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Lecture On Freemasonry.
LECTURE ON FREEMASONRY .
Delivered at tbe Emulation Lodge of Instruction , Freemasons' Hall , Calcutta , by Nobin Chand Bnral , P . M . 234 E . G ., P . H . 234 E . G ., P . D . G . P .
EVER since my initiation into Freemasonry my curiosity was i awakened as to the real signification of the different technical terms and expressions so frequently made nse of in tho working of the several Degrees . As in course of time I made advancement in the science , I began to acquire a more intimate knowledge of the real meaning and applications of thoso mystical expressions , but I was not satisfied , and I commenced a moro thorough and methodical
research into their origin and history . I could not obtain assistance from any particular books to throw light upon the subject , but I had to glean my information from different sources , and I now wish to impart to my brethren the results of my labours . I lay no pretentions to originality , bufc what I am going to read to you is a collection of different views and ideas prevailing in different quarters , and
derived partly from hooks and partly from conversations with men well versed in Tantric philosophy and Masonio traditions . If I succeed in creating an interest in my hearers my labours will be amply rewarded , as it is my chief object to evoke a healthy discussion on tho subjects with which I am about , to deal . First as to Masonic secrecy :
It may be a matter of curiosity to many of us to know why suoh strict secrecy is observed as to the mysteries of Freemasonry , why it is that all knowledge of our ceremonial and of onr principles is kept so rigidly from the nninitiated . Freemasonry is not a religion , it is not a political institution , nor is it , iu the popular and odious sense of tho word , a " secret society . " It is , on the other hand , asocial
institution which has , among others , for its main and principal objects a diffusion of absolutely sound and undeniable principles of morality and the inculcation of three cardinal principles , viz ., universal brotherhood , truth and charity ; and if such are the grand objects of Freemasonry , if the results which it aims at are to increase the happiness of mankind at large , one is apt to wonder wh y there
should be any necessity for secrecy at all . This problem is susceptible of various solutions , and the necessity for that secrecy may be explained and justified by a judicious survey of ancient history , by an appeal to acknowledged principles of the purest systems of ethical philosophy , as also by the application of a strict method of logical induction from facts abundantly supplied by Masonry : Masonry
accomplishes the objects it has in view , —not as it is done in the outside world by loud preaching and the proclamation of high sounding principles which are disregarded in practice , but—by the impressive inculcation , in its own members , of the highest aims and purest principles , and by solemnly binding them to an active exercise of love and charity in the only true and highest sense of the word , in such a
way as will best dispose , by example , the minds of the uninitiated to admire our Order , and to seek for light of their own accord with that earnestness for good which alone can lead to practical results . Tbe fundamental principles recognised and enforced in Freema . sonry are unquestionably coeval with the creation of the universe , but in its organization as a peculiar institution , such as it now exists
we have no historical authority or date to trace it with any amount of certainty further back than to the building of King Solomon ' s Temple . The origin and history of the erection of this Temple is enveloped in a shroud of mystery , and I do not propose to discuss it in detail in this lecture , intended only as a sketch of the general outline of my
subject ; a subject vast enough , I may observe , to furnish in its more minute details the basis of a further series of lectures at our subsequent meetings . In addressing you to-night I have been prompted , nofc with the wish of cutting a prominent fignre among the Masonic brotherhood but with that of stimulating the laudable desire which I know exists
among you all for a deeper research into our mysteries and of increasing that thirst for knowledge , which many of us now swallow as medicine without knowing the ingredients of which it is composed of anatomising and dissecting the subject in such a manner that a proper analysis may bring it within the comprehension of every ordinary intellect .
Dealing with the subject first from a historical point of view , we have it on record that when man was first created he had a perfect knowledge of the true name and nature of the Being who created him . But when by his own folly he fell from his high estate , he lost with his purity that knowledge of God which in his primeval condition formed the noblest endowment of his mind . And at length the whole
human race having increased in wickedness until every thought and act was evil , history tells ns , God determined b y a flood to purge the earth of the excess of sin . To Noah , however , he was merciful and to this patriarch and his posterity was to be entrusted the ' true knowledge of the true God . But on the plains of Shinar men a » ain rebelled , and as a punishment for their rebellion at the lofty tower
of Babel language was confounded and Masonry was nearly lost , for Masonry then , as now , consisted in a knowledge , among other things of these great truths thafc there is one God and that the soul is im ! mortal . The patriarchs , however , were saved from the general moral desolation , and still preserved true Masonry in the knowled ge of these dogmas in the patriarchal line .
