# The Secret Teachings Of All Ages



## Bro. Craftsman777 (Jul 26, 2013)

Someone I know looking to petition with me, was told to read a book called The Secret Teachings Of All Ages. He was given the book by a friend, who has quite a few friends in the fraternity. Not sure what the book teaches but seeing as how he is not a brother yet, should he read or not read the book? Please members of the brotherhood, let me know.


Freemason Connect Mobile


----------



## BEDickey (Jul 26, 2013)

The Secret Teachings of All Ages is a master work by Manly Palmer Hall, one of the foremost lecturers and masters of the "hidden knowledge" of ancient times. He was actually a 33 degree mason, but never went threw initiation to become a master mason, similar to being made a mason "at sight" in the PHA tradition. They realized M.P.H knew more about masonry then most anyone else in the country/world at that time, and gave him the honorary degree.


----------



## Thegentlesoldier (Oct 13, 2013)

Manly P Hall was a scholar, well versed and at times pretty hard to follow. A prospective or newly made brother would probably not get as much from it as would a more senior Brother. 


My Freemasonry HD


----------



## tantbrandon (Oct 15, 2013)

BEDickey said:


> The Secret Teachings of All Ages is a master work by Manly Palmer Hall, one of the foremost lecturers and masters of the "hidden knowledge" of ancient times. He was actually a 33 degree mason, but never went threw initiation to become a master mason, similar to being made a mason "at sight" in the PHA tradition. They realized M.P.H knew more about masonry then most anyone else in the country/world at that time, and gave him the honorary degree.



I've actually read that he was initiated passed and raised in a lodge in San Fran. Not sure though. 


My Freemasonry HD


----------



## jwhoff (Oct 15, 2013)

Manly P Hall was the 20th century version of Albert Pike.  He got off a bus in the early days of Hollywood with little education and proceeded to build himself a life noted by many as a true master of the occult, by others as a master of plagiarism.  Much money was made by Hall and his associates through the years.  He was a much sought after speaker, many times by Scottish Rite Valleys across the States and the Continent.  

I had read Pike extensively before but was cautious of delving into Hall.  So I decided to do a comparison of the two brethren.  I purchased and read biographies of both and then read The Secret Teachings of All Ages.  In it, Hall chronologically takes the reader through the mysteries.  He does not, in my opinion offer any further light.  Rather, like Pike, he offers the reader a singular work to obtain a working understanding of the mysteries.  

My preference is Pike.  Though both men were blessed with huge egos, Hall's circle of friends shed poor light on his memory and intentions.  But, then, Pike's life in 19th Century Washington, DC was no match for what awaited Hall when he stepped off that bus in Hollywood, CA nearly 100 years ago.


----------



## Zaden (Oct 18, 2013)

jwhoff said:


> Manly P Hall was the 20th century version of Albert Pike.  He got off a bus in the early days of Hollywood with little education and proceeded to build himself a life noted by many as a true master of the occult, by others as a master of plagiarism.  Much money was made by Hall and his associates through the years.  He was a much sought after speaker, many times by Scottish Rite Valleys across the States and the Continent.
> 
> I had read Pike extensively before but was cautious of delving into Hall.  So I decided to do a comparison of the two brethren.  I purchased and read biographies of both and then read The Secret Teachings of All Ages.  In it, Hall chronologically takes the reader through the mysteries.  He does not, in my opinion offer any further light.  Rather, like Pike, he offers the reader a singular work to obtain a working understanding of the mysteries.
> 
> My preference is Pike.  Though both men were blessed with huge egos, Hall's circle of friends shed poor light on his memory and intentions.  But, then, Pike's life in 19th Century Washington, DC was no match for what awaited Hall when he stepped off that bus in Hollywood, CA nearly 100 years ago.



Brother, would you mind saying what the titles of those biographies were and if you would recommend them on their own?


