Reports LRA n°2

Philocalie, Volume 1, presented by Olivier Clément, Brouwer / J.C Lattès's translation J.Touraille, Desclée, on 1995.

Regrouping an anthology of texts patristiques chosen with Métropolite Macaire of Corinth and presented by a monk of the Mountain Athos, Nicodème Hagiorite, Philocalie (" the Amur of the Beauty " in Greek) was published originally in Venice in 1782. Antoine le Grand's exhortations in: " to have only a thing(matter) with heart, to obey and to please the God of the Universe ", until " the scale(ladder) of Divine graces(favours) " of Théophane Climaque, real synthesis of the Work, this first volume of the present French translation, covers, through the Treaties of eighteen Orthodox fathers, ten centuries with transmission hésychaste making echo for this Word of Blisses: " Happy the pure hearts, because they will see God " (Matthieu, 5 , 8.) The introduction of this new publishing(edition), drafted by Olivier Clément presents faithfully the timeless spirit of this Philocalie " encyclopedia of the Light incréée " even though it gives up sometimes in doubtful tendencies by quoting Freud or Jung. One can prefer him(her) the front comment of origin, in which Nicodème resumes this definition of the Real Man: " Guard of the sensitive creation and initiated of the understandable creation ". The presentations of every author were completed with happiness by those, precise and synthetic of the translator, Jacques Touraille. We shall see him(it), Maxime's place the Confessor is dominating in this first volume, but, beyond an individuality, this masterful Somme knocks by its remarkable unity. Just like the purpose of the Prayer of the Heart, every treaty concentrates on the Main thing, the Spiritual Heart of the Man, in a harmonious convergence (Marc l' Ascète, p. 163). The means of this concentration, stage of Theosis ( deification) are called back(reminded) synthetically in the complete title of the work:Philocalie Fathers Neptiques, consisted from the Papers of the Holy Fathers who carried(wore) God, and in which(whom), by a wisdom of life, made of ascèse and pondering, intelligence is cleansed, illuminated, and reaches(affects) perfection. Exercised in this field of the practice ( Praxis) that is Nepsis, Greek term bound(connected) to the notion of Awakening and Nurse of the Heart, the ascète, cleansed, floodlit then perfect, aims at this State where it is not any more he who lives but the Christ who lives in him (Gal. II , 20. Cf Maxime the Confessor, p. 457). Before introducing in the purely spiritual domain, Philocalie suggests at first, in a vast range of methods, a purification of the mental and the senses(directions) (Closing eyes is God's true vision, aiming at the psychic regeneration). To overcome the passions and to subject the will are not of empty words for these " Guards of Paradise " (the Nile Ascète, p. 240) joining the shape ecclésiale orthodox (The Holy Church is the Candlestick bearer of the Divine Lamp, Maxime p. 256) and indicating us the way of those that having bent over their hearts (cf. Hésychius of Batos, p. 195 , 208) acquired prayer over any space which is made with those there only, which, in any perception and in full certainty, is filled(performed) with the Holy Grace(favour) (Photicé's Diadoque, p. 293). The Prayer of the Heart, invocation of the Divine Name, to variable forms (the most known is given to us by the Russian Pilgrim: " Lord Jesus Christ, Son(thread) of God, feel sorry for me, fisherman "), is the spiritual weapon of the hésychaste (p. 343, Théodore d' Edesse). Ceaseless, continual, she(it) is " pure Wall, quiet Port(bearing), Protection of virtues, the end of passions " (p. 351). Philocalie describes us the means of access in the name of the Christ, " foundation and summit of the Virtue ", according to Batos's Hésychius, Fast, Solitude, Silence, the day before, Chastity are so many tools purifier revealing spiritual treasures hidden in our hearts (p. 416, Maxime). The body is support of realization (cf. P. 161, Marc l' Ascète), " the man has to turn quite complete (Métanoïa) towards the Lord " (p. 300, Photicé's Diadoque) and achieve " The state of the Perfect Man, in the measure of the Plenitude of the Christ ". This state corresponds according to Maxime the Confessor (p. 433) to the symbolic age of 30 years. Maxime, using a rather mysterious numeric(digital) symbolism, presents the Christ as Lord of time by the 7, of the nature by the 5, the understandable beings by the 8 and the Providence by the 10; 30 being the sum all these numbers and corresponding to the age in which the Christ showed himself as tel. Word philocalique present of numerous aspects ésotériques, that is exposing(explaining) the most internal pit of the Christian tradition in its doctrine and in its practice. The main thing of the transmission hésychaste is naturally rationally incommunicable. As examples and as ways of search, let us quote however Théodore d' Édesse reminding that the good monk has to act in all in the secret and looks only praise her(it) who comes from God (p. 359) .Maxime (p. 436) insist on the two forms of demonstration of the Word of the Christ: The one is common and public, the other one secret and accessible(approachable) to few, she(it) transfigures