So that our Brothers and Sisters of the Order of Allogenes (OA) might walk the Path of Gnosis with sureness of foot and heart and mind, that they may be, “wise as serpents and gentle as doves,” let them consider this Rule. The Rule of the Order of Allogenes provides a summary of a practical Gnostic framework for Order Solitaries. Let the Solitaries contemplate the sections of this rule as Meditations, to be taken within and tempered by the Inner Light, clearly and deeply, that they may nurture, in the indwelling Silence which is greater than all silences, the Way of the Pleroma.

If an individual is desirous of membership in the Order and wishes to become a Gnostic Solitary, let that individual be furnished with a copy of this Rule. Let that person then demonstrate to at least one Solitary that he or she understands the Rule by submitting a written summary of the Rule in his or her own words to the Secretary of the Order, as described in the Order Protocols.

Let OA Solitaries actively and consciously endeavor to practice the rule as befitting their individual need for guidance, keeping in mind that as a product of a denizen of the imperfect World of Forms, this Rule is imperfect. Solitaries are encouraged to follow the Light of Gnosis when so called in their daily activities.

First Meditation: On the Words of the Holy Valentinus, from the Gospel of Truth

Consider the words of the Holy Valentinus, found in the Gospel of Truth, which clearly and distinctly delineate the actions and behaviors of the Gnostic:

Speak of the truth with those who search for it, and (of) knowledge to those who have committed sin in their error.

Let the Solitaries refrain from proselytizing, remaining humble and reflective upon their practice. Let them, however, speak freely about the Order to all who ask sincerely, all who seek . Let them approach those who err with compassion and humility, understanding them as imperfect denizens of this World of Forms, and speak to them of the gnosis of the Pleroma with kindness and mercy.

Make firm the foot of those who have stumbled, and stretch out your hands to those who are ill. Foster those who love. Feed those who are hungry, and give repose to those who are weary, and raise up those who wish to rise, and awaken those who sleep.

Let us serve all of those who are in need of love and assistance: the poor, the hungry, the oppressed. Understand the Way of the Solitary as the Path of the Downtrodden, as has always been and shall always be.

Let us also remember that this World of Forms is but an imperfect image of the True World of the Pleroma, so “sickness” and “hunger” are due to this imperfection. Let the Solitaries, therefore, consider not only those who are sick of body or desirous of physical nourishment; let us also steady the Path of those who have stumbled spiritually, of those who are suffering from illnesses of the spirit; and let us feed and provide spiritual sustenance to those who hunger for knowledge, and comfort those who are troubled by imperfection.

Let Solitaries encourage a loving attitude in others but also cultivate a loving attitude within ourselves, for one cannot encourage love in others without first nurturing love within. Let us awaken those who are asleep within the confines of the World of Forms but let us also rise from our own sleep, for we cannot awaken another without first waking up ourselves.

For you are the understanding that is drawn forth. If strength acts thus, it becomes even stronger. Be concerned with yourselves; do not be concerned with other things which you have rejected from yourselves. Do not return to what you have vomited, to eat it. Do not be moths. Do not be worms, for you have already cast it off. Do not become a (dwelling) place for the devil, for you have already destroyed him.

The truest gnosis is gnosis of self that frees us from the ignorance and suffering of this transitory world; let self-awareness and self-knowledge be the highest goal of the Solitary. Let us at all times consider ourselves and how our actions affect those around us. Let us contemplate our inner experience and allow the Limitless Light within to shine forth.

Let the Solitaries consider themselves reborn in gnosis, having cast forth that which, born of the Archons, carried naught but illusion and ignorance. Let us, then, not return to dwell upon that which we have discarded, those illusions and ideas and actions that plagued us before we began our journey down the Gnostic path. Let us refrain from consuming that which we have vomited forth, taking in those practices and theories that we have already rejected as useless and dwelling upon them. Let us assume the robes of the Living One and take up the Pearl of the Pleroma, leaving the Archons to dwell within the corpse-world.

Do not strengthen those who are obstacles to you, who are collapsing, as though (you were) a support (for them). For the lawless one is someone to treat ill, rather than the just one. For the former does his work as a lawless person; the latter as a righteous person does his work among others. So you, do the will of the Father, for you are from him.