----------



## jwhoff (Oct 21, 2013)

Sorry Brother Zaden.  I'm late getting back to you but here it is:

_Master of Mysteries:  The Life of Manly Palmer Hall_, by Louis Sahaugun
_
Albert Pike:  The Man Behind the Monument_, by Jim Tresner

These would be good launching pads for any comparison study of the two writers.


----------



## rebis (Oct 22, 2013)

M.P.H. A truly great and remarkable individual. He has the ability of putting into words profound thoughts and ideas that our fraternity teaches through allegory and symbolism.


My Freemasonry HD


----------



## Zaden (Oct 24, 2013)

jwhoff said:


> Sorry Brother Zaden.  I'm late getting back to you but here it is:
> 
> _Master of Mysteries:  The Life of Manly Palmer Hall_, by Louis Sahaugun
> _
> ...



Thank you, brother.


----------



## Mindovermatter Ace (Dec 19, 2013)

I've read MPH's The Secret Teachings of All Ages a few times in my travels. It's definitely a great work for those who have little knowledge about the craft. It also sheds life on old and ancient spiritual & religious beliefs, as well as symbols. Great read.


----------



## towerbuilder7 (Dec 20, 2013)

I agree that the Secret Teachings is a great read, as I have it as well as its study appendix, but for a profane, I would recommend something SIMPLE, such as "The Idiot's Guide To Freemasonry" by S. Brent Morris.........it's a simple but easy to understand read that will familiarize the reader with the Order, and answer any BASIC questions he may have................No need to give a Man a Deep Well, when all he NEEDS at this point is a cup of water to wet his palate.............just my .02........VINCE


----------



## BryanMaloney (Dec 20, 2013)

Is Hall's book sourced? Does he actually cite his sources, that is? I'm sick to death of works that purport all kinds of "knowledge" or "mysteries" but refuse to properly cite sources.


----------



## tomasball (Dec 20, 2013)

BryanMaloney said:


> Is Hall's book sourced? Does he actually cite his sources, that is? I'm sick to death of works that purport all kinds of "knowledge" or "mysteries" but refuse to properly cite sources.



No, Hall makes no attempt to offer sources.  Frankly, I'm convinced half of what he says in that book he made up himself.


----------



## Mindovermatter Ace (Dec 27, 2013)

How can he have made up accounts that are historically accurate? Not only did he write much of our modern ritual but he is also revered as one of the most informed persons of our time when it comes to esoteric knowledge and Gnostics. Even if he did make most of it up, nonetheless he is still considered a pillar of wisdom on the subject and respected as such for over 100 years.


----------



## Mindovermatter Ace (Dec 27, 2013)

P.S. If you actually read the book there are plenty lines of text where he vividly states the source of his information and his prospective or objection to that information.


----------



## Brother JC (Dec 27, 2013)

Mindovermatter Ace said:


> Not only did he write much of our modern ritual...


Really? And your source to back that comment is...?


----------



## crono782 (Dec 28, 2013)

While Hall was quite the writer, I do not believe he was much of a contributor to the ritual work of his day (or at all).


----------



## otherstar (Dec 28, 2013)

tomasball said:


> No, Hall makes no attempt to offer sources.  Frankly, I'm convinced half of what he says in that book he made up himself.



Actually, he frequently refers to his sources within the text (even if he doesn't city his sources to the page, etc., in a scholarly manner) in much the same way Albert Pike does in his work _Morals and Dogma_. Hall also includes a very extensive bibliography of sources he consulted while compiling the book.


----------



## Mindovermatter Ace (Dec 28, 2013)

excuse me but you're right as far as the ritual. That was Albert Pike


----------



## jwhoff (Dec 28, 2013)

tomasball said:


> No, Hall makes no attempt to offer sources.  Frankly, I'm convinced half of what he says in that book he made up himself.



Embellishment is a terrible thing to waste.  You may be closer than either of us suspect.

After all, we are talking about "Hollywood."  To Brother Maloney's point, true scholarship is recognizable.  Hall is disputable on that point.


