First Dharma, First Gospel The Book of Octads & The Gospel of Thomas By Mark B. Matthews What if two of the world's most intriguing spiritual traditions were pointing toward a discovery we have largely forgotten how to make? In the ancient Buddhist teachings of the Book of Octads and the enigmatic sayings of the Gospel of Thomas, we encounter a striking invitation: to look beyond the identities we have constructed, question the beliefs we cling to, and discover what it means to live undivided. The Buddha challenges us to release our attachments, abandon our dependence on certainty, and become free from the endless struggle to possess, define, and defend ourselves. Jesus, in the sayings preserved in the Gospel of Thomas, calls us to seek what is hidden, discover what is within, and become whole. These are not identical teachings, nor do they arise from identical worldviews. Yet, when placed side by side, they reveal fascinating parallels—and raise questions that neither tradition should be too quickly used to answer for the other. Drawing on the ancient texts, First Dharma, First Gospel explores the relationship between the divided self and the undivided life, between the world we construct and the reality we struggle to see. Along the way, familiar religious assumptions are challenged, ancient metaphors take on unexpected meaning, and the reader is invited to reconsider what it means to awaken. This is not an attempt to make Buddha into Jesus or Jesus into Buddha. It is an invitation to listen carefully to both. Perhaps the most important discovery is not what separates these two voices, but what happens when we allow them to speak. Become undivided. Become a passer-by.