Pillars of Light. Editorial. A common denominator. Compiled by the Editorial Team of the Grand Lodge Library

Transcription

1 Compiled by the Editorial Team of the Grand Lodge Library Volume 4 Issue 12 (49) December 2008 Editorial Be it the Christmas or the Hanukkah month, may it be a happy and a merry one to you, brother reader. May your celebration be Masonic in spirit and with that, Masonic in its happiness. Whether you are Gentile or Jew, Mohammedan or Parsee, Buddhist or follower of Confucius, you can join in together with the rest of us in a Masonic celebration of universality of creed. And if we join with all our other brethren in rejoicing the birth of a good man, a teacher or the glory of the candle lights that lasted eight days without being consumed, we will prove the teachings of our Craft, the power of Brotherhood.. This is the real ideal of Masonry: to bring peace to men's heart and unite us all to better serve the communities in which we live; to bring goodwill to each of us from all of us, and from all of us to all men, the world over. With Ramadan just ended, Hanukkah about to begin and mix with Christmas, and joined with the celebration of the Oriental New Year, may this overall Season of the year be to us as Masons a season of rejoicing that our gentle Craft has done certain curious and beautiful things to our hearts, and has succeeded in combining our feelings no matter what faith or creed. For if we as Masons see in this Festive Season the larger significance, we show to the profane world that we live, think and practice some of the virtues we learn: Toleration (of the other fellow's viewpoint and religious faith); Unity (of thought and mind in all that touches Masons); and Brotherly Love (which loves because of, not in spite of, differences of opinions and ideas). Our work is great and rich. It is a work from which we first will benefit as it is the completion of the Great Architect's work. It is the work for creating a perfect worldwide solidarity, a work of great improvement to our characters, and enrichment of our knowledge. This is not only our work in Lodges but also the efforts we deploy in the Library by volunteering our time and intellectual resources for the brethren of our Craft. So take advantage of our willingness to serve, brethren; use our rich resources of enlightenment, the books we care for with love and dedication, the material we gather for your use and enjoyment. Thus we can fulfil the promise we made to improve ourselves, study and research into the vast richness of our beloved Freemasonry. With all reverence, we believe that the Great Architect of the Universe looks down and smiles on us, His Masonic children, when we are joyful in His name, be that Name whatever we chose to make it, as long as we keep it to be the Light of our Minds. We, at the Grand Library, wish you all a pleasant and peaceful Festive Season. Joe Haffner Grand Librarian A common denominator In this troubled world of today, where men are searching for answers to so many problems, it might be well for all of us to get down to a common denominator for understanding. real Brotherhood. Brotherhood is a universal virtue in every country, in every civilisation, in every religion, it is mentioned and extolled. Buddhism: A friend is a great treasure and should be treasured as a brother. One should make a good man, his closest friend, his brother. (Dhammapada) Christianity: Let Brotherly Love continue Confucianism: Friendship and brotherly love are the cardinal virtues. One should gather about him many friends and should love them as brothers. The wise man will choose good friends worthy of brotherly love. (Lun Yu) Hinduism: A true friend will be sympathetic with you at all times. ( Bhagavad Gita) Islam: All men are brothers and should live as such. The Lord loves those who so live. (Koran) Jainism: Treat all men as Brothers at all times (Sutrakritanga) Judaism: A friend loveth at all times like a brother and a brother, even if born for adversity, is still a brother. (Talmud) Shintoism: Therefore all men are brothers and should dwell together as such. By so living, the country will be free from hate and error. (Atsutsa) Taoism: The spirit of brotherhood, kindness, is necessary if one would win friends. The spirit of the market where men sell goods, should not be the spirit of a good man. (Tao) Zoroastrianism: One's friends should be holy people. A holy man will radiate holiness and brotherhood to all his friends. (Yasna) Freemasonry teaches the unquestionable truth of brotherhood, considering all humans as one family, a brotherhood of men under the fatherhood of God. As such, we are to support aid and protect each other. So, tell me my brother, where does all the adversity, the hate we see around us come from? The library`s team of volunteers wishes our readers and their families a Very Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah and a Prosperous Healthy New Year 2009 of great Ma sonic achievements. Published material does not necessarily reflect the policies or opinions of the UGL of NSW and the ACT