The philosophers aud sages also still retain or discovered afresh by the dimlight of nature some traces of these great doctrines of Masonry , viz ., the unity of God and the immortality of the ' soul . But these doctrines they could not , would not , dare not , teach in public for there is amply testimony in the records of history of what would
have been the inevitable fate of such temerity , when ifc informs us that Socrates paid the forfeit of his life for his boldness in proclaiming these truths to the Athenian youth . Great therefore was the secrecy which was studiously observed in inculcating these secrets to the public , and for this reason the ancient mysteries were estab-
Lecture On Freemasonry.
lished ; those truly Masonio institutions whioh by a series of solemn and imposing ceremonies prepare the mind of the initiate for the reception of these unpopular dogmas , while by the caution exercised in the selection of candidates and the strong impressive obligations of secrecy imposed npon them , the teachers were protected from tho dangers to whioh thoy were exposed from the bigotry and fanaticism
then prevailing among the people . All of you are fully aware of these mysteries having already gone through a secret ceremony ^ of initiation by which you have become entitled to a full participation in the esoteric knowledge of this Order . In all that has been im . parted to you , yon have received besides the instrnction in relation
to the existence of a Supreme Deity , a legend in whioh , by the dra . matic representation of the violent death and subsequent restoration to life of a distinguished and exalted persnnacre , the doctrines of the resurrection and tho soul ' s immortality were emblematically repre . sented .
The building of the temples to the honour and for the worship of divine beings is a practice common to almost all nations among whom theology is studied as a science , and history tells us that in every country in the pa « it as well aa in the present temples of greater or lesser magnificence have been erected to honour and glorify the divine Beings whom the people had learnt to view and to
worship with the highest religious veneration . Among the Christians churches with high spires aro erected to the glory of God , to whom they are dedicated , and they are therefore called the H- > use of God ; among the heathens innamernblea temples are erected for the glari . ficntion of those deities in whose honour they are erected , and among the Hindus tho building of a temple dedicated to some one or other
of fche deities whom they worship is considered to be a very high act of piety whioh in their estimation is calculated to secure Mukti or salvation . At one time in India there used to be a competition among the wealthy portion of the community to erect temples of extraordiuary height , and the name and fame of the owner of such temples used to be commensurate with their height and costliness . Evidence of such competition is to he seen in the innumerable temples
whioh exist in various parts of Hindustan , raising on high their lofty pinnacles whereon banners , whioh are unfurled , flutter at the mercy and pleasure of Pavana , generally known in the - Grecian mythology as Eolus , god of the wind . Such being the universal veneration for temples in all ages among all nations and in all climes , the Christians having their churches , tho Mahomedans their mosques , tho Jews their synagogues , the Hindus and other cognate nations their temples , we can well understand the laudable desire of King Solomon to build
a temple to the honour and glory of that Supreme Being who ia the Great Architect of the Universe . I need hardly attempt to describe the high character of that noble king whom history places in the foremost rank among the royalty . He is justly considered the wisest king that ever rnled on earth , and in fche plenitude of his wisdom and in the sufficiency of hia exchequer he conceived the
laudable desire of erecting the holy temple for the glorification of the Grand Architect of the Universe . In a political point of view a wise rnler cannot better invest his wealth than in the construction of public buildinga , thereby not only providing useful work for hia subjects , but also improving the condition of his dominions and thus leaving to posterity substantial proof in living monuments of his
wisdom and skill . A striking illustration of the truth of this proposition can be easily ascertained if you only look around you to the magnificent buildings erected by the Public Works Department ; and King Solomon , having a religious turn of mind , directed his attention to the construction of a holy temple on a site specially selected for that purpose .
