stvdv
Veteran Member
God disagree, made you make an error
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Benevolence and materialism
- Thread starter PoetPhilosopher
- Start date
Ella S.
Well-Known Member
One of the best descriptions of this that I have read comes from "The Gnostic Religion" by Hans Jonas, where he describes the Gnostic view that someone who is spiritual is one who prioritizes the mystical experience above material existence.
In essence, ascetic practices of renunciation are used in order to break one's tethers to material reality so that one can better shift their focus onto the spiritual realm. In Gnosticism, this generally means constant fasting, restrictive dietary rules, and chronic meditation on the One, abstaining from any action that doesn't have deeper reflection on the One as its end goal.
This is quite extremist, but it necessarily leads to living in voluntary poverty, secluded from the outside world. Few modern Gnostics take it to this extreme, however. Many people believe that there should be some moderation between their duties to God and their duties to the material world, drawing the line in different places.
I don't know how they justify this sort of compromise, though, because it is quite alien to many ancient thinkers.
In essence, ascetic practices of renunciation are used in order to break one's tethers to material reality so that one can better shift their focus onto the spiritual realm. In Gnosticism, this generally means constant fasting, restrictive dietary rules, and chronic meditation on the One, abstaining from any action that doesn't have deeper reflection on the One as its end goal.
This is quite extremist, but it necessarily leads to living in voluntary poverty, secluded from the outside world. Few modern Gnostics take it to this extreme, however. Many people believe that there should be some moderation between their duties to God and their duties to the material world, drawing the line in different places.
I don't know how they justify this sort of compromise, though, because it is quite alien to many ancient thinkers.