The pythagorean prospect - an address

a. LRDI Er Er ques. dane In: Proceedings of the (first world) Congress ( of pythagorean orgenizations ) Athens, LDAIaN. 1957 - p.198-203

Pythagorean Scool of Philosophy, of which Plato’s Academy became the eventual successor. Its counterpart the freemasonic confraternity is known as The Pythagorean Order, or sometimes as the Pythagorean Mysteries. The university had about the same basic curriculum as Cambridge, Oxford, Harvard, and THE PYTHAGOREAN PROSPECT An Address by HOBART HUSON Yale. It offered learning in Mathematics, music and Medicine, Astronomy, in R On the eve of the Pythagorean Congresses which are to take place at Brusse s and at Athens and are to culminate in a pilgr image to Samos on the occazon ni EE on Anniversary of the found ing there of Pythagoras’ School circ „C. : it gives me profound honor and great pleasu re to greet i Jestic Londo don, n, the Pythagoreans of Britai ritain and others wh i esÛ Greek philosophy and classical culture. En m It En heee coincidental that such sequence of events should take ce in the very lands which, 5 in the time of Pythagoras, cradled Greek phil sophy, the Gaulic Druids, b and the holy race of Hyperboreans. It is, He furth: significant they should, : in a measure. ‚ begi begin here in the mystic land at of th e r. perborean Abaroi (or Bards), B which Pythagoras himse Ì lf is said to h te isi n and which in the early centuries of the present era knew such ee vi en, of Pythagorean philosoph y as the then future Caesar Titus.nn É and the ee noble Roentre who had studied at the Pythagorean School at Marseilles ee E eb nj an to briefly outline somewhat the becke rennd e E n objects of these conferences which Ì withi ithi n the next few weeks en, It Sun wi ee by most of you that Pythagoras , the First Philosod | e pursuit which he called, 5 and which we know toda eed rs the same time promulgated a Way of Life by which the gnt become a living principle and th ie braced it to divine Goodness, Truth, end Bent dend n Bn es es eg length upon the tenets of his sublime philosophy Wi . n ematical disciplines prescribed for th e translation of zn Ee al lofty thoughts and godly id Ì deeds, it might be explained that a Onsl rk ed his dl mission in this life to be the moral regeneration of rough Education of the individual. He raises the level of the entire human race declared that on d Cee En Bee or vehicle devis ed by the Sage for effecting the rais uman animal to a man, > and from a m an ERLE to an jil/ j / and peculiar institution combining the essentials of a layme universityie of pri generan l sciences, and a confraternity, to which the sexes were admitted on terms of equality. The university, or institute of high er learning, beca me famous as the 1. Tacitus, Agricola 4 — Smith, Dict. Biol. 1, 76. Physics, and Science, Philosophy, Psychology, and Physical Education, in Political Science, Law and Oratory,- - - these among others. The primary purpose of this erstwhile academic curriculum was to enable the student to Know Himself ; rather than to excel in the useful or fine arts. Man, in Pythagoras’ concept, is a mikrokosmos, a small world, containing in less degree every element and power which make up the constituency of the Kosmos. The philosophy directed man’s attention, examination, and study, to his own constituency, his own Self. He taught that by knowing the whole extant world, one is brought to a knowledge of Self — what it is, whence it comes, and whither it goes, — and when one comes to know Self he will come to know God ; and in knowing is enabled to attune Self with the Divine Harmony of the Divine Self and the Goodness, Truth, and Beauty of the Dinine Order. This attunement, or harmonia, as he termed it, is what he calls «Following God». «The supreme happiness», according to him, «belongs only to the Soul which has learned how to recover itself, by its intimate union with the intelligence, whose essence, changing its nature, has become entirely spiritual. It is necessary that this soul be raised to the knowledge of universal truths, and that it should have found, as far as it is possible for it, the Principle and the end of all things. Then having attained to this high degree of perfection, being drawn into this immutable region whose ethereal element is no more subjected to the descending movement of generation, it can be united by its knowledge to the Universal All, and reflect in all its being the ineffable light with which the Being of beings, God himself, fills unceasingly the Immensity ». The more familiar language of the Bard, states the practical application of « attunement », thusly : « There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune ; omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries ; and we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures.» (Parenthetically there is a great deal of Pythagoras in Shakespeare). Perhaps no one of our own generation had a clearer insight into the Pythagorean concept, than the late beloved and consecrated Dean William Ralph Inge, whose writings on Pythagorean-Neo-Platonism I recommend heartily to those who would like to gain the same insight. Pythagoras teaches that mortal man is tripartite, being composed of body, : soul, and mind, and that these are the products of evolution and aspiration primordial the by evidenced the several states of which are represented

