The initiation into Freemasonry is a unique event. In fact it is a totally new experience which elevates all serious candidates into a different level of existence itself.

The Ceremony of Initiation is beautifully charged and pregnant with subtle thoughts and ideas. A number of questions initially asked of a candidate for initiation in a way spells out the way ahead in Freemasonry.

In fact, one of the first questions asked of each one of us as candidates not only is a pre-condition for admission but also serves as an implied condition for continued association.

I refer to the question the Worshipful Master has asked each of us; whether we had offered ourselves as 'Candidates', "….. uninfluenced by mercenary or other unworthy motive."

No doubt each one of us have answered in the affirmative at that time. But have we really understood the implication of this question and the significance of our affirmative answer to it?

Our affirmative answer implied that, not only at that time, but also at no time subsequently would we be influenced by mercenary or other unworthy motive!

How often do we attend meetings, take up Offices, contest elections without any unworthy motive? The English language is indeed peculiar. It very easily transforms "selflessness" into "selfishness".

Consciously or sub consciously all our actions are in fact governed by mercenary or other unworthy motive. This is natural. For human that we are, self interest becomes our constant and powerful guide.

Once when Birbal was not present in the court, four courtiers were bad-mouthing about Birbal. Emperor Akbar did not like this. He told his courtiers, "You are blaming and accusing Birbal for nothing. In fact he is really wiser and clever than you. Today, Birbal is not here and I need an answer to a question of mine. If you do not answer my question correctly, all the four of you will be hanged."

The Emperor's words scared them. One of them mustered courage and said, "Ask your question, my Lord!"

"Which is the biggest thing in this world?" the Emperor asked. Hearing Akbar's question, the four courtiers became silent. Nobody was able to answer this question. After some time one of them said, "God's Godliness is the biggest thing."

"The Emperor's empire is the biggest," the other replied.

Hearing their baseless answers the Emperor said, "Answer the question after much thought, otherwise I've told you that you'll be hanged."

"Your Majesty! Please give us some time." The third said in a scared voice. The Emperor granted them seven days time for a suitable reply.

The four of them came out of the court with fear of hanging.

Six days had passed but they could not reach any conclusion. Defeated, they decided that Birbal was the only person who could answer this question and rescue them from this situation. So they went to Birbal. They explained the whole story to Birbal and requested him with folded hands to tell them the answer to the question. Birbal heard the question and smiled, "I will answer your question but I have a condition."

"You are talking of one condition, we are ready to accept a thousand conditions. Please tell your condition," said the courtiers.

"The four of you will carry my cot on your shoulders and take me to the court,. One of you will carry my hookah, which I'll be smoking, and one of you will carry my shoes." This was the condition that Birbal put.

At other times, such a condition would have seemed preposterous and unacceptable to the courtiers. They wouldn't have agreed. But at this moment when there was a fear of hanging, they immediately agreed to his condition. They did likewise. They picked up the cot, hookah and Birbal's shoes and started.

Birbal was smoking and sitting on the cot. People were staring at this surprising spectacle. The four courtiers put Birbal's cot in the middle of the Court. Birbal got down from the cot and said, "Your Majesty! You must have got the answer to your question. The biggest thing in this world is self-interest."

Freemasonry teaches us to let go this self interest, the unworthy motives. When this is done our path to progress opens up.

It is therefore necessary for us, each time a candidate is asked this question, to direct it to ourselves. Have we really left unworthy motive and 'self interest' outside the doors of Freemasonry?

If the answer is a 'yes' then truly we would be 'just and upright Freemasons.' If however our conscience refuses to say YES, we would have not only missed the quintessence of Freemasonry but would have done great damage to the Institution as well.

Self interest or 'unworthy motive' has no place in Freemasonry. In fact no place in the path of a true seeker.

Unworthy motive creates a bondage; it thwarts free thinking. It damages the individual as well as the Institution.

This must be removed and kept outside - just as metals and metallic substances are removed and kept outside the Lodge doors.

Working or getting involved without an 'unworthy motive' or 'self interest' not only creates great enthusiasm but also produces great results. There is no tension, animosity or undue expectation. The whole experience becomes a joy, a celebration. And in such a moment visions are created, dreams are realised - not for any unworthy motive but for the good of everyone.

