Speaking with a friend the other day, the topic of beliefs and those things that are part of beliefs. The next day I started thinking about the ideas we shared and our diverse experiences from our very different lives.
Later my as thoughts drifted I remembered reading about someone who defined themselves a Gnostic. The distinction was not clear to me what a gnostic was. Since then some disparate topics have crossed my path which clarified what the person who claimed Gnosticism was really saying. If you are like me, understanding what a gnostic is was kind of fuzzy.
One unrelated at the time documentary that crossed my path was the true story of William Peter Blatty’s book, and later movie, The Exorcist. There were other stories revolving around exorcism, and people who consider themselves exorcists also in the documentary. It was interesting side note wondering why possession happens at all, but was dismissed from the process in the documentary.
We humans are the only species that we know of who doubt. If you have ever been around dogs when they come into contact with a dog they have never met before, you may notice something interesting if you pay close attention. Neither dog knows or thinks for a second that is or may be inferior to the other dog.
If one dog is over a hundred pounds, and the second dog is three pounds it does not matter. In the world of dogs they are evenly matched. The smaller dog never for a moment realizes that it may be a distant second in the weight department. The smaller dog will start a fight with the larger dog if the initial meeting does not pan out as expected.
Many of us on the other hand live by different rules. When we see someone we are meeting for the first time, we start processing information about them. We start categorizing our perceptions, and pass judgement on how they compare. We have already classified the other person before we even touch hands and say hello. We then continue reinforce our first impressions.
The contrast between ourselves, other animals, and a gnostic is interesting from this perspective. The definition of Gnostic is “of or relating to knowledge, esp. esoteric mystical knowledge”. Dogs, the same as gnostics seem to know, or have have access to knowledge some of us do not.
Someone who lives life from a position of gnosticism is more likely to be successful no matter what the platform they do with their life. The person who considers themselves a gnostic is no different from the three pound dog in how they think.
The three pound dog when it meets a larger dog for the first time never thinks for a moment that it may be inferior, wrong, or otherwise less than the larger dog. In our human world, most Shamans, Exorcists, some Priests, Witches, even successful Gamblers never for an instant consider they may not have all the knowledge and tools they need to be successful in the moment.
While we as individuals may not be drawn to the arcane, occult, or mystical knowledge of one of the above people. It is imperative to know that just like a Gnostic, or the three pound dog, we have everything we need to be successful. All we need is the mustard seed.
Losing the mustard seed is the problem. I am always in awe of how so many of us lose something so easy to hold on to. Maybe it is the small size of a mustard seed. Perhaps we are so entrenched in the physical world, we fail to understand or appreciate how something so small and insubstantial as having the faith of a mustard seed can mean everything in our life?
Having faith in yourself and your abilities means never having to doubt you are enough, or prepared enough to be successful in any situation. The Gnostic, Priest, and Shaman all know this, and that is their mustard seed. They do not wonder or kind of believe something. They know – because they eat, sleep and live it every day. Do you know the Gnostic in you?
