What is Gnosis?

“Mere belief cannot create anything in life, only action can, and it is here that we must begin our spiritual development: through conscious action, within. This leads us to the very meaning of the word Gnosis: personal knowledge acquired through experience. The true Gnostic does not believe, he knows because he has experienced it.” -Samael Aun Weor

Gnosis is a Greek word which means knowledge. This knowledge refers to understanding acquired through direct experience instead of knowledge acquired through books, schools, the internet, or other people. To have direct knowledge of what a lake, a forest, or a foreign country is like, we have to visit these places ourselves and not rely solely on the accounts given to us by others who have been there. While accounts and information of an unvisited place are helpful, it’s not the same experience as visiting for ourselves. The great spiritual traditions and religions of the world serve as road maps and signposts written by those who have walked the spiritual path. If we study and meditate on the information of the spiritual travelers of the past, and put there teachings into action, we can through our own direct experience understand the mysteries of man and the universe that surrounds him.