Post by Rik Wallin on Apr 5, 2007 16:42:27 GMT -6
Gnosticism: An Introduction
Gnosis is a way of being, a state of perception. It is not locked within any denomination, tradition or form. Too often Gnosticism is related to the Christian origins period when a variety of sects seeking wisdom existed. While these groups illustrated Gnostic tendencies they cannot really be called Gnostic (see Gnosticism as a Dubious Category). Gnosticism is a way of looking at the world which is found in all religions, movements and traditions. It is equally possible to find Gnosticism in Hinduism, Buddhism, Norse Paganism and Hermeticism as it is to find it within various early movements, some of which may have seen themselves as Christian, many did not. The Institute for Gnostic Studies hence treats Gnosticism as a philosophy or metaphysic of perception, the art of spiritual seeing – wisdom rather than knowledge. This approach operates within a certain understanding of the universe, man and divinity, only with this understanding can we truly comprehend and “see” (gnosis) the universe as it is.
Within this paradigm, divinity is understood through a specific metaphysic, this is known as Divine Algebra and is found historically in Platonism, sacred mathematics and geometry and other related traditions. It is important within this metaphysics to understand the true nature of the Gods (The Gods-Divine Algebra) and the dangers of both Monotheism and personalism (The errors of Monotheism and Personalism).
Gnosticism has always been an initiatory tradition, there are many levels of truth and degrees of wisdom. In the Cathar tradition there was truth for the adherent or hearer and special wisdom for the Perfected Ones or Parfait, for Christian Gnostics there were the grades of Hylic, Psychic and Pneumatic. Using more modern language, the Institute acknowledges that there are truthes of exoteric, mesoteric and esoteric nature. We will say more about this in our lesson on Living Traditions (Living Traditions and the Perennial Wisdom). At this stage it is enough to say that esoteric (outer religions) offer the forms, language and guidelines that the average person is seeking. In traditional societies they fulfilled the role of creating social cohesion. However, these forms only were of value when linked to the mesoteric and esoteric traditions. They were “Living Traditions” in that they provided the framework by which the seeker of wisdom could ascend the ladder of knowledge and achieve a deeper and more profound perception. When these esoteric forms are divorced from esotericism they become stagnant, destructive and at times close to evil. In the Kali Yuga this is occurring more and more and these traditions are becoming not just moribund but malefic. Hence for those seeking true enlightenment the path is becoming more and more difficult to find, hence the Institute is offering a contemporary esoteric metaphysic which will help the chela find true gnosis.
What is a Contemporary Esoteric Metaphysic ?
The Contemporary Esoteric Metaphysic that is taught by the Institute is a philosophy which brings together the various strands within the Mystery Traditions. It is contemporary in that we face the demands of the modern world, both intellectually and spiritually. Too often esoteric organizations (pagan, heathen and gnostic) live in a sort of nostalgic reverie, where the modern world is ignored, demonised or degraded to the point where the spiritual practise advocated is so divorced from modern life that it has little or no real power. It is well and good to discuss the values of Viking age heathenism or Masonic rites of rebirth but unless they have an interface with the world that we now live in they simply become social events or worse, spiritual indulgence. This is not to degrade the mythology and symbolism of the past, far from it, the symbol systems of the past offer so much to us in the present, however, recreating antiquated religious rituals and ceremonies does not advance our spiritual development but simply shows an inability to deal with the present age we have incarnated into.
The Institute for Gnostic studies offers teachings that are esoteric, that is, they are inner teachings, those for the initiated. While they are many differing exoteric (outer) mythologies, symbol systems or religions we aim for the core or perennial wisdom that exists behind or beyond them. It could be seen as a wheel where the hub is the “eternal wisdom” and the wheels and rim are symbols, mythologies and religions that lead to it. While these outer forms are representations of the eternal wisdom which is at the hub of the wheel they are not the wisdom itself. To confuse the rim or spokes of the wheel with the hub will destroy the carriage and the journey. It could also be framed in the terms of science, no self respecting scientist would confuse a formula with what it represents, while the letter E might represent energy it is not energy itself, it is much the same with mythology, religion and symbolism.
At the same time this is not to demote the significance of mythology and tradition, it is these that lead to the eternal wisdom. It through the use of the imaginal function that we may enter through the myth to reach the “hub”. Every culture and race has their own mythologies and symbol systems and these are attuned to assist members of that culture or race to reach the hub, the uniqueness of each symbol system is its attunement to the natural characteristics of each group or people. This is why mythology, religion and tradition vary so much from community to community since each has evolved its own language or formula which assists the members of that community reach the “hub” of wisdom through using the natural abilities of that race or community, keeping in mind that there are great variations between such groups and hence great variations in the symbol systems (folk souls).
The term metaphysic is used as it refers to the structure of the knowledge we represent. Meta means beyond and physic means material, physical even earthly. Our work is hence building a structure of spiritual verities which exist behind or beyond the physical plane.
