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The Initiate
The evolution of Masonry in South India
appears to date from the year 1786 A.D. In those days
good and educated, top-ranking and worthy men, who could
grasp the deeper symbolism of Masonry and penetrate
into its allegories and were trustworthy by reputation,
were alone chosen for Initiation. Even then perfection
was not possible. Even now some persons out of curiosity
get themselves initiated, attend a few Meetings and
then stop away. Some attend the Meetings regularly,
but neglect their responsibilities to the Lodge. The
responsible Masons are on the whole far numerous than
the former two classes and their performance is good.
The object of Masonry is to teach self
knowledge to every Mason, but this self-knowledge involves
a knowledge much deeper, vaster and more superfine than
is generally conceived. It aims very high at a secret
path of life. The sole aim of the Fraternity is to seek
and knock at the door of the world within, and know
the self and lead an ideal life and finally to be one
with Him.
A Ceremony has different functions.
Ceremony actually means a mode of showing reverence.
A ceremony, whatever be its nature, requires the co-operation
of several persons, and they must all work with perfect
harmony and unison. This is especially so in a Masonic
ceremony. In Masonry Ceremony shines with life.
Every Mason is simply a builder. He
builds within himself an ideal temple of Character.
From an Entered Apprentice he rises to be a Master Mason
in due course. What does Initiation aim at? It aims
at a transition from a merely natural state and standard
life towards a requisite and supernatural standard.
The ceremony of Initiation makes the candidate, who
is in a state of darkness, God-fearing, and restores
him to Light.
The candidate for Initiation comes
to the Lodge. He is prepared by the T. He perceives
a certain force or power pervading him during the preparation.
The T. takes him to the door where the I G. receives
him. He thinks within himself many things when he moves
inside the Temple. His mind must necessarily be filled
with spritual thoughts only.
Just at this moment he is restored
to light and he sees all the people : The Officers on
the dais and the Brethren all round see him and bless
him. Such a thing happens only once in the life of a
Mason. Then he is passed through the Revelation, entrustment
of s...s and w...s, testing by Wardens, investiture
of clothing. Initiation and presentation or Working
Tools. Finally the W. M. delivers a lecture.
In this degree the following points
seem to be important. The I Degree prepares the candidate
for self-discipline and purification. The working tools
of the First Degree represent Intellect, Will and Feeling.
The Intellect has to be trained, the Will to be controlled
and the Feelings to be ordered by the practice of concentration,
thereby laying the foundations of the pillars of Wisdom,
Strength and Beauty in the Eemple of Character. The
first stage of spiritual development in mental, moral
and vital strength is attained.
The candidate passes through the following
stages during the First Degree Ceremony :-
The State of Darkness
(1) Admission to the Lodge.
(2) Prayer of Dedication.
(3) Mystical Journey.
(4) Declaration of freedom, motive and perseverance.
(5) Advance from W. to E.
(6) Obligation.
(7) Restoration of Light.
The State of Light
(1) Revelation of Greater and Lesser lights.
(2) Entrustment of Secret.
(3) Testing by Wardens.
(4) Investiture of Clothing.
(5) Initiation
(6) Working Tools
(7) Lecture
The Fellowcraft
In this Degree the candidate comes
to enlightenment. He discovers the Sacred Symbol - G.G.O.T.U.
The symbolic principles of the square, level, and plumb-ruie
improves his moral rectitude. The Mason's evolution,
one after the other by degrees, shows growth. This is
the peculiar characteristic of Speculative or Symbolic
Masonry. The expression of inner feelings, a creative
design in the art of living, a faith in G.G.O.T.U. and
sincere faith in charity stimulate the mind. The candidate
is incited stimulate the mind. The candidate is incited
with the love of Virtue, desire to do good work and
earn some reward. He aspires to ascend step by step
to reach a high place.
The Second Degre is concerned with
improving the mind of the Candidate than with his outward
personality. It is directed more especially to stimulate
his intellectual faculties, so that the purified understanding
of the man of virtue may be crowned with Wisdom and
attain that intellectual Light which is called Inner
Illumination.
According to Wor. Bro. W. L. Wilmshurat
the Fellowcraft Degree should be conferred an Upper
Chamber which is reached by winding staircase. By so
doing, he says, we will be true to symbolism, be moving
in a fine and more subtle plane and dealing with the
most abstract thoughts of mind and understanding. Now
the candidate is advancing from the lower to a higher
degree, from darkness to Light.
In ancient forest colonies of sages
in ancle India, such religious ceremonies called apart
and para were performed. Apara (Exoterle was performed
by those who had studied Vye karna (Grammar), Niruktha
(philosophy) Ghandas, (prosody) and Jyothisha (astronomy)
which were lower grade subjects. After qualifying themselves
they would go to para (Esoteric) and study Vedas. At
present, student study Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics,
Retoric, Logic and so on, to attain expert Knowledge.
