Date: 1st November, 2012
1SPIRITUALISM – BHAGAVATHAM AND FREEMASONRY
In this post I have to repeat certain
things that were posted earlier. This is done with the aim of explaining this
post in a refined manner. Additions/alterations/deletions subsequent to the above date are
indicated as post script (ps) at the end.
2MEANING OF SPIRITUALITY
Spirituality
or spiritualism is a concept or an alleged immaterial reality, an inner path
enabling an individual to discover his or her inner being. Spiritual
experiences can include being connected to a larger reality, yielding a more
comprehensive self, joining with other individuals, or the human community,
with nature or the cosmos, or with the divine realm. It can encompass belief in
immaterial realities or experiences of the immanent transcendent nature of the
world. In short the word denotes the
experiences of the energetic Soul within the body.
Humans alone
are endowed with the faculty of a mind and senses to discern minute changes or
movements in the body. It does not require brilliance or extraordinary
intelligence to do that as our elders have always maintained that the main
purpose of human life is to discover the soul and God, feel its movements in
the body and explore further. Freemasons
are a part of the human race and are in no way different from other human beings.
In some of us, the spiritual awareness is high and in others, limited. I have
gone through the books written by W.Bro. Charles Webster Leadbeater, a leading
Theosophical Brother and W.Bro W.L.Wilmhurst, a Free Mason. Both have made inspiring
observations about Spirituality in Masonry. I have picked some relevant
thoughts from the book `HIDDEN LIFE IN FREEMASONRY’ by Bro. Leadbeater. Bro.
Wilmhurst’s book `THE MEANING OF MASONRY’ is also informative in general and
broad terms. While some spiritual teachings in Freemasonry are explicit others
are implicit. People have written a lot about the explicit matters in
freemasonry as well as in our holy books, like good conduct, tolerance,
temperance, helping the poor and needy etc, etc. However, It is my intention to explain only those
that are implicit.
HOLY BOOKS AND TEMPLES
I have relied
on the contents of the Holy Srimad Bhagavatham and Holy Bhagavat Gita to cite
examples of spirituality in Freemasonry. These books are believed to be the
teachings of Lord Krishna which were distributed among the humans by Veda
Vyasa. It was the initial tradition to spread this knowledge by word of mouth from a Guru to a
shishya. But over the years, due to the low absorption capacity of the
shishyas, the teachings had to be
documented in writing. These books are explicit on what spirituality is all
about. Both the books were written almost 5,000 years ago and both are summaries
of the voluminous and much more ancient Vedas. Upanishads, Ithihas and Puranas are also ancient. It is said that some
of these books do not have a beginning or an end as they were always there. Followers
of the teachings contained in the Bhagavatham are referred to as followers of
Sanathana Dharma whose meaning is explained elsewhere in this essay. Reference
to the Holy books hereafter means the above books. The Vedas, Upanishads, and
Puranas also have specified methods to achieve the goal i.e. spiritualism.
Impact at the physical and the soul level are also described and a seeker wanting
knowledge may refer them. Only a highly spiritualized person can deliver
so much in one life time as was done by Veda Vyasa. HE was a SPIRIT in the true
sense of the word as all human beings are supposed to be. But that spirit is today lost by us to the material world.
3Literatures on Freemasonry are about
500 years old and are therefore of
recent origin only. There is therefore every reason to believe that Freemasonry
could have picked up a lot from the holy books and practices of India.
Non-Masonic
temples have existed from times immemorial in India. In India the Adi Jaganadha
temple in Kumbakonam is believed to be about 4520,000 years old. I do not know how far this is true. People
of that time must have definitely realised the importance of a temple for
spiritual growth. In fact temples and the Holy Books existed in India long
before religions came into being. A true seeker can look forward to India being
an attractive pilgrimage center as it has a wide variety of methods and
approaches. Spirituality in India is as old as the Holy Books and its temples.
The earliest report
of a Masonic temple being built was in
the year 1717 A.D i.e. about 500 years back in England.
I have given
importance to temples at several places in this essay because it was in one
such non-Masonic temple that I got a feel of spiritualism outside and inside me,
which was later on confirmed by me in a Masonic temple.