2 Page 2 A careful choice to make The other day we were discussing in the Library our ardent enthusiasm to see more men joining the Craft, the difficulties and the pitfalls encountered, and the unwanted result when sometimes we accept unworthy candidates for initiation. Let us first start with our closest friends. More emphasis should be laid on what we tell our interested friend about our Order. Those of us who have introduced a friend to FM who has soon after decided to call off, will understand that feeling, the proposer is in some way to blame. What in such cases, did the proposer lead the candidate to expect? One sometimes wonders whether the spiritual side, for example, has ever been mentioned in pre-initiation conversations. If not, it could well come as an embarrassment to a would-be brother to find that within the first few minutes of entering lodge he is engaged in solemn prayer and called upon to declare to the brethren that he puts his trust in God. He ought, as well, know that he will be required to declare that his motive is uninfluenced by personal commercial interest or any other unworthy motives. Thinking that Freemasonry can bring him business benefits is completely wrong and more likely than anything else to be followed by disappointment and resignation. We find that there are lodges that constantly have initiations compared with others where such are rare. We must recognise the effort of those lodges which continue to enrich our numbers regularly, as they most probably have found an appropriate and proper method of selection. On the other hand there are enthusiastic Masons, particularly among those of little experience, who are anxious to have their friends in the Craft, regardless of whether the candidates are likely to become good Masons. Since there is a mass of misinformation to be discredited, a prospective candidate ought to be told that although freemasonry probably originated among medieval operative masons, it includes symbolism and legend in its ceremonies. It should be made clear that the stories behind the ceremonies are figurative and not literal truth. But at the same time, the teachings they convey over and above our precepts of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth are an enlightening part of Freemasonry, for us to absorb, enrich ourselves and perpetuate. As to "secrecy", we must work hard to clarify, once and for all, that we are not a secret society and that the only subject that we treat with such discretion are our means of recognizing and identifying each other as brethren, a long held tradition. The most important aspect, in making the right choice of men to join our Craft, is to make sure that they are educated and prepared enough to understand the beautiful symbolism, the inspiring philosophy and the esoteric wisdom related to the Ancient Mysteries (knowledge). It is also very important to make sure that the capacity is there to absorb and enjoy what we have to offer. It must be clear that if the candidate wants to became a Mason, and with it a real one, he must be ready to make friends with people that he has never met before and create with them a real bond of sincere Friendship, far beyond the sporadic meetings in lodge. He must, therefore, prove a capacity of sociability and participate in common efforts to reach common goals for the benefit of community in which we live. Only candidates who affirm that capacity and willingness to satisfy these basic conditions will be the valuable future Masons. Only such Masons will embrace the important traditions passed to us by former generations and will be capable to continue the future work we entrust in their hands. May we suggest to the Brother Secretary that it would be greatly appreciated if he could include regularly our link: in the Notice Paper sent to the members of the Lodge.

