The notion of a universal gnosticism cannot be easily dismissed at least when we look at the subject from the side of Buddhism and the enlightenment of Siddhartha which I hasten to add is the actual context of Buddhism.
Yes, Buddhism is about accomplishing a "gnostic" journey.
This gnosis shows him all beings as like an illusion,
Resembling a great crowd of people, conjured up at the crossroads,
By a magician, who then cuts off many thousands of heads;
He knows this whole living world as a mock show, and yet remains without fear.”
(Astasahasrika Prajñaparamita).
Even religion today, in its various secularized forms (which even includes Marxism), cannot manage to accomplish such a spiritual journey. The followers of modern day religions, without realizing it, pray to a divine image composed from their imaginations. A lot of wishful thinking is also to be found here.
The mystery of gnosis is only understood by those who walk completely through the dark forest of the six senses (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body & mentation/manas) by which all phenomenal appearances are experienced. They alone succeed. The rest are entangled in the senses and their respective fields like the gastronome is entangled in the flavors of a sumptuous dinner, who is unable to transcend it.
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