SIMILARITIES IN PRACTISES OF SANATHANA DHARMA AND FREEMASONRY
Many brethren requested me not to discuss the
lodge working in print as a candidate from the lower degrees or those
unconnected with Masonry will get information about its workings. To my
knowledge there is nothing contained in Freemasonry that is not contained in
the Holy Books. There is nothing secretive about the contents of the Holy Books
because they can be read by anyone. At times I get the feeling that Freemasonry
is a replica of the Holy Books of Sanathan Dharma. Perhaps the only secret that
Freemasonry possesses is the way of creating awe and respect to God
through the symbolic penal signs. I will therefore
avoid explicit reference to penal signs in this essay. The penal signs are
themselves capable of being a subject of research and analysis for a person who
is spiritually inclined.
In this essay
I have deliberately restricted references about Freemasonry to the craft lodge
and the chapter. The workings of these bodies convey a total view of spiritual
teachings which is adequate for the essay.
1).The opening ode sung by Masons is a sufficient
indicator of what we Freemasons believe in and what can be expected to follow
at our meetings. It is touching when sung by the brethren in chorus to the accompaniment
of an orchestra. This is what our prayer conveys briefly :
“OH GOD who is eternal. YOU aided in the creation of heaven and earth. YOUR
design is vast and YOU are a divine architect. Hear us. We begin our labor in
the name of YOUR glorious majesty, and we place our trust in YOU. We pray for
an orderly conduct of our meeting so that when our labors cease, there is peace
and harmony in us. Oh Architect Divine hear our prayers.”
The words are
enough to stir up our souls before we commence our formal meeting. We express
our intentions clearly, passionately and loudly.
In Sanathan Dharma practises the equivalent term
used is 5Sankalpam. Sankalpam means declaring one’s firm desire
to invoke God’s blessings in our endevours. We start with the Sankalpam if any
activity associated with the divine is involved in any of our common functions
and temples.
2).Coming to the terms Sanathan Dharma, the Holy Books
define the word “Sanathan” as follows: “that
without a beginning or an end and that which does not cease to be.” “Dharma”
means “Way of living”, which is much wider than a religion. The Holy books are
therefore meant for reading and assimilation by
all human beings, irrespective of their religion.
Freemasonry makes
it conditional that one should not talk about religion at the lodge meetings,
implying that it is open to all who believe in the Supreme Being. In our
opening prayer we refer to GOD as an eternal being which gives it a meaning
similar to Sanathan.
3).The holy books call their worship places temples.
Freemasons also call their prayer places temples.
4).The Holy books have prescribed methods of temple
construction and there are several literatures with different schools of
thought and approaches. Temples in India are built to those specifications,
depending on the system one prefers for
the deity. All the temple buildings are constructed by laying a foundation also
called “Shilanyas” as described in the sacred texts. These temple buildings
when complete have the capacity to attract towards them energies that can be manipulated or maneuvered in the
worship places in several ways to
consecrate a deity.
So are Masonic
temples. Though there is no literature on this subject, there appears to be a skilful
method in their construction. I also remember reading some literature about the
importance of laying the foundation stone on the North Eastern corner of the
plot which is done in all temples across India and also in Masonic buildings.
5).The Holy books recommend worship of consecrated deities
called Vigrahas. Oil lit lamps are placed near the deity.
In
Freemasonry, Holy and religious books are placed on the altar of the temple. In
addition, square and compass or other implements are placed on these religious
books which take the place of a deity. Electrically charged bulbs have now taken
the place of the oil or candle lamps at our lodge meetings.
ABOUT THE SOUL AND THE SUPERSOUL
The world
spiritualism has a connection to the soul within and the supersoul outside us.
Therefore it will not be out of place to write something about them. The Holy
books emphasise certain aspects about the soul and the super soul, which should
be understood before we venture to discuss
further. These are the pillars of the Holy Books and they are :
1. I am a soul and not a body. In other words I am spiritual. My soul is a
minute part of the Supreme Soul, which is God.
2. A soul connects to the Supreme Soul through the medium of a soul.
3. Once a soul connects to the Supreme
Soul, it begins to connect to other souls where after it becomes a source of
additional esoteric knowledge, and joy.
4. The
soul in us connects to every part of our body and is not restricted to any specific
area of the body.
Nothing along
the above lines are contained in any Masonic
literature. But it will not be wrong to
believe that the above holds good and
true for masonry also.
While the Holy books are explicit about the ultimate
goal i.e. realization, to my knowledge Freemasonry does not claim anywhere that
it helps in spiritual arousal or provides spiritual knowledge.
