Dharma Wheel

On reflection I would exclude Dante.

Simon E. wrote:

lhug pa wrote:The older writings on Masonry are much better than pretty much any of the newer writings. Some examples of older writings:


Jorge Adoum, The Noble Drew Ali, Dante Alighieri, Johann Valentin-Andreae/Francis Bacon, Elias Ashmole, William Blake, H.P. Blavatsky, Jacob Boehme, J.D. Buck, Robert Burton, Cagliostro, Albert Churchward, Henry W. Coil, Malcolm C. Duncan, Robert Fludd, Dion Fortune, Fulcanelli, Jocelyn Godwin, Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, Robert Freke Gould, Manly P. Hall, Franz Hartmann, Max Heindel, Arnold Krumm-Heller (Huiracocha), Godfrey Higgins, John Heydon, Hargrave Jennings, Athanasius Kircher, Heinrich(or Henry) Khunrath, C.W. Leadbeater, Eliphas Levi, Schwaller de Lubicz, Mario Roso de Luna, David Murray-Lyon, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Robert Macoy, Kenneth R. H. Mackenzie, Albert G. Mackey, Michael Maier, Gerald Massey, S.L. MacGregor Mathers, G.R.S. Mead, Mirandola, The Honorable Elijah Muhammad, Isaac Myer, Isabel Cooper-Oakley, H.S. Olcott, Fabre d'Olivet, Paracelsus, Eugenius Philalethes, Albert Pike, [Proclus, Plotinus (see Thomas Taylor)], Ragon, Knorr Von Rosenroth, Ammonius Sacca, Rudolph Steiner, Thomas Vaughan, J.S.M. Ward, William Wynn Westcott, W.L. Wilmshurst, John Yarker, and a few others.


Some of the newer Moorish Science Temple, Nation of Islam, & Nation of Gods and Earths writings on Freemasonry and Masonry are interesting though.

Loonies to the last man jack of them

You'd need a wardrobe full of white extra long sleeve jackets to dress that lot!

Simon E. wrote:On reflection I would exclude Dante.

And, maybe, Steiner.

Maybe...I will admit to having used to some of his biodynamic gardening ideas...

Simon E. wrote:

Lhug-Pa wrote:

Berzinarchives.com on Islamic - Buddhist Dialogue wrote:Indonesia

The older writings on Masonry are much better than pretty much any of the newer writings. Some examples of older writings:

Jorge Adoum, The Noble Drew Ali, Dante Alighieri, Johann Valentin-Andreae/Francis Bacon, Elias Ashmole, William Blake, H.P. Blavatsky, Jacob Boehme, J.D. Buck, Robert Burton, Cagliostro, Albert Churchward, Henry W. Coil, Malcolm C. Duncan, Robert Fludd, Dion Fortune, Fulcanelli, Jocelyn Godwin, Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, Robert Freke Gould, Manly P. Hall, Franz Hartmann, Max Heindel, Arnold Krumm-Heller (Huiracocha), Godfrey Higgins, John Heydon, Hargrave Jennings, Athanasius Kircher, Heinrich(or Henry) Khunrath, C.W. Leadbeater, Eliphas Levi, Schwaller de Lubicz, Mario Roso de Luna, David Murray-Lyon, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Robert Macoy, Kenneth R. H. Mackenzie, Albert G. Mackey, Michael Maier, Gerald Massey, S.L. MacGregor Mathers, G.R.S. Mead, Mirandola, The Honorable Elijah Muhammad, Isaac Myer, Isabel Cooper-Oakley, H.S. Olcott, Fabre d'Olivet, Paracelsus, Eugenius Philalethes, Albert Pike, [Proclus, Plotinus (see Thomas Taylor)], Ragon, Knorr Von Rosenroth, Ammonius Sacca, Rudolph Steiner, Thomas Vaughan, J.S.M. Ward, William Wynn Westcott, W.L. Wilmshurst, John Yarker, and a few others.


Some of the newer Moorish Science Temple, Nation of Islam, & Nation of Gods and Earths writings on Freemasonry and Masonry are interesting though.

Loonies to the last man jack of them

I'm afraid I think a lot of the 1800s and early 1900s works are dreadful, only surpassed in lack scholarship and credibility by the likes of Nation of Islam.

With metta

Graham

As one who is neutral concerning Masonry , I am relieved to hear you say so Graham.

Goethe wasn't a nutter either. I'd make a case for Mirandola as a serious philosopher. Apropos of Moorish Science Temple...

http://books.google.com/books?id=6jThK- ... &q&f=false

Peter Lamborn WIlson makes a historical and contextual case for taking them seriously as a spiritual and political movement.

Jikan wrote:Goethe wasn't a nutter either. I'd make a case for Mirandola as a serious philosopher. Apropos of Moorish Science Temple...

http://books.google.com/books?id=6jThK- ... &q&f=false

Peter Lamborn WIlson makes a historical and contextual case for taking them seriously as a spiritual and political movement.

I think The Moorish Science Temple was quite well meaning, even if concepts like all African Americans originated from Morocco are a little excentric.

The Nation of Islam is quite a different matter with clear racist overtones.

Graham

The slogan of Freemasons is 'making good men better.' It is a FRATERNAL organization (e.g. no women - for the most part) in which religious passions are set aside and speculation is allowed. Many European scientists were Freemasons in the 1800s. Today, most Masons are neither "rich" nor do they 'exchange favors.' It is based on 'meeting on the level' (removing social status) and 'parting on the square' (dealing with honesty and candor).

Beyond that, there are innumerable parallels between the Ordination Ceremonies of a Buddhist Monk (Dickson, 1874 http://www.bps.lk/olib/wh/wh056.pdf a PDF) and the Initiation of an Entered Apprentice Mason. http://www.sacred-texts.com/mas/dun/dun02.htm

So to separate Freemasonry from Buddhism is, IMO, a stretch. At some level, they are one and the same. Although both Dickson and Duncan are obsolete, they remain useful references.

I have taken a decade to subject BOTH to academic scrutiny and have nothing (beyond the above) so say about either.

The Egyptian fascination dates from quite early and the parallels between Akhenaten and Moses, the Egyptian Trio and the Roman Trio, etc. have been the subject of Masonic discourse for centuries. The rest is off-subject so I will merely suggest a reading of Dickson and Duncan.

Morals and Dogma, by Albert Pike, [1871], is available on-line but that is only a companion to his great work - Magnum Opus or the Great Work (Complete Ritual Work of Scottish Rite Freemasonry) Facsimile of 1857 Edition. Freemasonry consists of no more than THREE degrees - the EA, FC, and MM. The rest is merely a flight of fancy.

reference: http://web.archive.org/web/20010202060 ... lodge.org/