VLVL2 (9.5): "Down Again into the Corrupted World"

[Dave Monroe]

"'Just from your life pattern already, here's what I
think.  Living as always let's say at a certain
distance from the reality of others, you descended--'
   "'I was taken!'
   "'--you were brought--down again into the corrupted
world, and instead of paying attention, taking the
time, getting prepared, you had to be a reckless bitch
and go rushing through the outward forms, so of course
you blew it, what'd you expect?'" (VL, Ch. 9, p. 154)

Tres gnostique, non?  Er, oui ...

"Like Buddhism, Gnosticism begins with the fundamental
recognition that earthly life is filled with
suffering. In order to nourish themselves, all forms
of life consume each other, thereby visiting pain,
fear, and death upon one another (even herbivorous
animals live by destroying the life of plants). In
addition, so-called natural catastrophes --
earthquakes, floods, fires, drought, volcanic
eruptions -- bring further suffering and death in
their wake. Human beings, with their complex
physiology and psychology, are aware not only of these
painful features of earthly existence. They also
suffer from the frequent recognition that they are
strangers living in a world that is flawed and absurd

"Many religions advocate that humans are to be blamed
for the imperfections of the world. Supporting this
view, they interpret the Genesis myth as declaring
that transgressions committed by the first human pair
brought about a 'fall' of creation resulting in the
present corrupt state of the world. Gnostics respond
that this interpretation of the myth is false. The
blame for the world’s failings lies not with humans,
but with the creator. Since -- especially in the
monotheistic religions -- the creator is God, this
Gnostic position appears blasphemous, and is often
viewed with dismay even by non-believers. 

"Ways of evading the recognition of the flawed
creation and its flawed creator have been devised over
and over, but none of these arguments have impressed
Gnostics. The ancient Greeks, especially the
Platonists, advised people to look to the harmony of
the universe, so that by venerating its grandeur they
might forget their immediate afflictions. But since
this harmony still contains the cruel flaws,
forlornness and alienation of existence, this advice
is considered of little value by Gnostics. Nor is the
Eastern idea of Karma regarded by Gnostics as an
adequate explanation of creation’s imperfection and
suffering. Karma at best can only explain how the
chain of suffering and imperfection works. It does not
inform us in the first place why such a sorrowful and
malign system should exist." 

http://www.gnosis.org/gnintro.htm

"Gnosticism - 'Lord, whence have thy disciples come,
whither are they going, and what will they do down
there?' This is the fundamental question which begins
all Gnostic meditations....

[...]

"The Gnostics are known for their professed belief
that all things become the greater besmirched the
closer they get to Earth....

[...]

"One of the main doctrines of Gnosticism relates that
the Invisible Father emanated a Thought, which became
the Mother. She fell into Matter from which she had to
be rescued. The Gnostics conceived of the visible
world as being the corrupt creation of unrighteous
powers whose activity is recorded in Genesis, but
menaing the opposite of its customary meaning...."

http://www.bookfx.net/gnostic/g.htm

Question is, to what end?  Let me know ...

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