If only we understand the working in our lodges and see similarities with the
Holy books and worshipping methods in our common temples, then we see clearly where Freemasonry can lead
us to.
CONSECRETION OF A DEITY OR PRANA
PRATISHTA - SPIRITUAL RELEVANCE
1.A temple deity or a Vigraha in India is consecrated by
instilling spiritual energy or life or prana primarily by
four methods or a combination of the
methods. These are all contained in the ancient Holy books. The procedure is named
Prana Pratishta. There may be other methods also that I may not be aware of. The
commonly used methods are:
a.
Mantra - It is a sound, syllable or group of words that creates spiritual transformation.
b. Yantra - Involves placing symbols, instruments before the deity and
directing energies,
c. Bhakti (devotion) - Bhakti makes use of the devotees’ inherent and
acquired spiritual energies to consecrate the presiding deity, and
d. Tantra – Involves using a network of
energies. i.e. Mantra and Yantra combined.
After the
pranapratishta ceremony, the deities in temples become a bundle of spiritual energy. This energy is capable of reaching out to an individual’s soul and giving or receiving
energies to or from them. It depends on the level up to which an individual
soul has evolved in order to feel that energy. Sanctification of the temple deity
or Vigraha is done periodically, maybe once a week but not every time a temple
opens and closes. And the deity is given a name like Sri Krishna or Sri Maha Vishnu,
etc. There is consciousness everywhere and in every matter. We know that our soul connects to other souls even in our
sleep state without our wishing. Therefore
nothing stops the connection between souls and the deity after the
sankalpam or prayers. People in India also worship a 6Saligram and it is not without reason. A Saligram,
though only a stone, has inherently powerful energies. No wonder many people
have saligrams as a deity at home. People also wear rings having a saligram or
other precious stones on the rings.
Freemasonry
uses a combination of the above methods and principles adopted in Indian
temples to consecrate the deity and it is
done by the brethren through sounds,
symbols and devotion. That is the reason discipline and word perfection from brethren
are insisted when opening a Lodge
meeting. These procedures are adopted to
a limited extent only as the consecrated deity and the temple are required for
only a short duration until the meeting lasts. The deity in a Masonic temple is
consecrated when the temple is tyled and masons in all sincerity pray for the
grace of god to bless the congregation. The presiding deity in the center is
also given names like The great Architect, The great Geometrician, etc. This
deity oversees the proceedings of the meeting, which is the equivalent of GOD but
in a miniature form. The candidate for initiation is told that Brethren are
involved in a peculiar labour in a collective and solemn mood. 7This peculiar labour is to generate
the energy from within and around us and to spiritualize the deity and the
temple for the duration of the meeting. A consecrated deity at a Masonic
meeting is no ordinary deity and the energy inherent in this deity is enough to be felt by brethren who have their souls aroused
in a decent measure. The deity carries the spiritual energy that was passed
over by the brethren to it. That is the reason we find varying energy levels at
different Masonic meetings when a meeting is in progress. The more the number
of spiritually elevated brethren attending the meeting, the greater is the intensity felt by those
present.
2.In a normal temple, none other than the priests are allowed anywhere near the deity. Priests
at the temples are attired in specific formal dresses and only such people are
allowed inside the Sanctum Sanctorum.
The place Freemasons
meet in the temple is indeed the Sanctum Sanctorum, where brethren move about
solemnly and assume the role of a priest to consecrate the deity. A dress code
is prescribed. None who is not a freemason is allowed near the deity. To that
extent Freemasons enjoy a privileged status
as they can move in close proximity to
the deity.
3.For the consecration of the deity in the temple, certain minimum number of priests are invited
to perform the rituals.
Not to be
left behind, Freemasonry also has stipulated a minimum number of brethren for
tyling the lodge prior to the deity’s
consecration at every meeting and use the term `quorum’.
SPIRITUALITY - IMPORTANCE
OF RITUALS AND SYMBOLISM
1).The
Holy Books have references to God and
the existence of God’s divine spark in us. It also has several rituals and diktats of dos
and don’ts.
We have the same in freemasonry also. The rituals along with the degree workings impress
upon our minds that our experiences through realisation, if and when they
happen, will be for real. Rituals make the workings
interesting and can enable one to find a relationship to the
esoteric experiences of a realised person or to one on way to realisation. Rituals aid and make the path
of realisation easier, smoother,
enjoyable and less scary. After all, realisation
is the ultimate aim of all religions. Realisation also enables one to appreciate better the
richness of the hidden meanings in the rituals.