Page reposted from the Institute for Gnostic Studies
Gnosis is a way of being, a state of perception. It is not locked within any denomination, tradition or form. Too often Gnosticism is related to the Christian origins period when a variety of sects seeking wisdom existed. While these groups illustrated Gnostic tendencies they cannot really be called Gnostic (see Gnosticism as a Dubious Category). Gnosticism is a way of looking at the world which is found in all religions, movements and traditions. It is equally possible to find Gnosticism in Hinduism, Buddhism, Norse Paganism and Hermeticism as it is to find it within various early movements, some of which may have seen themselves as Christian, many did not. The Institute for Gnostic Studies hence treats Gnosticism as a philosophy or metaphysic of perception, the art of spiritual seeing – wisdom rather than knowledge. This approach operates within a certain understanding of the universe, man and divinity, only with this understanding can we truly comprehend and “see” (gnosis) the universe as it is.
Within this paradigm, divinity is understood through a specific metaphysic, this is known as Divine Algebra and is found historically in Platonism, sacred mathematics and geometry and other related traditions. It is important within this metaphysics to understand the true nature of the Gods (The Gods-Divine Algebra) and the dangers of both Monotheism and personalism (The errors of Monotheism and Personalism).
Gnosticism has always been an initiatory tradition, there are many levels of truth and degrees of wisdom. In the Cathar tradition there was truth for the adherent or hearer and special wisdom for the Perfected Ones or Parfait, for Christian Gnostics there were the grades of Hylic, Psychic and Pneumatic. Using more modern language, the Institute acknowledges that there are truthes of exoteric, mesoteric and esoteric nature. We will say more about this in our lesson on Living Traditions (Living Traditions and the Perennial Wisdom). At this stage it is enough to say that esoteric (outer religions) offer the forms, language and guidelines that the average person is seeking. In traditional societies they fulfilled the role of creating social cohesion. However, these forms only were of value when linked to the mesoteric and esoteric traditions. They were “Living Traditions” in that they provided the framework by which the seeker of wisdom could ascend the ladder of knowledge and achieve a deeper and more profound perception. When these esoteric forms are divorced from esotericism they become stagnant, destructive and at times close to evil. In the Kali Yuga this is occurring more and more and these traditions are becoming not just moribund but malefic. Hence for those seeking true enlightenment the path is becoming more and more difficult to find, hence the Institute is offering a contemporary esoteric metaphysic which will help the chela find true gnosis.
What is a Contemporary Esoteric Metaphysic ?
The Contemporary Esoteric Metaphysic that is taught by the Institute is a philosophy which brings together the various strands within the Mystery Traditions. It is contemporary in that we face the demands of the modern world, both intellectually and spiritually. Too often esoteric organizations (pagan, heathen and gnostic) live in a sort of nostalgic reverie, where the modern world is ignored, demonised or degraded to the point where the spiritual practise advocated is so divorced from modern life that it has little or no real power. It is well and good to discuss the values of Viking age heathenism or Masonic rites of rebirth but unless they have an interface with the world that we now live in they simply become social events or worse, spiritual indulgence. This is not to degrade the mythology and symbolism of the past, far from it, the symbol systems of the past offer so much to us in the present, however, recreating antiquated religious rituals and ceremonies does not advance our spiritual development but simply shows an inability to deal with the present age we have incarnated into.
The Institute for Gnostic studies offers teachings that are esoteric, that is, they are inner teachings, those for the initiated. While they are many differing exoteric (outer) mythologies, symbol systems or religions we aim for the core or perennial wisdom that exists behind or beyond them. It could be seen as a wheel where the hub is the “eternal wisdom” and the wheels and rim are symbols, mythologies and religions that lead to it. While these outer forms are representations of the eternal wisdom which is at the hub of the wheel they are not the wisdom itself. To confuse the rim or spokes of the wheel with the hub will destroy the carriage and the journey. It could also be framed in the terms of science, no self respecting scientist would confuse a formula with what it represents, while the letter E might represent energy it is not energy itself, it is much the same with mythology, religion and symbolism.
At the same time this is not to demote the significance of mythology and tradition, it is these that lead to the eternal wisdom. It through the use of the imaginal function that we may enter through the myth to reach the “hub”. Every culture and race has their own mythologies and symbol systems and these are attuned to assist members of that culture or race to reach the hub, the uniqueness of each symbol system is its attunement to the natural characteristics of each group or people. This is why mythology, religion and tradition vary so much from community to community since each has evolved its own language or formula which assists the members of that community reach the “hub” of wisdom through using the natural abilities of that race or community, keeping in mind that there are great variations between such groups and hence great variations in the symbol systems (folk souls).
The term metaphysic is used as it refers to the structure of the knowledge we represent. Meta means beyond and physic means material, physical even earthly. Our work is hence building a structure of spiritual verities which exist behind or beyond the physical plane.
Page reposted from the Institute for Gnostic Studies