The term GNOSIS comes from the Greek and means KNOWLEDGE, an ancient, superior, profound knowledge, obtained by direct observation, by one’s own experience.
Gnosis is the knowledge of a transcendental and transformative wisdom, to turn man into an authentic human being. Gnosis is the doctrine of synthesis. It is the origin of all philosophical, scientific, religious, artistic, esoteric, psychological and cultural movements and its teachings have reached us through many peoples, schools and cultures.
Gnosis, as Universal Wisdom, has been present in all civilizations throughout history. It is a Perennial and Universal philosophy, a superior knowledge that contains the mysteries of man and the Universe. This wisdom is found in the mysteries of the Egyptian and Tibetan books, the ancient Christianity, in the mysteries of the Quran, in the Buddhist, Mayan, Incan, Greek cultures and many others. In every age and form, it leads to a radical transformation of the individual through knowing ourselves – our faults and mistakes – and also teaches us how to regenerate ourselves. This journey aims to bring happiness to all human beings.
Gnosis is a highly conscious, religious, artistic, philosophical and scientific exercise; it is the Wisdom of the Being. This is why it is also called “the Doctrine of the Heart”, and is linked to the natural working of the human consciousness. With logical thought and exact concept, Gnosis points the way forward so that everyone can reach their Inner Master, the true teacher who dwells in silence within each one of us.
We cannot feel true joy as long as we are bound to feelings such as joy-sorrow, pleasure-pain, failure-success. All pain, suffering and inner confusion are a consequence of the sleep of our consciousness and our imprisonment in our mind. We need to wake up and Gnosis gives us the keys to do so.
“Speaking very frankly and unambiguously, we will say: Gnosis is a very natural functioning of the consciousness, a philosophia perennis et universalis”.
– Samael Aun Weor
What is the objective of Gnosis?
The practice of Gnosis allows the person to know him /herself. As they begin to look seriously within, a clear awareness develops that we live in two worlds. The physical world and the inner world, which is the psychological world (a world hidden from the physical eyes, but visible to the consciousness).
“The Self-knowledge of each individual, the return of the human being to his origins, to his own Being and to his individual and social truth is the beginning of the cure for the blindness that dominates the world today.”
– Carl Gustav Jung
All the knowledge of the universe is contained within us. To know oneself means to know the universe. This whole quest is part of a process of self-knowledge. Breaking out of the mechanical nature of everyday life, watching ourselves
“Man know yourself and you will know the universe…”
Ancient Greek maxim at the entrance of the Temple of Delphi
In order to guide the student on this path towards their inner Being, every true mystery school is based on science, philosophy, artistic and religious or mystical knowledge. Furthermore, it aims to guide the student to know the mysteries of life and death, the cause of the main events of life, the secrets and laws of the universe, and to lead the student to the Intimate Self-Realisation of the Being.
What are the fundamentals of Gnosis?
Its main objective is to guide man, through self-knowledge, to merge his Individual Consciousness with the Universal Consciousness and it is based on four pillars, that is, four essential areas of knowledge: Science, Art, Philosophy and Religion.
“On Art, Science, Philosophy and Mysticism rests the Temple of Wisdom”.
– V.M. Samael Aun Weor
- Science: through practice and direct experience, we can verify the realities of the internal worlds within our own laboratory (physical body, vitality, emotions and mind). It is therefore a practical and non-dogmatic knowledge, which requires us to learn it well so that we can practise it correctly and thus verify it.
Through special practices, we can develop the faculties of the soul. Scientific knowledge exist owing to the eternal and natural functioning of Consciousness, which enables the Human Being to know himself and be inspired by the Royal Art of Nature.
In ancient times, gnostic science has been delivered in the form of symbols, sacred texts and rituals, in the mystery schools.
- Art: is the positive use of the mind. To do this, we must cultivate beauty, love, the fine arts. We need to cultivate harmony to become architects of our own inner Universe, changing not only our lives, but also creating a new psychological world. Art, in Gnosis, invites us to learn well in order to teach the consciousness, primarily by setting a good example and knowing how to live in an upright and balanced way.
Art is a yearning to communicate, it is the representation of beauty, that is its Law. Its function is to educate, to inform, to entertain, to elevate, to inspire. Its main purpose is to stimulate the consciousness of beings, to express their essence. Through Art one can communicate the very content of those transcendental sensations and emotions that cannot be expressed in ordinary language. Words are inadequate to describe them.
