Foreword

This book is not intended to be a Gnostic prayer book in the historical sense, but rather Gnosticism in the practical sense, for the modern aspiring Gnostic student. While many in these times associate the word Gnosis with a collection of texts found in the deserts of the Middle East (such as the Nag Hammadi texts or the Dead Sea Scrolls), or with long-lost groups of spiritual seekers (like the Essenes), the truth is that those writings and groups were but one fraction of a much older, more widespread movement, one that cannot be tracked by physical evidence alone: it can only be truly known through awakened, conscious experience—not only here in the physical world, but also in the internal worlds, by means of techniques such as meditation, dream yoga, and more.

The Greek word Gnosis refers to the knowledge acquired through the experience of the awakened consciousness, as opposed to knowledge that we are told or might believe. Genuine Gnosis is the knowledge universal to all humanity that frees the consciousness from suffering. Gnosis—by whatever name in history or culture—is conscious, experiential knowledge, not merely intellectual or conceptual knowledge, belief or theory. The Gnostic student seeks to acquire their own direct experience of the light (the truth) by means of awakening the consciousness and eliminating obscurations to perception. The method to accomplish this task has been called:

...and many other names. By comparing all of these ancient teachings, we can see that all religious forms have in their heart a science of Gnosticism: a method to arrive at personal knowledge of the truth.

Messengers arrive from time to time to clarify the knowledge for us: messengers such as Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed, Quetzalcoatl, Krishna, Moses, Fu Xi, Samael Aun Weor, and many others: all of them taught Gnosis, but according to the needs of the time and place. That is why within this book you will find a true collection of Gnostic prayers—prayers from many religions, philosophies, teachers, and masters.