----------



## BryanMaloney (Dec 28, 2013)

otherstar said:


> Actually, he frequently refers to his sources within the text (even if he doesn't city his sources to the page, etc., in a scholarly manner) in much the same way Albert Pike does in his work _Morals and Dogma_. Hall also includes a very extensive bibliography of sources he consulted while compiling the book.



That still counts as "sourced" for me. It helps me evaluate the work, as well. When I find out that someone has, for example, used Wallis Budge as their primary source for ancient Egypt, I know that their work is probably about as reliable as a Saturday morning cartoon.


----------



## Mindovermatter Ace (Dec 28, 2013)

I don't care what they say! MANLY P HALL got it right. Do your research bros! NEVER rely on 1 source.


----------



## Mindovermatter Ace (Dec 28, 2013)

Connect the dots!


----------



## JamesMichael (Dec 29, 2013)

In this book, he claims the first temple was destroyed after 33 years. That is incorrect, more like 410 years. I stopped reading this book as I didn't feel like it was very accurate and hard to substantiate almost everything he wrote. 

Sent From My Freemasonry Pro App


----------



## Thegentlesoldier (Dec 29, 2013)

A lot of Masonic books are based on interpretation, even if you do not subscribe to esoteric or cabalistic ideology you miss out on some very interesting research. I've read many books that I feel the author is wrong, however for the most part they had some very interesting material.


----------



## JamesMichael (Dec 29, 2013)

Thegentlesoldier said:


> A lot of Masonic books are based on interpretation, even if you do not subscribe to esoteric or cabalistic ideology you miss out on some very interesting research. I've read many books that I feel the author is wrong, however for the most part they had some very interesting material.



Not saying that I don't subscribe, as I read much material that I differ on. I just prefer when material is presented for it to be accurate and if debatable then also have with it some type of information to support. I don't agree that all Masonic books or all parts of Masonic books are interpretative, we have lots of historical facts. Maybe like Pike, this book should say, this is mostly speculation on my part and will not be offering much in regards to proofs. The part of the book I referenced the author was stating many facts as if they were accurate at face value.


----------



## BroBill (Dec 29, 2013)

KJohnson said:


> Someone I know looking to petition with me, was told to read a book called The Secret Teachings Of All Ages. He was given the book by a friend, who has quite a few friends in the fraternity. Not sure what the book teaches but seeing as how he is not a brother yet, should he read or not read the book? Please members of the brotherhood, let me know.
> 
> 
> Freemason Connect Mobile



Typically, if a man has made the decision to petition for the degrees, I recommend he stop reading and stop researching on the internet. My concern is that the candidate will read something that will distract him during the degree and during his proficiency lessons. If a candidate has something in mind that he thinks is going going to happen, or that there are symbols in the degrees that mean certain things, he'll be looking for that instead of listening to the degrees as presented.  If they think they have "learned the real secrets", the may have much more trouble with the proficiency work searching for double meanings and hidden meanings instead of receiving instruction from his instructor. 

There is plenty of time after the degree work to read up on the mysteries, in my humble opinion of course.

Good luck!

BroBill


----------



## Hermias (Feb 2, 2014)

I agree, i have a friend who wants to become a member with his heart and soul. He is very fervent and dedicated in obtaining as much knowledge about the order. He researches a lot on the net and I had to caution him the other day to not spoil it for himself: his initiation should be a special occasion and not a I know it all experience. 


Sent From My Freemasonry Pro App


----------



## Mike Martin (Feb 2, 2014)

I personally always get worried when I see people citing the work of non-Masons as authoratitive on Freemasonry! AS I am sure we all understand a man must first experience our Ceremonies before he can begin to interpret them and Manly was finally Initiated some 30 years after he wrote his first book of Freemasonry.

Manly Palmer Hall (18/03/1901 â€“ 29/08/1990) probably the most famous Masonic authority that actually wasnâ€™t. He wrote several books specifically about Freemasonry unfortunately many people mistakenly apply his Masonic pedigree retrospectively. He wrote his books as a complete cowan and in fact was describing the philosophies of Theosophy which he mistakenly though was the same as Freemasonry as at the time he was a student of comparative religion.

