The Spiritual Value East and West Synergy

Stage 1
In Search of the Ox
(aimless searching, only the sound of cicadas)

The young man is lostand alone in a dark forest. He does not know which way to go. He is looking the ox. He is searching for truth. However, there is confusion, darkness and fear.

Stage 2
Discovery of the Footprints (a path to follow)

The young man finds the ox'sfootprints. He findsnew opportunities. Now he knows that the ox actuallyexists.The Ox’s trail shows him the way. However, they are only footprints.This is not the ox

Stage 4
Catching the Ox (a great struggle, the bull repeatedly escapes, discipline required)

This requires incredible  effort.The Ox, with tremendous force, pulls in a dark channel and higher than theclouds. So far the young manhas felt enlightened.Now he can perceive only a little "I" futility.

Stage 5
Taming the Ox (less straying, less discipline, bull becomes gentle and obedient)

Domestication is a gradual process. When the young man calms hispassions, then the ox becomesserene.When the young man calms the perception of his own supremacy, he takesthe bull arms..

Stage 9.
Reaching the Source (unconcerned with or without; the sound of cicadas)

Form reappears. The truth does not withdraw from the world. It has always been here. Reality, itself, is important to us without a mediator.

​This last picture shows the synergy between the spiritual and the material. One must be able to separate the spiritual from the material on the initiation path. However, we do not need to go away from the material world. The initiated with his spirituality comes back to the material world. We feel it's very consistent with the Freemason's principles and targets.

The West leaves the East.

Up to the end of the Middle Ages, Western or, Christian mysticism at its root is united with Eastern spiritual traditions. Christian visionaries Thomas Aquinas, Augustine, and Meister Eckhart were strongly influenced by the East. The Freemasonry borrows much from these men.

Meister Eckhart is the central figure. He is the most prominent representative of Christian mysticism. He has borrowed much of the Eastern teachings. He has had a very significant effect on the Alchemist's and Freemasonry.

However, as the Middle Ages come to an end, Western spiritual traditions are being swept away by exoteric. It promotes the necessity to demonstrate might and the spectre of Western material’s civilization superiority. The West leaves the East. Western civilization leaves behind its internal spiritual world.  [5]

It seems that in the course of history, Freemasonry has also experienced external or exoteric phenomena dispiriting dominance for internal, spiritual, or exoteric world’s feelings. But, the Freemasonry has learnt to save light in the prevailing darkness and associated wind gusts. This preserves respect for the internal world of man. From the first initiated Freemasons struggled with the most important task. Know yourself! Discover yourself! Improve yourself! The first carpet explanation is about the overall connection with the infinite universe. Eastern spiritual tradition influences are constantly found within the Scottish ritual. There is the special Eastern and Western knight’s degree, which is no longer either Eastern or Western values synergy of the highest level.

The Freemasonry saves archaic initiation rituals through the centuries.

Of course, freemasons are only a small handful of Westerns. Of course, one cannot declare that the biggest part of this handful is perfectly aware of that which is in the ritual. However, there is also a strong unconscious influence in the language of the symbols and signs.

We may not set the question as if everything is right in the East and nothing in the West. In history and, especially, today we see many examples of the degeneration of Eastern traditions. The conversation is about integrated accessibility and synergy.

C.G. Jung: if you want a better understanding of Freemasonry, West and East

The most substantial Turning point back to the human internal world of cooperation with the Eastern spiritual tradition begin only the first half century In Western science and philosophy. At this point, I must mention the names of theologians and scientists:  Freud, Newman, Teilhard de Chardin, Heisenberg and Einstein.

But I want to especially single out only one thinker. He is not a freemason. However in his education fundamentally he is more Freemason than about 99% of Freemasons. He is Karl Gustav Jung (1875 – 1961)

Why is he seen as the most Freemason-like thinker of the most inspirational thinking of the Freemasons? He had one central question: Who am I and what is my connection with the universe? He had obsessed with the spiritual transformation of matter.

Without this, Jung was grounded on substantial Western and Eastern spiritual value synergy.

His grandfather, Carl Jung, was a freemason and Grandmaster of the Swiss Grand Lodge “Alphina”. Jung expressed the supposition that the development of his individuality is a kind of wider association unconsciousness process, which he must continue that which his ancestors have not finished. This explains why Jung is such a large Freemason. Of course, speculative cognition, whatever the reason, Jung certainly is a very vital thinker in the understanding of freemasonry. [6]

The fact that Jung himself is not a Freemason only benefits us. Jung would not have acquired some Freemason doctrine and then strived to overtake scientific justification. All doctrine supported his psychiatric practice

The relevance of our theme’s interconnection is Jung’s infatuation with the East. Once again, these are not only theoretical studies but are the foundations of protracted journeys and observations.  

The context of our theme can be found in two of Jung’s teachings. One is collective unconsciousness, the other is an archetype.

In short, we will remember Jung’s teachings about the spiritual structure of man. The topmost is the unconscious level. Those are the things that we are well aware of. But this is only our natural visible portion and most insignificant portion. Our unconsciousness level is much more substantial. This determines the base of our human nature and behaviour.