In conclusion let me share with you this piece that I read recently:

"If you work for a man, in Heaven's name, work for him. If he pays you wages which supply you bread and butter, work for him; speak well of him; stand by him and stand by the institution he represents. If put to a pinch, an ounce of loyalty is worth a pound of cleverness. If you must vilify, condemn and eternally disparage - resign your position, and when you are outside, damn to your heart's content, but as long as you are part of the institution do not condemn it. If you do that, you are loosening the tendrils that are holding you to the institution and at the first high wind that comes along, you will be uprooted and blown away, and probably will never know the reason why."

SMIB!

Arun Chintopanth
Grand Master

On the occasion of Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2006, I take this opportunity to convey our best wishes to you all. I pray to Supreme Governor of the Universe for his blessings to our brethren and their families in the coming year. May he bless us with health, wealth, joy and all kinds of happiness. We, on our part should resolve to shed ego, avoid jealousy and stop ill feelings towards others and submit to the wishes of the ALMIGHTY.

Brethren, we all know that Freemasonry is built upon three lofty pillars - Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth. It is a self proven fact that all these virtues have to be practiced in a social mileu as the Man has no existence without society. Aristotle's famous adage that 'Man is a social animal' is nothing but the stark truth. Let us understand that Freemasonry and Freemasons are not an exclusive island in themselves. They are as much a part of the humanity as any other organization and therefore, it must be seen and felt by the community around. The task before us therefore is to draw closer and closer to the community, keeping our unique identity and secrets intact. Earlier for some historic reasons the masonry distanced itself from the community so much so that it was considered as a secret organisation indulging in black magic or witchcraft.

Now this impression which was wrongly built about Freemasonry has to be washed off and we must make ourselves totally visible, useful and benevolent part of the community to give our good and positive image in the society.

We are no doubt taking great stride in this direction. We have opened a number of charitable dispensaries, Polyclinics, hospitals, schools, old age Homes and in myriad ways we are helping the destitutes, deprived, disabled and downtrodden at our individual level as well as at the Institutional level. But we know for certain that ours is a country largely inhabited by underprivileged and deprived people whose number is a legion and our efforts just like a drop in the ocean. But that does not mean that we should sit back helplessly looking at the enormity of the situation. Rather we should come forward to do whatever little we can, with full faith in ourselves. As true masons we have to open ourselves to the needs of the community, come closer to it and do our bit to help the Society. I draw your attention to that portion of the Address given to the Master on his installation in the Eastern Chair in which he is advised to charge his brethren "to practice out of the Lodge those duties they have been taught in it, and by virtues, amiable and discreet conduct to prove to the world the happy and beneficial effects of our ancient Institution, so that when any one is said to be a member of it, the world may know that he is one to whom the burdened heart may pour forth its sorrow, to whom the distressed may prefer their suit whose hand is guided by Justice and whose heart is expanded by benevolence".

Brethren, in the past, M.W. the Grand Master launched a project "Dhanya Dhan" which received excellent response from individual Brethren and Lodges throughout India. After the grand success of "Dhanya Dhan" project M.W. The Grand Master has launched another laudable project namely "Gyan Dhan", In the Grand Board meeting held in Varanasi on November 25, 2005 he explained that the curriculum in our schools does not provide for imparting value based education to our children. On the home front, gone are the days when grandma or grandpa spent time with their grand children in taking them through interesting Indian tales and mythological fiction which had a strong message of our values like truth, kindness, dharma, righteousness etc. He further said, "We Freemasons have believed in charity, we have forgotten this very important charity, the offering values to our children. This charity is like teaching a hungry man fishing, instead of giving him fish."

To start with a set of ten CD's each communicating a moral value has been prepared. One CD contains a story from our rich culture and communicates the message through graphics, animation, narrative, etc. A circular has been sent to all Lodges to adopt at least two schools each in their respective cities/towns/metros for this project. Each Lodge is required to tie up with the management of the adopted schools so that a team of brethren from the Lodge visits such schools each month preferably on a predetermined fixed day for making presentation to children in the age group 8 to 12 years. It is the earnest desire of M.W. the Grand Master that ALL Lodges without exception must implement this project which will not only assist in building a strong moral and ethical foundation but will also give Freemasonry a good and positive image.

Brethren, before I conclude, let me give below important events of Grand Lodge from July 2005 to December 2005 for your perusal.

In the end, I once again wish you and all members of your family Merry X-mass and Happy New Year 2006.

