8 Hear me, you men of Israel! Defilement is a creature of the heart. The carnal mind lays hold of thought, and makes a monstrous bride; this bride is sin; sin is a creature of the mind. 9 That which defiles a man is not the food he eats. 10 The bread and fish and other things we eat, are simply cups to carry to the cells of flesh material for the building of the human house, and when their work is done as refuse they are cast away. 11 The life of plant and flesh that goes to build the human house is never food for soul. The spirit does not feed upon the carcasses of animal, or plant. 12 God feeds the soul direct from heaven; the bread of life comes from above. 13 The air we breathe is charged with Holy Breath, and he who wills may take this Holy Breath. 14 The soul discriminates, and he who wants the life of Christ may breathe it in. According to your faith so let it be. 15 Man is not a part of his abiding place; the house is not the man. 16 The lower world builds up the house of flesh, and keeps it in repair; the higher world provides the bread of spirit life. 17 The loveliest lilies grow from stagnant ponds and filthiest muck. 18 The law of flesh demands that one should keep the body clean. 19 The law of spirit calls for purity in thought and word and deed. 20 Now, when the evening came and they were in the house, the twelve had many things to say, and many questions to propound. 21 Nathaniel asked, Was what you said about the house of flesh a parable? If so, what does it mean? 22 And Jesus said, Can you not yet discriminate? Do you not yet perceive that what a man takes in his mouth defiles him not? 23 His food goes not into his soul; it is material for flesh and bone and brawn. 24 To spirit everything is clean. 25 That which defiles a man wells up from carnal thoughts; and carnal thoughts spring from the heart, and generate a host of evil things. 26 From out the heart comes murders, thefts and foolishness. All selfish acts and sensual deeds spring from the heart. 27 To eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man. 28 And Peter said, Lord, What you said today has grievously offended scribe and Pharisee. 29 And Jesus said, These scribes and Pharisees are not the scions of the tree of life; they are not plants of God; they are the plants of men, and every foreign plant shall be plucked up. 30 Let all these men alone; they are blind guides; they lead a multitude of people who are blind. 31 The leaders and the led together walk; together they will fall into the yawning pits. CHAPTER 127. _The Christines cross the sea to Decapolis. Jesus finds a retired place where he privately teaches the twelve. They remain three days, then go into a village by the sea._ Now, Jesus took the twelve and with them crossed the sea at night and came unto the borders of Decapolis, 2 That he might find a secret place where, all alone, he could reveal to them the things to come.