Here we must separate the individual and collective unconscious.

The individual unconscious forms developments that have happened to us but we are no longer aware of them. These are our early childhood impressions which we simply do not remember. These are also our unpleasant emotional experiences which we are forced to forget. But of those that have remained, despite those happenings, we have been forced out of our consciousness. This has formed our nature and influenced our behaviour.

But, the deepest and largest of our natural layers is the collective unconsciousness. The entire memory of the universe is hidden there. Here are also hidden the secrets of the Freemasons. What is that? What is my connection with the infinite universe?

Jung talks about methods with which we can only occasionally slightly crack open the door to the light for a short time. And with this, we can activate our unconsciousness.

Our unconsciousness is the key to our participation in the divine process of creation. In other words, our participation in the creative process by Great Architect.

These methods are dream translation, symbols, ritual and meditation. Symbols and rituals are essential components to the Freemasonry. We merge that with meditation. At the moment, we do not practice dream interpretation. 

Many of these methods provoked scepticism and sneering. Jung said that the Western material and rational person has become estranged from that world perceptive. And that is why he has to go through the prescribed confirmation of the Eastern spiritual traditions. This must be done to attain balance. 

We have to be aware of the East; however, we do not have to accept it as our spiritual world. This has a very vital importance, in which spiritual tradition you were born in. You can never run from this, just like you can never run from yourself. Understanding of God and religion are closely tied to archetypes. This is what Jung described in some of his patients who, in their neurosis, had tried to disown their ancestral faith.

The second most important thing which I wish to highlight in Jung’s teachings is that our unconscious is composed of our archetypes: inborn unconscious ideas and skills.

The archetypes are universal, they unify all of humanity. The archetype, for example, is belief in God. The male or female ideal (Jung called the “anima” and “animus”) is also an archetype. Here we will return to the male archetypes which our modern-day authors, Moore and Gillette invoked: the warrior, the magician, the lover and the king.

Jung endlessly searched for a balance between the East and the West. At the same time, he recognized himself as a Western person. We can say of both the East and the West: if you want to get to know yourself better, study Jung. The same could be said of Freemasonry:  if you want a better understanding of Freemasonry, study Carl Gustav Jung.

The Men’s initiation

We are returning to the previously mentioned recollected theme, “The Men’s Initiation”. In which we will again encounter Eastern and Western spiritual traditions and modern-day Freemasonry challenges.

Modern Western society has lost the men’s initiation tradition. There are playboys, there are macho men, and there is gender equality. The ancient initiation outlines are cast off as bigotry. But nothing has replaced them. Masculinity is lost. Can some quest be found for the Freemasons?

Modern researchers, Robert Moore and Doug Gillette show in their study that in legends and myths, within historical charismatic leaders, masculinity is connected with four types, or archetypes, which have to be developed in every man. [4]

They are King or Ruler, Warrior or Knight, Magician (Mystic) or Wiseman and Lover or … Lover. 

These qualities, more or less, were gifted to the ancient Eastern and Western historical and legendary spiritual leaders: Confucius, Buddha, Zarathustra, Moses, Plato, Jesus of Nazareth, Hermes Trismegistus and Muhammad. 

They inwardly merge more or less the king, the knight, the mystic, the lover and into masculine archetypes.

They represent the traditions of both the Eastern and the Western. The Scottish Rite comes to them as undivided spiritual inspiration. 

I concede that these labels in a modern Western thinking discourse might seem like laughable preconceptions. However, is there no room to talk about the fact that Western civilization has thoroughly distorted its notions about masculinity?

The warrior is transformed into a cowardly tyrant. The mystic is thought of as out of his head. The lover is a sexually addicted pervert. The ruler is a megalomaniac with an inferiority complex.

The Freemasonry is not running from these archaic languages and antique symbols. Freemasons must creatively search for equilibrium eternal, antique and modern, between Eastern and Western traditions. Freemasons also should not have to avoid the challenge of sincerely fulfilling the male initiation duty.

If we refer to Moore’s and Gillete’s modern teaching for the Freemasonry, then we must perfect the initiation. We allow each to find himself and to perfect the four male archetypes:  the Knight, the Wiseman, the Lover and the King.

This means we must: First, cultivate the spiritual knight in each of us. Second, unite intellectually with the mystic. Third, harmonize love’s passion with the soul. Fourth, unite in ourselves all of these qualities. To be the King or the Ruler means to first be able to rule himself. This is the art of royalty.

Will we be successful? No. But we will strive to stay on this path.
[1] Das Unbekannte im Ritual. Loewendruck Bertram GmbH., 1990.
[2] www.viaintegralis.ch
[3] www.elijasnams.lv
[4] Robert Moore, Douglass Gillette. King, Warrior, Magician, Lover: Rediscovering the Archetypes of Mature Masculinity. San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1990.
[5] William Johnston. Being in Love. The Practice of Christian Prayer. W. Johnston, 1988.
[6] Carl Gustav Jung. Memories, Dreams, Reflections. Vintage Books Edition. NY, 1989.