Dr. Harish Gupta
Grand Secretary

Another year has gone by, a wonderful one at that for the country and its people, in an economic sense, all the indices that would be looked at for the health of the country were on a growth/bullish mode. Well what can happen in 2006? It has to be even better!! We learn to be optimists, we don't say the glass is half empty, but that the glass is half full!! Brethren may all the good tides of the previous year only become better in the new one. All of us at S & C, pray to the GAOTU that, you and your families a very happy, healthy, prosperous and peaceful 2006.

We have sought to bring out a combined issue for the July to December 2005 issue so that we are on track and the next four quarters sees regular issue reaching your table within 15 days of the end of the quarter. We are working hard to ensure it is possible and implemented.

We have been carrying many speeches of MW the Grand Master, and permit me to share with you, that many brethren have come forward and appreciated the speeches and say now they are able to know what has been said at various forum by him. We all know his quality of content and delivery, that we do eagerly look forward to more occasions.

In this issue we are carrying the speeches made by MW the GM at the Grand Festival in Varanasi, in Craft, Chapter and Mark Lodges. Orations R. W. Bro. M Himatlal and R. W. Bro. Dr. Harish Gupta. The List of all active ranks in Craft, Chapter and Mark Lodge at the Grand Level are carried for the information of the brethren. Two short notes, one on Bro. Basil D Ebenezer - a centenarian and the other entitled " Brotherly love" my Late Bro. Manmohan Swarup are on this issue. I have definite information that one more Centenarian brother is due for felicitation in early 2006 and we shall carry this in the next issue. Bro. J K Dev Gupta has sent his thoughts on an process called " Panch Pradeep" makes interesting reading, as are the award winning essay of W.Bro. Kasi Viswanathan Raghu and the those that one the certificate of merit from W. Brn. Vijay Kumar Gauhar and C S Madhavan. It is hoped that these award winning and certificate of merit winning essays prod you to further stimulation and thought. If that were not enough, we have finally opened " The Coffee Table" and " The Tavern", with a few notes. Just to recap what these are, The Coffee Table is a chat corner on matters that do not involve speculative masonry, but are more mundane. The Tavern on the contrary involve more serious matters as I had premised in the first issue of the S&C which I had started editing. Let us see some clean and crisp action and responses, let the mind be stimulated by new thoughts and let us share our thoughts with the other brethren.

Charity by Lodge Fellowship in the nature of a hearing impaired lab has found space here as it was felt that the work done by them would help us derive inspiration for our own activities.

S & C has now stopped carrying a Lodge Round up, in order to avoid a duplication of information with GLINDA newsletter. However our thirst for original articles remains unquenched and we are seeking more of them all the while, please write to us. We also had encouraging response to our request fro information of newsletters by individual lodges and areas in the form of some sample ones and information details of which shall be carried in the next issue. Meanwhile if you are aware of such information and have not already sent it to the undersigned, please do so at the earliest so that the special we are planning on the newsletters carries details of your newsletter too. The Grand Festival had also a special significance this year as a new Grand Master Elect has been elected so that he may be invested in the Next Grand Festival in the year 2006, the chosen one is R.W. Bro. Justice Devinder Gupta Retired Chief Justice of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh, the next issue shall carry more information on him, meanwhile S&C wishes to congratulate him on his election and god speed in planning for his taking charge in November 2006.

The Regional Grand Master of Western India R.W. Bro. G L Shahu is laying down office after an eventful tenure on February 4, 2006 at Mumbai, in recognition MW the GM was pleased to confer on his the prestigious "Order of Service to Masonry", we are carrying the citation in this issue. He will be succeeded by R.W.Bro. Vasudev Mashurekar of Mumbai as the next RGM of WI, detailed information on the new RGM would be carried in the next issue.

We as usual look forward to your interaction in making the S & C more vibrant and improve its quality and content, we will be ever grateful for any effort made in this regards by any brother. Reach me at

W.Bro. Vishwanathan Ganesan
B-106 Shantishikara Apts,
Raj Bhavan Road Somajiguda,
Hyderabad - 500 082.
Phones : 040 23398267 / 23398270
Fax : 040 23390980
Mobile : 0-94408-97470
Email : vishy@primetrust.in; vishyganesan@gmail.com

Warm regards and fraternal greetings!