Similarly The Holy book says that GOD has no material
form, but a transcendental form. That is the reason in the Mahabharata war,
Lord Krishna had to confer divine vision to Arjuna to see God in Sri Krishna
and take his help. Only to enable us to easily identify and realise the soul, a
form is given to HIM. Freemasonry teaches spirituality in the presence of a
formless spiritualized deity. It is in the presence of this deity that all the candidates
take oath and promise to live a good life, and to excel in further studies.
2).A candidate in the first degree enters the temple
blindfolded. Before the hoodwink around his eyes is removed the candidate is
asked - “After remaining in darkness what do you desire most now?” And when he says light, the
hoodwink is removed and the candidate’s eyes fall on the holy book placed on
the altar. This implies three important
points. Firstly, the candidate by asking
for light, seeks that light which is the
equivalent of self realization, a word that is repeatedly used in the Holy
books. Secondly by asking him to focus his eyes on the religious book lying before
him, he is not only assured that it was indeed his religious text on which he
took his obligation but the same is recommended for further reading. It is left to the Individual
candidate to pursue the religious and holy books. Before
this day the candidate was in total darkness about the divine in him. The meaning of what we read or hear or enact
in the Lodge, if followed by a study of the Holy Books, gets enhanced if they
are matched by self experience. The application aspect is very crucial. In fact,
in the first degree, the candidate’s quest for the spiritual knowledge is
deemed to have been triggered. He is initiated to enable him to study further about
spiritual matters.
3).The devotees in a common temple circumambulate
clockwise around the deity after they are through with their prayers. This is
done to enable the spiritual energy
contained around the altar to reach out
to the devotees’ soul.
Whenever brethren in the craft Lodge move in the lodge
room, in Masonic terms, they take the perambulation
route around the altar in a clockwise direction. As perambulation is a very
general word, I prefer to use the word
circumambulation because this is done at all our worship places. 7The reason for this is - The
spiritual energy generated and circulating in a Masonic temple take a recognized
rectangular path and any criss cross movement by brethren will disturb the free
flow of this energy. Only in 7exceptional
circumstances we are permitted to move across.
4).The Holy books ask us to look upon God with awe,
respect and reverence and there are mantras, poems, and mahamantras glorifying
GOD. And anyone having belief in God can utter these mantras for spiritual
gains and knowledge.
The candidate
in the Masonic lodge is asked to never utter the Holy Name of God except in awe
and reverence.
5).Over and above treating GOD with
awe, respect and reverence, the
Holy books recommend other methods of viewing and praying HIM. Under the Bhakti
path, which is supposed to be the master of all praying methods, one can
pray God with awe, respect, reverence, happiness, joy, fear, love , etc. One may also treat the deity as a brother,
a sister, a friend, a master, a father, a mother, a child, a lover or a
combination or permutation of the above to invoke feelings from within us. The relevance
of giving an artificial form to the Lord
in Sanathan Dharma becomes clearer as it becomes easy for the devotee to
narrate to God. It also depends upon the legend behind a particular deity and the Holy books contain several legends.
The different moods enable a devotee to reach unexplored areas in the spiritual
realm. There are any number of temples in India where the deity reveals different
moods. These places of worship are waiting for people to visit and enable the
soul reach unparelled and glorious
heights. Apart from the architectural
attractions these temples have for a visitor, the spiritual knowledge regarding the moods have to be felt to be believed.
Nothing of
this method of praying God is contained in Freemasonry.
6).In
the Holy books the devotee is constantly asked to remember God in waking and
sleeping condition so that the ultimate aim of soul realization is accomplished
in our human body.
We
hear it being said that the object of Freemasonry is to make good men better. But how? The answer is - through realisation or by feeling
the light within. In degree working after degree working we are told that we
shall never divulge the secrets or
mysteries hereafter unfolding before us. Secrets and Mysteries are all about the unfolding of Light to us which is never
said in so many words but which lie buried deep within us and have to be dug
out, understood and felt by oneself. Every feeling or experience is Divine and it
is privileged knowledge.
7).A
brother, not on amicable terms with another are both discouraged from attending
a Lodge meeting. This is to ensure that the free flow of the cordial spiritual
energy is not disturbed. Only after resolving their differences can they
attend. Else both are asked to abstain from the meeting.
