Chicago Gnosis Podcast

"Iradah, the will to find God, is the beginning of the path of spiritual travelers, the first title given to those who are determined to reach God Most High. This attribute is only called iradah because will is the preface to every undertaking. When the servant does not will, he does not carry out."  ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism "Know that the foundation and rationale of struggle or striving (mujahadah) is to wean the ego from what is familiar to it and to induce it to oppose its desires (passions) at all times." ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism In order to arrive at genuine spiritual attainment and knowledge of divinity, the sincere practitioner of any religion must engage in and maintain an esoteric discipline (riyadah). This is accomplished through the development and application of conscious, unconditioned will. Through submission and obedience to divine ordinances and by striving against the lower passions, conditioned elements, and egotistical drives of the mind, one thereby, based on the law of cause and effect, learns authentic spiritual and psychological conduct, the basis of true spiritual life. Resources and References: https://chicagognosis.org/lectures/spiritual-discipline

“Al-Wasiti was asked about the practice of remembrance and said, ‘It is leaving the enclosed court of unconsciousness for the vast space of contemplation through the power of fearing Him and the intensity of loving Him.'” ―Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism Learn about the nature of soul or consciousness: the capacity to perceive thought, feeling, will, impulse, sensation, spirit, and beyond. This lecture discusses the three types of soul mentioned in the Qur'an, as well as the practice of self-observation and remembrance of the divine, the objective and subjective states of perception in accordance with Sufi and Gnostic psychology, the four fundamental states of consciousness taught by Plato's famous Allegory of the Cave in The Republic, the Greek myth of Perseus and Medusa, the Hebraic Kabbalah / Tree of Life and its varying modalities of energy, and more. Resources and References: https://chicagognosis.org/lectures/consciousness

"And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." ―Daniel 12:2 Awakening is a popular term used in spiritual circles, but what does it really mean? Rather than rely on vague, incongruent, ambiguous and self-contradictory explanations, it is best to rely on one's own conscious experience in conjunction with the scriptures. This lecture explores the basis of genuine spirituality: positive awakening through the soul's liberation from suffering and its subsequent development of virtue, and its opposite: negatively awakening through strengthening the conditions of the mind and the deepening of pain. Resources and References: https://chicagognosis.org/lectures/awakening

"Knowledge is obligatory only in so far as is requisite for acting rightly. God condemns those who learn useless knowledge (Kor. ii, 96), and the Prophet said: 'I take refuge with Thee from knowledge that profiteth naught.' Much may be done by means of a little knowledge, and knowledge should not be separated from action. The Prophet said: 'The devotee without divinity is like a donkey turning a mill,' because the donkey [intellectual] goes round and round over its own tracks and never makes any advance." ―Al-Hujwiri, Revelation of the Mystery "A donkey with a load of holy books is still a donkey." ―Traditional Sufi Proverb Learn how intellectual and spiritual knowledge must be combined with practice in order to elevate one's level of being and way of life. Comprehension is based upon the harmonious balance of knowledge and being, whereas ignorance results from the lack of communion between these factors. See how through a study of various scriptures from the Sufi, Buddhist, and Gnostic traditions. Resources and References: https://chicagognosis.org/lectures/knowledge-and-being

Allah says, “I was a hidden treasure, and I wished to be known, so I created a creation (mankind), then made Myself known to them, and they recognized Me.” ―Hadith Qudsi Marifah is Arabic for knowledge of divinity and universal principles, the actualization or experience of the truth within oneself.  This lecture is the first in a course on self-knowledge, how to acquire personal understanding of the divine through the application of psychological, spiritual, and practical works. Learn how the highest wisdom, known amongst the Sufis as Marifah, is manifested through comprehension of the psyche, the mind, emotions, and our willpower, especially as explained within the esoteric writings and heart of the Muslim tradition. You will also learn about the Kabbalah, Tree of Life, and the nature of spiritual ascension to higher ways and modes of consciousness or being through knowing oneself completely. Resources and References: https://chicagognosis.org/lectures/marifah-self-knowledge

