then filling it with our energy. The
image can be anything from winning a race, to healing a diseased organ, to
creating a white light body. The energy source may commonly be breath energy,
sound energy or sexual energy. Of these, sexual energy is by far the strongest and
may be used just by believing in something, or more specifically by using guided
imagery or meditation. If properly done, this results in what is called a rise of
12 of 16
28.05.2015 05:58
kundalini energy up the spine, which can now be used to activate a chakra or
energize an image.
Stronger energy flows can be generated by combining male and female sexual
energies. Intimate contact with an opposite sex partner causes a much stronger
activation of sexual energy than meditating alone. For some possibilities see
Spiritual Sex. If this energy is allowed to dissipate in a conventional orgasm it is
simply lost while the resulting neurochemical changes may lead to a greater sense
of emotional separation between partners [10]. However, if one or both of the
partners hold a specific image during orgasm, then this image can be energized
and helped to manifest. This is a commonly used method in what is called sex
magic and black or left-handed Tantra. It has often been abused in unequal power
relationships and used for lower or selfish goals. Also much of the energy is lost in
an explosive discharge.
A more economic use is a gradual release of sexual energy flowing between male
and female like an electric battery. This may be just with skin contact, or resting
with the sexual organs connected, or slowly moving as with Karezza. Again, this
energy flow may be used to create only pleasurable feelings, or it may in addition
be used to energize an image. In 64) of the Gospel of Philip it says: Therefore
contemplate the Pure Embrace (or undefiled intercourse), for it has great power!
This saying points to the enhanced creative potential of sexual energy when it is
used to manifest a high ideal.
The Embrace of Peace
I believe the early Christians with their holy agape relationships had something that
we have lost and deep within us long for ever since: The Embrace of Peace. This is
how I imagine the saint and his virgin exchanged their sexual energies they were
lying together naked in a frontal embrace, legs intertwined, but without much
movement, perhaps with some occasional touches of endearment, and they were
just melting into each others feelings of love and deep peace. There was no striving
for anything, nothing to achieve or to perform, just being and feeling.
I regard this embrace of peace as one of our best tools for healing. It counters the
greatest scourge of our time: stress. Presently we are stressed at all levels of our
existence, from pollution in our air, food and water, from food allergies and nutrient
deficiencies, from medical drugs, microbial infestations and parasites, expectations
to perform at school, workplace and marriage, suppressed and misdirected sexual
energies, and many other emotional shocks and disappointments. All these
stresses combine to make us feel unhappy or unfulfilled, separate from each other,
and susceptible to depression, diseases and premature aging.
Antidotes to this are relaxing hobbies, and especially meditation, but the embrace
of peace has the added dimension of healing our bruised malefemale
relationships. Touch is a great healing tool, and with this kind of prolonged touch
our emotional and muscular tensions can just melt away. This has been shown with
hypertension and other stress-related conditions [12], and I am confident that also
muscle tensions like those associated with hip and back problems or arthritis will be
relieved, and it will be beneficial for all kinds of sexual problems or dysfunctions. It
will be great for those who prefer to live in chastity. But the greatest benefit will be
emotional improvements, greater emotional stability and enjoyment of life, and
above all a previously unknown emotional closeness in our male-female
relationships.