From these circumstances and particularly , among other things , from this universal and never-dying desire to erect lasting monuments to the glory of the Supreme Creator whom we all adore , I think one comes to the inevitable conclusion thafc we , the sons of one God , are bound together in one universal bond of brotherhood , and we can thus understand and explain the reason for constituting
ourselves as Masons into an association which has for its grand object the intellectual and moral elevation of man . The different tools which are symbolically represented in tbe different degrees of Craft Masonry , and which the uninitiated might suppose to be a meaningless refer , ence to the work of operative Masons , teach us useful moral lessons ( which have been imparted to you in the working of the several
degrees in Freemasonry through which you have passed ) and helping us to attain that elevated platform of morality which it should be the aim of every Mason to reach and from which alone he can properly appreciate the wonderful works of the Great Architect of the Universe , accomplish the objects of Masonry , and makes its beneficent influence felt on the whole brotherhood of man .
This being the idea I intend to propound in connection with the different theories as to the probable origin of Freemasonry , I now come to a different branch of my lecture , wherein I wish to explain the symbolical representations in use in our Order . Craft Masonry , as it obtains in the present day , chiefly expresses itself in signs and symbols , and I propose to discuss these with special reference to
architectural mathematics and the esoteric significations thereof as propounded in the sacred writings of the Hindus . Right lines and angles are the two primary symbols used to illua . trate tbe principlea inculcated in Craft Masonry . In mathematics we make nse of triangles in order to ascertain the area of plane surfaces , but I need hardly dwell upon this subject , aa I am confident thafc
almost all of you have studied Geometry and Trigonometry , and what I am trying to illustrate here are the elementry principles of those two branches of mathematics , showing that these right lines , angles and triangles are not exclusively confined to the study of Mathematics either pure or mixed , nor even to architectural or geodesical
mathematics , but they are also used and have been used from time immemorial aa illustrative of some of the grandest philosophical doctrines inculcated in the sacred writings of the ancients . History tells us that in the Southern Provinces of India there was a sect who professed to be worshippers of Visvakarma , which literally means the Architect of the Universe , and Mr . Fergasson ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Lecture On Freemasonry.
LECTURE ON FREEMASONRY .
Delivered at tbe Emulation Lodge of Instruction , Freemasons' Hall , Calcutta , by Nobin Chand Bnral , P . M . 234 E . G ., P . H . 234 E . G ., P . D . G . P .
EVER since my initiation into Freemasonry my curiosity was i awakened as to the real signification of the different technical terms and expressions so frequently made nse of in tho working of the several Degrees . As in course of time I made advancement in the science , I began to acquire a more intimate knowledge of the real meaning and applications of thoso mystical expressions , but I was not satisfied , and I commenced a moro thorough and methodical
research into their origin and history . I could not obtain assistance from any particular books to throw light upon the subject , but I had to glean my information from different sources , and I now wish to impart to my brethren the results of my labours . I lay no pretentions to originality , bufc what I am going to read to you is a collection of different views and ideas prevailing in different quarters , and
derived partly from hooks and partly from conversations with men well versed in Tantric philosophy and Masonio traditions . If I succeed in creating an interest in my hearers my labours will be amply rewarded , as it is my chief object to evoke a healthy discussion on tho subjects with which I am about , to deal . First as to Masonic secrecy :
It may be a matter of curiosity to many of us to know why suoh strict secrecy is observed as to the mysteries of Freemasonry , why it is that all knowledge of our ceremonial and of onr principles is kept so rigidly from the nninitiated . Freemasonry is not a religion , it is not a political institution , nor is it , iu the popular and odious sense of tho word , a " secret society . " It is , on the other hand , asocial
institution which has , among others , for its main and principal objects a diffusion of absolutely sound and undeniable principles of morality and the inculcation of three cardinal principles , viz ., universal brotherhood , truth and charity ; and if such are the grand objects of Freemasonry , if the results which it aims at are to increase the happiness of mankind at large , one is apt to wonder wh y there