the gnostics by the wisdom with the aim of the Deification, to move closer to following indications: God's verb comes in us with the degree of power which corresponds to each. It(he) is so crucified for those that active life leads to the devotion... But it(he) ressucite and rises to heavens for those that deprived of the old quite complete man... (P. 443) .Un little farther, Maxime evokes sense(direction) hidden from the writing (p. 449), Elie's place cave hidden from the wisdom according to the intelligence (p. 452) and Holy Jean the Evangelist introduced to the perfect Word of the embodiment of the Verb among the people " (p. 453) .A the opposite of the mystic, unstable state, Maxime assures(insures) of the durability and the irreversibility of the Deification (p. 499), silent Union which exceeds understanding " (p. 515 , 542). Those that deserve it know from God themselves and know God from themselves (p. 527). He also confirms the necessary desolation (by 'profusion' in a sense) of any notion of moral order when it is a question of entering effectively the metaphysical domain. It(he) mentions on this subject, the seer Élie who, before being delighted in the Sky gives to Élisée the coat (Maxime) this one wants to say the humiliation of the flesh, by which he assured(insured) the generosity of the good moral order, (p. 555 , 556) .Mais previously, as the paper Thalassius (p. 571): " Do not neglect practice and your intelligence will be floodlit ". It(he) is said " I shall open you secretly invisible treasures " (Is. 45 , 3 LXX) .Quant in the fruits which will be able to collect the reader, everything will depend on the point of view which it(he) will be capable of adopting. Work philocalique, doubtless of not human inspiration, escapes any discursive approach or attempt of gloss. She(it) addresses, above all , the Researcher who, at least virtually deprived of the old honune, is ready to receive in the heart the imprints which leaves divine knowledge. Because it is impossible to write on some wax, if one did not at first erase the signs which were there printed (p. 605 ' On the Abbot Philémon ') .Q As for the one that will read this work or whatever it is of the other one, not for the spiritual advantage, but to chase words with the aim of reprimanding the author and to be passed, by assumption, for wiser itself that this one, never anything of useful will appear to him(her) anywhere, (p. 373, Maxime's prologue the Confessor in the Centuries on the Amur). F.P.R.
Jean LAMBERT, The distributed God. An anthropology compared by monotheisms, Deer, on 1995.
This work in the attractive subtitle is established(constituted) by four studies already appeared in different publications, to which(whom) the author added about fifteen chapters. It is about a vast speculation, very personal, aiming to apply to three monotheist religions model used by G.DUMÉZIL, seen again(revised) here by R.GIRARD, in the Indo-European context. Perspective evolutionist bases besides all this reflection, which takes responsibility, notably, for the hardly spread but doubtless false idea of a previous polytheism the succession(advent) of the monotheism (p. 154). Conception that would deny(contradict) for example Cabbala due to the hermeneutic processes voluntarily ignored by J.LAMBERT who quotes, at the same time, the representatives of the Sufism only in a marginal way. But the main thesis of the author consists in assimilating, in a way which will be able to seem strangely forced, three monotheisms to three functions(offices) dumeiiliennes (P. 26). It is so, that Judaism is associated to Quirinus ( production), Christianity in March (war) and Islam with Jupiter (sovereign power). Although J.LAMBERT is right to reduce usual opposition among Semites and Aryan (one will consult on this point M.Vâlsan's important goods(articles)), it(he) does not give any satisfactory proof susceptible to justify the position. In illustrative title, this last one in beautiful to speak about the Christ as about the nonviolent warrior (p. 90) to try to reconcile its thesis with the Gospel, it seems on the contrary that three monotheisms, Christianity is certainly the one that turns least to the business(cases) of the world and that will not mobilize, at least in the beginning, any military power, it, contrary to the Islam. On the other hand, why should beauty - here that of Joseph be got in touch with the third function(office) been ( p. 164 ) bound to the production? The hadîth God is beautiful and loves beauty does he have to imply the same assimilation? The artificial character of this systématisme also leads(drives) J.LAMBERT to make Christendom responsible for the modern Occidental prométhéisme (p. 190,377), while the works of the conquering industry recover from a post-Christian era ( E.Poulat) widely cut with the Gospel and from the spirit of the former(ancient) Professions. Finally, when certain resemblances between Semitic and Indo-European traditions are observed, is it necessary necessarily to resort to the notion éculée of loan " (p. 351), or would not it rather be necessary to envisage the other more complex reasons, to abandon conceptions bergsoniennes relative to the sources of the morality and the religion, to whom adheres also J.LAMBERT?