Vishwanathan Ganesan
Sub Editor

"The Tavern"-an ode to the old Masonic spirit of meeting at Taverns. The Tavern is expected to serve as a discussion forum for serious Masonic speculation, where various issues are raised by writing into The Tavern and other brethren indulge in speculation of their own on the subject and share thoughts with the others, by writing into The Tavern. The brother raising the issue, need not necessarily provide the answer, the discussion could be thrown open and the other brethren participate in this exercise and bring The Tavern to life. The spirit of freemasonry could soar in The Tavern!!

Brethren are requested to participate in the proceedings. Kindly send all mails (including emails) with Coffee Table superscribed for easier work at our end. These were questions raised by the Goshamahal Baradari Masonic Study Circle, Hyderabad.

1. When a Masonic dignitary enters the craft lodge, in a deputation, it is the normal practice for him and the members of his deputation to salute the WM in the chair. Further when offering greetings n behalf of the Grand / Regional Grand Lodge the officers salute the WM in the Chair. However why is it that when the deputation is being formed for exit from the Lodge, that neither the members of the deputation nor the dignitary salute the WM in the Chair, this is seemingly incongruent given the fact that the WM is the supreme ruler of his craft Lodge. Could we discuss the pro's and con's of this matter.
a. Currently the dignitary and members of the deputation give the sign of reverence.
b. Is it not required that they salute in the first degree as generally they leave when the lodge is in first degree?
c. Members of the deputation may show the sign of reverence to the dignitary, but would need to salute the WM??

2. When does one give the sign of reverence and when that of fidelity. It has been noticed that some senior brethren too tend to give sign of reverence as opposed to sign of fidelity in the closing of the Lodge, when the IPM says nothing now remains ….. Could we have a clarification on this matter? Further when the National Anthem of the United States of America, is played it is noticed that the US president and others hold the sign of fidelity (as we know it) could someone tell us how and why this took its origin??

Of all the three tenets of Freemasonry (Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth), Brotherly Love is of paramount importance and is of significant consideration. As per Vedanta, love falls under three broad classifications - selfish, unselfish and selfless - according to their quality and nature.

Selfish love caters to your individual satisfaction and pleases your mind and intellect and also fuels your lust for it further. It is impure, mean and ceases to Brotherly Love; whereas unselfish love satisfies the interests of others as well. It is directed to the welfare of your nation, your community and your fellow-beings. It is pure and is Brotherly Love in the real sense of the term. It can be equated to spirituality and prayer to God.

Abou Ben Adhem is a beautiful poem, written by James Henry Leigh Hunt, that speaks volumes of Brotherly Love. An Angel went round collecting the names of these who love the Lord. Abou Ben Adhem asked the Angel if his name found a place in that list. The Angel replied, "Nay, net so," Abou then implored that his name be noted as someone who loves his fellows.

The Angel succumbed to his entreaties. He presented the list to God. The Lord then prepared, out of it, a list of these whom. He loved most. And lo Ben Adhem's name was right on the top of the list. John Milton had once very aptly said, "These also serve who stand and wait. "It is a lessen for Freemasons. We should emulate the example of Abou Ben Adhem.

Selfless love is universal. It is directed neither to individuals nor to Nations. It pervades everywhere and permeates the atmosphere. This is the purest form of love. It has, however, become rara-avis today

Flash News!!

The Grand Lodge of India has for the first time brought out a Directory of Members which covers various details of all the members countrywide. A commendable effort indeed, brethren may like to procure their copy!! S&C wishes to compliment the brethren who made this happen.

My Brethren,

A very warm welcome to all you to this Grand Festival, 2005 of the Grand Lodge of India, at this sylvan sorroundings in this holy town of Varanasi.

At the outset, I must inform you that, as has been the practice last two years, this Grand Festival has also begun appropriately with the feeding of the poor.

I extend a special welcome to three of our own Past Grand Masters, M.W. Bro. G.R. Divan, M.W.Bro. Hari Prasad Mathur and M.W.Bro. D.D. Udeshi.

I welcome the representatives from our sister Grand Lodges; R.W.Bro. Bomi S. Mehta from the Grand Lodge of Scotland and R.W.Bro. Surjit Singh deputed by the United Grand Lodge of Germany and convey through them to the brethren of their Grand Lodges fraternal greetings and love from the brethren of the Grand Lodge of India.

