Rosicrucianism and Stoicism Grand Master Julie Scott, SRC In the year 300 BCE, following a excerpts of Epictetus’s lectures in a book shipwreck in which he lost his fortune, called Discourses and wrote the Handbook, Zeno, a merchant from Cyprus, founded which is a compendium of all of Stoicism in Athens, Greece. Initially Epictetus’s philosophical principles. Stoicism included metaphysics, logic, Marcus Aurelius was born in the and ethics, however the Romans, who year 121 and died in 180. He was from a embraced Stoicism centuries later, focused prominent family but was not in line to be primarily on ethics and how to live a good the Roman emperor. The Roman emperor and tranquil life. As we will see, Stoicism Hadrian had no children so he adopted a and Rosicrucianism have man named Antonius, a lot in common. with the stipulation that Much of what is Antonius would adopt known about Roman Marcus, who would Stoicism comes from the succeed him. Marcus was writings associated with profoundly influenced Seneca, Epictetus, and by the work of Epictetus Marcus Aurelius. and was a devout Seneca was a Roman Stoic. The book that is dramatist, statesperson, today called Meditations and the tutor and then was actually Marcus’s advisor to the Roman personal diary, published emperor Nero. He after his death. was born in the year 4 What is Stoicism? BCE and went through Some people transition in the year believe that the goal 65 CE. A number of of Stoicism is to not his writings survive to Zeno. have any emotions, like today. In them, Seneca a robot. However, the discusses the questions that occupied him goal of Stoicism is not to suppress or stop in a way that invites his readers to think experiencing emotions. It is to have few about issues in their own lives. His writings negative emotions and to spend less time are still very relevant today. wishing things were different and more Epictetus lived from ca. 50 to 135 CE. time enjoying them. He was born to a slave and was therefore The Stoic philosophers stressed a slave himself. One of his owners (a freed that to be alive means to be open to the slave) allowed him to study philosophy, challenges that arise in our lives, including where he met the Stoic Musonius Rufus, those that are no fault of our own, and that who became his teacher and mentor. the attainment of happiness is a matter of Later Epictetus’s master granted him ceasing to desire things we do not need to his freedom. When the Roman emperor Domitian banished all philosophers from desire. Rome, Epictetus moved to Nicopolis, The four foundations of Stoic ethics Greece, where he led his school of will sound familiar to Rosicrucians and philosophy until his transition at the age Martinists. They are: wisdom, strength, of eighty-five. Epictetus probably did justice, and temperance. Wisdom is Rosicrucian Digest not write anything himself. His disciple, knowing how to make the best decision No. 2 Arrian, an esteemed historian, military in all circumstances. Strength is having 2018 commander, and philosopher, transcribed the courage to do that and to face Page 8 unpleasantness. Justice is social justice or see your role model right there with you, humanism – treating every human being providing guidance and support. with fairness and kindness. Temperance is Review your day self-control. Like Rosicrucianism, Stoicism Similarities between encourages people to review the day. Rosicrucianism and Stoicism Benjamin Franklin and the Pythagoreans There are many similarities between also practiced this. Rosicrucianism and Stoicism. For example, Seneca shared many examples of the Roman Stoic Hierocles encouraged reviewing the day. When doing so, he people to greet each other as frater or wrote in the third person, in a way that soror (brother or sister) as Rosicrucians anyone can relate to. For example, he do. He believed this helps to remind us wrote that Seneca was at an event where that we are all part of one big family. people made jokes at Seneca’s expense and he did not just brush them off. He A number of people important in the then assessed the situation. In this case, he Rosicrucian Tradition were very familiar concluded that Seneca should keep away with Stoicism or were practicing Stoics – from low company. Marsilio Ficino and Pico della Mirandola (the great Italian Renaissance Humanists Try this yourself. Review something challenging that has happened recently, who helped to perpetuate the ancient as dispassionately as possible and from a Mysteries), Giordano Bruno, Francis third person perspective. Then assess the Bacon, and René Descartes. situation, again from the perspective of Below are a few practices that the third person. Rosicrucianism and Stoicism have in Some things are in our control common. and others not Choose a role model The first lines of Epictetus’sHandbook Like the Rosicrucian teachings, state: “Some things are in our control Stoicism encourages us to choose a and others not. Things in our control are role model. In the Fifth Temple Degree opinion, pursuit, desire, aversion, and, in monographs we are introduced to some of a word, whatever are our own actions. the greatest sages of ancient Greece and are Things not in our control are the body, property, reputation, authority, and, in one encouraged to attune with them. There are word, whatever are not our own actions.” many individuals who were Stoics or were highly influenced by Stoicism who could This sounds a lot like the modern serve as our role models, for example, U.S. “Serenity Prayer”: President George Washington, psychiatrist God grant me the serenity to accept and Holocaust survivor Victor Frankl, and the things I cannot change, South African President Nelson Mandela. Courage to change the things I Or we could choose Louis-Claude de can, and Saint-Martin, or H. Spencer Lewis, or Wisdom to know the difference. Ralph Lewis, or our Imperator Christian When