Masonry: whats the purpose? Whats the buddhist view?

[Simon E.]

On reflection I would exclude Dante.

[gregkavarnos]

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!

[gregkavarnos]

On reflection I would exclude Dante.

And, maybe, Steiner.

[Simon E.]

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

[GrahamR]

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

[Simon E.]

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

[Jikan]

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.

[GrahamR]

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