What is Gnosticism?
Gnosticism was a mystical approach to God with a comprehensive and not always unique understanding of the universe. One of those understandings was a dualistic belief that views the material and spiritual universes as two different worlds. The word “gnosis”, literally translated as “knowledge”, can also be interpreted as “enlightenment” or “salvation”, and is contiguous with the concept of “enlightenment” in Buddhism or Hinduism.
Gnosticism was an individual, personal approach to God practiced by various retired religious groups, including Christians. Constantine the Great (272-337) granted the growing Christian Church state privileges and outlawed other churches such as the Arian Church, including Gnostic sects and many others. Thus, Gnosticism officially became a heretical belief and, as a consequence, it had no further prospects of growing up in a hostile environment for it. The place where it had lasted for years in Europe suddenly turned hostile and Gnosticism completely disappeared from this region.
Christian Gnosticism
Early Christianity was a powerful esoteric movement. We all know that the early Christians recognized more gospels than the official four we are familiar with today. The Gospel of Thomas was one of those Gnostic texts.
Early Gnostic Christians taught reincarnation and used the Rod of Asklepios (a staff with an entwined serpent) or the caduceus (a staff with two entwined serpents carried by Hermes, the Greek god of transitions) to symbolize immortality (source: Secrets of the serpent, in search of the sacred past, Revised Special…by Philip Gardiner). This proves that they did not see the snake purely as the symbol of evil, since this creature also symbolizes admirable qualities. Of these, I can mention immortality and power, as the Bible says in Numbers 21:9: “Then Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. So when someone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.”
In the first centuries after Christ, Christian leaders wanted to gain political power over Rome and establish Christian orthodoxy that would control the masses. And they get it…
Non-Christian Gnostic groups in Europe
One such mystery religion in Europe was the Mithraic Mysteries, sometimes referred to as Roman Mithraism. Mithra was a Zoroastrian angelic divinity but also a Vedic god (spelled as Mithra). The Avestan language (ancient Iranian) and Sanskrit are incredibly similar. Both Hinduism and Zoroastrianism are the oldest religions in the world. The Vedic Mitra and the Iranian Mitra undoubtedly have a common origin.
Mystery of Isis, the Mistress of Magic, was another cult of many. It had originated in ancient Egypt. His influence was so great that it extended to ancient Greece and also to the Roman Empire. This cult venerated Isis, the Egyptian goddess of fertility and magic. It had a strong sexual nature similar to Tantrism practiced by various groups in India.
Gnostic groups outside of Europe
Among other genuine Gnostic groups I can mention the Mandaeans. They revere Adam, Seth, Noah and particularly John the Baptist. They also revere other personalities like Abel. They recognize Jesus, but they do not give him the importance that they give to other biblical characters. The Mandaeans are one of the few true Gnostic groups that have persevered to this day with several thousand years of history in teachings and practices. They live predominantly in the Muslim world where they also originate (Iraq/Iran). However, Mandaism is not Islam, nor is it Christianity, nor Judaism.
Islam
Sufism is an Islamic school that inherited much of its approaches from genuine Gnosticism, as it was practiced in ancient Greece long ago, and therefore also in Persia. Throughout history, mainstream religious orthodoxy has continually prohibited “unofficial” approaches to God. Therefore Sufism is beyond Islam. It began in Iraq after the death of the Prophet after the year 632 as a response to spiritual rigidity and spread to other parts of the Islamic world, including India. The term “Sufism” is derived from the Arabic enough, which means wool. Wool symbolizes simplicity, poverty, and also modesty. Christian monks also wore garments made of wool for the same reason.
jewish mysticism
The Jewish people have Kabbalah and also Merkabah mysticism that centered on visions like those described in the Hekhalot literature. These types of writings focused on ascensions to the heavenly palaces and the Throne of God. Kabbalah and Merkabah mysticism are the ancient esoteric traditions.
tantric hinduism
Tantric Hinduism consists of many schools whose teachings deviate from orthodox Brahmanism. In ancient India, there were some maverick religious groups of people who were seeking God in a similar way as the Sufi saints did and chose the way of life as wandering seekers called Vratyas. They are considered by scholars to be the prototype of the earliest forms of Tantrism. The Atharva Veda contains a hymn dedicated to the Vratyas. The Rig Veda also mentions this “mystical brotherhood” where the term Vratya denotes a splinter group.
Tantra is a secret path, as it has always had opponents from the “official world”. These opponents supported orthodoxy also for the purpose of controlling the people. Tantrism, although different in its approaches to God than the aforementioned mystical schools, has the same footing in Hinduism as Sufism has in Islam. Gnostic Christianity was banned and, as a consequence, Tantric Hinduism became secret.
Gnosticism really lives
The initial tenet of Gnosticism was that an imperfect god created the material world, but in reality it was a diverse approach with various belief systems. To see the appearance of Gnosticism in its genuine light, I must conclude that its practice in the inner world was to achieve “mystical experiences,” that is, to achieve “mystical knowledge” (“gnosis”) not only rationally but also on a rational basis. empirical and thus open the mystical door of God in the heart.