Gnosis - Dr Motaleb Barazandeh

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

Theology - Dr Motaleb barazandeh

Theology
By: Dr. Motaleb Barazandeh (Ph.D);
Metaphysician and Parapsychologist

Knowledge, one of human being’s evolutionary stages, can be attained in believers after abundant devotions and asceticism. Knowledge is the light of the heart and a sign of virtue and faith. Those without knowledge have hearts that are dark and empty of the light of faith. The prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said, “ Knowledge is my capital, wisdom is the root of my religion, love is my tool, desire is my horse, and the remembrance of the glorious God is my companion.” Thus each disciple is required to learn the essential knowledge from the masters and also show it in action. The most important elements of knowledge consist of self-realization, Theology, knowing the holy prophet, the world, Futurity, death and Devil. When knowledge is attained, its signs also start to appear. The holy Ali (PBUH), the Lord of Gnostics, said, “The one who recognizes God becomes lonely. The one who recognizes himself becomes single. The one who recognizes the world abandons it; and the one who recognizes people chooses solitude”.

The person who acquires all the necessary knowledge is called a Gnostic (all people do not reach to this level). In the valuable book of “The Literary and Gnosis Interpretation of the Holy Koran”, it has been quoted from the Gnostics that: “The essence of knowledge consists of seclusion from people, having privacy with God, invocation, insight; sometimes being in reverence of the glory of God; and sometimes meditating with the hope of God’s kindness.

Self-realization: Self-realization is the ultimate stage of knowledge, which leads to knowing God. Masters have claimed that self-realization is the most profitable of all knowledge. Therefore, self-realization is the best wisdom and the most profitable knowledge. And the most naïve people are the ones who do not know themselves.

A human being is composed of three parts: body, soul, and spirit. “Spirit”, the central core and the main essence of human being, has originated from God and will also return to Him. “Body” is a means that is in our authority during the short time of living in the physical world; and is nothing more than a gift. “Soul” is a part between body and spirit. There is a great difference between the nature of the body and spirit. Body is terrestrial and spirit is celestial. As a result of these contrasts, they can not be easily united unless a third element which is the soul and that functions as a connector joins them. Some believe that, soul is the result of the dual relationship between body and spirit.

It is assumed that the self-realization that results in theology is knowing the spirit. Since knowing God completely is impossible, spirit has qualities that help us in knowing the Unique Creator; for knowing God completely is an impossible issue. Perhaps the best conclusion we can get from insight in the subject matter of Theology is to understand that we are unable to know God.

Spirit can not be sensed with the five senses and contacted through materialistic means. For example, we can not see or touch the spirit or communicate with it through telephone. In the same way, the omniscient God can not be sensed by the five senses and touched by materialistic means. The spirit is unique in the body, and does not have a special position although the signs of its presence are obvious in the whole body. The eternal God is also unique in the universe. Despite not having any special location, He is present every where. Spirit has the ability to stimulate and rule the body; the abilityto stimulate and rule the world is also within God’s authority. Spirit is conscious of the body but body is unable to know the spirit; also, the omniscient God, has complete awareness of the whole universe but the creatures are unable to know Him. Spirit has existed before the creation of the body and will also exist after its death. God is also eternal.

Imam Sadegh (PBUH), the founder of the first university of Theology said, “The self-realization of human beings is to know oneself by four natures, four pillars, and four elements. The four natures are: blood, bile, wind, and phlegm. The pillars are wisdom from which understanding and memory originate. The elements are light, fire, spirit, and water”.

Theology: Knowing the honorable God is the highest level of knowledge and also a factor in the completion of knowledge. Knowing God causes love for Him, wanting nothing from people, letting go of the world. The one who knows God will not be lonely although it only seems like he is far from people; for knowing God is the companion of any lonesome and the supporter of any lonely person.

Theology is the power of the helpless, the light of any darkness and the cure of the sick. The one who succeeds in knowing God will spend days fasting and nights worshipping Him. The other blessings gained are: controlling one’s tongue and stomach and being safe from the many calamities and their consequences.

God should be known through God. Knowing him through other means also originates from Him. Sheykh Sadoogh said, “If we know Him through our wisdom, this wisdom is a Divine gift. If we know Him by means of His prophets and reasons, it is the glorious God who has chosen them and sent them to us as His mercy and grace. If we know Him by means of self-realization, our selves are God’s creation, therefore in any way we have known God through God”.\

Perhaps some have thought that if they had died in childhood and before coming to age, they would go straight to Heaven and didn’t need to tolerate all the burdens and difficulties in the world. Ali (PBUH), the lord of virtuous, said, “I do not like dying in childhood and going to Heaven while I have not known my Lord”.

There are three ways to know God. First, knowing Him through the signs in nature, which is done by common people; by learning about nature, they get to know God. Second, knowing Him through the signs in oneself (self-realization) which is done by chosen people; they get to know God through their hearts. Knowing God through the signs in oneself is more beneficial for it is accompanied by the reform of one’s characteristics and deeds. The third way of knowing God is through vision, which is the way of saints and masters and not all can get to this knowledge. From another point of view, people can get to the knowledge of God in three ways. First, knowing God by means of senses and tangible issues. Second, by intellect and logical reasoning, and third, through inner revelation.

Masters have stated that knowing oneself results in knowing God. Disagreement with self results in agreement with God. Dissatisfaction of self leads to satisfaction of God. Abandoning self results in becoming close to God. Also, disobeying the desires of self leads to obeying God. Becoming far from self causes nearness to God. Turning away from self leads to having friendship with God, and for turning away from self, we should get help from God.

With all the above mentioned importance of self realization and Theology, we, the ones who claim to be in the path of evolution, should ask ourselves: How much of the necessary knowledge have we learned? How successful have we been in achieving knowledge? Have we gathered the necessary knowledge for being in this path? Are we one of those who wish they had died at childhood and had gone to Heaven? Or are we the ones who like to grow so that they could reach Theology?

References: Barazandeh, Motaleb. (2006) Higher Knowledge, Tehran: Jangal Publications.

Dr. Motaleb Barazandeh (Ph.D);
Metaphysician and Parapsychologist