Gnosis
By: Dr. Motaleb Barazandeh (Ph.D);
Metaphysician and Parapsychologist
The word Gnostic literally means learned, one who recognizes and is aware and informed about the details and esoterics. In the different levels of spiritual evolution, a Gnostic is one who is a believer, a devout, and a hermit; his inward and outward are heavenly; one who has known himself, God, the prophet, Koran, Futurity, death, and the Devil. Ali (PBUH) is one of the outstanding Gnostics; whoever knows Ali (PBUH), has known a Gnostic and a complete person. This of course means knowing his great characteristics, practical manner, and spiritual path. A Gnostic is a believer which means he has accepted the religious doctrines and obeys them thoroughly.
A Gnostic genuflects before his Lord, fasts, and considers the permitted and the forbidden. He believes in Heaven and Hell, recognizes the truth of good and bad deeds, and understands the signs of the celestial world, which are all signs of a Gnostic.
A Gnostic is a worshipper and a worshipper is one who worships a great deal. A worshipper obeys the obligatories in religious doctrines and in addition to that avoids the non-obligatories. In his prayers, he acts exactly according to his religious doctrines, the orders of the Holy Koran, the Holy Prophet, and the Imams. A Gnostic is the servant of his Lord; a servant claims no possession for himself and sees everything in the possession of his Lord, he asks for nothing from his Lord and is always content with what his Lord gives him.
A Gnostic is a hermit and a hermit is a person who has let go of the world completely. A disciple cannot be a Gnostic unless he is a believer, a worshipper and a hermit. So, a Gnostic’s having claim before going in this path is in vain and more importantly, a Gnostic does not have any claims and only having claims is a good sign for knowing an unreal Gnostic.
In the valuable book titled, “Ali (PBUH) the mirror of a Gnostic”, it has been quoted from Ali (PBUH), the lord of Gnostics, that, “A Gnostic is one who has enlivened his wit and has deadened his passions to the degree that his body has become skinny and cruelty has changed into kindness. A strong light is shining inside him which has lightened up the right path and made him proceed in the Divine path. He has gone from one stage to another until he has reached safety and eternal life in the path of evolution; and with the calmness in his body, he feels safe. All this is because he has used his logic and heart, which have contented his Lord. A Gnostic avoids the companionship of people; he does not sleep so that he can spend all night praying, worshipping, reading the Koran, having insight into it, and crying over his sins. He does not eat so that he would deaden his passions, he secludes so that he would be safe from inward and outward calamities. He does not speak with people so that he would have the honor of the companionship of his God. Imam Sadegh (PBUH), the Gnostic Imam, describes a Gnostic as, “He has no desire for food nor does he find pleasure in drinks, sleep has no delight for him, he does not wear soft clothes and is never calm. He worships God day and night hoping to get to what he has in his heart and would tell Him his secret inside with enthusiasm. A Gnostic has reached self-realization and is involved in self-purification. He has known God and is proceeding towards Him. He knows the Holy Prophet and is his disciple. He knows the Koran and obeys its doctrines; he knows the world and avoids it; he knows the Futurity and is proceeding hastily towards it; he knows death and considers it God’s mercy; he knows the Devil and has turned away from him.
Ali, the master of Gnostics, says, “A Gnostic is a person who knows his own self and has freed it, and has purified it from anything other than God”. A Gnostic is involved in promise, meditation, and estimation. At the beginning of each day, he promises himself the obedience of the glorious God and the disobedience of the Devil. During the day, he is careful not to break his promises; and at the end of the day, he estimates the good and the bad of his deeds. He considers his good deeds as God’s mercy and does not become proud of it; and considers his sins as his neglect and regrets them and punishes himself for all that.
A Gnostic is always seeking knowledge and faith and considers them as the two wings for flying towards God; he respects scholars and believers and fears disrespecting them. Imam Sadegh (PBUH) says; “Gnostics’ whispers are based on three basics: fear, hope, and love. Fear is the branch of knowledge; hope is the branch of certainty; and love is the branch of knowledge and Gnosis. Escape is the sign of fear; desire is the sign of hope; and not withholding oneself from sacrificing what one loves is the sign of love. These three basics are like the Haram, Mosque, and the Kabba. That is, anyone entering the Haram will be immune from people. And when entering the mosque he is immune from sins; and when entering the Kabba, his heart will be clear from anything except the remembrance of God.
Death is a heart felt wish for a Gnostic. A Gnostic loves dying and reaching his God and for him, death is like pleasant cold water drunk in a hot summer. “A Gnostic’s body is with people and his heart is with God. If his heart neglects God in a blink of an eye, he will die with enthusiasm. A Gnostic is a trustworthy of God’s gifts, a treasure of secrets, a mine of light, and a guide for people in reaching God’s mercy, the result of knowledge, a scale of God’s favors and justice. He is needless of people and worldly wishes. He has no companion except God and has no speech, or breath except with God, for God, and from God. So he is coming and going in the holy Divine garden and benefits from Gods’ favor” (Imam Sadegh (PBUH).
Patience, chastity, devotedness, enthusiasm, purity, fear, balance, humbleness, beneficence and good morals are the other characteristics of a Gnostic. A Gnostic’s wisdom and heart are alive, but his passions are dead. Harshness, lying, calumny, backbiting, greed, passion, and evil can not be found in a Gnostic.
In the beautiful book named “Gnosis” written by Haj sheykh Hossein Ansarian in five volumes, Gnostics have been described as the following: “The pure and true Gnostics want nothing but God and reaching Him and have filled their hearts with nothing except the love for Him. From all the materialistic affluences they have only contented themselves with the permitted ones and only in a sufficient amount. They have avoided wasting them; and having tendency toward other temporary pleasures. They have said and heard nothing but the truth and, judged nothing but the truth. They have gone in no path but the right one and have thought about nothing but the day of Judgement. Gnostics have forgotten themselves, loved God, and devoted their bodies and souls in worshipping God and giving service to people. They have based their lives on the basis of the Koran and Ahle-beyt. Gnostics have lit up their insides with the wisdom of God and have been ornamented with faith and belief and have done good deeds and have achieved God’s satisfaction. They have not surrendered to anything and anyone except God; and have not feared anyone in their path toward God. They have not abandoned advising people to good deeds and restraining them from bad deeds; and have done their best in purifying themselves and ornamenting their hearts with the Divine realities”.
With the above-mentioned descriptions, we should think about these questions that: Are we really seeking knowledge? Have we found the real Gnostic for showing us the way? If we have a guide, is he in the right path of gnosis; and does he have the characteristics of Gnostics? Are his inward and outward the same? We should be careful in not following the one who is only a Gnostic outwardly and has nothing inside.
References: Barazandeh, Motaleb. (2006) Higher Knowledge, Tehran: Jangal Publications.
By: Dr. Motaleb Barazandeh (Ph.D);
Metaphysician and Parapsychologist
Email: Dr.Barazandeh@yahoo.com
No comments:
Post a Comment