Spiritual development is based on self-mastery, including that of the mind and heart. While the intellect is a useful instrument, it must serve divinity and not the other way around. This is accomplished through awakening intuition: the ability to comprehend without needing to think. Explore how through the writings of Samael Aun Weor, Morya, the Sufis, and the Upanishads. Resources and References: https://chicagognosis.org/lectures/the-mind-and-intuition

“Wherever we direct our attention, we expend creative energy.” ―Samael Aun Weor Energy is fundamental to physical and spiritual life. Learn about the different gradations of energy in accordance with the Hebraic Kabbalah: the Tree of Life, and how these different forces relate to different spiritual paths and the harmonious development of the soul. This lecture refers to the Fourth Way teachings of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky, the esoteric writings of Samael Aun Weor, the Gospels, and the writings of Friedrich Nietzsche, specifically his esoteric book Thus Spoke Zarathustra, and his analysis of the paths of the Fakir, Monk, Yogi and Gnostic. Resources and References: http://chicagognosis.org/lectures/the-energy-of-the-consciousness

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the πνεῦμα [pneuma: spirit], he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh [through the ordinary sexual act]; and that which is born of the πνεῦμα [pneuma: spirit, through tantra] is πνεῦμα  [pneuma: spirit]. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The πνεῦμα [pneuma, wind] bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the πνεῦμα [pneuma, spirit]. ―John 3:5-8 Tantrayana, Dzogchen, and esoteric Christianity teach the secret path to liberation and the birth of the soul through harnessing the most potent force available in the universe, a power that resides within our sexual glands. The enigmatic instructions of Jesus to Nicodemus, "You must be born again," constitute a sexual problem, since no birth within any part of the cosmos is a mere matter of belief, but is accomplished through sexual union. This lecture explains the purpose of tantra or sacred sexuality: how to create the soul or solar bodies, the famous "Wedding Garment" (Matthew 22) worn by those purified beings in the superior regions of great nature. Discover also the nature of enlightened mind within Tantric Buddhism, known in Sanskrit as bodhichitta. This lecture elaborates upon the qualifications of spiritual birth in relation to the Gospels, Buddhism, Hinduism, and the Epistles of St. Paul. Resources and References: http://chicagognosis.org/lectures/the-solar-bodies-and-bodhichitta  

Consciousness has the capacity to perceive not only the appearances of things, but their innate, hidden, and spiritual nature. By awakening the consciousness, the practitioner transcends superstition, theory, and belief, developing genuine faith in divinity and certainty through one's experiences. There are three distinct aspects of mind: the Sensual, Mystical, and Internal, the study of which is essential for advancing on the path of meditation. Learn how to develop and experience your full conscious potential through practical works, so as to perceive reality beyond illusory forms, philosophical fallacies, and mistaken beliefs. This lecture explains the three minds of gnostic psychology through the writings of Immanuel Kant, Master Morya, the New Testament, the Qur'an, The Odyssey and Samael Aun Weor. Resources and References: http://chicagognosis.org/lectures/the-science-of-mind-phenomena-and-noumena

"In mental dynamics we need to know how and why the mind functions as it does. Unquestionably, the mind is an instrument that we must learn to use consciously. But it would be absurd for such an instrument to be efficient for us if we first did not know the how and why of the mind. When one knows the how and the why of the mind, when one knows the different functionalisms of the mind, then one can control it. Thus, the mind becomes a useful and perfect instrument through which we can work for the benefit of humanity." ―Samael Aun Weor, The Revolution of the Dialectic You will learn advanced principles of meditation and the means for developing true comprehension of the causes of suffering. By dominating the mind and understanding its multiple, mechanistic forms, the meditator can overcome his or her conditioning and acquire a revolutionary consciousness. Through the development of self-knowledge, one knows how to profoundly serve divinity and humanity with efficacy, skill, and wisdom. See how through teachings from Buddhism, Kabbalah, Islam, Alice in Wonderland, and Greek mythology. Resources and References: http://chicagognosis.org/lectures/mental-dynamics