And to you my brethren from all parts of our Country, a very very warm welcome to this Grand Festival at the historic and holy city of Varanasi and a big thank you for your presence in such large numbers considering the distances many of you had to travel to get to Varanasi. I trust that your travel has been comfortable and your stay enjoyable.

Thank you R.W. the Regional Grand Master of the Regional Grand Lodge of Eastern India, R.W.Bro. Girish Shastry, officers of the Regional Grand Lodge of Eastern India and my brethren of Varanasi for hosting this Grand Festival in such a fine manner.

Shall we, my brethren, carry our appreciation of their efforts with an acclamation.

I would like to thank all the outgoing Active Officers of the Grand Lodge, who, for one year, have so ably supported me and the Grand Lodge of India with their dedicated involvement.

I now look forward to similar commitment and dedication from the newly invested active officers for the ensuing year.

Brethren, the last two years our Grand Lodge has ventured into playing a more positive role by initiating and instituting new and varied activities.

The concept of Workshops for Lodge Officers was started last year. And this morning we had a very educative Workshop for the Directors of Ceremonies of Lodges.

Our Grand Lodge has taken up publication of a number of booklets with literature for the benefit of Lodge officers as also the lay public. A magnum opus was the publication, for the first time, of a Directory of Freemasons.

Virtually all the rituals have been revised and new and improved ritual books are now available.

The Universal Brotherhood Day introduced last year is being celebrated with great enthusiasm and gusto at all the Masonic Centres with the active involvement of the public.

Among the competitions, the Lodge Website competition has been launched this year to add to the other competition launched last year namely the competition for the outstanding Lodge Summons.

The formation of the Masonic Ladies Association at more and more centres is indeed heartening and has not only added more colour to our activities but has also identified the fraternity correctly as a total family experience.

Dhanya Dhan has become such a success that I will not be wrong in stating that everyday atleast one poor soul somewhere in the country is being fed by the Freemasons. "Annadhata Sukhi Bhava".

The newsletter GLINDIA has opened up channels of communication thus bringing brethren and Lodges across the country closer to each other.

The All India Ritual Working Competition that was launched last year continues to evoke enthusiasm and we had the second such competition yesterday, a competition that was marked by a high standard of ritual working. This morning, for the first time in recent years, a meeting of Grand representatives of the foreign Grand Lodges was held.

Our Grand Lodge has been most pro active in the cause of charity. Among the major causes of charity taken up has been the relief for the Tsunami Victims for which more than Rs.1.30 Crores was collected and is being invested in providing infrastructural facilities to those affected by the calamity. Incidentally, this is perhaps, for the first time that our Grand Lodge has acquired immoveable property in its name.

Our Grand Lodge is now in the process of resourcing relief to the victims of the Earthquake that hit the Northern Region recently.

Thus my brethren, the programmes and activities launched and established the last two years are growing from strength to strength, day by day, enhancing not only the image of our Grand Lodge but also in providing stimuli to the brethren and the Lodges.

And to this list of activities, brethren I would like, this evening, to add one more. It is an ambitious project, a project appropriately titled GYAN DHAN of which some literature you may have seen already.

Brethren, we speak of our fraternity as a system of morality. If that be so, then we have a responsibility of promoting morals and values not only within the fraternity but outside as well. While our rituals, the charges, the lectures provide for promoting morals and values to us within our Lodges, we have had no opportunity to do so outside the Fraternity.

"Gyan Dhan" seeks to provide this opportunity. Its objective is to inculcate lessons on morals and ethics to children in schools so that they may grow up with a sound moral and ethical foundation. And in the process the fraternity of Freemasons will get the right kind of public exposure so badly needed.

This project envisages each Lodge adopting atleast two schools - visiting these schools periodically and providing moral and value based lessons to the children there. Modules of such lessons in an audio-video format is prepared and will be supplied to all the Lodges by the Grand Lodge.

I will not go through the details of this project. These will be available to each one of you through your own Lodges.

The rewards of this project both visible and invisible, will be enormous; but this will need the active support and commitment of all the Lodges and the brethren. May I therefore appeal to each one of you my brethren present here and through you to the rest of the fraternity to make a success of this project at a national level and on a scale never done before. Let us contribute our mite in building up a value based society atleast for the future generations.

Brethren, it is very well to have such projects; to speak, write and discuss about our 'system of morality'; to impart moral education, to preach morals and values. But, a million dollar question still remains. How much of this are we really practicing ourselves?