The embrace of peace may be enjoyed once a week instead of conventional sex,
while at other times couples may just continue with their usual sexual practices.
However, even greater health and relationship benefits can be gained by combining
the embrace of peace with regular periods of meditation and more advanced sexual
practices such as Karezza.
Afterthought
Going by the Gnostic Gospels I believe that the sacrament described above is
13 of 16
28.05.2015 05:58
close to how Jesus may have taught it. I do not claim or believe that this is the only
method to reach ascension or will be best for everyone. While it may be difficult at
present to find a suitable saint or virgin to team up with, nevertheless this method
should be worth investigating for those who are seriously interested in the spiritual
path and especially in ascension.
Those coming from a tradition of conventional sex may gradually draw closer to this
ultimate sacrament by first experimenting with the Embrace of Peace on its own or
combined with Perfect Sex and Karezza [10]. An advanced form of Karezza was
described by Alice Bunker Stockham, MD in Karezza: Ethics of Marriage: At the
appointed time and after joint meditation the couple calmly engages in physical
contact and expressions of endearment and affection, followed by the complete,
quiet union of the sexual organs.
The premise of this article that Jesus had inner teachings for his disciples, and that
the central part of these teachings was sacred sexuality, will be completely
unacceptable to doctrine-committed Christians, but it will give hope to those who
are trying to understand the fragments of secret teachings that have survived the
millennia. These inner teachings seem to have been a widely experienced reality
for many of the followers of Jesus in our first three centuries, and we are fortunate
to have some record of them in the surviving Gnostic Gospels.
However, the very nature of these inner teachings of Jesus makes it clear that they
have as little mass appeal now as they had two thousand years ago. This makes it
understandable why Paul found it necessary to promote a version of outer
teachings that appealed to the masses while keeping the inner teachings for a
small circle of those who were ready to receive them. The aim of the outer
teachings was to lead individuals towards the solitary life, while the inner teachings
guided the solitary individuals back to their heavenly home.
The tragedy of our history is that the newly established church decided to
completely eliminate the inner teachings of Jesus instead of providing a guided
path from the outer to the inner teachings. Nevertheless, belatedly it is still possible
in our time to build a bridge from the religious aspirations of the wider community to
the understanding of the inner teachings of Jesus as presented in the Gnostic
Gospels.
Summary of the Inner Teachings
A summary of the inner teachings of Jesus as revealed in the Gnostic Gospels and
other writings may read as follows:
1. Our ancestral spirits became trapped in matter and duality when they were
tempted to experience procreative sex.
2. After physical death they became stuck in the astral world and this prevented
them from returning to their heavenly home.
3. Jesus came to show a way for advanced or solitary individuals to return to
heaven by creating a white light body.
4. This can be done by reuniting males and females in a pure embrace while using
specific imagery.
5. The result is a return to the condition of sexual innocence that prevailed before
the fall into matter and duality.
Appendix
Here I have assembled several relevant excerpts from the Gospel of Philip [3] as
used in this article.
28. There is water in a Baptism of water; there is fire in a Chrism.
35. Grace comes forth by him from the mouth, the place where the Logos came
forth; one was to be nourished from the mouth to become perfect. The perfect are
conceived thru a kiss and they are born. Therefore we also are motivated to kiss
14 of 16
28.05.2015 05:58
one another to receive conception from within our mutual grace.

