10 To Be & To Exist
Channel: Gnostic Students
Date: 05/05/2014

"THE TWO LINES OF LIFE":  The vertical and the horizontal

Gnostic Anthropology is THE STUDY OF MAN from a GNOSTIC point of view.  Gnostic Anthropology studies the so called "Four columns of Knowledge":  (1) Science; (2) Philosophy; (3) Arts and, (4) Mysticism, or comparative religions study.  So, "THE TWO LINES OF LIFE" represent Gnostic Anthropology applied into every human life from two different angles:

(1)  The VERTICAL LINE;

(2)  The HORIZONTAL LINE.

The "horizontal line" is connected with our existance.  Or learning to EXIST.  A path that we all walk without exceptions.  We all prefer to have a "good life", where we can have a great profession, with a good income.  If we can develop a business and make it grow, to produce amazing profits, it would be also a great avenue to explore.  Enjoy life, buying real estate, nice modern cars, getting married, forming a family, having children and after grandchildren.  Giving them also a "good life".  Helping them to obtain a university degree, and then? Die, surrounded by relatives and friends in a loving and friendly atmosphere.

But, this plan, most of the time fails.  Success in one aspect of life, is most of time, not compensated with other aspects of life.  EXISTANCE has its problems.  Many millionaires or even billionaires, don't have a happy and loving relation with their relatives.  Power, brings too many temptations. Infidelities, children growing up with only one parent or nannies, drug addictions, alcoholism, are easier to experience when there is more power in life, compared to average people.  So, what happened to our perception of the meaning of "happiness"?.

What was wrong with the HORIZONTAL LINE, or just learning to exist?

The "vertical line" is different.  It means LEARNING TO BE (To Be or not to Be, according to Shakespeare).  Most people don't even know of its reality.  Very few individuals learn to walk the VERTICAL PATH OR LINE.  This the line of TRUE LEADERS, who care about constant self-improvement. Those who have learned to discover their amazing human potential, that we all have.  They learn from their experiences and share this knowledge with everyone.  All founders of all religions have walked this path.  They have taught us to eliminate our vices, our errors, our ego, our seven deadly sins and how to develop the seven qualities of the spirit.  How to develop our SOUL-CONSCIOUSNESS, which is also WISDOM AND REAL LOVE.

These two lines CROSS in our psychological universe.  The vertical and the horizontal when they meet, that specific point of encounter represents our LEVEL OF BEING.  If we are alcoholic or addicted to drugs, we will move in a circle of people similar to us.  Without realizing that alcohol cooks our liver and drugs destroy our genes.  So, if we procreate children, the risk of bringing them to the world, defective physically or psychological, is very high.  So, the TWO LINES OF LIFE must always walk together.  Having a great life means not only to walk away from poverty and having a decent life, but also, paying great attention to our psychological universe.  Our great human potential is a GIFT FROM HEAVEN, that must be appreciated.

I have learned the STANISLAVSKY METHOD, also called method-acting.  The best actors in the world and filmmakers, and other great artists, have learned this artistic technique, which is also a "way of life", or a more realistic-philosophy.  This technique was inspired by Shakespeare and the ancient greeks theatre.  Where acting was a confession of our individual dramas, tragedies and comedies. Like a religious-act, confessing to the multitudes, to our inner God and to Mother Nature, so through repentance we could all improve ourselves.  To correct our errors, our weaknesses, our sins, to learn to anihilate our ego (unconscious), and develop our soul-consciousness.   LEARNING TO LOVE implies, the constant ascension on the VERTICAL LINE (learning to be), while we apply it into our HORIZONTAL LINE (just learning to exist).

E. Jim G. Ross

March, 2011