Let us not support those who work against us by giving them acknowledgement. Let the Solitaries avoid falling into the trap of vehement renunciation of others who follow paths he or she has rejected, for this can weigh us down with distraction. Let the Solitaries remember that the Archon is as nothing and the one who works for him does himself far more harm by feeding into this nothingness. He only does his work for his own sake but the ones who work for the Father do so out of compassion for others.

Let us, then, do the work of the Pleroma–from whence we came and to which we shall return–and keep the words of the Holy Valentinus and all of our forefathers close to our hearts.

Second Meditation: On the Four Virtues of the Order

Let the Solitaries consider, through contemplative practice and interaction with the World of Forms, the Four Virtues of the Order– Four Ruses with which an individual may mitigate the struggle of the Pleroma as it breaks into the World of Forms, the Created World, the Materia, this palace of the Archon. The Archon acts outside of the realm of Virtue, and by employing the Virtues we make the Path straighter for ourselves and others.

The First Virtue, Inquiry, is the act of asking questions, the first step on any path, which must never be abandoned if one wishes to experience gnosis. Inquiry is a methodology that can be applied to any endeavor. This act allows for answers and conclusions, but only after all aspects of the question have been pursued. Questions concerning worldly things must be asked from the perspective of one expecting no definitive conclusion. One must not seek to question individual aspects of an epistemological framework but the framework in its entirety. For instance, we might ask which political theory is best for society but it is better that we ask whether “political theory” or “society” are valid constructions in and of themselves.

Although the ultimate goal of the Path of Radical Inquiry is the Ultimate Solution, this Solution is transcendent and cannot be expressed within the limitations of our imperfect World. This Path allows for, and requires, strict discipline and self-scrutiny, as even the act of questioning itself must constantly be questioned. So Let the Solitaries never cease questioning and seeking after the Limitless Light.

Consider the Word as found in Authoritative Teaching:

“Seek and inquire about the ways you should go, since there is nothing else that is as good as this thing.”… [T]he rational soul who wearied herself in seeking – she learned about God. She labored with inquiring, enduring distress in the body, wearing out her feet after the evangelists, learning about the Inscrutable One. She found her rising. She came to rest in him who is at rest. She reclined in the bride-chamber. She ate of the banquet for which she had hungered. She partook of the immortal food. She found what she had sought after. She received rest from her labors, while the light that shines forth upon her does not sink.

Let us also remember the examples of the disciples of the Christos, the Holy Mary, Peter, Judas and the like, who so often sat by his side before his Ascension to the Kingdom of Heaven and ceaselessly asked him questions.

The Second Virtue, Compassion, is the root of Love, based on an understanding of the self as one with the other. As we are all containers of sparks of the divine, all part of the Limitless Light, so what we do to the least of us we do to ourselves. Let the Solitary represent the Lowest Common Denominator in the sense that we recognize the common bond of divinity present in all persons, down to the very least of us. Gnosis is impossible without compassion for the lowest of the low, the God manifesting in the trash strata (as says Philip Dick: “The symbols of the divine show up in our world initially at the trash stratum”).

And, as says the Christos in the Gospel of Thomas, Saying 29, “I become amazed at how this great richness has come to dwell in this poverty.” We are all downtrodden, all poor, all in need of alms and charity and compassion in some way or another, yet in spite of our imperfect natures God comes to dwell in each of us.

Someone who acts with compassion typically has a constant voice in his or her head, which repeats, “How will this action affect those around me”? Compassion does not restrict itself to spiritual or familial matters. It extends to all beings, even those with whom we might vehemently disagree.

The truly compassionate Solitary does not say, “I’m doing good, therefore I’m compassionate,” but rather “I try to be compassionate, therefore let me do some good.” The Christos says in the Gospel of Thomas, Saying 6, “Don’t do what you hate.” If you hate going to soup kitchens to feed the hungry, don’t do it. If, however, you do so because you sincerely care and sincerely desire to help someone, do so with compassion.

The Third Virtue, Humility, is the natural result of Compassion and admittance that our experience in the World of Forms is imperfect and subjective. It is the realization that we are exceptionally limited in physical range and abilities. For instance, we get sick and die. We suffer from all the realities of finitude.

To be humble is to cede one’s desire for power, as instructed in The Tripartite Tractate:

Those who will be brought forth from the lust for power which is given to them for a time and for certain periods, and who will give glory to the Lord of glory, and who will relinquish their wrath, they will receive the reward for their humility, which is to remain forever.