should be any necessity for secrecy at all . This problem is susceptible of various solutions , and the necessity for that secrecy may be explained and justified by a judicious survey of ancient history , by an appeal to acknowledged principles of the purest systems of ethical philosophy , as also by the application of a strict method of logical induction from facts abundantly supplied by Masonry : Masonry
accomplishes the objects it has in view , —not as it is done in the outside world by loud preaching and the proclamation of high sounding principles which are disregarded in practice , but—by the impressive inculcation , in its own members , of the highest aims and purest principles , and by solemnly binding them to an active exercise of love and charity in the only true and highest sense of the word , in such a
way as will best dispose , by example , the minds of the uninitiated to admire our Order , and to seek for light of their own accord with that earnestness for good which alone can lead to practical results . Tbe fundamental principles recognised and enforced in Freema . sonry are unquestionably coeval with the creation of the universe , but in its organization as a peculiar institution , such as it now exists
we have no historical authority or date to trace it with any amount of certainty further back than to the building of King Solomon ' s Temple . The origin and history of the erection of this Temple is enveloped in a shroud of mystery , and I do not propose to discuss it in detail in this lecture , intended only as a sketch of the general outline of my
subject ; a subject vast enough , I may observe , to furnish in its more minute details the basis of a further series of lectures at our subsequent meetings . In addressing you to-night I have been prompted , nofc with the wish of cutting a prominent fignre among the Masonic brotherhood but with that of stimulating the laudable desire which I know exists
among you all for a deeper research into our mysteries and of increasing that thirst for knowledge , which many of us now swallow as medicine without knowing the ingredients of which it is composed of anatomising and dissecting the subject in such a manner that a proper analysis may bring it within the comprehension of every ordinary intellect .
Dealing with the subject first from a historical point of view , we have it on record that when man was first created he had a perfect knowledge of the true name and nature of the Being who created him . But when by his own folly he fell from his high estate , he lost with his purity that knowledge of God which in his primeval condition formed the noblest endowment of his mind . And at length the whole
human race having increased in wickedness until every thought and act was evil , history tells ns , God determined b y a flood to purge the earth of the excess of sin . To Noah , however , he was merciful and to this patriarch and his posterity was to be entrusted the ' true knowledge of the true God . But on the plains of Shinar men a » ain rebelled , and as a punishment for their rebellion at the lofty tower
of Babel language was confounded and Masonry was nearly lost , for Masonry then , as now , consisted in a knowledge , among other things of these great truths thafc there is one God and that the soul is im ! mortal . The patriarchs , however , were saved from the general moral desolation , and still preserved true Masonry in the knowled ge of these dogmas in the patriarchal line .
The philosophers aud sages also still retain or discovered afresh by the dimlight of nature some traces of these great doctrines of Masonry , viz ., the unity of God and the immortality of the ' soul . But these doctrines they could not , would not , dare not , teach in public for there is amply testimony in the records of history of what would
have been the inevitable fate of such temerity , when ifc informs us that Socrates paid the forfeit of his life for his boldness in proclaiming these truths to the Athenian youth . Great therefore was the secrecy which was studiously observed in inculcating these secrets to the public , and for this reason the ancient mysteries were estab-
Lecture On Freemasonry.
lished ; those truly Masonio institutions whioh by a series of solemn and imposing ceremonies prepare the mind of the initiate for the reception of these unpopular dogmas , while by the caution exercised in the selection of candidates and the strong impressive obligations of secrecy imposed npon them , the teachers were protected from tho dangers to whioh thoy were exposed from the bigotry and fanaticism
then prevailing among the people . All of you are fully aware of these mysteries having already gone through a secret ceremony ^ of initiation by which you have become entitled to a full participation in the esoteric knowledge of this Order . In all that has been im . parted to you , yon have received besides the instrnction in relation
to the existence of a Supreme Deity , a legend in whioh , by the dra . matic representation of the violent death and subsequent restoration to life of a distinguished and exalted persnnacre , the doctrines of the resurrection and tho soul ' s immortality were emblematically repre . sented .
