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Gnosticism
is the teaching based on Gnosis, the knowledge of transcendence
arrived at by way of interior,
intuitive means.
Although Gnosticism thus rests on personal religious experience,
it is a mistake to assume all such experience results in Gnostic
recognitions. It is nearer the truth to say that Gnosticism expresses
a specific religious experience, an experience that does not lend
itself to the language of theology or philosophy, but which is instead
closely affinitized to, and expresses itself through, the medium
of myth. Indeed, one finds that most Gnostic scriptures take the
forms of myths. The term “myth” should not here be taken
to mean “stories that are not true”, but rather, that
the truths embodied in these myths are of a different order from
the dogmas of theology or the statements of philosophy.
In the following summary, we will attempt to encapsulate in prose
what the Gnostic myths express in their distinctively poetic and
imaginative language. The Cosmos
All religious traditions acknowledge that the world is imperfect.
Where they differ is in the explanations which they offer to account
for this imperfection and in what they suggest might be done about
it. Gnostics have their own - perhaps quite startling - view
of these matters: they hold that the world is flawed because it
was created in a flawed manner. Like Buddhism,
Gnosticism begins with the fundamental recognition that earthly
life is filled with suffering. In order to nourish
themselves, all forms of life consume each other, thereby visiting
pain, fear, and death upon one another (even herbivorous animals
live by destroying the life of plants). In addition, so-called
natural catastrophes - earthquakes, floods, fires, drought, volcanic
eruptions - bring further suffering and death in their wake. Human
beings, with their complex physiology and psychology, are aware
not only of these painful features of earthly existence. They also
suffer from the frequent recognition that they are strangers living
in a world that is flawed and absurd. Many
religions advocate that humans are to be blamed for the imperfections
of the world. Supporting this view, they interpret the Genesis
myth as declaring that transgressions committed by the first
human pair brought about a “fall” of creation resulting in
the present corrupt state of the world. Gnostics respond that this
interpretation of the myth is false. The blame for the world’s
failings lies not with humans, but with the creator. Since --
especially in the monotheistic religions -- the creator is God,
this Gnostic
position appears blasphemous, and is often viewed with dismay
even by non-believers. Ways
of evading the recognition of the flawed creation and its flawed
creator have been devised over and over, but none of these
arguments have impressed Gnostics. The ancient Greeks, especially
the Platonists, advised people to look to the harmony of the
universe, so that by venerating its grandeur they might forget
their immediate
afflictions. But since this harmony still contains the cruel
flaws, forlornness and alienation of existence, this advice is
considered
of little value by Gnostics. Nor is the Eastern idea of Karma
regarded by Gnostics as an adequate explanation of creation’s
imperfection and suffering. Karma at best can only explain how
the chain of
suffering and imperfection works. It does not inform us in
the first place why such a sorrowful and malign system should
exist. Once
the initial shock of the “unusual” or “blasphemous” nature
of the Gnostic explanation for suffering and imperfection of
the world wears off, one may begin to recognize that it is in
fact
the most sensible of all explanations. To appreciate it fully,
however, a familiarity with the Gnostic conception of the Godhead
is required, both in its original essence as the True God and
in its debased manifestation as the false or creator God. Deity
The Gnostic God concept is more subtle than that of most religions.