Similarly, the candidates admitted to masonry should
study the lessons in the secons of F. C. stage and make
themselves ready receive the full fruition of human
learning.
The Fellowcraft Degree makes the candidate
dive deep into the abstract doctrine of symbolism. The
degree teaches perfect knowledge of God. Masonry has
a visible system of ceremonial behind which lie its
spiritual and intellectual aspects.
The Master Mason
"The Kingdom of Heaven is within
you Straight is the gate-way, Narrow is the path and
few there be that find it." The Symbolic principle
of the square, level and plumb rule create moral rectitude,
exactness of thought word and action.
Now we come to the Third Degree Raishin
ceremony. The opinions of some experiences Masons are
as follows:
By the candidate's proficiency he is
move from the North side to the South side in the meridian
sunlight of moral illumination.
Points of Observation in the Raising
Ceremony:
1. The candidate symbolically passes
through a great and striking change - a rebirth or regeneration
of his whole nature.
2. By virtue of the self-discipline
and self development he has rejected a corruptible body
and raised in him an incorruptible body.
3. The degree sometimes creates an
impresssion that death awaits all men, but a far deeper
meaning is intended. To the mortal body death is natural,
and when the due time arrives, the transition is welcome.
Death to which masonry alludes is the death-in-life
to a man's own lower self which St. Paul referred to
when he protested "I die daily." What is meant
is that complete self-sacrifice and self-crucification
which, as all religions teach, are essential before
the sould can be raised in glory "from a figurative
death to a reunion with the companion of its former
toils" both here and in the unseen world.
4. The soul passes through a state
of utter helplessness. No earthly hand can rescue it.
The grip proves a slip. The Divine Help with the lion's
grip raises the faithful regenerated soul to union with
itself in an embrace of reconciliation and at-one-ment.
5. In masonry there is the legendary
account of Hiram's death. The entire story is symbolical
andpurposely invented for the symbolical purposes of
teaching. There is no historical basis for the death.
6. The Mason must imitate the life
and death of Christ. Remember St. Paul's words, "we
must die with Him if we are to be raised like him".
7. Point of fellowship - may refer
to the five wounds of Christ. The three years ministry
refer to the three degrees of the craft.
8. Hiram Abiff signifies in Hebrew
the teacher Guru.
To Sum up the Three Degrees
Man begins his career in his natural
state and ends it by becoming through discipline a regenerated
perfect man. He is taught to purify and subdue his sensualnature,
then to purify by utter surrender of his old life he
rises a just man made perfect. The very essence of masonic
doctrine is that all men are in search of something
in their own nature which they have lost. With proper
instruction and by patient industry they hope to find
the lost thing.
The ceremonies in the three Degrees
represent a sincere quest after supernatural Light.
1. Transition from darkness to light.
2. The pathway itself and the Light to be found thereon.
3. The Light attained as a result of faithfully pursuing
that path to the end.
Masonry is not a religion, thought
it contains many religious elements and references.
Neither is Masonry a philosophy althought behind it
lies a philosophical background. The official description
of Masonry is that it is a system of "morality".
is a secret order necessary to learn morals and ethics?
Elementary morals can be learnt in the outside world.
The Possession of 'strict morals' as every Mason knows
is a preliminary qualification for entering the Order.
The Order insists on obedience to the Moral Law and
emphasises closer cultivation of certain "Bthical
virtues." On entering into the order it is the
Freemason's duty to labour to understand its Mysticism,
Allegory and Symbols. The Order - the morality system
- merely guarantees its possession of truth. It does
not undertake to impart it, save to those who labour
for it. The onus of translating these must ever rest
with the reciplent as part of his life work. Masonry
then is a science and an art, a theory and a practice
and this was ever the way in which the schools of the
Ancient Wisdom and Mysteries proceeded. Freemasonry
is a higher grade school where in greater privacy the
Mysteries, Science, Art Symbol and Allegory can be studied
and practised.
Life involves growth. Those of us desirous
of further advancement and spiritual instruction can
labour and reach the perfected life.
Some members are content to be Masonically
educated. Some are earnest seekers after Wishdom and
Light. The duty of instructing such brethren lies on
the Masters and the past-Masters. How many installed
Masters are conscious in their hearts of possessing
or even striving to scquire that Wisdom, that understanding
of our Science, that power of raising other from Darkness
to Light in any real vital sense.
Every one of us a Mason is engaged
in building this spiritual part as the heart of the
Cosmic Temple. The reveiation of the hidden beauty and
splendour of that Temple is the mission of every Mason.
We do not labour for personal benefit of praise. All
masons must work on behalf of humanity.
A Mason should strive for full spiritual
awakening our Great Mahatma did.
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