Enlightenment by Knowledge

[Egyptian Phoenix]

Gnostics were labeled such by their opponents for their belief in enlightenment by knowledge. They believed that Jesus was a teacher of knowledge of the true nature of reality and that a person who grasped this knowledge was an enlightened soul.

I guess my question is your thoughts on rather a person can gain enlightenment through knowledge alone. How does Gnosticism relate to dharmic ideas of enlightenment and how are they different?

[idav]

Enlightenment from a buddhist perspective is knowledge of the true nature of reality. I like to think that gnosticism is much the same thing. Science can be very helpful and enlightening in this respect.

Science and Gnosis are merely the latin and greek versions of the word knowledge.

Though knowing and really understanding can be a bit different in respect to enlightenment. For example you could just memorize a periodic table or multiplication table but doesn't really give the essence of what those tables mean without digging into the details.