In its way, it unites and reconciles the recognitions of Monotheism
and Polytheism, as well as of Theism, Deism and Pantheism. In
the Gnostic view, there is a true, ultimate and transcendent
God, who is beyond all created universes and who never created
anything in the sense in which the word “create” is
ordinarily understood. While this True God did not fashion or create
anything, He (or, It) “emanated” or brought forth
from within Himself the substance of all there is in all the
worlds,
visible and invisible. In a certain sense, it may therefore be
true to say that all is God, for all consists of the substance
of God. By the same token, it must also be recognized that many
portions of the original divine essence have been projected so
far from their source that they underwent unwholesome changes
in the process. To worship the cosmos, or nature, or embodied
creatures
is thus tantamount to worshipping alienated and corrupt portions
of the emanated divine essence. The basic Gnostic myth has many variations, but all of these refer
to Aeons, intermediate deific beings who exist between the ultimate,
True God and ourselves. They, together with the True God, comprise
the realm of Fullness (Pleroma) wherein the potency of divinity
operates fully. The Fullness stands in contrast to our existential
state, which in comparison may be called emptiness. One
of the aeonial beings who bears the name Sophia (“Wisdom”)
is of great importance to the Gnostic world view. In the course
of her journeyings, Sophia came to emanate from her own being a
flawed consciousness, a being who became the creator of the material
and psychic cosmos, all of which he created in the image of his
own flaw. This being, unaware of his origins, imagined himself
to be the ultimate and absolute God. Since he took the already
existing divine essence and fashioned it into various forms, he
is also called the Demiurgos or “half-maker” There
is an authentic half, a true deific component within creation,
but it is not recognized by the half-maker and by his cosmic minions,
the Archons or “rulers”. The Human Being
Human nature mirrors the duality found in the world: in part
it was made by the false creator God and in part it consists
of the
light of the True God. Humankind contains a perishable physical
and psychic component, as well as a spiritual component which
is a fragment of the divine essence. This latter part is often
symbolically
referred to as the “divine spark”. The recognition
of this dual nature of the world and of the human being has earned
the Gnostic tradition the epithet of “dualist”. Humans are generally ignorant of the divine spark resident within
them. This ignorance is fostered in human nature by the influence
of the false creator and his Archons, who together are intent upon
keeping men and women ignorant of their true nature and destiny.
Anything that causes us to remain attached to earthly things serves
to keep us in enslavement to these lower cosmic rulers. Death releases
the divine spark from its lowly prison, but if there has not been
a substantial work of Gnosis undertaken by the soul prior to death,
it becomes likely that the divine spark will be hurled back into,
and then re-embodied within, the pangs and slavery of the physical
world. Not all humans are spiritual (pneumatics) and thus ready for Gnosis
and liberation. Some are earthbound and materialistic beings (hyletics),
who recognize only the physical reality. Others live largely in
their psyche (psychics). Such people usually mistake the Demiurge
for the True God and have little or no awareness of the spiritual
world beyond matter and mind. In
the course of history, humans progress from materialistic sensate
slavery, by way of ethical religiosity, to spiritual freedom
and liberating Gnosis. As the scholar G. Quispel wrote: “The
world-spirit in exile must go through the Inferno of matter and
the Purgatory of morals to arrive at the spiritual Paradise.” This
kind of evolution of consciousness was envisioned by the Gnostics,
long before the concept of evolution was known. Salvation
Evolutionary forces alone are insufficient, however, to bring about
spiritual freedom. Humans are caught in a predicament consisting
of physical existence combined with ignorance of their true origins,
their essential nature and their ultimate destiny. To be liberated
from this predicament, human beings require help, although they
must also contribute their own efforts. From earliest times Messengers of the Light have come forth from
the True God in order to assist humans in their quest for Gnosis.