3 Discreetness, secrecy and mystery What is it all about? By VW Bro Marc Rozanes DGIW Page 3 Back in the 19 th Century a French writer called Larousse, spoke ironically of the "terrible secrets of Freemasonry" and how ridiculous it was to be initiated out of curiosity, when to discover them, all that was necessary was to go to any book shop and ask about the Masonic shelf. In reality the only secrets we have are the mode of recognition, words, signs and tokens. It seems simple and for the outsider, Larousse would have been right. The rituals were openly printed in some publications, so how could they understand that superimposed over and above these printed rituals as well as within them lay the hidden implication, in the esoteric nature of the rites, not in their material nature. Are we the guardians of a secret? Our opponents say so. They must know, because they are not initiates, and it is always the outsiders who know best. The fact is that we have some signs of recognition that we preserve with great discreetness from intruders; outsiders who want to penetrate in treachery to our Order without learning our valuable teachings. These forms of recognition are simply lovingly preserved from the times when it took great courage to be made a Mason. These are the so called "secrets and they must be preserved and cultivated. It is right and proper not to betray them in any way. Freemasons and outsiders alike must not try to find behind these signs of recognition and identification, any more than what they are. They must not be filled with mystery as there is no mystery in them. Freemasonry possesses a great secret; unique, profound and marvellous. A secret that men have sought to penetrate since the first faculty of thought was granted to them. It is the mystery which involves us all and which binds us to the Universe. And that is why there have been Freemasons in spirit even if not operational, since the most ancient times; It suggests that the true mystery of Freemasonry will be only received by those with an inner spiritual conception of the great truths of Freemasonry or by sudden illumination of heart in which the slow formation of concepts plays no part. In reading the observations of the famous Masonic philosopher and writer Alec Mellor I found it rather strange that one of the first to openly express the new conception of the Masonic "secret" was a most unusual person, namely Casanova de Seingalt, the famous Don Juan of the eighteenth century. He expressed his thoughts of the Masonic Secret in an excellent manner: "Those who only decide to be accepted as Masons in order to discover the secret may be deceived for they may be Master Masons for fifty years without penetrating the Mysteries of this Brotherhood." The "secret" of Masonry is by its own nature inviolable; since the Mason who knows it only knows it through having discovered it. He has learned it from no one. He has discovered it by going to Lodge, observing, reasoning and deducing. This exercise has developed in us a continuous thirst to know more and to become more informed. A true Mason will always strive to become an articulate member of the Order and a guardian of its wealth of knowledge. It is a lifetime experience and an enlightening one with it.

4 Page 4 Hello, My name is Christopher Ditchburn and I am not a Freemason. I do, however, read what is available on the Internet through the United Grand Lodge of NSW and the ACT and I really hope this is not upsetting anyone. I find the Pillars of Light newsletter an interesting read and although I am not a Mason, would like to become one as to further read at the Grand Lodge Library. If it is possible, I would like to talk to someone about the steps I would need to take to become a Freemason. In the Pillars of Light newsletter there is invitation to read at the Library but once again I am not sure if this would be upsetting anyone, and, if it was not the case, I would like some guidance into what is good reading, and what is not. Kind regards, Christopher Ditchburn Dear Mr. Ditchburn, Our Library is a registered Public Library and you can freely access our rich literary collection. Though lending of books is reserved only to members, until you become one, you can still read in the Library at your heart's content and take advantage of our librarians skilled advice of what is an appropriate course of reading in order to acquire the proposed knowledge. Of course your access will become complete once you become a Mason and at that time your research into the deeper aspects of our Philosophy will be more than welcome. In the meantime I would be more than happy to assist you with any information you might need for your next steps to become a member of our Craft. Do not hesitate to contact me on Ph or by to arrange a meeting when convenient to you. Yours sincerely, Joe Haffner Grand Librarian Dear Mr. Haffner, I am in possession of a few Masonic books that belonged to my grandfather and which I kept as collection items for the last 30 years without really reading them. As a matter of fact I found them difficult to understand as they seem to be on ritualistic subjects and as such difficult to understand. I kept them for their old age and their probable rarity. Would you be interested to see them and evaluate them for me? I might be interested to part with them. Regards, Dear Mr. Errols, M.I. Errols I would be sincerely interested to see the books in your possession and to discuss with you their educational value. In any case, our Grand Lodge Library always was and continues to be the right depository of our Masonic traditional literature and I can assure you that there is no better way to perpetuate the memory of your Masonic grandfather than donating these books to our library; It is unique of its kind and kept in the sanctuary of our Grand Lodge patrimony. You could collate an inscription inside the covers to remember the memory of your grandfather and I can help in preparing this memorial of which you would be proud. I strongly believe that in his mind, this is what your grandfather would have liked you to do. Anyway, what ever you decide, I would be more than happy to assist you, as per your query. Please contact me at your earliest convenience to continue this project. Yours sincerely, J.V. Haffner Grand Librarian We need you!!! Do you have thoughts on Masonry to share or expand? Do you want to express your views and enlarge our knowledge? Then come and join in our Study Circle. Call the Grand Librarian, (02) library@uglnsw.freemasonry.org.au

