Brother Cameron you mentioned in your reply to another post to this "challenging" . Indeed these thoughts of Brother Pike I find very challenging. Challenging because they are hard to understand and also because I wonder if our 2020's interpretation was that of Brother Pikes's? My 2c.'s. Thank you and More!
I think that both of your thoughts are spot on. Challenging because of the ideas themselves and the way they are expressed, and challenging because they must be looked at in context.
Here is what I have found to be extremely helpful when reading M&D. It might help others too:
I read two versions of M&D at the same time.
I know that sounds weird, but hear me out:
I read the old one with the red covers that can be found in just about any Masonic Lodge in the SJ, usually a good sized stack of them.
I read it because while it does not have an index per se, it has something much better, much more useful than an index in the back. I can find anything I'm looking for quickly and easily using that guide in the back of the old red ones.
I also read it because it is a good size for reading. I like to either read in a recliner or bed. The red one is the right size for that.
I also, at the same time, read the new Annotated Version that can be found for sale by the SR SJ currently.
I read it because the extremely extensive footnoting makes Pike's text much more useable. It gives us the context for the ideas he presents, and the sources of those ideas. It is a tremendous resource.
But it is too big and heavy to easily read in my recliner! It stays on a table.
Thank you for sharing this MW Cameron. As a seeker of wisdom it gets me to think inside of Albert Pike's head. The man is certainly way before his time in his thoughts and philosophy.
This gets me thinking, the teachings of Masonry taught in hyrogliphics and symbols. Is this really the thoughts that is inside God's thoughts? Or is it the consciousness we give to these symbols that give it meaning?... Something I am still pondering about.
I am glad to read that you are finding value in these little snippets of Bro. Pike's work. I've always found that massive body of work to be quite fascinating, but also quite challenging as it requires a good deal of contemplation. I am hopeful that by sharing little bits of it each day, that time for contemplation can be found.
Brother Cameron you mentioned in your reply to another post to this "challenging" . Indeed these thoughts of Brother Pike I find very challenging. Challenging because they are hard to understand and also because I wonder if our 2020's interpretation was that of Brother Pikes's? My 2c.'s. Thank you and More!
I think that both of your thoughts are spot on. Challenging because of the ideas themselves and the way they are expressed, and challenging because they must be looked at in context.
Here is what I have found to be extremely helpful when reading M&D. It might help others too:
I read two versions of M&D at the same time.
I know that sounds weird, but hear me out:
I read the old one with the red covers that can be found in just about any Masonic Lodge in the SJ, usually a good sized stack of them.
I read it because while it does not have an index per se, it has something much better, much more useful than an index in the back. I can find anything I'm looking for quickly and easily using that guide in the back of the old red ones.
I also read it because it is a good size for reading. I like to either read in a recliner or bed. The red one is the right size for that.
I also, at the same time, read the new Annotated Version that can be found for sale by the SR SJ currently.
I read it because the extremely extensive footnoting makes Pike's text much more useable. It gives us the context for the ideas he presents, and the sources of those ideas. It is a tremendous resource.
But it is too big and heavy to easily read in my recliner! It stays on a table.
Thank you for sharing this MW Cameron. As a seeker of wisdom it gets me to think inside of Albert Pike's head. The man is certainly way before his time in his thoughts and philosophy.
This gets me thinking, the teachings of Masonry taught in hyrogliphics and symbols. Is this really the thoughts that is inside God's thoughts? Or is it the consciousness we give to these symbols that give it meaning?... Something I am still pondering about.
I am glad to read that you are finding value in these little snippets of Bro. Pike's work. I've always found that massive body of work to be quite fascinating, but also quite challenging as it requires a good deal of contemplation. I am hopeful that by sharing little bits of it each day, that time for contemplation can be found.