Only a few of these salvific figures are mentioned in Gnostic scripture;
some of the most important are Seth (the third Son of Adam), Jesus,
and the Prophet Mani. The majority of Gnostics always looked to
Jesus as the principal savior figure (the Soter). Gnostics do not look to salvation from sin (original or other),
but rather from the ignorance of which sin is a consequence. Ignorance
-- whereby is meant ignorance of spiritual realities -- is dispelled
only by Gnosis, and the decisive revelation of Gnosis is brought
by the Messengers of Light, especially by Christ, the Logos of
the True God. It is not by His suffering and death but by His life
of teaching and His establishing of mysteries that Christ has performed
His work of salvation. The Gnostic concept of salvation, like other Gnostic concepts,
is a subtle one. On the one hand, Gnostic salvation may easily
be mistaken for an unmediated individual experience, a sort of
spiritual do-it-yourself project. Gnostics hold that the potential
for Gnosis, and thus, of salvation is present in every man and
woman, and that salvation is not vicarious but individual. At the
same time, they also acknowledge that Gnosis and salvation can
be, indeed must be, stimulated and facilitated in order to effectively
arise within consciousness. This stimulation is supplied by Messengers
of Light who, in addition to their teachings, establish salvific
mysteries (sacraments) which can be administered by apostles of
the Messengers and their successors. One
needs also remember that knowledge of our true nature -- as well
as other associated realizations -- are withheld from us by
our very condition of earthly existence. The True God of transcendence
is unknown in this world, in fact He is often called the Unknown
Father. It is thus obvious that revelation from on High is needed
to bring about salvation. The indwelling spark must be awakened
from its terrestrial slumber by the saving knowledge that comes “from
without”. Conduct
If the words “ethics” or “morality” are
taken to mean a system of rules, then Gnosticism is opposed to
them both. Such systems usually originate with the Demiurge and
are covertly designed to serve his purposes. If, on the other
hand, morality is said to consist of an inner integrity arising
from
the illumination of the indwelling spark, then the Gnostic will
embrace this spiritually informed existential ethic as ideal. To the Gnostic, commandments and rules are not salvific; they
are not substantially conducive to salvation. Rules of conduct
may serve numerous ends, including the structuring of an ordered
and peaceful society, and the maintenance of harmonious relations
within social groups. Rules, however, are not relevant to salvation;
that is brought about only by Gnosis. Morality therefore needs
to be viewed primarily in temporal and secular terms; it is ever
subject to changes and modifications in accordance with the spiritual
development of the individual. As
noted in the discussion above, “hyletic materialists” usually
have little interest in morality, while “psychic disciplinarians” often
grant to it a great importance. In contrast, “Pneumatic spiritual” persons
are generally more concerned with other, higher matters. Different
historical periods also require variant attitudes regarding human
conduct. Thus both the Manichaean and Cathar Gnostic movements,
which functioned in times where purity of conduct was regarded
as an issue of high import, responded in kind. The present period
of Western culture perhaps resembles in more ways that of second
and third century Alexandria. It seems therefore appropriate
that Gnostics in our age adopt the attitudes of classical Alexandrian
Gnosticism, wherein matters of conduct were largely left to the
insight of the individual.
Gnosticism embraces numerous general
attitudes toward life: it encourages non-attachment and non-conformity
to the world, a “being
in the world, but not of the world”; a lack of egotism; and
a respect for the freedom and dignity of other beings. Nonetheless,
it appertains to the intuition and wisdom of every individual “Gnostic” to
distill from these principles individual guidelines for their
personal application. Destiny
When Confucius was asked about death, he replied: “Why do
you ask me about death when you do not know how to live?” This
answer might easily have been given by a Gnostic. To a similar
question posed in the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas, Jesus answered
that human beings must come by Gnosis to know the ineffable,
divine reality from whence they have originated, and whither
they will
return. This transcendental knowledge must come to them while
they are still embodied on earth. Death does not automatically bring about liberation from bondage
in the realms of the Demiurge. Those who have not attained to a
liberating Gnosis while they were in embodiment may become trapped
in existence once more. It is quite likely that this might occur
by way of the cycle of rebirths. Gnosticism does not emphasize
the doctrine of reincarnation prominently, but it is implicitly
understood in most Gnostic teachings that those who have not made
effective contact with their transcendental origins while they
were in embodiment would have to return into the sorrowful condition
of earthly life. In regard to salvation, or the fate of the spirit and soul after
death, one needs to be aware that help is available. Valentinus,
the greatest of Gnostic teachers, taught that Christ and Sophia
await the spiritual man -- the pneumatic Gnostic -- at the entrance
of the Pleroma, and help him to enter the bridechamber of final
reunion. Ptolemaeus, disciple of Valentinus, taught that even those
not of pneumatic status, the psychics, could be redeemed and live
in a heavenworld at the entrance of the Pleroma. In the fullness
of time, every spiritual being will receive Gnosis and will be
united with its higher Self -- the angelic Twin -- thus becoming
qualified to enter the Pleroma. None of this is possible, however,
without earnest striving for Gnosis. Gnosis and Psyche: The Depth Psychological Connection
Throughout the twentieth Century the new scientific discipline
of depth psychology has gained much prominence. Among the depth
psychologists who have shown a pronounced and informed interest
in Gnosticism, a place of signal distinction belongs to C. G. Jung.