5 Page 5 Enlightened Pillars Any Questions? Ask the Grand Librarian-POL edited by Rt Wor Bro J. V. Haffner Q: Please explain the meaning of Mystery, mystical and other similar words. A: In Masonry we use two different versions of the same word but with two different meanings. The first word mystery is found in sentences such as: "the mysteries and privileges of Ancient Freemasonry." In this case the word derives from the Latin "Mysterium" meaning the act of closing the eyes or the lips. The word has several theological meanings including a religious truth known only by Divine revelation. Other uses of the word include references to a hidden thing or a puzzling occurrence. When used in the plural form and in connection with ancient religious systems, the word means knowledge imparted only to the initiated. From this last meaning, mysteries have come to be known as the advanced knowledge received by Freemasons. It must be clearly understood that although some well intentioned researchers endeavour to connect Freemasonry with Ancient Mysteries, i.e. of Egypt, Greece, Asian civilisations etc, these attempts must be interpreted with great care. It is only in so far as the Ancient Mysteries have an importance in the history of human thinking and that analogies may be drawn between the philosophy of the Ancient Mysteries and that of Freemasonry. Otherwise there is no evidence of connection between them. The other word mystery is derived from an old English word "Misterium" (with "i" instead of "y") meaning a craft or a skilled work. It has nothing to do with keeping eyes or lips closed, or puzzling occurrences. The "Mystery of Masonry" means therefore, no more than the "craft of Masonry". Mystery Plays had no hidden meanings; they were plays performed by members of the guilds or other craft fellowships. Mystical is the adjective of mystic, a word derived from the Latin "mysticus," meaning one initiated into an esoteric mystery. Also mystical relates to persons who seek union with Deity by contemplation etc. Mystic, when applied to Freemasonry, relates to the searching for "profound" meanings for our symbols. Do not forget that everyone can have his own interpretation of a symbol and that all interpretations are acceptable. The Mystic Tie relates to the powerful but indefinable relationship between Freemasons. Q: Why is the guard outside the door of the Lodge called a TYLER and not a TILER? A: "Tyler" is the ancient spelling of "Tiler", a word derived from the Anglo-Saxon "tigele" after the Latin "tegula" meaning covering. A Tyler was one who covers a house or drain or floors with tiles. In mediaeval times societies with secrets put a guard on the roof of the meeting place the better to see that none approached near enough to see or hear what was going on. And what better man to put on the roof than a man accustomed to that area, a tiler. Are you in love with our traditions and the richness of our heritage? Are you thirsty to delve into the Hub of Knowledge, your Library? Would you invest a few hours a week and be recognized as a valuable member of our volunteers team? All you need is a true love for the Craft, its literature & a Masonic heart that is ready to offer, and glean the satisfaction of serving the Order. Contact the Grand Librarian RW Bro. Joseph V. Haffner Ph. (02)

6 Page 6 Something different in 2009 Asiatic Brethren Presenter: RW Bro. Rabbi Raymond Apple Lodge Harold Herman Unity and The Discovery Lodge of Research will combine to deliver a presentation with a difference. Rabbi Apple is visiting from Jerusalem and has consented to address us on a topic that will be both challenging and interesting. Attend this meeting and experience an evening with two great Lodges for the price of one. Bring your brethren with you and make a terrific night of it. Come to the Laurelbank Masonic Centre, Willoughby, on 28 th January 2009 at 7.15 pm. Stay for the South at a cost of $15. Phone the Secretary Bro Mark Harris on with numbers so that we know how many loaves and fishes we will need to buy!