Role of Transcendence in Gnostic Texts as a Special Guide Today - Research Paper Example

1 2. 3. 4. Transcendence Order ID. 1028234 Introduction Gnostic texts or writings s far back into the 1st century A.D, but nevertheless they have been kept secret or suppressed by the Church for hundreds of years due to its controversial content. However, these writings surfaced in Egypt during the 1940’s and gave a totally new dimension of Jesus which was so dramatically different and was quite in opposition to the contemporary Christian view. It was this opposing view that laid the foundation for Gnosticism, which is basically a different version of Christianity that is looked upon as being heretical. After the death of Jesus, Christianity battled for supremacy during the 1st century. The Gnostic Gospels serve to enlighten us by shedding light on Christianity during those turbulent times. These books also kindled the interest of contemporary authors who showed great interest in these controversial writings. Some of the earliest Gnostic writers were Mary Magdalene, Thomas, James and many others. 2 Transcendence is defined by many to be the experience one has, which goes beyond a normal or physical level. However, in the modern world, transcendence denotes a position of superiority or supremacy over others. To transcend means to exceed one’s ordinary range of how we perceive things and push beyond the boundaries of one’s experience. Transcendent is a term that we use to describe either a person or something that is way beyond our comprehension or understanding, when their experience surpasses the normal limits of excellence. In religion, God is considered as the only transcendent being because he is the Almighty and exceeds our limit of understanding. He is beyond all things that are physical or ordinary in this world. In this essay we would be discussing about the concept of transcendence found in the following tests and try to analyze how it serves as a helpful guide in our daily lives. The following are the four texts that would be discussed. 1) The Gnostic Gospels by author E. Pagels, 2) Zen Flesh, Zen Bones by author: Paul Reps, and Nyogen Senzaki 3) Cats Cradle by author Vonnegut and 4) Doors of Perception by author Huxley. Elaine Pagels, is the author of ‘The Gnostic Gospels’, which is a critical landmark study of Christianity and its ancient buried roots. This enlightening work came in for critical acclaim when it got published in 1979. Proud winner of two awards – The National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award, this book has influenced scholars for over two decades. The Gnostic Gospels comprised of 13 papyrus volumes that were unearthed by an Egyptian peasant Muhammad Ali, in 1945. In this spellbinding book, 3 well renowned scholar of religion, Elaine Pagels elucidates a totally new viewpoint about the life and teachings of Jesus, when compared to the contemporary New Testament. The author unravels the mysteries and inner meanings of these religious texts, based on the first Christians and tries to draw parallels of Christianity as we see it today in The New Testament. With great passion and deep insight, Pagels sheds light on the different ‘Christianities’ that emerged during the era of spiritual upheaval. Transcendence to these early Christians was the Divine and they strongly believed that divinity could be explored and discovered through spiritual seeking. Some of the Christians were so staunch in their belief of Transcendence that they even questioned the necessity of church doctrines and the clergy. Hindus and Buddhists sought God from within, through enlightenment. Early Christians dared to explore and question their explorations. They boldly raised questions such as if martyrdom was an expression of faith, or can God be envisioned both in masculine and feminine forms and as to why the resurrection of God should not be understood literally but just symbolically. Such questions were quite prevalent among the Christians of early times, unlike Christians of today who prefer to accept what is taught by the Church. Such insightful explorations by the early Christians led to a variety of visions of Jesus which were profound in their presentation. A good example of one of the passages spoken by Jesus states, “"If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring 4 forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you" Some of these writings are critical of common Christian beliefs such as bodily resurrection and virgin birth which are taken to be naïve misunderstandings. During the middle of the second century, the documents that were buried on a cliff at Nag Hammadi, remained buried for about 2,000 years as orthodox Christians considered them to be blasphemous and heretic and condemned the early followers of Jesus. Possession of such books was considered heretical and punished with criminal offence. Books of this nature were burned or destroyed. However, one of the monks in Egypt had collected these banned books and had safeguarded them in an earthen jar, away from destruction where it remained buried for approximately 1,600 years till it was found once again. In Gnostic terms, knowing and understanding oneself at the deepest level, is to know and understand God himself. In 1957, ‘Zen Flesh, Zen Bones’ was published and instantly became a sensation amongst a new generation of readers. Compiled by Paul Reps and Nyogen Senzaki, this interesting book has never failed to inspire famous American teachers of Zen, practitioners and Zen students alike. This volume is a combination of four smaller books and is packed with deep insights into Zen culture and guides the reader towards paths of enlightenment. 5 The first book is a compilation of 101 Zen stories that though packed with humor, are actually great lessons for life. These classic tales not only shed light on Zen culture, but it also gives us deep insight into our own natures and compels us to question our actions. A good example of how most of us are wrapped up in ourselves, is the first story in the book that tells the tale of a Japanese Zen master Nan-in. He narrates how he makes the tea cup of a visiting professor overflow, depicting how he is unable to learn anything new because he is so wrapped up or filled with himself. In fact, if we look around us in our society, we find many people such as him, who are so obsessed or engrossed in themselves, that they fail to gain new knowledge. This treasure of classic Zen stories transcends the understanding or knowledge of the common man and help to enlighten him and guide him towards a spiritual path. This book of 101 Zen stories is very simple narrations of day-to-day happenings but the lesson taught has great depth and meaning. For example, the story titled ‘Great Waves’ tells of a famous wrestler O-nami, who was so bashful in public