We call our Lodges, our fraternity as citadels of moral truth and virtue.

We deliver wonderfully worded beautiful charges. Pages and pages are being written on the importance of values, of ethics, of morals. But what about their practice?

Have we given this aspect the deserved importance? Have we translated these teachings into action?

If I were to be candid my brethren, I would say that we have not. In fact, we have woefully failed.

While on the one hand we claim our fraternity to be the upholder of morals and values, we are on the other resorting to behaviour that could hardly be described as morally and ethically sound.

A tourist to a new place told his guide, "You must be proud of your town. I was especially impressed by the number of churches in it. Surely, the people here must love the Lord."

"Well," said the guide, "they may love the Lord, but they sure as hell hate each other."

My brethren are we in anyway better? What the guide said about his towns folk may well apply to us as Freemasons.

The controversies that we manage to generate; the ill will that we breed within ourselves; the haste with which we denounce our own members; the brazen acts of disobedience that we indulge in; the way we defy and question superiors; the intemperate language we use in writing letters very often anonymous; the way we fight elections; personal animosity and feuds are extended to Lodges; My brethren, I ask you - Is all this reflective of a system of morality?

It appears that the very system we have come to for succour has become a source of pain.

A group of boys had returned from a picnic and one of them was telling his father:

"Thank God we took a mule with us on the picnic because when one of the boys was injured, we used the mule to carry him back."

"How did he get injured?" asked the father.

"The mule kicked him!" was the boy's reply.

My brethren why are such things happening?

How can a fraternity professing such lofty ideals fall into the labyrinth far removed from such ideals. Where have we gone wrong? Why do we preach one thing and practice virtually the opposite? Why have we turned only preachers and not practioners?

The reason is not difficult to perceive - It is a lack of two important qualities - Tolerance and Love.

Both seem to be conspicuous by their absence. Either we have no tolerance or have a lopsided concept of tolerance.

Mulla Nasarudin's wife wanted a pet. So she bought a monkey.

Mulla was furious. He did not like this. He asked, "What is it going to eat?" "Exactly what we eat," said the wife. "And where is it going to sleep?" asked Mulla. "Right in bed with us," was the wife's reply.

"With us? What about the smell?" questioned Mulla Nasaruddin. "Well," said the wife, "If I can put up with the smell, I guess the monkey can too!"

Our concept of tolerance seems to be just as lopsided.

My brethren, Hellen Keller says: "Tolerance is the greatest gift of the mind."

But this gift does not come from outside. We cannot go to a Bank and buy a gift cheque of tolerance. We have to generate it within ourselves. Until then we will continue to have distorted views and attitudes.

A woman complained to a visiting friend that her neighbour was a poor housekeeper. "You should see how dirty her children and her house are. Take a look at those clothes she has hung out on the line. See the black streaks on the sheets and towels!" she complained.

The friend walked upto the window and said, "I think the clothes are quite clean, my dear. The streaks are on your window."

All too frequently, we see others, not as they are, but as we are.

A correction is badly needed. And fast. We need to develop this gift of tolerance. And to be able to do that we need to cultivate the other attribute that I mentioned, namely, LOVE.

We speak so much of Brotherly Love. Unfortunately it appears that it stops precisely there - in the speech. Should we not proceed ahead, further, and cultivate this? If Colleridge says, "Love man, beast and all", we seem to love only ourselves - Me, Mine and Myself.

Brethren this emotion called LOVE is such a powerful emotion. It defies logic, it defies scientific analysis. The power of Love is tremendous. No animosity, no depression, no delusion, no malice can exist where love exists.

Only tolerance can exist, where love exists.

Keshav Chandra was a leading logician.

He wanted a verbal duel with the great Ramakrishna who he felt was a mad man and a few arguments with him would finish Ramakrishna forever.

A time for their meeting was arranged and as Keshav Chandra came with his followers, Ramakrishna spontaneously hugged him. Keshav Chandra could not respond to Ramakrishna's hug. He was withdrawing backwards.

Ramakrishna said, "Keshava, you don't know how to hug people? You know only how to argue? You are missing much that is valuable - human warmth, human love - but it is good that you have come. I am so happy, I have always wanted to listen to your arguments."

Keshav Chandra could not make any sense of it. He said, "There is no God."

