The stairs to the third floor

Another good article from the Summer 2004 issue of Parabola is "Ours Is Not a Dead Universe," by Seyyed Hossein Nasr. Nasr argues that as a result of scientism, "all the levels of consciousness were reduced to a single level (6).

He elaborates:

The consequence of cutting human consciousness off from the higher levels of consciousness in the prevalent scientistic worldview is the weakening of access to the transcendent. Although the higher levels do not go away by our denying them, taking away the ladder or stairs to the third floor in this building means that one does not try to go up to the third floor any longer, and gradually the existence of the third floor is denied. Therefore, the quest for transcendence--for the empowering and illumination of our consciousness, which was the goal of all traditional civilizations--becomes irrelevant, and is ignored as an illusion (9).

(The illustration for this blog posting is an antique Masonic second-degree "tracing board," a visual teaching tool. The ritual for passing to the second degree includes the symbolism of the stairway.)

Comments

[J.]

I know this is not a Masonic blog, but I think it worth considering:

With the reduction of Entered Apprentices in American Masonic practice to a sort of limbo; Masons, but not members, and moving all business to the Master Mason Degree – post Baltimore 1843 did we not perform the act of taking away the stairs to the higher levels of the House Not Made of Hands?

[Kenneth W. Davis]

We may not have taken away the stairs, but we've posted a sign at the foot of them that says "You must be at least XX inches tall to ride this attraction." My lodge, Vitruvian of Indianapolis, spread my three degrees over the course of a year, and I wouldn't want it any other way. But it was awkward to have to wait until meetings were over to join my brethren for the Festive Board.