Patrick Geay

Denys ROMAN, René Guénon and the fates of the Franc - masonry, Ed. Traditional, on 1995.

This Denys Roman's ( 1901-1986 ) work was published for the first time by Cyrille Gayat in Ed. of the Work in 1982. The republication is certainly an excellent thing(matter), considering the indisputable interest of the works of this reader and correspondent of R.GUÉNON, among the most rigorous whom we knew. As watch today the disturbing broadcasting(distribution) of David Stevenson's theses, the true difficulty for the Masons, as for the historians of the Order lives(lies) in the correct interpretation of masonic facts. Now D.Roman's method was exactly to conjugate an approach generally very worried about historic realities with an often exemplary symbolic and initiatory reading. Introduced in 1947 to The Big Set of three ( G.L.D.F) it(he) brings regularly the proof of the necessity of a good knowledge of R.Guénon's work to approach the study of the Franc - masonry. One will read or will read again with a deep interest the considerations on the pythagorisme, the Knight Templars, the reports(connections) among Rose-Croix and the Masonry, Ecossisme, rËle of Jacobites. Figure also in this volume an important chapter dedicated to the forming(training) of The Big Set of three which after the Second War had given itself for mission to restore so much that make this(they) can the former(ancient) state of the Masonry meadow - andersonienne. In this time, Denys Roman had moreover begun a search, overseen by Guénon since Cairo, and which had to end in presentation in Convent from 1948-1949 of the rite to first three ranks. This one was not accepted. Doubtless there would be any interest to be reconsidered this project contents of which keep(preserve) a big current events. Because even though the 'operations' of the classic art Masonry could not be restored before certain cyclic terms, as us asserted it D.ROMAN before the death, he takes place there quite to think that this work always establishes(constitutes) a central objective for the authentic Masons. This book, rich in perspectives, ends on a remarkable entitled study ' Euclide raises(brings up) of Abraham ' where the author gives some keys relative to the understanding of the legends of professions, in which certain anachronisms engender frequent value judgments being ironic gladly about the coherence of the Former(ancient) Homework(duties).

 Patrick Geay

Denys ROMAN, Reflections of a Christian on the Franc - masonry, Ed. Traditional, on 1995.