71. The soul and the spirit have come forth in water and fire with light, which pertain
to the Son of the Bridal-Chamber. The fire is the Chrism, the light is the fire. I do not
speak of this fire that has no form, but rather the other one whose form is white
and which is made of beautiful light and which bestows splendor.
72. The truth did not come unto the world naked, but rather it has come in symbolic
imagery. The world will not receive it in any other fashion. There is a rebirth and an
image of rebirth. It is certainly necessary to be born again through the image.
Which one? Resurrection. The image must rise again through the imagery. The
bridal chamber and the image must enter through the image into the truth: this is
the restoration.. For this-one is no longer a Christian but rather a Christ.
73. The Lord did everything in a sacrament: with a Baptism, a Chrism, a Eucharist,
an Atonement and with a Holy Bridal-Chamber.
74. a) He says: I came to make the inner as the outer and the outer as the inner.
He spoke of everything in the place above this place by means of the symbolic
images. [...]
79. Let the Bridal-Chamber not be for the animals nor for the slaves nor the impure
women, but rather for free men and virgins.
81. No one will be able to see himself either in water or in a mirror without light. Nor
again will thou be able to see thyself in light without water or mirror. Therefore it is
appropriate to baptize in both in the light as well as the water. Yet the light is the
Chrism.
82. The Baptism is the holy vestibule, the Atonement is the holy of the holies but
the holiest of the holies is the Bridal-Chamber. The Baptism has the resurrection
with the Atonement entering into the Bridal-Chamber. Yet the Bridal-Chamber is
more exalted than those. [...] Thou will find nothing that compares with it.
85. The powers do not see those who are clothed in the perfect light, and are not
able to detain them. One will be clothed in this light sacramentally in the union.
86. If the woman had not separated from the man, she should not die with the
man. His separation became the beginning of death. Because of this, Christ came
to repair the separation, which was from the beginning, and again unite the two,
and to give life to those who died as a result of the separation, and unite them. But
the woman is united to her husband in the bridal chamber. Indeed, those who have
united in the bridal chamber will no longer be separated. Thus Eve separated from
Adam because it was not in the bridal chamber that she united with him.
89.. It left the bridal chamber as one who came into being from the bridegroom
and the bride. So Jesus established everything in it through these. It is fitting for
each of the disciples to enter into his rest (or peace).
101. The Chrism is made lord over the Baptism. For from the Chrism we are called
Christians, and not because of the Baptism. And he was called the Christ because
of the Chrism. For the Father anointed the Son, yet the Son anointed the Apostles,
yet the Apostles anointed us. He who has been anointed has the totality he has
the resurrection, the light, the cross, the Holy Spirit. The Father bestowed this upon
him in the Bridal-Chamber and he received.
112. Not only shall they be unable to seize the perfected person, but they shall be
unable even to see him. For if they see him, they will seize him. In no other manner
will one be able to be begotten of this grace, unless he is clothed in the Perfect
Light and Perfect Light is within him. Thus clad, he shall go forth from the World.
This is the perfected.
113. It is appropriate that we are made to become perfected persons before we
come forth from the world. Whoever has received everything without mastering
these places, will not be able to master that place; but rather he shall go to the
transition as imperfect. Only Jesus knows the destiny of this one.
15 of 16
28.05.2015 05:58
114. The sainted person is entirely holy, including his body. For if he received the
bread he will sanctify it, or the chalice, or everything else he receives he purifies.
And how will he not purify the body also.
131. If the marriage of impurity is hidden, how much more is the Immaculate
Marriage a true sacrament! It is not carnal but rather pure, it is not lustful but rather
loving, it is not of the darkness or the night but rather of the day and the light.
References
[1] Tony Bushby: The Forged Origins of the New Testament. Nexus 14-04 (2007).
[2] Hua Hu Ching by Lao Tzu (Translated by Brian Walker) www.abuddhistlibrary.com (use
Search facility), also Hua Hu Ching: Unknown Teachings of Lao Tzu, trans. Brian Walker,
Harper SanFrancisco (1995), section 66.
[2a] Ibid. section 69
[3] Generally the version of The Gospel of Philip that was here used was downloaded from
http://www.gnosticweb.com/index.php?PageID=114 because paragraphs in this version
were numbered. However, this webpage is no longer available. The popular version from
www.gnosis.org/naghamm/gop.html is not numbered.
[4] Mary Sharpe: Sexuality and the Sacred in Gnostic Literature. Dissertation University of
Cambridge 2001, http://reuniting.info/SharpeDissertation.pdf
[4a] Mary Sharpe personal communication
[5] The alchemical sixteenth century Rosarium Philosophorum with 20 woodcuts of the
Mystical Union at www.alchemywebsite.com/virtual_museum
/rosarium_philosophorum_room.htm
[6] Glenn D. Kittler: Edgar Cayce on the Dead Sea Scrolls. Paperback Library, N.Y. 1970
[7] http://www.bibleandanthroposophy.com/Smith/main/burning_bush/burning_bush.html
and specifically http://www.bibleandanthroposophy.com/Smith/main/burning_bush/chapters
/Nativity/nativity12.htm
[8] David Brons: Valentinian Sacramental Practice. http://www.gnosis.org/library/valentinus
/Valentinian_Sacramental.htm.
[9] David Brons: Valentinus. http://www.gnosis.org/library/valentinus/Valentinus.htm.
[10] Stephan A. Hoeller: VALENTINUS A Gnostic for All Seasons.
www.gnosis.org/valentinus.htm.
[11] Further interesting information on this and related subjects is in the book Edgar Cayce
on the Revelation by John Van Auken, A.R.E. Press, Virginia Beach 2000, http://www.neardeath.com/experiences/cayce10.html.
[12] Walter Last: Sexual Energy in Health and Spirituality: Nexus 14-03 (2007); also at
www.health-science-spirit.com/heal-sex.html.
16 of 16
HOME
BODY
DISEASES
HEALING FOODS
ENERGIES
EMOTIONS
MIND
SPIRITUALITY
28.05.2015 05:58

The Saint and His Virgin

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Saint and His Virgin

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

THE SAINT AND HIS VIRGIN