Only the Regal Art of Nature can define these transcendental emotions. This Art has existed in every serpentine civilization: The Pyramids of Egypt and Mexico, the millenarian Sphinx, the ancient monoliths, the sacred hieroglyphs, the sculptures of gods, etc., are archaic evidence of the Regal Art which speaks only to the Consciousness and the ears of initiates.
- Philosophy: is the understanding of the importance of exercising tolerance towards the weaknesses of others, and accepting with gladness the adversities of life. Gnosis teaches us how to apply psychology (self-discipline) to ourselves and philosophy (understanding) to others.
Becoming a philosopher is raising our frame of mind to be able to face the adversities of life. Through philosophy we can awaken the Consciousness through true self-reflection of the Being.
- Religion: this is the goal of human existence. The word religion comes from “Re-ligare” (latin) and means: the integration of man with the Being. In this sense, it is similar to the word “Yoga” that means union. Through the inner process of religion we develop all aspects of Love, devotion, mysticism, and we learn to earn the merits of the heart.
Religion is the path between man and God. Its basic element is mysticism, without which we cannot walk this path. The aim of authentic religion is to bring man to the re-ligare with his Inner Divine Principle: the Being.
“The most elevated religion that can ever exist is Love”
V.M. Samael Aun Weor
Why would I study Gnosis?
Gnosis is a very special type of knowledge that we have never received in school, but can be said, is the most important knowledge that we need to have to face any situation that we may find in life.
- We live in a world we do not know (our inner world), and this makes us vulnerable, because we don’t know our potential, neither the effect our subconscious mind has over our own life.
- Living in a world we don’t know generates all kinds of difficulties, problems and conflicts. And the decisions we make have a direct influence on the way we experiment reality and life.
- The inner world defines how we live in our outer world. But since we don’t know ourselves, we cannot get rid from failures, suffering and mysery.
- We receive no education in life on how to access and know this inner world we live in. So we need to re-educate ourselves, to devote time to know the rules of our destiny and our life.
Gnosis is the knowledge that teaches us to see and hear for ourselves, accessible to those who feel uncomfortable with the way they are and to those whose hearts hold a spark of love. Gnosis is for sincere aspirants who really want to work on themselves and to change their way of life!
What does the Gnosis teach?
Gnosis teaches the Doctrine of Synthesis, the synthesis that holds the wisdom of all ages, because it includes the basis for the creation and development of spiritual life. The Synthesis is not the result of mixing; the Synthesis exists, in fact, without contrived mixtures. It means breaking out of the thesis and antithesis of the mind, out of the battle of opposites. The experience of this Synthesis allows us to connect with our original source, our Inner Real Being.
Gnosis is the foundation of the Quran, the root of Christianity, the living flame of Buddhism. It is the hidden science of the Sufis and the dancing dervishes, the secret techings of Buddhism and Taoism, the sacred mysteries of the Norsemen. The wisdom of Hermes, Mohammed, Buddha, Confucius, Quetzalcoatl, etc., is in Gnosis. All the ancient wisdom is found in it.
Through the Gnosis we understand that Love is the greatest force in the Universe. It unites couples, people and overcomes all evil. The couple united through Love, practicing the Doctrine of Synthesis becomes stronger, and thus forms the Perfect Matrimony.
“Wisdom is infinite, because we have to learn every day”.
– V. M. Lakhsmi Daimon
What types of knowledge exist?
In Gnostic studies we see that there are two kinds of knowledge: one that comes by deduction, of a human type, and one that comes by intuition, of a divine type.
- The first is called the Doctrine of the Eye. It strengthens the intellect and includes all external knowledge.
- The second is the Doctrine of the Heart, which is linked to the consciousness of being.
It is important to realise that knowledge and understanding are different: one comes from the mind and the other from the heart.
The ancient sages taught that all the wisdom of the universe already exists in human beings, in a latent state, within the consciousness. Wisdom experienced through direct contact with truth is Gnosis. It is aimed at those who do not conform and who have a spark of love in their hearts .Gnosis indicates, with logical thought and exact concept, the path to follow in order for each person to reach our Inner Master, who dwells silently within each one of us.
Mere knowledge of anything is of no use; unfortunately, in the times in which we live, knowledge has developed far more than understanding, because we exclusively develop knowledge side, regrettably forgetting the corresponding aspect of the Being. Knowing the aspects of our inner world and understanding them is fundamental to any true radical change.
“Only knowledge that makes us better is useful”.
Socrates