[MD] philosophers stone

[Ron Kulp]

-----Original Message-----
From: moq_discuss-bounces at lists.moqtalk.org
[mailto:moq_discuss-bounces at lists.moqtalk.org] On Behalf Of Arlo
Bensinger
Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 1:14 PM
To: moq_discuss at moqtalk.org
Subject: Re: [MD] philosophers stone

[Ron]
[The philosopher's stone is a] metaphor for spiritual transformation 
in the Hermetic tradition.

[Arlo]
Manly P. Hall wrote a fascinating and comprehensive overview of 
Hermetic (esoteric) thinking throughout the ages. Titled "The Secret 
Teachings of All Ages: An Encyclopedic Outline of Masonic, Hermetic, 
Qabbalistic & Rosicrucian Symbolical Philosophy" (the full text of 
which can be found at http://www.sacred-texts.com/eso/sta/), it opens 
with a very MOQish (in my opinion) premise, "Man's status in the 
natural world is determined, therefore, by the quality of his 
thinking." (Introduction)

Hall's sentiment continues, with my MOQish pointers added, "He whose 
mind is enslaved to his bestial instincts (Biological Quality) is 
philosophically not superior to the brute-, he whose rational 
faculties ponder human affairs (Social Quality) is a man; and he 
whose intellect is elevated to the consideration of divine realities 
(Intellectual Quality) is already a demigod, for his being partakes 
of the luminosity (Dynamic Quality) with which his reason has brought 
him into proximity." (Introduction)

Consider, too, his last word there "proximity". There is a 
foundational theme in Hall's narrative that mirror's Pirsig's "All 
this is just an analogy" sentiment. The Tao, the Godhead, can only 
ever be "approached", orbited, seen out of the corner of one's eyes, 
expressed only "proximally" via art, music, activity, metaphor. It 
can never be "reached" or "held" or even captured "literally". Great 
esoteric philosophies always "point" (to the moon), but they can 
never articulate a path (let alone the One True Path).

For Hall, all religion/scripture/theology/theosophy is always both 
exoteric and esoteric. The exoteric, the "literal stories", are what 
(to Hall) "small minds" latch onto, as they are incapable of grasping 
the deeper, profound, esoteric meanings. The role of the 
priest(ess)/shaman/druid is to guide one from an exoteric to an 
esoteric understanding, and THIS is (again for Hall) the moment of 
Enlightenment, the moment when the human mind sees,suddenly, the 
esoteric metaphor hidden beneath the Word. Hall, a self-described 
"Neo-Platonist", points to the collapse of Esoteric Traditions as a 
point-of-collapse in Western Culture, a malady that has led to the 
debasement of man and the reign of materialism.

There are few who seek the "philosopher's stone". And when you 
consider that the most powerful "religious" organization in America 
draws its power not only from an un-esoteric view but an aggressively 
anti-esoteric view of "Faith" (an organization with power to arrange 
its own "morality session" with Presidential candidates), one wonders 
what chance any philosophy has that draws from a mystic, undefined, 
central "Void".

While for Hall this modern malady is one where "exoteric" views are 
the dominant paradigm, I think it maps well onto Pirsig's criticisms 
of the modern malady being one where "SOM" views are the dominant 
paradigm. (To note, Joseph Campbell's notion that the modern malady 
is one where "amythological" views are the dominant paradigm also, 
for me, maps onto this well.) If for no other reason than it seems 
that "literalism", "subject-object duality" and a decay of 
mythological narrative all seem to go hand-in-hand.

I encourage you to read Hall's introduction, if only as an 
"esotericist's" overview of philosophy's history 
(http://www.sacred-texts.com/eso/sta/sta03.htm).


Ron:
Many thanks Arlo, I just caught the end of a program where it was
mentioned in regard to a local legend. The legend has it that the stone
was buried on 
the banks of the Schuylkill river, I laughed, I immediately said to my
wife how what they were talking about was a concept, an understanding
not
a material thing. 
All I got was a wrinkled brow, but it rang my MoQ bells. Reading up on
it
I was quite surprised to have Thomas Aquintas name figuring prominently.
One of those "connect the dots" moments for sure, I have suspected that
MoQ figured into the early Christian church, but could never put my
finger
on anything substantial. This just might shed some light on the subject.
Thanks for the links.