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M.W.Bro. Jean-Charles FOELLNER the Grand Master of
the Grand Lodge of National France, Chairman of the
Conference, R.W.Bro. Thomas Jackson, Executive Secretary
of the Conference, Grand Masters and accompanying Delegates
from the Sister Grand Lodges and my dear Brethren,
I thank the Organizers of the 8th World
Conference in providing me this opportunity to speak
before this august assembly of Grand Masters and other
erudite Freemasons, from all over the world, representing
a wide variety of cultures. My Country -India, as you
may know, is a vast country, with a very large population
and a vibrant democracy. It is a multi lingual, multi
cultural, multi ethnic and a multi religious country.
It is a country where we live in unity amidst diversity.
Grand Lodge of India though was consecrated as a Sovereign
Grand Lodge having jurisdiction in an over the geographical
territories of India in November 1961, advent of Freemasonry
in India is over 300 years old. There are now about
350 Lodges and about equal number of other Masonic bodies
located in different parts of the country with a total
membership of about 18,000 Freemasons under the Grand
Lodge of India. There are number of Lodges and other
Masonic bodies functioning in India under their respective
parent Grand Lodges.
The broad theme of this conference is "Spiritual
Openness in the Modern World" and one of its sub
themes is "Exchange of live experiences of Regular
Grand Lodges of the World". It is in this context,
that I have come before you, to share my experience
of a rather unique Ceremony, which we have adopted in
our country, for public demonstration projecting the
underlying principles of the Fatherhood of God and the
Brotherhood of Man, as propagated by Freemasonry and
identifying common threads for linking these principles,
with the teachings contained in the Religious Books
of the Major Religions of the World.
By way of a preamble, I would like to add that God created
Man. He didn't create Religion. It is man who created
Religion. We in Freemasonry however believe in a Supreme
Being and believe in the brotherhood of man, irrespective
of caste, creed or religion. To reflect this spirit
in Freemasonry, we in India have the unique practice
of displaying on the Altar of the Masonic Temples, not
one, but Five Volumes of the Sacred Laws viz. The Bible,
representing Christianity, The Bhagwat Gita, representing
Hinduism, The Quoran, representing Islam, The Holy Granth
Sahib, represents Sikhism and the Zend Avesta representing
the Parsi religion - all of which coexist in our country
in amity, peace and harmony, in a spirit of mutual tolerance
and respect. These volumes are opened reverentially
at the opening of every Lodge and closed formally with
all respect and reverence, when the business of the
Lodge is over. While the Square and Compasses are opened
on the Religious Book belonging to the faith of the
Worshipful Master, the candidates take their obligation
in the three degrees on the Religious Book of their
faith. The Worshipful Master appoints every year five
Members of the Lodge as Bearers of the five Volumes
of the Sacred Laws, to carry the five religious books
reverentially at the opening and closing of the Lodge
or on other important occasions.
All of us here are well aware of the different degrees
of misunderstanding and misinformation that prevail
in most of the countries, about Freemasonry. As a part
of our effort to demystify Freemasonry and to spread
its beneficial influence, and in keeping with the Economic
Liberalization that is currently sweeping the world,
particularly in the developing countries, Grand Lodge
of India decided to start the process of Masonic Liberalization
as well, without, I must hasten to add, compromising
in any way the basic tenets of Freemasonry. The concept
of Devine Service is based on this premise.
The first significance of the ceremony of Devine Service
is that it is open to the general public including the
ladies. Secondly, it is not as if any Lodge can conduct
a Divine Service of its own at any time. It is always
regarded as a Grand Lodge Ceremony and can be organized
only with the prior permission of the Grand Lodge invariably
with the Grand Master himself, or his duly authorized
Senior Grand Officer conducting it, according to a predetermined
prescribed procedure. While in small and in medium Cities,
the Divine Service is generally held in the Masonic
Temple itself, where the Public is allowed to come and
witness the ceremony, in larger cities it is often held
in large public halls, with appropriate Masonic Furniture.
Usually a prominent public figure is requested to preside
over the function, as a guest of Honour. Freemasons
attend the ceremony in the regalia of their respective
ranks, thus adding colour to the function.
The Grand Master in full regalia, accompanied by other
senior Freemasons in colourful regalia, enters the temple,
or the hall in procession, with the Standard Bearer
behind him and the Sword Bearer in front of him, along
with the Guest of Honour to the accompaniment of appropriate
music.
After the Grand Master and the presiding Guest of Honour
are conducted to their respective seats by the Director
of Ceremonies, the Five Bearers of the Volumes of the
Sacred Laws proceed in procession to the altar and ceremonially
place the Volumes of the Sacred Laws with due reverence.
The Director of ceremonies requests all present to stand.
With the sign of reverence and kneeling before the Altar
he opens all the Volumes of the Sacred Laws.
The Grand Master then formally welcomes the Chief Guest
and the members of the Public, who are gathered to witness
the Devine Service, giving a brief explanation of what
Freemasonry is and what Freemasons stand for, as also
the objectives of the Divine Service.
The Divine Service then commences with a solemn and
beautiful prayer by the Chaplain, which is called the
"Freemasons' Prayer", imploring the Almighty
God to bless all Freemasons wherever they may be and
to provide them speedy relief, if it be His will from
their distress, trouble, sorrows, needs, sickness or
any other adversities or sufferings.
With a brief introductory remark by the Grand Master
appropriate extracts from the Five Scriptures, carefully
selected by scholars on the aspect of Invocation of
the Supreme being, are then read out solemnly in the
respective languages by the concerned Bearers of the
Volumes of the Sacred Laws. Again with a brief introductory
remark by the Grand Master appropriate extracts from
the Five Scriptures on the aspects of Adoration, Supplication
and Dedication are read out one by one. The portions
of the scriptures as read out are translated in English
which enables those present, to appreciate how there
is a common thread of thoughts and sentiments running
through all the scriptures and thereby establishes the
oneness of God and the commonality of approach to Him
in all the Religions. This ceremony of Divine Service
thus projects and demonstrates the ideals of Freemasonry
to the Public, and enables them to understand the basic
Philosophy of Universal Brotherhood, as propagated by
Freemasonry.
After the portions of the scriptures are read as above,
covering the four aspects of Invocation, Adoration,
Supplication and Dedication, all present are requested
to stand and say together an Affirmation as follows:
- "We affirm our common faith that the lives of
all Human Beings are in the Hands of God and that He
is wherever Living Beings Are."
The Divine Service then concludes with a beautiful prayer
by the Chaplain called the "Prayer for the Future"
in which he beseeches to God to pour down His spirit
on the Craft, so that all its Members may be given a
new Vision, new Life and new Fellowship, both with one
another and the world at large, as also to proclaim
His message of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth. The
prayer also requests the God to open our hearts to receive
His power, open our eyes so that we may see His out
stretched Hands to bless and finally to do with us as
He Wills and not what we may desire.
Since the media is also invited to attend the Divine
Service, the event is often reported in the local newspapers
with appropriate photographs and sometimes these Divine
Services are also shown in Television by way of news
clippings. The feed back so far received shows that
the public is quite impressed by the Divine Service
and at the end of it, are now better informed about
Freemasonry and its objectives and laudable purposes.
I have narrated the details of our Divine Service so
that I may share with you this interesting experience.
My dear Brethren I do hope that you have enjoyed listening
to it.
I thank you for a patient hearing.
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