However there is no such stipulation
when entering a common temple in India. This is because a consecrated deity in
common temples has sufficient energy to
last for a fairly longer time. The flow of the energy or the aura in a Masonic
temple is meant to last the duration of
a single meeting only.
8).The Holy books contain several examples about duality in the material
as well as the Spiritual life.
The black
and white chekered flooring in our lodges is a very valuable symbol indicating
the duality in physical life as well as in the journey of the Soul. In both
there is an encounter with good and evil forces as both forces exist
simultaneously and cannot be separated from one another. If there is light here,
there is darkness elsewhere but both are not ever lasting. The duality concept
teaches us to have a balanced view in life and accept good and evil as they
come. In fact they should be viewed and experienced as a union of sorts. The overcoming of an evil event is one way of
preparing the Soul for greater endeavours and progress in its path of
evolution.
9).In the Holy Books, Lord Shiva is depicted as having a
snake around his neck. The snake around Lord Shiva’s neck is representative of
the senses which crave for material and physical pleasures. The senses were
subdued by Lord Shiva for spiritual progress and he gave us the Tantra path for
spiritual gains.
Brethren in a
Masonic temple wear an apron around their waist which is kept in place by a
hook. The hook has the head with the shape of a snake’s head. The snake in our
apron is representative of the inherent distractive senses within us waiting to
hold us in its grip. By having a symbolic snake on our waist we are constantly
reminding ourselves that we, freemasons, should keep in check unruly passions
and desires.
10).In our body we have seven main centers of power or
energy which are known as the Chakras through which the Kundalini Shakti (the
spiritual energy or the 8Serpent
power) makes its way from the base of the spine to the top of the head. The
name Serpent is so given because this energy’s movement is snake like. The
movement of this energy can be very swift and ferocious or very slow. At
certain levels after getting spiritual experience one should be able to feel
the energy move within oneself as well as in others. That is how a Guru feels
and monitors the progress of his pupils on the spiritual path. Lord Shiva is
said to be the founder of the meditation technique for awakening and cleansing
the energy centers which is so essential to enable the upward movement of the
mystic energy.
The Masonic
temple also represents the human body with a soul. The soul of a Masonic temple
is the religious book, including implements placed thereon. The various positions
in the lodge meeting namely the Tyler, Inner Guard, the two Deacons, the two Wardens
and the Worshipful Master constitute the energy or power centers in the temple.
The seven main energy centers in our 9body
are represented by the officers in the lodge as listed below:
a) Muladhara Chakra is located at the
base of the spine of our body, which means foundation or root. This is passive
in most of the humans and is the storehouse of the spiritual energy in our body.
This position is taken by our Tyler. Some may be tempted to argue that if the
Lodge is representative of the body then - How come the Tyler is situated
outside the Lodge when the chakras contained in the body are within it? A
person on the spiritual path will agree that the spiritual energy pertaining to
this chakra in our body throws out sensations on the outside portion of our
anus above which this chakra is located. Therefore though the Tyler is seated
outside the lodge room, he still forms an extended part of the Lodge. He is an
important and relevant officer in the Lodge.
b) The Swadishtana Chakra is located in the pelvic area of our body between
the pubic and navel. This position is taken by our Inner Guard.
c) The Manipuraka Chakra is located some 2-3 inches below the navel. This
position is taken by our Junior Deacon.
d) The Anahata Chakra is located at the heart. This position is taken by our
Senior Deacon.
e) The Vissudha Chakra is located in the throat region. This position is
taken by our Junior Warden.
f) The Ajnana Chakra is located in between the eyebrows in the inward center
of the forehead. This position is taken by our Senior Warden.
g) The Sahasrara Chakra is located at
the crown or top of the head. This position is taken by our Worshipful master.
These major centers
have to be cleansed before the Divine Energy moves towards the head region. The
opening of the lodge begins with the Worshipful Master symbolically enquiring
whether all the officers are in place. He starts with the Tyler, Inner Guard
and so on. It concludes with a Past Master or The Director of Ceremonies
answering on behalf of the Ruling Master. Enquiries about the duties of the
seven officers are made, thus implying that all the officers or centers are
functional before we can begin our labour. With these crisp, criss cross, word
perfect questions and perfect answers moving from different areas of the temple,
the Worshipful Master accompanied by his officers start organising the collective
energies prior to consecrating the deity. These instances teach how spiritual centers
in our body have influenced official positions in Freemasonry.
