The most crucial difference between Gnostic Christianity and other branches of Christianity is found in the realm of eternal salvation. Gnostics believe that eternal salvation is found in the here and now, not in the afterlife. This salvation event is called 'gnosis' and is known in the eastern religions (especially Buddhism) as 'enlightenment'. The gnosis/enlightenment experience is a spiritual rebith, and consists of god making himself known to the individual who experiences this.

Both the Buddha and Jesus pointed out the same path that one must take to experience gnosis/enlightenment for oneself. The Buddha pointed out that the mind is a wild beast that must be tamed through the process of meditation. The Buddha referred to worldly delights as "illusion", while Jesus referred to them as "sin", but these are both one and the same concept. They both said that freedom from suffering, or salvation, is not to be found in worldly pleasures, but in self-discipline, and specifically in disciplining the mind.

When one is living in the moment, with no thoughts of past or future, and no desires for personal gain, one is said to be "practicing enlightenment", or "living in accord with gods will". Eventually, after one has lived in this manner for some time, your true nature shines through and god reveals himself to you, freeing you from suffering and delivering you into the kingdom of eternal life.