AM-125 GNOSTICS (1)

We have just finished seven presentations looking at the terminology and symbolism found in esoteric and occult literature. In the West, a lot of this terminology and symbolism comes from one knowledge order, the Gnostics. We have looked at many of their ideas and symbols already but the time has now come to look at this order and the ideas it promulgated in greater depth.

We have discussed how energies flow through the zodiacal constellations and affect our planet in cycles that last approximately 2,500 years. We left the Piscean Age in 1950 and have now entered the Aquarian Age. In the transition between the Age of Aries and Pisces the old, existing, cultures were beginning to dissolve; ideas becoming distorted and dogmatised. They no longer seemed to serve life but were hostile to them. A well-balanced life view should teach us to think correctly, leading us to feel better about ourselves and therefore act in an appropriate manner. Birth is always a difficult process and we tend to find we are dragged, kicking and screaming into any major changes in our lives. In the process of change, society loses faith in its old institutions and highlights the challenges that are inherent in the processes of change.

We know there are five grades of consciousness development, as a monad passes through the Human Kingdom. This is linked to where the monad has focused its attention. 2,500 years ago, at the Aries/Pisces transition, most of humanity was either in their 1. Young phases or the 2, Community phase of evolution. In fact, this is still the case today. What has changed is the proportion of monads that have reached the 3. Cultured stage. Back then, people at this stage and perhaps the 4. Compassionate stage above, started to search for something new. Up sprouted a whole raft of prophets and mystics, who just added to the confusion. People were looking for a saviour who would liberate them from their emotional and spiritual turmoil. It is at this time that the Hierarchy sends an avatar to give the same, eternal truth, a new set of clothes that are more easily digestible to the monads incarnating into the new Zodiacal epoch. Astrologers and esoteric knowledge orders would be well aware of the imminent arrival of such a teacher. Witness the story of the Three Wise Men, all Magi astrologers from the “East”, at the supposed birth of Jesus.

The Planetary Hierarchy, in its wisdom, thought it would be a good idea to found a new esoteric society, that would absorb these new teachings, ensuring they were not misunderstood or misinterpreted. They wanted to avoid this knowledge being distorted and fostering superstition. The general aim was also to restrict the new teachings from passing into the hands of those who would use them for their advantage. Fat chance of that not happening.

As a result of these stated objectives, the Gnostic order was founded in Alexandria about 300 years before the Common Era (CE). There is a Hindu saying “Ram naam satya hai”; “the name of God is truth”. Consequently, there is only one religion. This, however, has innumerable possibilities and needs to be constantly renewed. Why? Because old forms become distorted and incomprehensible for subsequent generations. As Humanity experiences more of life, its outlook changes, so new presentations of the one truth become possible.

So, at the Aries/Pisces boundary, ancient religious thought such as Chaldean Kabbalism in Mesopotamia, the Magi religion in Persia, hermetics’ in Egypt and Hylozoics in former Graecia Magna, were all on the decline. Their adherents lacked enthusiasm. These worlds were in social and political turmoil. One of the solutions to this problem was for the Hierarchy to establish the secret knowledge order of Gnosticism. This was on the initiative of Christ/Maitreya, the head of the 2nd Department of education. Why was Lord Maitreya interested in founding such an order? Think about it, he was preparing for his arrival in a few centuries. His message was going to be about the unity and divinity of all life. This order was planned to be the centre of his teaching and it would allow him to gather and teach the initiates incarnating in the Aryan race. The greater objective of this new knowledge order was to configure it in such a way that it could absorb the members of all other knowledge orders. As a result, the Gnostics formed associations with hermeticists, Pythagoreans, Kabbalists and Mithraists. 

The pre-existing orders would not allow their adherents to join other knowledge orders. This exclusivism had a purpose. The teacher of that order wished to prevent ideas and symbols from becoming confused. When you get to the Gnostics, you find symbols from all these other orders. This led to each member having the right to their own choice of terms and symbols. The initial impetus came from emotional hermeticism and mental Hylozoics. The aim was sound; to create a universal order, where symbolic expressions could be understood by all. It was so diffuse that modes of presentation were individual. This led to a variety of symbols being used, allowing for easy popularisation and dramatisation. Were there risks in this methodology? Christianity anybody?

