S.B. 7:13:31

Originally posted by rwingett
The gnostics had the notion that we (or a select few) had a spark of the divine within us that had been cut off from the divine whole at the creation of the material world. The object was to become aware of this true divine spark within us, transcend the limitations of the physical body, and to reconnect with the divine wholeness. It sounds similar in many respects to what Dasa is continually prattling on about.

The Vedic view was that all beings-humans and non-humans-were like sparks from a fire,rising from it and falling back into it. Not a select few,as Gnostics said. This is not all. The Rigved says,that God pervades the entire universe and even beyond. Of all the principles of Hindu theology,this is the one of the persistent ones.

Originally posted by rvsakhadeo
The Vedic view was that all beings-humans and non-humans-were like sparks from a fire,rising from it and falling back into it. Not a select few,as Gnostics said. This is not all. The Rigved says,that God pervades the entire universe and even beyond. Of all the principles of Hindu theology,this is the one of the persistent ones.

The notion that only a select few had the divine spark within them was obviously one of the gnostics failings.

Originally posted by rwingett
The notion that only a select few had the divine spark within them was obviously one of the gnostics failings.

Yes.

Originally posted by rwingett
The gnostics had the notion that we (or a select few) had a spark of the divine within us that had been cut off from the divine whole at the creation of the material world. The object was to become aware of this true divine spark within us, transcend the limitations of the physical body, and to reconnect with the divine wholeness. It sounds similar in many respects to what Dasa is continually prattling on about.

rwingett

Your clarity on this subject is refreshing indeed.