Ha got it, I'll have to look into it more closely as well. Are there any specific gnostic teachings you would suggest reading?
Just one , I think his name is John Lamb , its been awhile
Ha got it, I'll have to look into it more closely as well. Are there any specific gnostic teachings you would suggest reading?
Sorry its John Lash
Not in His Image: Gnostic Vision, Sacred Ecology, and the Future of Belief
Thats the book I have about Gnosticism , its a start any way
But are there any ancient teachings, "holy" teachings? I guess I prefer the originals ;-D
In Johns book some , don't ask me to name them , just buy this book or another and start reading
Interesting. Welcome to the site. This thread has gone stale, but I'm not sure it got the attention it deserves. Gnosticism is genetically linked to the modern incarnations of ancient Christianity, and rarely gets elevated to anything more than the status of a passing curiosity. The piece that strikes me as most relevant to this lineage is the impersonal Jesus seen in the Gospel of Thomas, who resembles the post-Resurrection Jesus of the canon, as well as the bizarre impersonal Jesus of the quasi-hallucinatory Book of Revelation.
If not for some freak accident, or turn of historical events, Gnosticism might have been the religion defended by, say, the Tea Party.
If you work under the assumption of atheism, and assume God is a product of the imagination, this create a context for religion, but does not deny the fact that the religious POV can be a source of unique motivation and drive. Rather the dynamics are real and would be based on the operation of the brain. The Gnostic keeps his eye on the ball with respect to religious triggers, while also thinking in terms of the brain reacting to these triggers, so one unravel the mysteries of higher human potential. One uses religion triggers to gain internal experiences from which one can explain the mind.
In other words, whether your agree with religion or not, many religious people have more will power over impulses. They don't have to water it down to make it easier so they can look better. They can also have a unique drive which can be used to help humanity; Saint, or can be used to manipulate on a wide scale like a demagogue. The Gnostic is respectful of the rituals and triggers of various eastern and western religions, but is also looking for ways to harness this in a more intellectual sense. The esoteric nature of their writings is connected to trying to explain right brain spatial data organization, in the context of left brain language. Language is not processed in the right brain, and therefore is limiting when used to describe spatial data organization; esoteric.
The Gnostic sees that although religion may be considered irrational, it nevertheless creates unique drives in people. They don't throw out the baby with the bath water, but accept the rituals and use these to act as triggers for self observation. The hope is higher human potential. In the end one builds a respect for the rituals of religion because the ancients had this mind thing figured out. This is still a final frontier in science.
When you know you know. Knowledge is God.
Do you practice Gnosticism? Have you ever considered Hermeticism? I was looking into both recently and I felt Hermeticism was a more fundamental teaching than gnosticism but that they both had the same overall recognition of how the universe works. That said, I didn't do much research into Gnosticism, so don't be offended if those were falsely spoken, it was just my personal interpretation at this time. I am genuinely interested if you have compared the two and what may have made you resonate more with Gnosticism, if so?
"As above, so below." In time, this phrase will come to be understood as the most enlightening words ever uttered. Again, my personal interpretation at this time ;-D
(Sorry, if you think this is derailing the Gnostic specific thread, please ignore me!)
But are there any ancient teachings, "holy" teachings? I guess I prefer the originals ;-D
I read something like, if you do not see God in all, you do not see God at all.
Jesus said more or less the same thing with his kingdom of God within us. Where does God keep his little kingdoms? In the big kingdom of course. Right here and now. Everywhere and every-when.
Regards
DL
Google Elaine Pagels.
She is the foremost scholar for the ancient Gnostic literature.
She basically revived interest in Gnostic Christianity.
Regards
DL
I see it because I know it. If I didn't know, I wouldn't see it. So knowledge is God. It makes all things possible. Everyone just needs to realize its sentience. The kingdom is in us and all around us.
Passive-knowledge I hope. If you know everything what are the chances your a hater? Unless of course you know better.
The knowledge of God that you and I have has not made all things possible. Unless you have some power that I lack. If so, please, please, share it. I sure know how I would use some of it.
Regards
DL
???
Who was speaking of hate?
Hate has a place within us just as love does but we were not speaking of those.
If you are into duality, would love exist without hate.
Regards
DL
Know EVERYTHING. Does that include hate and anger? That's why I brought up hate.
1 Corinthians 2:9-13 ESV
But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words, not taught by human wisdom, but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.