The building of the temples to the honour and for the worship of divine beings is a practice common to almost all nations among whom theology is studied as a science , and history tells us that in every country in the pa « it as well aa in the present temples of greater or lesser magnificence have been erected to honour and glorify the divine Beings whom the people had learnt to view and to
worship with the highest religious veneration . Among the Christians churches with high spires aro erected to the glory of God , to whom they are dedicated , and they are therefore called the H- > use of God ; among the heathens innamernblea temples are erected for the glari . ficntion of those deities in whose honour they are erected , and among the Hindus tho building of a temple dedicated to some one or other
of fche deities whom they worship is considered to be a very high act of piety whioh in their estimation is calculated to secure Mukti or salvation . At one time in India there used to be a competition among the wealthy portion of the community to erect temples of extraordiuary height , and the name and fame of the owner of such temples used to be commensurate with their height and costliness . Evidence of such competition is to he seen in the innumerable temples
whioh exist in various parts of Hindustan , raising on high their lofty pinnacles whereon banners , whioh are unfurled , flutter at the mercy and pleasure of Pavana , generally known in the - Grecian mythology as Eolus , god of the wind . Such being the universal veneration for temples in all ages among all nations and in all climes , the Christians having their churches , tho Mahomedans their mosques , tho Jews their synagogues , the Hindus and other cognate nations their temples , we can well understand the laudable desire of King Solomon to build
a temple to the honour and glory of that Supreme Being who ia the Great Architect of the Universe . I need hardly attempt to describe the high character of that noble king whom history places in the foremost rank among the royalty . He is justly considered the wisest king that ever rnled on earth , and in fche plenitude of his wisdom and in the sufficiency of hia exchequer he conceived the
laudable desire of erecting the holy temple for the glorification of the Grand Architect of the Universe . In a political point of view a wise rnler cannot better invest his wealth than in the construction of public buildinga , thereby not only providing useful work for hia subjects , but also improving the condition of his dominions and thus leaving to posterity substantial proof in living monuments of his
wisdom and skill . A striking illustration of the truth of this proposition can be easily ascertained if you only look around you to the magnificent buildings erected by the Public Works Department ; and King Solomon , having a religious turn of mind , directed his attention to the construction of a holy temple on a site specially selected for that purpose .
From these circumstances and particularly , among other things , from this universal and never-dying desire to erect lasting monuments to the glory of the Supreme Creator whom we all adore , I think one comes to the inevitable conclusion thafc we , the sons of one God , are bound together in one universal bond of brotherhood , and we can thus understand and explain the reason for constituting
ourselves as Masons into an association which has for its grand object the intellectual and moral elevation of man . The different tools which are symbolically represented in tbe different degrees of Craft Masonry , and which the uninitiated might suppose to be a meaningless refer , ence to the work of operative Masons , teach us useful moral lessons ( which have been imparted to you in the working of the several
degrees in Freemasonry through which you have passed ) and helping us to attain that elevated platform of morality which it should be the aim of every Mason to reach and from which alone he can properly appreciate the wonderful works of the Great Architect of the Universe , accomplish the objects of Masonry , and makes its beneficent influence felt on the whole brotherhood of man .
This being the idea I intend to propound in connection with the different theories as to the probable origin of Freemasonry , I now come to a different branch of my lecture , wherein I wish to explain the symbolical representations in use in our Order . Craft Masonry , as it obtains in the present day , chiefly expresses itself in signs and symbols , and I propose to discuss these with special reference to
architectural mathematics and the esoteric significations thereof as propounded in the sacred writings of the Hindus . Right lines and angles are the two primary symbols used to illua . trate tbe principlea inculcated in Craft Masonry . In mathematics we make nse of triangles in order to ascertain the area of plane surfaces , but I need hardly dwell upon this subject , aa I am confident thafc
almost all of you have studied Geometry and Trigonometry , and what I am trying to illustrate here are the elementry principles of those two branches of mathematics , showing that these right lines , angles and triangles are not exclusively confined to the study of Mathematics either pure or mixed , nor even to architectural or geodesical
mathematics , but they are also used and have been used from time immemorial aa illustrative of some of the grandest philosophical doctrines inculcated in the sacred writings of the ancients . History tells us that in the Southern Provinces of India there was a sect who professed to be worshippers of Visvakarma , which literally means the Architect of the Universe , and Mr . Fergasson ,