11).Coming to the rising spiritual energy, the Holy Books
describe the energy as being powerful and energetic and any hindrance to its
upward path can prove detrimental. Therefore in the craft we symbolically pave
the path, beginning at our neck and then gradually going down to the waist in
the three degrees so that the energy can have a smooth passage if and when it
rushes from the base towards the head.
12).The
race for material progress has led humans to forget the inherent spiritual
energy in us and its energy centers. Therefore the same remains a secret
today. We now focus our attention on the Chapter which is an extension of the
craft lodge. It gives further information and teaches us about the paths
available and the pitfalls associated with the paths.
The dividing
of the Word at the time of opening and closing the Chapter and also during the
investiture of officers in a Chapter always involves three companions at a
time.
The Holy Books
say that there are three channels for the Divine energy to move up in our body.
They are known as 10 Nadis located around our spine. They are the Ida
Nadi, Pingala Nadi and the Sushumna Nadi. The energy rises through them not
necessarily in that order or together. I realised that the Chapter points out
the path of the Nadis implying that the dormant energy would rise up through
the three channels.
13).Inter Lodge visitations are not only encouraged but
these are a must in Masonic tradition. It is not without reason that such
visitations were encouraged. Today it continues as a tradition for socializing
or for courtesy’s sake and are by invitation only.
“Athithi Devo Bhavah” says the Taittiriya Upanishad. Which
means “Visitors or strangers are God”.
Athithi is one who comes without intimation or invitation. The Holy books also
encourage pilgrimages to various temples. As I said earlier, non-Masonic
temples depict different unknown moods of the deity and there is a history
behind the mood of the presiding deity. A temple, whether Masonic or not,
radiates the mood of the deity. It conveys meanings that words cannot express,
but which can be felt after the interaction of our soul with the deity and
other individual souls. There is no need for two people to speak. The soul
gives and takes all by itself without our wishing or asking. The only limiting
factor is the extent to which our soul is evolved. In fact a devotee on a holy
pilgrimage is encouraged to stay for at least three days at the pilgrimage
place to understand and feel the deity and the temple. A pilgrim is welcome
with open arms and is asked to stay for as long as his heart desires. A pilgrim
shares his and others’ knowledge, and in this way experiences immense joy. That
is how esoteric knowledge gets communicated and there is value addition to the
pilgrim’s spiritual knowledge. The pilgrim thus also gets to know the level to
which the individual souls in the temple town have evolved.
DIFFICULTIES ON THE
SPIRITUAL PATH
1).The
craft lodge gives us knowledge about the energy centers. The chapter
illustrates how and through which paths the energy moves in our body. The
Chapter also highlights the dangers in the path, by pointing out the duties of
the guards at our chapter meetings. The guards symbolically ensure that none who
are not qualified would attempt to enter the Council Chamber at the head. The
Chapter also has five companions guarding the entry to the Chamber of the three Principal Officers. And
there is one guarding from within the Council Chamber who leads the blind by a
way they know not and to make straight crooked things. They are the Janitor,
Captains of the Blue, Purple, and Scarlet Veils and the Royal Arch Captain all stationed
and guarding outside the Council Chamber and the Superintendent of Tabernacle guarding
from within. The outer guard or Tyler has been dispensed with as the soul is now
deemed to be unexposed to the outside world once he has got the energy moving.
Instead there are as many as six guards stationed before the council chamber. The three Principal Officers represent
symbolically one energy center each after the energy has passed through the
three paths (Nadis). That is the reason the three prinicipal officers are
saluted together. Recently amendments have been made to salute only the Excellent
King in the Chair. To get realization, the energy should flow through each of
these three nadis or channels, either separately or collectively. Collectively
all the three or even two of these nadis being pierced by the rising energy is not
only dangerous, it is an impossibility. It is also doubtful if our frail body
will be able to withstand the force and pressure if the energy were to pass
simultaneously through the two or three nadis.
The impact of the force when moving through each of these channels varies
and the force also differs due to several factors. Many books are written about
nadis and the reader may refer them for further knowledge.
This is an implicit teaching in Freemasonry about the Nadis.
Suffice it to say that if a particular energy center is not cleansed properly,
the energy’s path gets blocked which can lead to physical and mental problems.
