From the book
Ancient Mystic Oriental Masonry
R. Swinburne Clymer · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordThe Perfect Man is the ideal of realized spiritual humanity.
- In Ancient Mystic Oriental MasonryThe introduction identifies perfection with Christos and presents it as a human destiny.
- In this editionMan in this expression names the author's human ideal, but the book's actual ceremonial admission remains gender-restricted.
- A place to readI.24: “"The Perfect Man is Christ: and Christ is God. This is the birth-right and destiny of” …
Meaning
The Perfect Man is the ideal of realized spiritual humanity. A Perfect Master similarly names an ideal of completed understanding and character, rather than merely any holder of a formal office.
Use in the book
The introduction identifies perfection with Christos and presents it as a human destiny. The sculptural image of Pygmalion makes a perfected master the worker who reveals an inward divine ideal. Royal patronage is then discussed with an admission that a ruler may appreciate ideals beyond his own attainment.
Places to read
- Original Introduction · Block 24“"The Perfect Man is Christ: and Christ is God. This is the birth-right and destiny of every human soul. It was taught in all the Greater Mysteries of Antiquity, but the” …
- Mystic Masonry · Block 29“29. " Only the Perfect Master can so chip away the stone as to reveal in all its grandeur and beauty the Divine Ideal, and endow it with the breath of” …
- Foundations of Mystic Masonry · Block 42“91. "Frederick the Great, was, however, by no means, the vague and dreamy Mystic of popular representation; his Academy and Schools were the centers of the most brilliant intellects of the” …
In this edition
Man in this expression names the author's human ideal, but the book's actual ceremonial admission remains gender-restricted. The wording does not remove that tension.
Reading the argument
The admission helps preserve the difference between valuing perfection and possessing it. Rank, influence, sympathy with mysticism, and completed spiritual character are different claims. The ethical standard should be applied to the teacher as well as the student.
Perfect Man
“Perfect Man” — 2 occurrences in 2 text blocks: I.24; M.72.
Perfect Master
“Perfect Master” — 1 occurrence in 1 text block: M.29.
Perfect Masters
“Perfect Masters” — 2 occurrences in 2 text blocks: M.27, 29.
perfection
“perfection” — 7 occurrences in 6 text blocks: I.17; D.15; F.81, 103; S.72, 104.