Alphabet of Kabbalah Introduction

http://gnosticteachings.org/courses/alphabet-of-kabbalah/711-alphabet-of-kabbalah-introduction.html

In the Gnostic tradition, we seek to examine the practical utilization of all religious, mythological symbols, in order for us to harness the very purpose of those symbols and aid us in our own development towards the perfection of our human soul. In other words, Gnosis relies upon the study of myth and theory to empower practice. This is the entire purpose. We do not study religion or spirituality as a diversion or as entertainment, but because we are tired of pain, we are weary of war, we are tired of being in darkness.

The one who approaches the study of Gnosis—even if they call it something else—the one who seeks to experience religion, to know it from their own direct conscious experience, does so because they have lived and known the First Noble Truth of the great Buddha Shakyamuni: that life is suffering. If someone as not yet verified this fact, then realGnosis—experiential knowledge—will remain a closed door; for those who have not verified the basis of suffering, real experience of religion will remain impossible.

In order to harness real Gnosis—conscious knowledge—you have to be ready to die to all your desires, because the Second Noble Truth is that suffering is caused by desire.  Until you have experienced this truth, you will not be ready to die psychologically, to perish psychologically, to relinquish all your desires. For it is by the death of desire that the birth of the soul occurs. It is through psychological death that spiritual birth can occur.