PRELIMINARIES
I – GNOSIS
- What is Gnosis?
Gnosis is the supreme religious science, that is the true knowledge of the three worlds, divine, spiritual, material, as well as their relationships.
- What is Gnosis also called?
It is called the esoteric Christian doctrine. It is called CHRISTIAN because it was taught to us by Christ himself and ESOTERIC because he only passed it on to a small number of men by oral teaching.
- Did not Christ also teach men an esoteric doctrine?
Yes, but his esoteric or public teaching only reveals the practical side of the doctrine, that is the moral and a little esoterism under the veil of the parable.
- Who are those to whom Christ taught Gnosis?
He taught gnosis to his twelve apostles and to some other disciples whose gather in made up the first Church.
- Has not part of the Gnosis been revealed to Scripture?
Yes, part of the Gnosis was revealed to Scripture by the apostle Saint John and some other disciples.
- Before the coming of Christ, were men without Gnosis?
No, from the beginning of humanity some men were in possession of Gnosis, but, with time, it ended up by being altered.
- What was the true role of Christ on earth?
His true role was to purify, in a word to rectify, the ancient Gnosis, to perfect it.
- Was not part of the ancient Gnosis committed to writing?
Yes, part of the ancient Gnosis was committed to writing, particularly in the VEDAS, the AVESTA and certain hebraic books such as the psalms, the book of Daniel, the book of Wisdom, Ecclesiastes, the book of Enoch and the writings of the Cabala.
- Is knowledge of these ancient writings useless to us?
On the contrary, it is very useful to us in that it helps us to clarify certain points of the teaching of Christ, at the same time as it shows us the unity and then the truth of the secret doctrine from the most ancient times until the coming of Christ.
- What are the bases of Gnosis today?
They are ancient and Christian tradition and knowledge.
- How many parts is Gnosis divided into?
Gnosis is divided into two parts.
- What does the first part contain?
It contains the account of the ILLUMINATING mysteries, that is truths which are kept secret from ordinary people and which give the explanation of the things of the three worlds. It is these truths which enlighten, illuminate the mind.
- What does the second part contain?
It contains the account of the PURIFYING mysteries, that is the secret rites which remove sins, purify and sanctify the soul and enable it to rise up into the pleroma.