Zen Gnosticism Is Simple

I am no religious scholar and now in my latter years I have neither the time nor the resources to engage in exhaustive research.  So, like every religion and philosophy in human history, I can pick and choose what I add to my Zen Gnostic beliefs.

Daoism Is What

The Dao De Ching takes about 45 minutes to read and 45 years to understand even a fraction of it.  The Dao is the cosmic Force (yes, like the one from Star Wars).   From Daoism I take the concept of the Dao and the practice of Wu Wei.

Buddhism Is How

Much of my Zen Gnostic practice stems from Buddhism, which itself was influenced by Daoism.  Hence, my use of Zen.

Meditation is a core practice of Buddhism, as it is for Daoists.  There are no specific deities mentioned in either early texts.   The way to peace here and a shorter route through the Hedge Maze beyond can be achieved on your own without resort to priests and rituals, unless you find those cultural aspects of value.

Gnosticism Is Why

This isn't restricted to specific early Christian texts.  I include beliefs from the Greco-Roman philosophers, such as the Stoics.

That early pre-Nicean Jesus is very likely to have spent more than a decade studying in India, learning from yogis, lamas and other learned people.  Read through the eyes of someone who is looking beyond the edges, the story of Jesus takes on poignant new meaning.  It really was about being a good person who looks after others.

 

Zen Gnosticism 

Humans have a terrible habit of complicating even the most simple things.   We create huge pantheons of deities that must be appeased.  We add dominions of minions -- saints, angels, devils, demons, Jinn, Kami, fairies, sprites, elves, monsters, etc.  We then create priests, ministers, shamans, each with their own hierarchies who interpose themselves between us and the deities and their minions.  And those who are doing the work of standing between us and the divine require special buildings, special clothes and special rituals which cost money.  And then the whole thing evolves into yet another human greed fest.

 

I want to find a better way.  Just a single force which I call GDW.  Meditation to clear our links to the divine, allowing the current to flow through us and letting us go with the flow of GDW.  If we focus on doing the right thing for the right reason at the right time, wu wei will guide us to the best course of action.

 

Knowing that the cycle is ongoing and ever-changing we can drop our fear of death, both for ourselves and others.  We know we control nothing but ourselves, and that there is no point in worrying about things beyond our control.  Instead we focus on what we can do, rather than what we can not do, and we ignore anything that doesn't actually affect us.