A candidate on the spiritual path should be well prepared mentally, have
knowledge about his religious teachings on the subject, be bold and be happy to
tread the path considering that it is divine knowledge. Preparations for these
should be by way of shared knowledge and guidance from a self realized person.
Pandit Gopi Krishna has written several books on his Kundalini experiences and
they may be read to get detailed knowledge about this path. His several interviews
also appear on YouTube.
2).Majority
of the people understand spiritualism as being the equivalent of religion. Religions
are only enablers to reach the ultimate destination which is self realization.
But people get stuck at the religion or philosophical level and forget the ultimate
goal. That is the reason Freemasonry and Sanathan Dharma do not talk about any
religion or their philosophies. They both talk about universal knowledge,
subject however to the condition that belief in God or the Supreme is
important.
METHODS TO AWAKEN
THE KUNDALINI ENERGY
There are several Yogic methods to awaken this dormant but an
otherwise dynamic force. Pranayams, Mudras, and
Sahaj Yoga are some of the methods that come to my mind. The Tantra
method is the one taught by Lord Shiva in his capacity as the Super most Guru which is by controlled breathing and uttering
Bij Mantras as we exhale. And there are also Gurus and books available in
today’s times. Many of them teach how to raise the
Kundalini energy.
When the energy rises through the Ida and the Pingala Nadis,
people have given different names to the experienced state - Nirvana, Samadhi,
Absolute Bliss, Sat Chit Ananda, etc. Many have described the phenomenon as
being dazzling, colourful, silvery, golden, rainbow, and other hues. I do not
want to go into their names or descriptions. I will explain later how the energy
moves from the base through the Sushumna Nadi.
I have not come across any Masonic literature that
states how to get the spiritual energy
started and moving.
OTHER REFERENCES TO
SPIRITUAL TEACHINGS IN FREEMASONRY
The basic principles of the hidden spiritualism in Masonic teachings
have been explained. Obvious references to spirituality
in Freemasonry are :
1.
Prayer before installing the Worshipful Master: `Vouchsafe Thine aid, Almighty Father and
Supreme Governor of the Universe, and consecrate this our mansion to the honour
and glory of Thy Most Holy Name’.
2.
Inner guard reporting that a candidate is waiting to be initiated: `One in darkness who wishes to approach …………..
as many good and true men have done before’.
3.
A prayer for the benefit of a candidate for initiation:’ Vouchsafe thy
needful aid, Almighty Architect of the Universe, to this our present convention;
…………….. to display the beauties of Godliness to the honour of thy Holy Name’.
4.The
new initiate is explained the use of the Common
Gavel: `It has been adopted in Speculative Masonry as a symbol …………………,
thereby fitting ourselves as living stones for that spiritual building, not
made with hands, eternal in the Heavens.’
5.
Newly initiated candidate is invested with the Apron: `You will observe that this Apron is made from
the Skin of a lamb ……………………………….. should always which is essential to your
gaining admittance to that Grand Lodge above, where the blessed ever rest in
peace.’
6.
Closing Ode: Thanks are given to the Mighty Architect Divine for blessing
the meeting. Humbly we bow before HIM, grateful as we are for HIS Divine
aid.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LODGE WORKINGS – RELEVANCE
Several
differences are seen in workings between the various constituitions. But the
one that stands out is narrated here. A very senior brother pointed out that
the Volume of the sacred Law in an Irish craft lodge is kept open before the
meeting commences and it is not closed even after the conclusion of the
meeting. Whereas in an English, Scottish or Indian craft lodge, the Volume of
the Sacred Law is opened only when the lodge is opened and the book is closed
as soon as the meeting is called off.
As I said earlier,
the Lodge room is representative of our physical body and the Volume of the
Sacred Law together with the implements thereon in the Lodge is the equivalent
of the soul within us. There was a time when the soul in us was always connected
to the supersoul. This was possible when our soul was not corrupted or covered
by exposure to material objects. In by gone days our soul was always active,
whether or not there was a meeting. Therefore the Volume of the Sacred Law is
kept open, both before the opening and after closing in an Irish lodge. The
Irish Lodge opening and closing is representative of those days.
Over time,
due to disruptions caused to our senses by material objects, our soul got
covered by material thoughts and feelings. Therefore in a Lodge our soul is deemed
to connect to God only when the Lodge is opened. In allusion to this meaning,
the Volume of the Sacred Law is also opened. As our soul is prone to material
distractions outside the Lodge, the Volume of the Sacred Law is closed under
the English, Scottish and Indian Constituitions after the meeting. The three
constituitions represent the present era when our souls suffer distractions in the
day to day life.