elements of which he in his present form is composed, — mineral, vegetable; pisiform, animal, and human, each level of evolution carrying with it its cord ; Noviciate and the first, or mathematikê degree were possible of being conferre kb degrees the others being attainable only by actually becoming that which responding level of intelligence, which the Sage calls Soul. Psychologically, hold and symbolize. The four degrees are the Mathematiké, Theoretikê, Sophia, there is represented in man’s constituency, nonconscious, unconsious, subconscious, conscious, super-conscious levels of Soul, or natural intelligence. Ascending to his theory, in each upsurge of the evolutionary processes, all precedent elementary natures and levels of Soul are carried forward and retained, (like the chains around Marley’s ghost) ; thereby resulting in the apparent conflicts and discordances in man’s nature, his desires, and emotions. Using the words of the Sage himself, « Man is a microcosm, because he is a compendium of the universe ; not with loving respect to the late Mahatma Gandhi. Perhaps Dr. Albert Schweitz De is another. because, like other animals, (even the least), he is constituted by the five elements, but because he contains all the powers of the universe. « The world contains God, and the five elements, the animals and plants, which emanated from God. All of these powers are contained in man. However, in each of these he is inferior to the others. Containing God, he is inferior to God ; and having less of each of the elements, is inferior to any one of them. « Constituted, therefore, of different powers, man has a difficult life to live. While all things are ruled by one nature only, man is ruled by many. Man is drawn by all the different powers which he contains. But he who, like a vigilant and expert charioteer, within himself cultivates the Dinine Element, will be able to utilize the other powers by a mingling of the elements just as far as may be necessary » *, For each level or degree of Soul, or natural intelligence, there is a peculiar, appropriate, kind of perfecting discipline, or form of education, which raises the whole man in virtue. Recognizing this, Pythagoras devised a philosophical system which would develop and perfect all the latent powers of man’s nature, according to their respective peculiar needs. Hence, the system was divided into two grand branches, the exoteric, or open, and esoteric, or the secret ; or the Lesser mysteries and the Greater mysteries. The exoteric branch of the Pythagoric system, which included the academic university as its highest category, was directed to the body, soul, and human mind of man, to raise him in the virtues forming the foundation of the transition from a terrestrial to a spiritual level. The transition was accomplished by endeavoring to live the philosophy while undergoing the cathartic disci- Goodness, and Epiphanê ; the ideals of which, respectively, are Beauty, Truth, geneown our and Beatitude. Few there are who attain the two highest. In I refer ration we know of one who appeared to exemplify the third degree, — er By the time Pythagoras came to pass the Veil, his philosophical system d, had spread throughout the world. The School and confraternity faurishe Dakia, besides Greece and Italy, in Egypt, Arabia, Palestine, Syria, Thraké, via. Scandina in claimed, is it and, Carthage, Etruria, Gaul, Iberia, Britain, The Jewish Essene and Therapeutic sects were said to be Pythagorean. There s, Borwas a Pythagorean School at Tarsus. There were others at Marseille s. deaux, and Cadiz. Agricola, 1 have stated, attended the one ot Marseille The historians of Pythagoreanism tell us that after the passing of the genegrasp ration of pupils who heard the Master himself, the successors failed to hy Philosop and the original concept of the system, that is, «Religion, Science, to beas an essential unit the combined purpose of which was to enable man come the likeness of God» '. mystiAccordingly, they divided into two branches, one which stressed to science to itself devoted cism and disregarded science, and the other which to tried have to the exclusion of the philosophy. Socrates and Plato appear Too late, in adhere to the original theory, without stressing the Way of Life. y nearly restored the last hours of Freedom of Intellect, Plotinos and Porphyr hy of Plothe original concept, as Dean Inge points out in his winged Philosop tin the suppression of the Academy and the philosophical schools in the and study of 6th century of the present era, and the exterpating of teaching view. What wan philosophy, Pythagorean Schools and lodges vanished from left of the philosophical branch seems to have been taken over and preserve might be said hi by the Arabians and the Persians ; while the confraternity than an inconsiderab e have been taken over by freemasonry ; and to more has been no time since its extent by the Christian Church. Nevertheless, there Pythagorean system original the of founding, 2500 years ago, that some form The philosophy seems plines (sometimes termed « mathematical ») imposed by the esoteric branch, has not existed at some place on the face of the earth. Order consisted of a Noviciate and four esoteric degrees, of all which only the principal ee Students of church history will recall that most of the This is understandwere gravamented on a return to Pythagoric philosophy. the instrumental vehicle of which was the confraternity known as The Pythagorean Order, For the purpose of the present dissertation, it will suffice that the 1. Pythagoron, 49. to be deathless, and to be persistent in springing 1. Watters, The Pythagorean Way of Life. forth in every age.

