The Eye of the Heart: Mary Magdalene, the Nous, and What Peter Couldn’t See
Recovering Spiritual Perception from Gnostic Silence and Orthodox Mysticism
Dedicated to those who have glimpsed the vision and dared to keep their gaze steady. To the ones who do not flinch when truth appears.
💫 Teaching & Practice from Karen King’s The Gospel of Mary of Magdala – Chapter 7: Vision & Mind
Let’s clarify upfront: this is not Chapter 7 of the Gospel of Mary—it’s Chapter 7 of Karen King’s book about the Gospel. And yes, it still roasts the Church’s gatekeeping with more grace and insight than most councils managed in a thousand years.
In this chapter, Mary recounts a vision. Not a dream. Not a trance. A clear, conscious experience of the risen Christ. And instead of telling her to sit down and let the boys speak, Jesus praises her with this line:
“Blessed are you for not wavering at seeing me. For where the mind is, there is the treasure.”
Then this revelation, worth more than every seminary diploma:
“A person does not see with the soul or with the spirit. Rather the mind (nous), which exists between the two, sees the vision.”
Now. Let’s talk nous.
This isn’t "mind" like monkey brain or mindfulness from an app with soothing gongs. Nous is the organ of spiritual perception in Eastern Orthodox Christianity. According to the Philokalia (five thick volumes of desert monk spiritual surgery), the nous is the eye of the heart—the part of you that sees God directly, not by logic, not by emotion, but by participation.
The rational mind (dianoia) processes thoughts. The soul (psyche) feels. But the nous beholds. In its fallen state, it chases distractions. In its purified state, it is a chalice of stillness, able to hold divine light without spilling it into doctrine or delusion.
So when Mary sees the Lord, it’s not a ghost story. It’s what the Philokalic monks would call the restoration of the nous. A return to Eden inside your ribcage.
That’s why Jesus doesn’t say, "Blessed are you for believing." He says, "Blessed are you for not wavering." Her inner gaze was stable enough to receive him.
The apostles, meanwhile, are still debating theology like it’s a sport. Mary had already become the vision.
PRACTICE: The Mind Between
Find the Still Point: Close your eyes. Settle your attention not in your thoughts or your breath—but in the space between them. The inner hush. Let your awareness fall behind the noise and rest in the still chamber where seeing happens.
Anchor with this phrase:
“Where the mind is, there is the treasure.”
Let it echo in rhythm with your breath. Inhale: “Where the mind is”—Exhale: “There is the treasure.” This isn’t recitation; it’s entrainment. A timeless method used across traditions to calm the waters of the mind and attune attention to stillness.
Inner Gaze: Ask: If Christ appeared in my awareness, could I meet him without trembling? Not from ego. But from that quiet place where the nous perceives.
This is not visualization. This is training the seat of vision to become clear.
Dedication of Merit:
Through the power of this practice, may all beings come to rest in the clarity of the nous. May the veils that cloud perception dissolve. May those who tremble before the Mystery find steadiness. And may many, through grace and stillness, not waver at the vision of Christ.
Closing Words:
The nous doesn’t argue. It recognizes. It doesn’t cling. It receives. It doesn’t hallucinate. It beholds.
That’s why Mary was chosen.
So here’s your koan: Can your mind hold mystery without needing to fix it, name it, or tweet about it?
Because revelation doesn’t come to the loudest or the most credentialed. It comes to the one who can keep the gaze steady when heaven blinks open.
Blessed are you who do not waver.
—Virgin Monk Boy
🌀 More on Mary Magdalene
Want to go deeper into Magdalene’s gospel, mysticism, and her war with empire religion? Here are other pieces from the archive:
The Gatekeepers Forgot About the Nous (and Buried Magdalene With It)
Mary Magdalene’s Lost Gospel Reveals: You Were Never Dirty to Begin With
Teaching and Practice from The Gospel of Mary of Magdala, Chapter 4: The Body and the World
She Saw What They Couldn’t: Why Mary Magdalene Was the First Gnostic
Sin Is a State of Mind, Not a Stain on Your Soul
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"For where the mind is, there is the treasure.” These words are a solution to many of my woes. The sweet spot.
Your writing makes me think I would appreciate reading Karen King's book. I will look for it. I'm learning a lot from these Magdalene posts you've been sharing. I appreciate everything you're sharing!