Ramakrishna replied, "What a beautiful statement! Can I hug you again?" And he hugged him again.

Keshav was feeling very embarassed. And Ramakrishna said, "Did you receive my answer or not?"

Keshav said, "You have not said anything. You have simply hugged me."

Ramakrishna said, "That is a way of saying things which cannot be said. You said, 'God does not exist.' And I say you are the proof that God exists; otherwise, from where such beautiful intelligence?" And he hugged him again.

After ten minutes, Keshav Chandra was at the feet of Ramakrishna. He said, "Just forgive me, I had no idea of man who is not in the mind but in the being. You have made it clear to me. You are not a man of logic, you are a man of love - but love is far higher, logic is mundane. Please accept me as one of your disciples."

Brethren this is the power of Love. Love is not the opposite of hate. Love is the absence of hate.

Normally we consider love to be objective - in the sense that we like an object and come to love it. But that is not love because the object may change; our attitude to the object may change. True Love can never change.

A man asked of his neighbour's daughter : "I hear you have broken your engagement with Tom. What happened?"

"Oh! My feelings towards him changed. That's what happened," answered the girl.

"Are you going to return his engagement ring?" questioned the neighbour.

"Oh, no! My feelings towards the ring haven't changed," was the girl's reply.

Love is not objective because anything connected to objects can change. Love is changeless. It is all prevading and hence it is subjective. There can be no boundaries for love.

Love is that quality which when cultivated softens our nature; the mind becomes refined; the heart, becomes compassions intellect empathises and the body and flesh become purified.

Love is an attitude. Again, it is not something available in super market shelves. We need to build it by ourselves within ourselves.

Unfortunately, my brethren, somewhere down the line we have forgotten to acquire these qualities. And we are suffering. Not only are we suffering we are making others 86 XXVI: 3 & 4; July-December, 2005 also suffer.

Brethren unless we develop tolerance and love I am afraid we will destroy many good things; many good relationships; many good practices.

It is very easy to destroy. To be destructive is not difficult. But is that what we are seeking? Means to destroy?

Buddha was once threatened with death by a bandit called Angulimal.

"Please be good enough to fulfil my dying wish," said Buddha.

"Cut off the branch of that tree." One slash of the sword, and it was done!

"What now?" asked the bandit. "Put it back again," said Buddha.

The bandit laughed. "You must be crazy to think that anyone can do that."

"On the contrary," replied Budha, "It is you who are crazy to think that you are mighty because you can wound and destroy. That is the task of children. The mighty know how to create and heal."

Think my brethren. Do we want to wound and destroy or create and heal? The choice my brethren is ours. Let us make the right choice and make our fraternity truly a system of morality. Let us be both, preachers and practitioners.

Brethren, before I conclude I wish to welcome two of our brethren who will soon have a new role to play in our Grand Lodge.

The first is our Bro.Vasudeo Masurekar as the next Regional Grand Master of the Western Region to occupy that chair when R.W.Bro. Govind Lal Sahu lays down his office after a glorious term as the Regional Grand Master.

I have taken this decision after careful thought, keeping in view the needs of the Western Region. It is said that there is no such thing as a right decision or a wrong decision. It is upto us to make a decision right. And I have every confidence that Bro. Masurekar will acquit himself creditability in his new role and make this decision of mine the right decision.

Brethren, you have heard the pleasant news of the election of R.W.Bro. Devinder Gupta as the next Grand Master of our Grand Lodge. I am sure that our Grand Lodge will go through a golden period during his rule as the Grand Master. R.W.Bro. Devinder Gupta is a distinguished personality with great many distinctions to his credit and I welcome him to this new distinction that he will add in a year from now.

My brethren in conclusion, I exhort you - let us go back to our Lodges with a mind full of tolerance and love. Let Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth be our motto and not Hate, greed and jealousy.

Our Lodges are sacred to us; our members and officers are dear to us, our obligations hold a great sanctity for us. Let us not destroy them. Let us remember that even an elastic band has a level of endurance. It will snap at some point of time.

Lord Krishna endured Sisupala's vituperative insults for as many as 100 times. And then he let loose the Sudarshan Chakra to destroy Sisupala.

Let us not be Sisupala's and work for our own destruction.

Let us remember Lord Krishna's warning in the Gita : "Budhinashat Pranasyati." (2.62)

Thank you.