It will have been necessary to wait for more than twelve years so that seems this second collection nevertheless announced from the publication of the first by Ed. of Oeuv-re. We shall not stop(arrest) on the partially inequitable causes of this delay. One will find in this continuation(suite) of Reflections (the initial title of the volume was, History and Masonic Rites) a set(group) of goods(articles) almost any stemming from Traditional Studies. Set apart the first of them which would call some important correctives and resumption of which was not necessary (S33ans later... ") It is necessary to underline the big interest of the set(group). After a wholesome criticism of Jules Boucher's book on The masonic symbolism, D.ROMAN proposes sensible interpretations of the levy of the name of the bosses, the symbolism of the Changing room of Table, and on a quantity of enigmae touching the rites of the Order. One will insist on the other hand on the differentiating positions that formulate Has him(it). Against Joseph de Maîstre, Cagliostro and especially Willermoz. It is known well that it is in particular about this last one and about the Rite that he based (R.E.R) that J.TOURNIAC and D.ROMAN was in confrontation during long years. This one put notably in evidence the role of the sleepwalking in the forming(training) of the Rectified Rite and the obvious refusal(discharge) at Willermoz of the inheritance Knight Templar of whom the Scottish Masonry is an agent. Also let us note the presence of a study appeared in the Traditional Renaissance on the word Amen which establishes a mysterious spiritual link between three religions stemming from Abraham " (P. 237). According to here J.TOURNIAC, Has him(it). Bring back(report) that the numerical value of this word is equal to those of two Names Jéhovah and Adonaï (that is 91) by clarifying that the first corresponded to the hidden silent aspect and ésotérique of the tradition (P. 236). We consider useful to remind in that case that, according to R.Guénon, Jéhovah ( YHVH) could be likened to Hiérogramme of the Big Architect of the Universe (E.F.M.C. T.II, p. 284), although the true pronunciation of Tétragramme is not known any more by person (ibidem, T.II, p. 49) .Ce collection ends on two remarkable texts that In. Had published in the Exercise book of Herne dedicated to R.GUÉNON. The first called back(reminded) quite specially the fact that the Masonry arranges a lot of initiatory legacy recovering from the esotericism Christian as a serious study of the R.E.A.A can show him(it). Let us correct however the error of him(her,it) In. Which(who) seems not to admit the initiatory status of the hésychasme (p. 254) nevertheless clearly asserted by R.GUÉNON he even (A.E. C., p. 25), then by M.VÂLSAN. The second concerns mainly the enigmatic relations which exist between the Franc - masonry and the Saint empire about which one knows importance, although too often neglected, in High Ranks. It is a question there, we think, of one of best goods(articles) on the subject.

Patrick Geay

René DESAGULIERS, The Pierre of the Franc - masonry, Dervy, on 1995

This volume published in the new Collection the Traditional Renaissance that steers gathered(reunited) R.DACHEZ a series of R.Désaguliers's goods(articles) appeared in the review R.T. between 1987 and 1992, year of the disappearance of the author. For those that ignore R.Désaguliers's searches, it is advisable to clarify that they concern especially here the technical meaning of English terms serving for indicating(appointing) such or such category of stone used formerly in the construction. The thankless and laborious character of this type of study will be able to hamper(bother) a non-warned reader, but it is necessary to recognize the utility of these searches provided that they are not to dissociate from the symbolic and initiatory aspect of things. On this point however one will regret maybe sometimes certain lack of deepening concerning, for example, the meaning of the border pinked with the Tables(pictures) of Changing room. On the other hand, chapters concerning the Angular stone and the Foundation stone put clearly in evidence the importance of the vocabulary of the construction in the New Will and the fact that it(he) was integrated, under the Christlike shape, into the masonic tradition. With good reason, the author evokes finally the importance of the Minister d' Hermas, story Christian dreamer of II-th century connected in the middle essénien, and who makes use widely of the symbolism of the builders. It is striking to observe that in this text the Tour / Eglise built by six young people has for foundations the word of the almighty and glorious Name, and for support the invisible force of the Lord. This passage shows although if the Church corresponds to the religious dimension of the tradition, the crowned art which allows the construction of it rests(bases) on a knowledge of another order. But outside and inside must not be necessarily dissociated as one tries constantly to make him(it) today. That is why the idea to secularize the intentions of the Minister as suggests him(it) R.DÉSAGULIERS seems to us of the most questionable in the measure or it would lead(drive) inevitably to divert(hijack) the text of his(her) appropriate(clean) meaning. Because even though the Masonry is not an institution with religious character, she(it) has not, to be crowned, any report with the concept of secularism, although the current situation of the Order seems regrettably to contradict our assertion. In any state of cause, an initiatory organization deserving of this name owes pass on the symbolic doctrine of which she is a porter to shock profane mentality which paradoxically many badly directed Masons embody fiercely.

Patrick Geay

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