while in private he was able to defeat even the strongest. So he goes to a Zen master named Hakuju and tells him of his problem. The master advised him to sit and meditate that he is Great Waves. The next morning the teacher tells him that he is Great Waves and no one will be able to defeat him. Rightly so, O-nami never lost a wrestling contest after that. Every story in this book has profound meaning and a lesson for life. 6 ‘Cat’s Cradle’ by author Kurt Vonnegut, is a series of short stories that are presented in simplistic style, yet, its underlying messages though complex, touches the very heart of humanity. These stories are not only simple but very interesting and enjoyable and have a variety of messages that traverses across the apocalypse, religion and even death. Author Vonnegut’s writings are flippant and direct and he never tries to beat around the bush with what he needed to convey. A good example of his straightforward style of writing can be seen in the following lines. When describing about San Lorenzo’s history he says – “Subsequent expeditions came for gold, found none, burned a few natives for entertainment and heresy and sailed on.” (Vonnegut, 89) Making use of fictional material to prove his point, Vonnegut helps the reader to grasp the message within, through his simplistic style of writing. Vonnegut’s ‘Cat’s Cradle’ depicts the meaninglessness of life. Cat’s Cradle is actually a game played by children using a string that is crisscrossed to form a couple of X’s, but in reality is actually meaningless. Attracted to this concept of meaninglessness, Lionel Boyd Johnson created a new religion which he named as ‘Bokononism’. This fictional religion of San Lorenzo, Bokononism served two purposes. Firstly, it tries to address the meaninglessness in life and secondly, through this religion, he could mock at other religions of the world. He quotes from passages of the Bokononist Bible to prove many of his points. 7 Bokononism basically relies on lies and though it realizes that life is meaningless, yet it understands that it could make people happy just by pretending that there was a purpose in life. In simple words, it makes use of lies to help people keep happy. In the Books of Bokonon, the very first lines go to prove this as it states – “All of the true things I am about to tell you are shameless lies.” (Vonnegut, 14) Vonnegut, by creating this false religion, with a satirical outlook, is able to mock at other well established religions, pointing out that they are all based on lies. Vonnegut understands the ambiguity in human life and questions the paradox between the apocalypse and progress of man. He makes use of Bokononism as an alternative mode to encourage mankind to draw nearer to the sublime because the transcending factor of the sublime is beyond reason and beyond any individual. Through Bokononism he strives hard to transcend the barriers occurring in the physical world, while replacing it with something that is timeless and eternal. In Cat’s Cradle Vonnegut deftly weaves together both fiction and imagination and culls out meaning through its absurdity. “Doors of Perception” is Aldous Huxley’s insightful book on the human desire to self- transcendence. In trying to pursue transcendence, man has resorted to various ways and means to search for it. Huxley narrates his experiences of consuming psychedelic 8 drugs and in “Doors of Perception”, he explains how his thinking underwent a complete metamorphosis about the use of drugs for self- transcendence. According to Huxley, while many researchers and politicians even today, look upon psychedelic drugs as a human scourge on society, they are unaware of the potential of these drugs in assisting mankind in finding a mode of existence that is satisfying to them. One such avenue of escape from oneself is alcohol, but there are many other drugs that are capable of exciting the senses or evoking hallucinations and visions when ingested. Huxley believes that man explores his environment and for his self preservation, he eats fruits, nuts and all that is good. However, sometimes, he becomes dissatisfied with his insulated self and has a deep urge for transcendence and it is this dissatisfaction or inadequacy of self, that leads him to seek avenues to liberate him to a plane of transcendence, where he does not experience himself as a person but as something or someone else that satisfies his ego. In Huxley’s opinion, going beyond one’s ego and experiencing liberation, even though the individual has to experience discomfort by nausea, vomiting, cramps, hallucinations and even coma, is ecstasy that is considered to be divine or transcending though it may be for a few hours or minutes. In earlier times, drugs like opium, hashish, alcohol and its derivatives, though in reality were poisons, were considered to be Gods. But now, in these modern times, people know these to be poisons and the devil itself, but yet, continue to pursue transcendence through them. Another path to transcendence Huxley speaks of is indulgence in elementary sexuality, which is of two kinds- one is innocent and the other is immoral. The attraction towards debauchery and its equivalents that help man to escape from his true identity that imprisons him is no more considered a God. In fact, in these contemporary times such things like drugs and sexuality, are considered to be morally and ethically wrong and is now prohibited to a certain extent, especially among civilized societies. In Huxley’s opinion, overindulgence in both drugs and sexual activities can make a society weak and easy prey for other societies to take advantage of them. Though God had said, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am”, yet if there is a huge crowd of people, problems could arise for experiencing the divine presence, because the human consciousness diminishes to almost vanquishing point due to the huge numbers, which in the end becomes an excited crowd, where there is bound to be an absence of the deity. All the authors discussed above have projected the concept of Transcendence in their own way and through their own teachings, but they all believe God to be the Almighty transcended being that is above all his creation. References Huxley Aldous (1952) The Doors of Perception. Harper and Brothers, New York. Web. Retrieved on 7th March 2014 www.psychedelic-library.org/loudun.html Lester Meera. Everything Gnostic Gospels Book. A Complete Guide to the Secret Gospels. Adams Media. F+W Publications Inc. Reps Paul and Senzaki (1998) ‘Zen Flesh, Zen Bones’. Tuttle Publishing House. Flaps Edition. Pgs. 211 The Vonnegut Review: San Lorenzo. Web. Accessed on 6th March 2014 www.vonnegutreview.com/2013/06/san-lorenzo-mon-amour.html "Vonneguts Simple Style in Vonneguts Cats Cradle." 123HelpMe.com. 07 Mar 2014    http://www.123HelpMe.com/view.asp?id=19253 Read More