Let, therefore, Solitaries of the OA refrain from establishing relationships based on the power of one individual over another or entering into positions because they are desirous of power over others.

Humility is also a recognition that, as fragments of the Limitless Light, we have no way of knowing other than through experience. We therefore become humble when faced with the idea that any other conscious being may be an enlightened teacher, yet we have no way to discern this until we become that being. Let the Solitaries, then, try to treat everyone as though he or she has already achieved gnosis.

Let modesty also be part of the practice of humility; let the Solitary be modest in all things, so as not to cause undue offense to any other sentient being trapped in the World of Forms. For, as says the Holy Silvanus, “If you humble yourself, you will be greatly exalted; and if you exalt yourself, you will be exceedingly humbled.”

The Fourth Virtue, Service, is the cornerstone of the virtues and expresses the fact that we cultivate a desire to serve others. Through inquiry, compassion and humility, we arrive at a desire to alleviate the sorrows of other beings trapped within the World of Forms, whatever those sorrows may be. We understand, through gnosis, that with the alleviation of the suffering of other conscious beings we also alleviate our own suffering. Indeed, we even alleviate the suffering of the wounded universe.

As the Christos served those around him, and as Sophia serves us perpetually by descending into the World of Forms to assist us in the process of redemption, so Let the Solitaries serve the Christos and Sophia in their work.

Let the Solitaries serve all who desire or need service and let them ask for no reward above and beyond that which is fair and equitable for performance of this service. Let the Solitaries determine which service they might provide, for, as says the Apostle Paul, “There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all people.”

Let us also remember that service to one’s Spirit is service to others. As says the Holy Seraphim of Sarov, “Acquire a peaceful spirit, and around you thousands will be saved.” Let those Solitaries who feel so called perform service through Contemplation and Prayer and the development of inner peace.

All Four Virtues are One Virtue; The One Virtue is the Order Solitary. By cultivating these virtues, the Solitary contributes to the healing of the universe as the Limitless Light continues its task of learning about itself for itself. Let Order Solitaries contemplate these virtues as they interact with all other individuals in the World of Forms.

Third Meditation: On the Gnostic Solitary

1. On Modesty of Speech and Action

As contemplation of the Virtues teaches us, let Solitaries be modest in speech and action. Let us be slow to judgement and slower to anger, quick to forgiveness and quicker to kindness. Let us avoid the trappings of idle talk and ridicule and always be willing to grant others the benefit of the doubt. When confronted by those with whom we disagree, let us lead by the example of the virtuous life rather than trying to change minds. Mostly, let us cultivate a joyful heart and express that joyfulness through our words and deeds.

2. On Vestments, Sacramental Tools, etc.

The Christos instructs us, according to Judas Thomas, “Do not fret, from morning to evening and from evening to morning, about what you are going to wear.” So let the Solitaries remain unconcerned over mode of dress or vestment in day-to-day life. If a Solitary is desirous of clothing to separate spiritual life from day-to-day life, which is by no means a requirement, let them select simple garments in the spirit of modesty and humility.

Let Solitaries also keep on hand simple tools for use in sacramental services, whatever those tools might be, as necessitated by the practices of their particular office.

3. On Creating a Sacred Space

Let the Solitary create a sacred space in his or her abode or another place to which he or she has access. This sacred space can be an altar, a meditation room, a corner of the house, whichever space best suits the needs of the individual Solitary.

Let this space be blessed with personal prayer, and censed with incense, water and salt. Upon entering or exiting this space, let the Solitary vocally acknowledge its holiness and separate it from the confines of ordinary space and time.

4. On Daily Praxis Upon Waking and Retiring and Before Repast

Each day, upon rising and retiring, let the Solitaries endeavor to pray or meditate or otherwise practice according to the form to which they are guided by their inner Light. As says the Exegesis on the Soul, “It is therefore fitting to pray to the father and to call on him with all our soul – not externally with the lips, but with the spirit, which is inward, which came forth from the depth.”

Let the Solitary perform this daily praxis in silence, unless requested by another. For, as says the Lord in Matthew’s Gospel, “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to God, who is unseen. Then God, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Let the Solitaries turn for guidance in Prayer to their inner light and also to the heritage and tradition of our forefathers who served the Limitless Light, sharing prayer among themselves and others.