Jung was instrumental in calling attention to the Nag Hammadi library
of Gnostic writings in the 1950's because he perceived the outstanding
psychological relevance of Gnostic insights. The
noted scholar of Gnosticism, G. Filoramo, wrote: "Jung's
reflections had long been immersed in the thought of the ancient
Gnostics to such an extent that he considered them the virtual
discoverers of 'depth psychology' . . . ancient Gnosis, albeit
in its form of universal religion, in a certain sense prefigured,
and at the same time helped to clarify, the nature of Jungian spiritual
therapy." In the light of such recognitions one may ask: "Is
Gnosticism a religion or a psychology?" The answer is that
it may very-well be both. Most mythologems found in Gnostic scriptures
possess psychological relevance and applicability. For instance
the blind and arrogant creator-demiurge bears a close resemblance
to the alienated human ego that has lost contact with the ontological
Self. Also, the myth of Sophia resembles closely the story of
the human psyche that loses its connection with the collective
unconscious
and needs to be rescued by the Self. Analogies of this sort exist
in great profusion. Many
esoteric teachings have proclaimed, "As it is above,
so it is below." Our psychological nature (the microcosm)
mirrors metaphysical nature (the macrocosm), thus Gnosticism
may possess both a psychological and a religious authenticity.
Gnostic
psychology and Gnostic religion need not be exclusive of one
another but may complement each other within an implicit order
of wholeness.
Gnostics have always held that divinity is immanent within the
human spirit, although it is not limited to it. The convergence
of Gnostic religious teaching with psychological insight is thus
quite understandable in terms of time-honored Gnostic principles. Conclusion
Some writers make a distinction between “Gnosis” and “Gnosticism”.
Such distinctions are both helpful and misleading. Gnosis is
undoubtedly an experience based not in concepts and precepts,
but in the sensibility
of the heart. Gnosticism, on the other hand, is the world-view
based on the experience of Gnosis. For this reason, in languages
other than English, the word Gnosis is often used to denote both
the experience and the world view (die Gnosis in German, la Gnose
in French). In a sense, there is no Gnosis without Gnosticism, for the experience
of Gnosis inevitably calls forth a world view wherein it finds
its place. The Gnostic world view is experiential, it is based
on a certain kind of spiritual experience of Gnosis. Therefore,
it will not do to omit, or to dilute, various parts of the Gnostic
world view, for were one to do this, the world view would no longer
conform to experience. Theology has been called an intellectual wrapping around the spiritual
kernel of a religion. If this is true, then it is also true that
most religions are being strangled and stifled by their wrappings.
Gnosticism does not run this danger, because its world view is
stated in myth rather than in theology. Myths, including the Gnostic
myths, may be interpreted in diverse ways. Transcendence, numinosity,
as well as psychological archetypes along with other elements,
play a role in such interpretation. Still, such mythic statements
tell of profound truths that will not be denied. Gnosticism
can bring us such truths with a high authority, for it speaks
with the voice of the highest part of the human -- the
spirit. Of this spirit, it has been said, “it bloweth where
it listeth”. This then is the reason why the Gnostic world
view could not be extirpated in spite of many centuries of persecution. The Gnostic world view has always been timely,
for it always responded best to the “knowledge of the heart” that
is true Gnosis. Yet today, its timeliness is increasing, for
the end of the second
millennium has seen the radical deterioration of many ideologies
which evaded the great questions and answers addressed by Gnosticism.
The clarity, frankness, and authenticity of the Gnostic answer
to the questions of the human predicament cannot fail to impress
and (in time) to convince. If your reactions to this summary have
been of a similarly positive order, then perhaps you are a Gnostic
yourself!
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