able when it is considered that the teachings of Jesus and Paul when considered Pythagorically, are practically Pythagorean philosophy. In fact, the best in Christian philosophy is infused with esoteric Pythagoreanism. Compare the General Confession in the Book of Common Prayer with the Pythagorean theory and formula of Self Examination. Say the Book : « We have left undone those things which we ought to have done ; and we have done those things which we ought not to have done » (p. 6). What say the Golden Verses % « Do those things which shall not harm thee, and reflect before thou act. On the moment of awakening, consider calmly what are thy duties, and what thou shouldst accomplish. Never let thy eyes close in sleep, till thou has reasoned over each deed of the day. Wherein have I transgressed ? What have 1 done ? What have I omitted that I ought to have done ? Beginning from the first do thou proceed, and for the evil deeds rebuke thyself ; but for good rejoice». (Golden Verses 39-44). Pythagoras adds, however, that repentance without reparation is empty. If self-examination develops that a wrong has been done, the system demands that one rise from his bed and right it before he goes to sleep if it is at all practicable. (Pythagoron 86-87, 134). It is possible, perhaps, to trace a continuous, unbroken, succession of some Pythagorean organizations existing today to the original confraternity ; probably through the Arabic Order, which was brought by the Moors into Europe. This possibility is being explored, but no definite conclusion yet has been reached. We know from Dean Inge and others, that there existed in Florence in the middle ages a Pythagorean Academy. Tuscany, incidentally, is replete with Pythagorean lore and legend. We have it that Dante, Petrarch, Ficin, Cavalcante, Boccacio, and Paleziano, were fraters. Pythagoras himself was a favorite subject of Etrurian art, vide, bas reliefs on the campanile and the Paradise doors, and, also, the mosaics at Siena. In short there are at present scores of Pythagorean societies and organizations of various kinds in practically every country of the civilized world. There are such groups in Britain. A principal purpose of the Congresses of 1955 is to seek out and bring into common notice all Pythagorean societies in the world, and to establish an international secretariat, and a mother thiasos, or educational community. Another principal purpose is to reconstruct historically and dogmatically, as nearly as may be, and revive, as an international order, the confraternity founded by Pythagoras, on Samos, 2500 years ago. The Pythagorean Order was provisionally formed in the United States in 1947, and since that time has extended its membership into most of the countries. The revived The Pythagorean Order is not intended to supersede or displace any existing local or regional society ; but to form a bond between the members of all independent societies. Another major project of the Congresses is to form a foundation, or com- 1970-1971 of the 2500th mission, to plan and consummate a world celebration in Krotona in Southern Italy anniversary of the founding of Pythagoras School at ed first and existed for circa B. C. 531-529. The School on Samos was found some 15 years before it was removed to Italy. and paraphrasing the words We ask the blessings of God on these projects, oe of Sokrates, give us beauty in the Now may all the good spirits which light this place, be at one. May we reckon inward soul ; and may the outward and inward man worldly the wise to be the wealthy, and may we have such man, and he only can bear and carry — Amen. goods as a temperate