choosing what to focus our Bernard. energy on, we can consider placing things We can call on these role models to we can control in one stack and the things help us throughout the day, in whatever that we cannot control in another stack. situations arise. We will find that the stack with things we can control is much smaller than the Let’s do that now. Choose your role one with the things we cannot control. model and ask her or him to stand with you Those things do not concern us. There is throughout your day. Imagine a situation nothing we can do about them. It’s helpful that has the potential to be challenging and to remember that just because something Page 9 affects us, doesn’t mean that we have for everyone involved and then prepare control over it. yourself for something unpleasant to arise. Some modern Stoics suggest that Make your second goal be staying true to there is a third stack for things that we your values, behaving in the ideal way that have some control over, but not complete you have prescribed for yourself. control. For example, if we are running a Observe yourself race, we can develop our muscles, build Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations includes our endurance, eat right, and get plenty of his personal observations. He asked rest, but we cannot guarantee that we will himself what motivated his actions and win the race. A Stoic’s goal would be to how did they reflect his values. Were they run our best race possible, irrespective of governed by reason or by something else?– who wins. The soul of a child? A tyrant? A dumb ox? In the same way, we cannot guarantee A wild beast? that someone will love us. This is not Carl Jung may have referred to within our control. It is within our control, these aspects as our shadow sides. We’re however, to act in as loving a way as embarrassed to think that we may have possible. Also, we cannot control whether acted like a child or a tyrant, however by or not we will get a promotion, however it acknowledging that this is indeed what is within our control to do our job as well happened, we can understand why we as we are able. thought this was a good idea. We can This resonates with the Rosicrucian understand what motivated our actions practice to bring the best of ourselves to and in what way we thought acting this every situation, something that we have way reflected our values. When we shine control over. light on and embrace our “dark side,” it Think of a situation now where you feels heard and no longer needs to act out. can apply this practice. For example, rather Think about a recent situation in than trying to get someone to love us, which you may not have been governed imagine that we are as loving as possible by reason. Who was in control at the to this person. The focus is on our actions, time – The soul of a child? A tyrant? A something we have control over. dumb ox? A wild beast? (If you are having Prescribe a character for yourself trouble coming up with an example, it may Rosicrucians are encouraged to be helpful to imagine someone cutting visualize in the morning how we want you off in traffic.) Consider why you felt the day ahead to go. Stoics would do this that you had to call upon this aspect of too, however they would also prepare yourself rather than reason. for when things don’t go as expected, in Justice order to achieve a secondary goal in every In Stoicism, justice is social justice, situation – that is, to stay true to our values which correlates to Rosicrucian and character. Rosicrucians might call this Humanism – meaning treating others with living up to the Rosicrucian ideal. kindness and respect. Epictetus wrote that we should Marcus Aurelius was in many ways prescribe for ourselves a certain character an amazing example of Stoic Justice. His when we are alone and keep our will morning meditation went like this: “Today aligned with it, no matter what we might I shall be meeting with interference, encounter during the day. ingratitude, insolence, disloyalty, ill-will, Think about a situation that you expect and selfishness – all of them due to the to encounter that has the potential to be offender’s ignorance of what is good or Rosicrucian Digest challenging. Perhaps you will be meeting evil.” He focused on treating others with No. 2 with someone who doesn’t fully support kindness and respect, believing that their 2018 you. Visualize the meeting going well disloyalty, etc., was just due to ignorance. Page 10 Most of Marcus’s nineteen-year reign Seneca recommended that we fight our was marked by conflict and war. Avidius tendency to believe the worst about others. Cassius, chief governor of the eastern Grief provinces, claimed the title of emperor for himself. Of Marcus’s eleven beloved Stoic philosophers acknowledged that children, eight died before he did. His only grief is a normal emotion to feel when remaining son, the tyrant Commodus, someone we love has passed on, however they recommended that we not extend our schemed behind his back. Marcus wrote, grief too long or allow it to incapacitate us. “The art of living is more like wrestling They also warned about “catching” grief than dancing,” yet he stayed committed to from someone else. helping others. The “Negative Visualization” Marcus worked to protect the weak, described below helps us to prepare for to make life less difficult for slaves, and to being separated from those people we rear and educate poor children. He wrote love. This can help to remove some of that he didn’t do this for acknowledgment the shock when they do pass on and can or thanks. He helped others because it was inspire us to take full advantage of our the right thing to do. It was his duty and relationships. happiness was his reward. Seneca suggested that we remember See yourself acting for the good of that the person who went through others with no expectation of thanks or transition would