There was a theoretical and practical Raison D’être for the formation of the Gnostic order. It was able to present esoteric knowledge relating to the reality of life, in a manner that was appropriate to the time and culture it found itself. Being able to dramatically present knowledge, it gave that knowledge life. For the first time, the concept of unity was expounded through the metaphor of universal brotherhood. So, the Gnostic order was initiated by Christ, prior to his arrival as the “World Teacher”. It was founded by his disciples and he was the central figure in this order. He did his esoteric work within this order. However, monks of this order, a century after his death, wrote novels where they characterised him as the son of God and turned his alleged saying into absolute statements that were promptly misinterpreted. 

The Gnostic teachings are the equivalent of the secret doctrine of Christ’s teachings. Only initiated disciples were allowed to study this. Gnosticism is therefore an elaboration of hermeticism and Hylozoics, mixed with the esoteric teachings of Jeshu and some of the esoteric sayings of Christ. Note I introduce the name ‘Jeshu’ here. This was the disciple that allowed Christ to use his body for the three years of his ministry. This is not the ‘Jesus’ character presented in the Gospels. 

We should be clear that whatever knowledge Christ imparted to his disciples during his incarnation, was a small fraction of his total knowledge base. Of the knowledge that was imparted, only a small fraction was allowed for exoteric publication. Laurency tells us that whatever the four gospels preserve of his teachings, none of his esoteric teachings was revealed. Only a simplified message was circulated to the general public. Laurency considers the Gospel of John to be the most authoritative. This is evident to any reader, as this gospel is different from the other three and is very ‘gnostic’ in its presentation. Whether you think Christianity has raised the consciousness of Humanity or not, 2,000 years is a blink of an eye in the overall development of Humanity. Laurency points out that we are still enmeshed in a web of emotional illusions and mental fictions. You can publish esoteric knowledge but it is only decipherable by former initiates. 

Gnosticism quickly spread within Egypt, Arabia, Persia and Asia Minor. Remember, we were at the end of an age and society was expecting something new. Gnosticism offered answers to the way people could lead their lives and had solutions to their problems. The gnostics were modest in their habits and this was appreciated after the extravagance that old systems of thought had descended into. The order only accepted serious students. The world was changing and this was mirrored by the appearance of characters such as Zeno, the founder of stoicism. At a later date, Neo-Platonism tried to marry Pythagorean and Platonic ideas, within the limits of what could be revealed esoterically. 

Gnosticism attracted the elite of their time and this led to an explosion of literary and philosophical publications. As has already been mentioned, the gnostic worldview was characterised by its diverse styles of presentation. One style was to present a symbol in the form of a person, often a historical figure. This was done to attract the reader or listener’s attention. The idea behind such presentations was to stimulate a better understanding of the correct ways of living and how to expand consciousness. One of the major themes was that of the Trinity. The writer would try and show how the monad is anchored in the three triads. They spoke of the Father, representing the 3rd Triad, the Mother, the 1st Triad and the Son, the 2nd Triad. On a smaller scale, if the objective of the seeker was to enter the 2nd-Triad, then three divisions were again ascribed. This time the ‘father’ (45) was presented as a carpenter, the architect of the universe; the son (46), in this case, Christ, was the son of the carpenter; and the mother was Mary (47), the matter aspect.

What was the goal of the searcher along the path? It was to achieve unity (46). What was the symbol of unity? The son. Who was the son? Christ. So guess who because the central character in their storylines. These teachings found their way into the Gospels. There were two central tenants. “Every human is a child of God” and “the path to freedom (the 5th Kingdom) is achieved by sharing love and by sacrifice”. Another saying, which should have particular resonance with you, is to “love God with all your mental, emotional and physical power”. 

After the general malaise and the end of the Arian epoch, the glad tidings of the glory and divinity of life,  espoused by the gnostics, must have come as a breath of fresh air. There seemed to be a pathway that the seeker could follow. In the lowest world, the devotee would unite with the Holy Ghost. In the next world. The disciple becomes the son, the symbol of which was Christ. Finally, the monad, for  this is who we are talking about, reaches the highest stage of divinity, the father, the source of all wisdom and power. You and I know we are just talking about the Cosmic Physical Kingdom, planes 43 to 49. There are 42 planes above this, but this is all a seeker needs to know for the time being.

Christ was presented as the central figure in this symbology. He was the saviour of the individual but was also a state of salvation, linked to the unity of life and an expression of heavenly love. There were many iterations of this theme presented by the Gnostics. They always, however, circled around Christ being the son of God. It is hardly surprising that later quasi-gnostic literature, which gave rise to Christianity, made Christ the central figure in their narrative and made him the savour of the world.