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Digest Vol 89 No2 1211.Indd Each issue of the Rosicrucian Digest provides members and all interested readers with a compendium of materials regarding the ongoing flow of the Rosicrucian Timeline. The articles, historical excerpts, art, and literature included in this Digest span the ages, and are not only interesting in themselves, but also seek to provide a lasting reference shelf to stimulate continuing study of all of those factors which make up Rosicrucian history and thought. Therefore, we present classical background, historical development, and modern reflections on each of our subjects, using the many forms of primary sources, reflective commentaries, the arts, creative fiction, and poetry. This magazine is dedicated to all the women and men throughout the ages who have contributed to and perpetuated the wisdom of the Rosicrucian, Western esoteric, Tradition. May we ever be worthy of the light with which we have been entrusted. In this issue, we go within to experience the inner knowledge of the Gnostics and Gnosticism, an important tradition contributing to what, centuries later, would become Rosicrucianism. No. 2 - 2011 Vol. 89 - No. 2 Peter Kingsley, Ph.D. “Paths of the Ancient Sages: A Pythagorean History” Giulia Minicuci and Mary Jones, S.R.C. “Pythagoras the Teacher: From Samos to Metapontum” Ruth Phelps, S.R.C. “The School of Pythagoras”Gnosis, Gnostics, and Gnosticism: 2 An Introduction Anonymous “The Golden Verses of Pythagoras” Official Magazine of the Ancient Doctrines Rediscovered 4 Worldwide Christopher McIntosh, D. Phil. Rosicrucian Order Who were the Gnostics? 11 Richard Smoley AntoineEstablished Fabre in d’Olivet, 1915 by the Supreme“Excerpt fromEarly Examination Christianity of& thethe GoldenGospel of Verses” Mary 18 HughGrand McCague, Lodge of thePh.D., English F.R.C. Language “Pythagoreans Karen L. and King, Sculptors: Ph.D. The Canon of Polykleitos Jurisdiction, AMORC, Rosicrucian Park, San Jose, CA 95191. Melanie Richards, M.Mus., S.R.C. “PythagorasTranslation and of Music”the Gospel of Mary 22 Lisa CopyrightSpencer, 2011 M.A.O.M., by the Supreme S.R.C. Grand “The Neo-Pythagoreans at the Porta Maggiore in Lodge of AMORC, Inc. All rights Karen L. King, Ph.D. Rome” reserved. Republication of any portion of Rosicrucian Digest is prohibited The Gospel of Judas: Introduction 25 Jeanwithout Guesdon, prior writtenS.R.C permission “Silence”of the Marvin Meyer, Ph.D. publisher. Frater X, “Music of the Spheres and Pythagorean Numerology” ROSICRUCIAN DIGEST (ISSN The Cathars: Trials and Tribulations 30 Ben #0035–8339)Finger, is published“Apollonius: bi-annually Man orin Myth?” the Languedoc for $12.00 per year, single copies $6.00, Ralphby M.the GrandLewis, Lodge F.R.C. of the English“Reviewing Bill our Anderson, Acts” FRC Language Jurisdiction, AMORC, Inc., Staffat of 1342 the RosicrucianNaglee Ave., San Research Jose, CA Library Esclarmonde “A Pythagorean de Foix Bookshelf” 40 95191. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ROSICRUCIAN DIGEST Hélène Bernard, SRC at 1342 Naglee Ave., San Jose, CA 95191–0001. Pristine Church of the Rose Cross 46 The Universal Declaration of Human Rights 49 Ἡ Γνῶσις Rosicrucian Declaration of Human Duties 54 Being a Mystic 56 Christian Bernard, FRC Gnosis, Gnostics, and Gnosticism: An Introduction he key to all mysteries and the source of all Illumination lies Tdeep within the self. From a Rosicrucian manuscript This issue of the Rosicrucian Digest women to know god [the Divine] directly, explores the topics of Gnosis (inner without any need for the mediation of knowledge), the Gnostics (mystics who rabbis, priests, bishops, imams, or other proclaimed gnosis as the path to salvation), religious officials.”4 and Gnosticism (the broad tradition The interior center of knowledge, with beginning millennia ago and continuing no need for an intermediary, is a familiar through the Catharism of the Middle Ages theme that manifests in Rosicrucian studies to today). and practice. The various groups that we call “Gnostics” Gnostics viewed the role of their today emphasized the individual coming to savior or revealer to be to awaken people, personal and interior experiential knowledge rather than to die for their salvation or (gnosis) of the transcendent Divine One to be sacrificed for their sins. Dr. Meyer which is within the innermost being. writes, “The gnostic revealer discloses In antiquity there was no religion called knowledge that frees and awakens people, Gnosticism. This is a term that scholars and that helps them recall who they are. invented to categorize the variety of early When enlightened, gnostics can live a life appropriate for those who know themselves Christian “groups.”1 and god [the Divine]. They can return back The word “gnosis” is usually translated to the beginning, when they were one with as “knowledge.” The Greek language god [the Divine]. Such a life transcends distinguishes rational knowledge (“He knows what is mundane and mortal in this world mathematics”) from knowledge through and experiences the bliss of oneness with observation or experience (“He knows me”), the divine.”5 2 which is