He wrote:
The Lost Keys of Freemasonry in 1923,
Secret Teachings in 1928
Freemasonry of the Ancient Egyptians in 1937
The Secret Destiny of America in 1944
Masonic Orders of the Fraternity in 1950

He did not actually become a Freemason until his 1954 Initiation into Jewel Lodge No. 374, he went onto to join the AASR and gained the 33rd degree in 1973. He himself, admitted that he had written as a non-Mason, in the foreword to the 10th edition (1967) of Lost Keys, he stated that all he knew about Freemasonry at the time "was from a few books commonly available to the public". Despite this many, both Masons and non-Masons, still make the mistake of claiming him as a kind of authority on Freemasonry.

For reference:

PREFACE TO THE TENTH EDITION

It is gratifying indeed that after more than forty years of continuous publication, and 30,000 copies having been printed, the demand for this little book justifies a new edition. At the time I wrote this slender volume, I had just passed my twenty-first birthday, and my only contact with Freemasonry was through a few books commonly available to the public.
It was from the study of comparative religion that I first became aware of the secret philosophical schools and societies of the ancient world. It was not possible to contemplate the State Mysteries of Egypt, Greece, India and Persia and not be profoundly impressed by the nobility of their teachings, the beauty and solemnity of their rites and ceremonies, and the profound meanings of their symbols, emblems and initiatory rituals. It became evident to me that these sacred institutions and colleges were the custodians of a universal wisdom, and conferred upon their initiates the keys to a sublime science or art dedicated to the regeneration of man and the reformation of human society. Moved by this conviction, I wrote The Lost Keys of Freemasonry.
Many changes have been wrought in the two score years since this writing came to print. A sickly sophistication threatens our way of life, and the very survival of human culture is at hazard. Through long years of confusion, depression, war and tyranny, Freemasonry has stood for the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. It has defended the right of every man to receive a proper education. It has taught respect for Constitutional government. It has sought to unite men in a fraternity of good works â€“ these being the proper labours of a Master Mason.
            Feeling that the time had come for all men who believed in the dignity of the human soul and the utility of enlightened ethics to stand and be counted, I petitioned for membership in the Masonic Order in 1954. In November of that year I was raised in Jewel lodge No.374, F.& A. M., San Francisco, California. A year later I took the Scottish Rite Degrees, and am a member of the San Francisco Consistory MRS. In 1961 I received the Investiture of Knight Commander of the Court of Honour.
            I am happy to say that the admiration I had so long held for the Masonic Order was increased and deepened by a more intimate knowledge of its principles and a closer personal communion with my Brethren.

Manly P. Hall 32Â° K.C.C.H
Los Angeles, 1967


----------



## dfreybur (Feb 3, 2014)

I find it strange that when Manly P Hall became a brother he did so in San Francisco and he does not mention affiliating locally once he was in Los Angeles.


----------



## Rommel (Feb 16, 2014)

Brother manly p hall is by far the greatest mason philosopher, if you disagree you should read and listen to his audio files, you could find them on youtube, personally i dont think i could compare Albert pike and manly p hall just because they are two different people with different visions and knowledge the two are great! But i like Manly p hall work! Oh by the way he was canadian!      


Sent From My Freemasonry Pro App


----------



## widows son (Mar 13, 2014)

I would say he had some good insights into the occult, and freemasonry, but I wouldn't say he's the end to all of Masonic philosophy. 