Let them also endeavour to remember the Limitless Light prior to each daily meal to give thanks to the Christos and Sophia for their great sacrifice on our behalf. As food nurtures the body, so the Divine Light of the Holy Spirit nurtures the soul and the spirit.

5. On Daily Study of Gnostic Scripture

Let the Solitaries spend a portion of each day in study and contemplation of Gnostic Scripture. Let their own inner Light guide them in selection of scripture. The Solitary may choose a practice such as Lectio Divina with which to perform this study or may endeavour to create personal exegesis in the form of a journal. Let the Solitary keep a record of daily insights received from scripture when such insights are received.

Let Solitaries be counseled, however, that scriptures record the understandings of imperfect persons and are imperfect in their own ways. Let scripture always remain secondary to inquiry, compassion, humility and service.

6. On the Sacraments of the Order

Let the Solitaries, after our Alexandrian predecessors, recognize the following Seven Major Sacraments:

• Mystery: The sacrament of Initiation into the Order.
• Baptism: The sacrament of washing with water that we may be reborn in Sophia.
• Chrism: The sacrament of anointing with oil that we may be reborn in the Christos.
• Eucharist: The sacrament of thanksgiving that we may partake of the gnosis of the Pleroma.
• Marriage: The sacrament of joining that we may participate in the union of souls.
• Redemption: The sacrament of consolamentum that our errors may be forgiven and the resurrection may be received.
• Bridal chamber: The sacrament of gnosis that we might through contemplation come to the knowledge of who we are, what we will become, where we were, where we have been born, where we will go, from what we are redeemed, what is birth, and what is rebirth.

Let them study references and basic frameworks provided in the Order Protocols so that the Solitaries might ably and piously perform the Major sacraments. Let Solitaries rely upon their own understanding of the sacrament in order to perform it and let Solitaries, and the Order as a whole, share sacramental practices with the community at large.

A sacrament is a process by which the accident, or imperfection of the World of Forms, is “made holy” and the OA will recognize no limitations as to when and where this can happen (i.e. sacrament can “occur” in a home chapel, at a dinner table, in a cathedral, in a tent revival, in a trash heap, etc.). It is the inbreaking of the Logos/Sophia into the World of Forms and it is not within the capacity of the Order or the Solitary, in their imperfection, to say just when and where it must happen.

Let the Solitaries also be free to practice additional sacramentals, as they feel so guided by the Christos/Sophia. These may include variations on the Major Sacraments or may include original sacramental practices as understood or developed by the Solitary.

Let no sincere seeker be denied a sacrament, regardless of accidents of the World of Forms, such as race, gender, sexual orientation, etc., or by virtue of membership or ordination in any other spiritual organization.

7. On the Pursuit of Gnosis

Let the Solitaries at all times endeavor to pursue and achieve gnosis, for themselves and also for the redemption of the World of Forms. Indeed, the acheivement of gnosis is the greatest gift given by the Pleroma, and the greatest gift we might return. Thus did the caretakers of the wisdom of Thrice-Greatest Hermes offer thanks to the Nous, that Mind above all Minds:

“We give thanks to You! Every soul and heart is lifted up to You, undisturbed name, honored with the name ‘God’ and praised with the name ‘Father’, for to everyone and everything (comes) the fatherly kindness and affection and love, and any teaching there may be that is sweet and plain, giving us mind, speech, (and) knowledge: mind, so that we may understand You, speech, so that we may expound You, knowledge, so that we may know You. We rejoice, having been illuminated by Your knowledge. We rejoice because You have shown us Yourself. We rejoice because while we were in (the) body, You have made us divine through Your knowledge.

“The thanksgiving of the man who attains to You is one thing: that we know You. We have known You, intellectual light. Life of life, we have known You. Womb of every creature, we have known You. Womb pregnant with the nature of the Father, we have known You. Eternal permanence of the begetting Father, thus have we worshiped Your goodness. There is one petition that we ask: we would be preserved in knowledge. And there is one protection that we desire: that we not stumble in this kind of life.”

As says the Holy James in his Secret Book: “Hearken to the word, understand gnosis, love life, and no one will persecute you, nor will anyone oppress you, other than you yourselves.”

Here concludes the Rule of the Order of Allogenes. May the Christos and Sophia guide and protect all Solitaries of the Order as we seek to assist them in their Divine Mission.