gnosis. The roots of Gnosticism extend back to Elaine Pagels, Ph.D., one of the the time of the Greeks, Romans, and Second foremost scholars on Gnosticism writes, “As Temple Jews. “Some gnostics were Jewish, the gnostics use the term, we could translate others Greco-Roman, and many were it as ‘insight,’ for gnosis involves an intuitive Christian. There were Mandaean gnostics process of knowing nature and human from Iraq and Iran; Manichaeans from destiny . to know oneself, at the deepest Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, level, is simultaneously to know God [the and all the way to China; Islamic gnostics Divine]; this is the secret of gnosis.”3 in the Muslim world; and Cathars in Rosicrucian Marvin Meyer, Ph.D., another of the western Europe.”6 Digest No. 2 world’s leading Gnostic scholars, writes, “To It is from the Cathars (from the Greek 2011 know oneself truly allowed gnostic men and katharos, or “pure”) that the Rosicrucian Page 2 Tradition of today finds its closest link to rituals. Today Rosicrucians perpetuate the Gnosticism. The Cathars, a sect of Christian Western esoteric initiatic tradition. mystics whose beliefs most likely originated Gnostics sought wisdom and knowledge from the traditions of Old Europe and from varied sources. Dr. Meyer notes, Manichaeism (Persian Gnosticism), lived “In addition to Jewish sacred literature, in the Languedoc of what is now southern Christian documents, and Greco-Roman France and other parts of Europe beginning religious and philosophical texts, gnostics in the eleventh century. studied religious works from the Egyptians, These mystics allowed equal rights Mesopotamians, Zoroastrians, Muslims, and for women and men, encouraged Buddhists. All such sacred texts disclosed understanding and dialogue between all truths, and all were to be celebrated for this faiths, and provided excellent education wisdom.”8 7 for their citizens —all values highly Throughout history, Rosicrucians cherished by Rosicrucians. The Cathars have valued and studied truths from deeply influenced what would become the many philosophies and traditions and Rosicrucian Tradition in the Languedoc, have strongly advocated tolerance and especially around Toulouse. humanism. The Rosicrucian teachings The Cathars also performed initiations, include lessons on some of the most following a period of preparation including important religions of the world and fasting and a great desire for Perfection. explore the various mystical traditions Some of the earlier gnostic traditions also that have contributed to the Rosicrucian included initiations and other mystical Tradition today. We believe that the desire to know divine laws—that is natural, universal, and spiritual laws—will eventually supplant the need just to believe in God or the Divine. We assume, therefore, that belief will one day give way to knowledge. —From the Rosicrucian Positio Fraternitatis Rosae Crucis (2001) endnotes 1 Karen L. King, The Gospel of Mary of Magdala: Jesus 5 Ibid, 2. and the First Woman Apostle, (Santa Rosa: Polebridge 6 Ibid. Press, 2003), 155. 7 Julie Scott, “Clemence Isaure: The Rosicrucian 2 Elaine Pagels, The Gnostic Gospels, (New York: Golden Isis,” Rosicrucian Digest Vol. 88 No. 1 Random House, 1979), xix. (2010): 47, www.rosicrucian.org/publications/ 3 Ibid. digest/digest1_2010/04_web/08_Scott/07_gmscott. 4 Marvin Meyer, “Gnosticism, Gnostics, and The Gnostic pdf. Bible,” in The Gnostic Bible; ed. Willis Barnstone & 8 Meyer, “Gnosticism, Gnostics, Gnostic Bible,” in The Marvin Meyer (Boston: Shambhala, 2009), 1. Gnostic Bible; 2. Page 3 Ancient Doctrines Rediscovered Christopher McIntosh, D. Phil. From pp. 1–8 of the Third Revised Edition of The Rosicrucians: The History, Mythology, and Rituals of an Esoteric Order, by Christopher McIntosh, © 1997 by the author, reprinted by permission of Weiser Books (www.redwheelweiser.com, 1-800-423-3309). hristopher McIntosh (D. Phil., Oxon) a new phase in the development of esoteric C is a course lecturer in Rosicrucianism thought. From then on it had an assured, if in the Western Esotericism program still somewhat underground, place in Western at the University of Exeter (England) and is thought. The Rosicrucian movement belongs currently teaching at the University of Bremen, to this phase of esotericism. In order to Germany. In this chapter from his book understand the esoteric tradition, we must entitled, The Rosicrucians, he traces the history follow it back to its origins and examine the of the Rosicrucians, beginning with Egyptian- different ingredients that went into it. influenced Gnosticism to the Rosicrucian The philosophical milieu in which traditions of the seventeenth century. the tradition began is loosely known as Gnosticism, a movement beginning in the fourth century B.C., which had Egypt as its focal point of development. Egypt had The Rosicrucian movement is part of been penetrated first by Persian mystical a way of thinking whose roots go far back beliefs during the Persian conquest in 525 into antiquity and which can be described B.C. then by Greek and oriental influences as the Western esoteric tradition.
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