not want us to grieve for acknowledgment. Envision yourself being them forever, causing us to be unhappy. a Rosicrucian Humanist. Negative Visualization Stoicism also provides excellent Also, like the Rosicrucian teachings, guidance for other challenging situations. Stoicism reminds people to not overvalue Insults wealth or fame. One of my favorite Stoicism advises that when we feel Rosicrucian monographs, which is in the insulted we should consider whether or First Atrium, deals with the concept of not we respect the person who insulted property and possessions. It’s thought- us. If we don’t respect the person, we provoking to consider – what do we really possess when everything is a gift of the shouldn’t care what she thinks. If we do, Divine? then we should think about whether she might be right. We can also consider if Roman Stoics worshipped a goddess she possibly doesn’t have all the facts and named Fortuna, who controlled fate. She would see things differently if she had was depicted holding a cornucopia, the more information. We are also reminded symbol of abundance, in one hand, and in that we are the ones who have perceived the other, a rudder, showing that she was the comment or action as an insult. We can steering the course of life. She also stood change our perception of what was said with one foot on a wheel, symbolizing the or done. endless changes of life. The Stoics believed that everything we have is on loan to us Anger from Fortuna and she can take it back at The Stoic philosophers also presented any time. helpful techniques for dealing with anger. Stoics encouraged people to practice Marcus Aurelius wrote that we should what is called the “Negative Visualization,” remember that we too sometimes anger to remind us of the impermanence of other people. We should also think about things. For example, if we feel proud or the impermanence of the world around overly attached to the car that we just us and notice that the things that anger had to have, or the house that we saved us usually don’t cause all that much harm. for years to buy, or to our great looks, we Page 11 should imagine not having that object or If you like, let’s practice this now: state. They are truly only on loan to us. Imagine that you and your most beloved The goal of this exercise is to anticipate one no longer walk together on the earthly events that can cause us grief, thus plane. softening the blows of life and helping us Julius Canus – my Stoic role model better appreciate what we do have. A man named Julius Canus is one of Think of something now that you may the most inspiring philosophers for me. be attached to (your car, your house, your He was a Roman Stoic whom the tyrant job) and imagine that it is no longer in Caligula condemned to death. When the your life. Emperor announced his order, Canus The Negative Visualization can be calmly replied, “Thank you, excellent extended to our loved ones. Many people prince.” After the required ten-day waiting are uncomfortable giving even one thought period, a soldier came to get Canus for the to the fact that someday we and our loved execution. He was playing a board game ones will no longer be together on the at the time and instead of begging for earthly plane, although this is obviously mercy or running, Canus simply asked to an inevitable fact of life. They, and we, are be allowed to count the points in order to going to go through transition some day. show that he was ahead in the game. Then, This seems to me to be one of the as his execution was about to take place, major causes of strife and war in the world. one of his friends asked him what he was Many people are in such deep denial about thinking about. Canus replied that he was death and have created such elaborate preparing himself to observe whether at belief systems perpetuating that denial, the moment of death the soul is aware of that if anyone threatens to dismantle that leaving the body. belief system (their religion, materialism, That is how I want to approach my or something else), they fight to the death Great Initiation. to protect it. Take a moment now to consider how Epictetus wrote that we must remind you want to face your transition. See ourselves that we love a mortal and that yourself in your final moments living out nothing that we love is our very own. the values you have chosen to embrace, Stoic philosophers suggested that acting in harmony with the character that we visualize our loved ones no longer you have prescribed for yourself, living the being with us, again using the Negative Rosicrucian ideal. Visualization. I have found this exercise to So Mote It Be! be extremely powerful. It made it crystal clear how I want to act with my loved ______ones. When we think about the day that Bibliography we and our loved one will no longer be Marcus Aurelius, Meditations. http://classics.mit.edu/ together, it creates great appreciation for Antoninus/meditations.html, translated by George Long. the time that we do have together, in the Elif Batuman, “How to Be a Stoic,” The New Yorker, present moment. This can also prevent December 11, 2016. feeling guilty after the person has passed Epictetus, Epictetus: The Essential Writings. 2011, Seedbox on, as we would have fully engaged in Press, New York. our relationship with him or her. In my William B. Irvine, A Guide to the Good Life, The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy. 2009, Oxford University Press, New York. experience, this exercise created a new Massimo Pigliucci, How to Be a Stoic, Using Ancient Philosophy commitment to my closest relationships. to Live a Modern Life. 2017, Basic Books, New York. Rosicrucian Digest This doesn’t need to be done often, as we ModernStoicism.com No. 2 don’t want to start clinging to our loved Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Letters from a Stoic. 2014, 2018 ones. Enhanced Media, New York. Page 12