Gnosis - An eternal and universal wisdom
Gnosis is a Greek word meaning ‘knowledge’; knowledge gained through insight; the direct experience of the spiritual or real. Genuine Gnosis is an eternal, unchanging and universal knowledge that frees the soul from suffering. This Gnosis has been expressed throughout the course of history by all the world’s great saints and enlightened souls.
Gnosis is not a religion nor does it belong to any religious denomination. Gnosis does not belong to time or place; to culture, personality, age or race. It is the golden thread which leads us back to our divine origin, to our own individual divinity.
The Doctrine of Synthesis
Since time immemorial, the search for knowledge and understanding has been the prime objective of humankind’s hopes and efforts; the understanding of life, the meaning of death, the comprehension of oneself and of the laws of the universe. All those who have sought to challenge the limits of their ignorance, who have defied the darkness of the unconscious, have discovered a new reality.
The precious key that has always unlocked the sacred sanctuary of consciousness is Gnosis; the perennial philosophy that enlightened the Buddha, Hermes, Christ, Orpheus, Quetzalcoatl, Krishna etc. While there are multiple paths of experience which have allowed Gnosis to express itself through different forms in different civilisations, by means of diverse symbolism in art, science, religion and philosophy (The Four Pillars), beyond this apparent veil of differences and oppositions there is a way that is one and only. This universal way of being is Gnosis, the most complete expression of love and aspiration. Gnosis is the path of Self-Realisation through direct, personal experience. All can be discovered and verified by the awakening of higher consciousness, through mystical insight and meditative investigation.
In Gnosis there is no need for blind faith and dogmatism. More than a theory, more than a belief, Gnosis is a mature and direct experience with our inner truth. The conditions needed to allow this divine spark to grow and achieve its purpose are specific and not left to chance. In the natural evolution of beings, there is no automatic process allowing ultimate self-realisation. During the human stage of evolution a free-willed, voluntary revolution of consciousness is needed to guarantee the accomplishment of our supernatural destiny, the only real purpose of our passage on this earth plane. The attributes of this divine state - freedom and joy, health, love and peace - are the legitimate rights of all. Those who sincerely follow the path of the Self-Realisation, the way to the liberated consciousness, soon become harmoniously integrated parts of the universal heart and mind, of the all-pervading force of love present in all the cosmos.
Gnosis at the close of the 21st Century
Throughout the course of history, the divine Gnosis, emanating from the absolute has been transmitted to mankind by means of prophets and masters around whom esoteric circles developed. Gnosis is eternal and unchanging, whereas history, mankind and its institutions have adapted, transformed and finally degenerated the original teachings. At certain times in the phases of civilisation, because of the decay of mankind, Gnosis has had to go underground due to the violence and persecutions perpetrated against its followers. But despite these desolate periods in history, Gnosis and its teachings of the Three Factors for the Revolution of the Consciousness has always re-emerged.
The widespread interest in Alternative and “New Age” movements everywhere is itself clear testimony to the fact that people all over the world, wishing to identify the truth independently, are crying out for the return of something practical in the highest sense of the word. But in this age of real confusion where alternatives are being offered by the thousand, those who long for genuine transformation need to base their study on universal and immortal principles, on elements of change that have proved effective in all ages, for all people whatever their race, social status or faith may be. Gnosis does not require men's hopes and reliance, for it guarantees proof of its own authenticity through a very concrete and practical discipline based on action rather than philosophy alone. The apprentice of Gnosis discovers through his own personal experience the effectiveness of its methods.
The aim of Gnostic practice is the arousal of judgment, insight and autonomy and the development of the capacity of true comprehension. Without this challenging yet rewarding self-reliance, no true liberation is possible.