|
It is possible that some kind of Freemasonry,
i.e., man's ideas regarding God, the Creator and the
Great Architect of the Universe, has existed wherever
man has begun to contemplate on the mystery and origin
of the Universe.
The Nile Valley must have afforded
a great opportunity for people living there for Operative
masonry as their lands were systematically flooded every
year and thus they had to measure the land and demarcate
it so that it can be restored again to the rightful
owners after each flood. There are also the Pyramids
in Egypt which must have entailed a great deal of calculations
and planing before they were erected and which exhibit
masterly work manship in their execution. They are still
standing after these millenims. Apart from the superior
officers much of it must have been done by forced labour.
If any organised Freemasonry as such existed in Egypt,
it would appear that we do not have tangible proofs
for the same so far but they were certainly great and
wonderful builders and artficers in metals whose skill
has stood the test of time and are so true to life and
still a source of inspiration and wonder.
It would appear that Moses must have
been well skilled in all the knowledge of Egypt, as
he was brought up in the home of the Pharoah and also
the Israelites who fled with him must have had some
acquaintance with the wonderful Arts and Crafts of Egypt.
It is possible that some of it is treasured in the Bible
with subsequent developments of the same to suit the
new and the Independent state of the Israelites.
From all accounts Freemasonry had its
original at the time of the building of the Temple Jerusalem
by King Solomon. This Temple we presumably to house
the Ark of the Covents which the Israelities carried
in their wandering in the wilderness when they fled
from Egypt. We have it that in the building of that
Temp Solomon had the asslstance of Hirman, the King
of Tyre and Hiram Abif, an eminent Craftsms who was
well skilled in designing and in bulling as well as
in moulding metals. Thus trad tlonally in the Craft
Degrees of Freemason the kings and the commoners are
associate. It is interesting to note that in every Degree
Freemasonry the words and incidents associate with them
are found in the bible which is consldered to be the
Volume of the Sacred Law by Freemasons, though when
any person who does not have faith the Bible takes his
Oath Secrecy on the Volume consideration by him to be
sacred, and an oath taken on it makes it binding upon
him.
The Building of the Holy Temple is
recorded in great detail in the Volume of the Sacred
Law, i.e. in the Old Testament of the Bible. As I have
said above every Degree in Freemasonry is derived from
some part of the Bible. It includes the Net Testament
also.
Since Masonry is associated with the
building of a Temple, Craft masons in ancient time were
actually builders of the great Cathedrath and Sacred
edifices associated in some way with the Bible, and
this has happened in all parts of Europe.
When the desire came to free the Holy
Land or parts thereof associated with the Life of Christ
from the Saracens and Trurks, the cursades were begun
and they were also associated with Freemasonry. In course
of time the Operative Masons who erected the sacred
edifices had a chosen few how were not actually Operative
masons but who shared their mysteries and secrets and
that is how Freemasonry as we know now came into existence.
Some people have wrong ideas about
Freemasonry and call it a Secret Society. it is a Secret
Society but it does not mean thereby that the are involved
in doing something which is objectionable or contrary
to the Laws of Nature or subversive of the order of
Society. On the other hand it is exactly opposite of
that in that they are examples of decency and propriety,
interested in moral truth and virtue and cultivating
all the aspects of life which go for the good order
and well being of mankind. There secrets are restricted
to only those aspects of life which have to be kept
away from the eyes of prying men, even as Sacred Mantras
and Writings are kept secret and away fromt he profane
and unworthy.
It is an Association of Godly men who
are interested in the welfare of mankind without prejudice
of colour or creed.
The essential characteristic of Freemasonry
is Charity; Charity in thought, Charity in word and
Charity in deed. The munificence of charitably minded
Freemasons is evident from the Charities and Institutions
which they have sponsored, or are conducting for the
welfare, health and happiness of people generally.
The essential requisites in a candidate
for Freemasonry are Belief in a Supreme being, which
is absolutely essential, readiness and willingness to
learn and perfect freedom of inclination for its mysteries.
It is founded on the purest principles of piety and
virtue.
In the Lodge in which I was Initiated,
above the V.S.L. there was a ladder with some letters
on it which I noticed soon after my Initiation. This
ladder and the letters intrigued me and I thought at
once of Vikramaditya who had a throne with eighteen
steps (some accounts state thirty-two setps) and i am
told that one has to climb eighteen steps to go to the
Temple of Sabarimalai int he erstwhile Trayancore State
and the mahabaharaia contains eighteen padalams. It
took many years for me to understand the significance
of this ladder with its letters, "I have not seen
this ladder and the letters in any other Lodge which
I have visited in many parts of the World. Since the
building where my Mother Lodge was originally held is
no longer in existence I wonder whether this ladder
continues to be in its usual place !
In would appear that Masonry in India
is not the same as it was half a century ago and the
quality of men who offer themselves as candidates is
not perhaps of the same calibre as it was in former
days.
As we all know, there are many Degrees
in Freemasonry with peculiar secrets restricted to each.
It is also a fact that only worthy men, and worthy men
alone, who come of their own free will and accord to
participate in the mysteries of Freemasonry are made
Masons. They should be free born and should be able
to act with responsibility and should be able to have
the means to help others, as well as the leisure to
pursue the studies and have the time of the contemplation
on the mysteries of God and Nature so that they can
make a daily advancement in Masonic knowledge.
Masonry is essentially the same throughout
the world with some local differences.
Each Lodges is an association of free
men formed into separate groups and strata in society
according to their culture and each Lodge has a set
of grade officers who are there for the conduct of administration,
business and imparting mystical knowledge. Several of
these Lodges are grouped together into Districts for
the convenience of wider and better administration and
a number of Districts are again grouped together as
a Grand Lodge which becomes a hierarchy. It is usual
for each independent country or State to have a Grand
Lodge of its own. It is thus that when India became
independent, an impetus was given for the Grand Lodge
of India to be born, by the Authorities of the heads
of the Lodges which had worked in India under the three
different Constitutions and which originally came from
the Countries of England, Scotland and Ireland.
God has given certain characteristic
gifts to certain races and each of them have their particular
contribution to make in the edifice of Masonry. Therefore
through no innovations can be made in the body politic
of Masonry, which is Universal, some little variations
according to the genius of individual nations is possible.
|
