THE SEVEN SERMONS TO THE DEAD by BASILIDES, early Cristian MASTER....MAJOR INFLUENCE ON CARL JUNG

SPIRIT AND PSYCHE

When Basilides
of Alexandria made his SEVEN SERMONS TO THE DEAD, he spoke of the dead
who had come to Alexandria, and "leaned against the wall" and "cried out in desperation for a vision of God and 'to learn what we lack' he was not referring to a group of corpses who walked like zombies through the night: no, he was speaking of the living who had not yet awakened.
So it is in the Gospel of Philip when the apostle says: "Blessed is he who restores sight to the THE BLIND," he is not talking about those who literally cannot see, but those who are living in blindness because they have not yet come
to realization.

Basilides was a teacher, a master, who had himself learned the way beyond, which is to become single in mind and spirit, and to unify completely with the Light
within. I think of the Zen people who value "One pointed Mind,"unified focus.

The dead had gone to Jerusalem and there "they did not find what they sought"
so they returned to ask questions of Basilides.

Basilides gave them seven sermons in order that "the dead" might awaken and come to life. In this way he was also restoring sight to the blind.

I should point out that these sermons were transcribed by none other than Carl Gustav Jung, who started his own school of therapy, naturally called the Jungian
school and method.

Now Jung stressed 'individuation', the growth of a person into what he is meant to be; and this growth takes place in the psyche, which also includes the Collective
Unconscious, which is different from the subconscious Freud taught about.
Why I bring this up is this: I think Jung was influenced by Basilides and his process of individuation is not unlike the process the ancient master speaks of,
the process of becoming unified and "single", which is to say not unduly influenced by the daemon of sexuality or by the "too crafty thoughts of the earthly one, who will creep through every hole and cleave to all thing with desirousness."

Basilides also says: "Communion is everything."

And:"Prayer increases the light of the Star within; it casts a bridge over death."

No religion is truly a religion that does not deal with eternal life. This is the promise Christ made, "Come to me and you will find life eternal."

"Before Abraham was, I am."


"Whoever finds the explanation of these words will not taste death."
Gospel of Thomas.