What is Gnosticism?
The Gnostic views the world as flawed and imperfect just as many religions and philosophies do. However, the Gnostic does not believe that the world needs to be perfected but that it is human consciousness that needs perfecting. They hold that the material world that humans reside in is imperfect in its very nature due to it being created in a flawed manner. How could this be the case? How could creation be imperfect? Does that imply that Gnostics believe the Creator of this human world to be imperfect? Simply put, yes. Gnosticism teaches that the creator God of Christianity may be real but not infallible. Not only is this creator flawed, he is secondary at best. Gnosticism asserts that there is a higher reality above this intermediate deity and that humans can experience and ascend to this reality. The creator of this human world may simply be viewed as a sort of unwise angel rather than the ultimate God; this creator is simply a craftsman and not really a creator at all. The Gnostic view of the Universe teaches that humans are dual in nature, a common theme among most any religious school of thought. This duality is seen to be a result of being partly crafted by a false creator and partly created by the higher reality or God. The part of humans created by the higher reality is said to be older than the created world and the intermediate God that has crafted it. It is also said that within each human there is a “Divine Spark” and that this Divine Spark can be awakened. Death is seen as releasing this Spark but only temporarily unless that Spark was awakened by knowledge (or Gnosis) during our human time on Earth. If this Spark is not awakened, we are doomed to return and repeat the cycle here on Earth. If we have not been liberated by knowledge, we must return and dwell in this imperfect, flawed world until a time when we can become liberated. The Gnostics also held that human nature is Divine and that we have simply forgotten our Divinity due to the limitations of physical existence. We are ignorant of our origins, our inner nature, and of our destiny. Gnosticism teaches that our salvation can be attained through knowledge. While attaining this knowledge is largely personal, this Gnosis is assisted by many helpers. Jesus, among many others, is considered to be one of these helpers. Gnostics do not seek salvation from “sin” but from ignorance and unconsciousness.
Gnostic Reading
Forbidden Gnosis in Prometheus, Lucifer, and Icarus - An Article from The Aeon Eye**The Hidden Ones is not affiliated with The Aeon Eye
|