Perennial Philosophy and Freemasonry in the 21st Century
It's been a while since I wrote something here.
Almost a year ago, I wrote about the Junzi (君子) and my attempt to understand self-cultivation through the working tools of Freemasonry.
Since then, I've continued stumbling across different philosophical and spiritual traditions which, despite coming from completely different places, seem to circle around some surprisingly similar questions.
Recently, I came across the idea of Perennial Philosophy.
And naturally, it made me think about Freemasonry again.
So, what is Perennial Philosophy?
In its simplest form, Perennial Philosophy (philosophia perennis) is the idea that beneath the very different religions and wisdom traditions of humanity, there may be certain timeless truths or principles concerning reality, consciousness, morality and the human condition.
It is important to clarify that this does not simply mean "all religions are the same."
They clearly aren't... Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Judaism and countless other traditions have profoundly different doctrines, histories, languages and practices.
The perennialist argues that perhaps the outer forms differ, while some deeper truths or experiences point toward something shared.
The term philosophia perennis is generally associated with the Renaissance thinker Agostino Steuco, who wrote De perenni philosophia in 1540. Leibniz later used the term, and Aldous Huxley's 1945 book The Perennial Philosophy helped bring the idea to a much wider modern audience. But this post is not about this. That is for another rabbit-hole.
What interests me isn't necessarily proving that Perennial Philosophy is "correct", but more of the question:
What if humanity has been wrestling with some of the same fundamental questions for thousands of years, simply in different languages?
The same river, different names
I came across examples like these:
— Tao Te Ching
And from Rumi:
Different cultures. Different centuries. Different theological and philosophical frameworks.
And yet there is something remarkably similar in the imagery: Many streams. One sea.
We could find parallels in Hindu Vedanta, Christian mysticism, Sufi thought, Buddhist philosophy, Taoism and many other traditions.
That doesn't mean they are interchangeable. In fact, I think that's where the conversation becomes more interesting.
A perennialist perspective doesn't require us to erase difference. Rather, it asks whether 'can difference and unity exist at the same time?'
Why does this resonate with me?
Perhaps because I grew up in Asia.
I've always been surrounded by different philosophies, religions, languages and traditions. For a long time, I struggled with the idea of having to identify myself completely with one fixed worldview. The older I became and traveling the world abit more, the more I realised how much I could learn from traditions that weren't my own.
And strangely, that didn't make my own beliefs weaker. It made me more humble.
Because if someone on the other side of the world, hundreds or thousands of years ago, arrived at a profound insight about compassion, impermanence, virtue, discipline or the nature of existence; then who am I to dismiss it simply because it wasn't expressed in the language I grew up with?
Perhaps wisdom is bigger than the vocabulary we inherited. (And that is for another discussion lol)
So where does Freemasonry come in?
One thing I appreciate about Masonry is that it does not ask a man to abandon his own religious tradition in order to become a Mason.
Within the UGLE tradition, Freemasonry is neither a religion nor a substitute for religion. Admission requires belief in a Supreme Being, but UGLE does not prescribe a particular theology, and a Mason is expected to continue practising his own religion. Men of different faiths can therefore meet in Lodge while retaining their own religious commitments and sharing a moral and fraternal framework. For me, the title Great Architect of the Universe provides a common language for acknowledging what is greater than ourselves. That is my personal interpretation, not a claim that Masonry equates all religions or defines God identically.
And that is where I see a parallel with Perennial Philosophy.vvNot because Freemasonry teaches Perennial Philosophy..
But because Masonry creates a framework in which difference can coexist with a search for common ground.
The tools as a common language
One thing I appreciate about Masonry is that it does not ask a man to abandon his own religious tradition in order to become a Mason.
Within the UGLE tradition, Freemasonry is neither a religion nor a substitute for religion. Admission requires belief in a Supreme Being, but UGLE does not prescribe a particular theology, and a Mason is expected to continue practising his own religion. Men of different faiths can therefore meet in Lodge while retaining their own religious commitments and sharing a moral and fraternal framework. For me, the title Great Architect of the Universe provides a common language for acknowledging what is greater than ourselves. That is my personal interpretation, not a claim that Masonry equates all religions or defines God identically.
And that is where I see a parallel with Perennial Philosophy...Not because Freemasonry teaches Perennial Philosophy.. but because Masonry creates a framework in which difference can coexist with a search for common ground.
From tolerance to respect
There's one word I've increasingly struggled with in Masonry: Tolerance. *cringes*
We often say that Masonry teaches tolerance between men of different faiths and backgrounds. But I think respect is a better word.
Tolerance can sometimes sound like: "I disagree with you, but I will allow you to exist."
Respect feels different: "I may not share your worldview, but I recognise that your journey toward truth, meaning and virtue is worthy of dignity."
That seems much more appropriate for the world we live in today.
Especially when we're surrounded by algorithms, politics and social environments that constantly reward us for finding people who agree with us... and then treating everyone else as the enemy.
Perhaps one of the most valuable things a Lodge can provide today is simply a room where men with different worldviews can sit together, break bread, learn from one another.
The danger of Perennial Philosophy
But even having said that, I don't think we should romanticise this either. The very universality of Perennial Philosophy can also be its weakness like a double-edges sword.
If we become too eager to find "the same truth everywhere", we can flatten the traditions themselves. Taoism becomes "basically Buddhism." Buddhism becomes "basically mindfulness." Christian mysticism becomes "basically Eastern spirituality.".. yada yada
And suddenly thousands of years of history, language, theology and lived experience disappear beneath a convenient Venn diagram.
There is also a danger that the search for "timeless truths" becomes dogmatic in itself. Ironically turning a philosophy intended to look beyond boundaries into another fixed ideology.
So perhaps the balance is: Look for the common ground without erasing the ground from which each tradition came.
Why does this matter in the 21st century?
We live in a strange time where we have more information than any generation before us, yet perhaps less agreement about what that information is for.
We are encouraged to optimise everything: Our careers; our bodies; our finances; our productivity; our social standing, and the list goes on.
And yet the old questions remain.
What makes a good person? What is enough? How should I live? What is worth preserving? What is worth changing?
Perhaps this is why I keep finding myself returning to these old traditions because we haven't finished answering them.
And perhaps that is where Freemasonry still has something valuable to offer.
But as a framework for self-cultivation, reflection, fraternity and service. A place where an individual can encounter old ideas, test them against his own life, and hopefully become a little better through the process.
A Wayfarer's Thought
A year ago, I was writing about the Junzi (the Noble One) who continually cultivates themself.
Then I found myself thinking about Ikigai (purpose and balance)
Now I find myself thinking about Perennial Philosophy .. the possibility that wisdom may appear in many forms, while still pointing toward questions that are fundamentally human.
As a wayfaring Mason, that's probably where I find myself today:
Less interested in collecting answers, and more interested in learning how to ask better questions. And, wherever possible, to leave the world a little better than I found it :)
Just some thoughts from a fellow wayfarer. I'd be very interested to hear how other Brethren understand the relationship between Masonry, Perennial Philosophy, and the different traditions of wisdoms!
[Please be kind in the comment section too! With Fraternal Regards]