Sent From My Freemasonry Pro App


----------



## BroBook (May 23, 2014)

JamesMichael said:


> In this book, he claims the first temple was destroyed after 33 years. That is incorrect, more like 410 years. I stopped reading this book as I didn't feel like it was very accurate and hard to substantiate almost everything he wrote.
> 
> Sent From My Freemasonry Pro App


My brothers I have not had the privilege of reading this book, going back in my mind, not sure if I heard of him before this site, that being said , I understand the reasons for giving sources, but we as brothers searching for truth should consider that whoever we quote is quoting someone else or they had an moment of clarity, in closing maybe 33 refers to the age of my Master when they destroyed his body rendering it uninhabitable, thereby enabling him to escape the confines of His physical body, go do a lecture in the land of the dead go back get his body, because only souls that sin die, go back the G.A.O.T.U. and say "Most Worshipful " I have giving the craft their work!!!wwea


Bro Book
M.W.U.G.L. Of Fl: P.H.A.
Excelsior # 43
At pensacola


----------



## BroBook (May 23, 2014)

Hermias said:


> I agree, i have a friend who wants to become a member with his heart and soul. He is very fervent and dedicated in obtaining as much knowledge about the order. He researches a lot on the net and I had to caution him the other day to not spoil it for himself: his initiation should be a special occasion and not a I know it all experience.
> 
> 
> Sent From My Freemasonry Pro App


Back in 1984 my instructor ask me to do him a favor and not read any thing else period until I was I. 


Bro Book
M.W.U.G.L. Of Fl: P.H.A.
Excelsior # 43
At pensacola


----------



## brother josh (May 30, 2014)

Yea that's what sux about this lovely technology that we have in our hands it's good that at a drop of a dime I can read about ppl like manly p hall but it's bad because at time it does shine a negative light on our order that them of the outside world think is true


Sent From My Freemasonry Pro App


----------



## Tony Uzzell (May 31, 2014)

brother josh said:


> Yea that's what sux about this lovely technology that we have in our hands it's good that at a drop of a dime I can read about ppl like manly p hall but it's bad because at time it does shine a negative light on our order that them of the outside world think is true
> 
> 
> Sent From My Freemasonry Pro App



The thing that has to be learned by all of us at some point or another in our lives if we are to reach our true potential as humans is the difference between knowledge and wisdom, between fact and truth.

Unfortunately, the internet (and the people on it, including all of us) is too often mistaken for sharing wisdom and truth. The internet is a tremendous tool for sharing knowledge, but having access to knowledge does not imbue one with understanding, nor does it grant intelligence.

When I hear the mouths on the internet speak their "wisdom" that is derisive of the Craft, I am reminded of the five-year-old child who can recite his multiplication tables or a list of all of the U.S. Presidents. Some may consider that impressive, but all I can ask is: "Does he really understand what he's saying or is he just parroting what he has been told?"

We, as Freemasons, must traffic in wisdom and truth, not knowledge and fact.

TU


----------



## BryanMaloney (Jun 1, 2014)

"Truth" devoid of knowledge is no truth at all, it is merely rote dogma.


----------



## rebis (Jun 1, 2014)

Knowledge without understanding has no worth!


Sent From My Freemasonry Pro App


----------



## BroBook (Jun 1, 2014)

Wisdom is proper use of knowledge!!!


Bro Book
M.W.U.G.L. Of Fl: P.H.A.
Excelsior # 43
At pensacola


----------



## rebis (Jun 1, 2014)

BroBook said:


> Wisdom is proper use of knowledge



You nailed it!

For example, these days, everybody knows how an iPhone works... to the point where it can be copied and replicated. There is a difference however between the operator or even a person that can repair an iPhone and the designer of the product. 

One has knowledge and the other creative wisdom.



Sent From My Freemasonry Pro App


----------



## BryanMaloney (Jun 2, 2014)

Refusing to obtain knowledge in a misguided search for some sort of abstraction of "truth" is refusing to learn truth and embracing ignorance. Rejecting knowledge and fact in an attempt to invent some sort of "wisdom and truth" is rejecting foundations and basements in order to build a "pure" house that simply rests upon unprepared ground.


----------



## dfreybur (Jun 2, 2014)

BroBook said:


> Wisdom is proper use of knowledge!!!



Power is knowledge applied.  Wisdom is knowledge applied PROPERLY.

I suggest that the difference has to do with the "civic virtue" that we teach at lodge but find so hard to define.


----------



## Warrior1256 (Aug 25, 2014)

I'm definately going to get a copy of this book and read it. Sounds like a great read.


----------