I am informed
that the Kabbalistic theme also refers to the Journey of the Soul as being in
exile which returns to the front as long as the Lodge remains open.
WHERE TO GO FROM
HERE?
Once on the spiritual path, our quest does not stop here. The
Sushumna Nadi is one path that is yet to be crossed over. And there is another ignored
method of kindling the spiritual energy in us which is pure Bhakti Yoga and is
not mentioned anywhere except the Gita and the Srimad Bhagavatham.
1).11Sri
Aurobindo has expressed in his books that after the spiritual energy in our body concludes its
journey from the base of the spine to the top of our head it meets the
Universal energy beyond the head. The energy now reverses and comes down
into our body through the top of the head. Sri Aurobindo calls it
the Descending Divine Grace as distinguished from the rising
Kundalini. He calls this “INTEGRAL YOGA” and says that this Yoga begins only after
the end of other Yogas i.e. after the ascending energy has completed its
course from the bottom of the spine to the head as symbolised in the craft and
chapter working. Sri Aurobindo never wrote much about the resultant feelings of
a Kundalini awakening. I am sure he would have explained it in detail had he
experienced it during his Sadhna or practice. He says that in Integral Yoga the
descending grace would work simultaneously on the seven energy centers without
our knowledge. Sri Aurobindo was born in 1872 and died in 1950.
2).Sri
Aurobindo was an advocate of silent meditation and believed in keeping the mind
void of any thoughts or feelings. His method is based on the principle that a
silent or no mind situation is better than an active mind. He also recommended
that the meditation process should commence with a prayer to Lord. He looked
upon God with awe and reverence, i.e. Bhakti or devotion to God. He did not
recommend Mantra or Yantra or Tantra or Mudra or any other method to enable the
divine energy to descend. Sri Aurobindo has further detailed how it feels when
the Divine Grace descends in his Yoga. When the Divine Grace
descends it feels like a soft flow of energy coming from the top of the
head and dropping to the face, then the neck, then the throat till it has
traversed the whole body. Spiritual knowledge of a new and
different dimension was brought out in the public domain for perhaps the first
time. He says that the descent of energy is most controlled and pleasant and no
harmful side effects are felt unless there is a resistance to the flow of the
energy. Any resistance results in intense pain or feeling of a lump in the neck
region. At later stages he says that this flow becomes continuous even when one
is not meditating. If this stops, a bit of meditation is enough to restart the
flow. Sri Aurobindo also explains that in this process of meditation, and at
elevated levels, one can feel the impact of the intense heat or Agni that is working
on our physical body. They seem to be like ants biting the skin surface which leaves
one in a very elevated and ecstatic state. He describes this Agni to be
representative of the Agni of the Sun. The
Mother was Sri Aurobindo’s constant companion and partner in the spiritual exploration.
3).Another
Masonic body made me see a similar feeling being expressed in the working
of the Masonic rituals. The flow of the Divine Blessing is depicted in the
Anthem of Secret Monitors in the 12Brotherhood
of David and Jonathan in the following words:
"Behold how good and joyful a thing it is: brethren, to
dwell together in unity! It is like the
precious ointment upon the head, that ran down unto the beard: even unto
Aaron’s beard, and went down to the skirts of his clothing. Like the dew of Hermon:
which fell upon the hill of Zion. For there the Lord promised his blessing: and
life for evermore.”
One of the brethren, who is of Christian faith and a
preacher, said that the above are quotations from the Holy Bible, implying that
there could be something more in the Holy Bible. Not much is revealed either in
this Masonic body or in any other body by way of an explanation for the above
phenomenon. There is however one basic difference between what Sri Aurobindo
said and what the anthem or Holy Bible says. Sri Aurobindo referred to the flow
of energy upon his body. Whereas the latter refers to the flow down the skirts
of the clothing.
I will hereafter try to explain how the phenomenon happens
after considering the history and background of certain sages from ancient
India.
4).In
Chaitanya Charitamritha , the author Sri Krishna Das Kaviraja describes the
ecstatic moments that Sri Krishna Chaitanya experienced when there was an
outpouring of the Divine Grace during the time of his dancing or singing in
praise of Lord Sri Krishna. Sri Krishna Chaitanya is claimed to be an Avatar of
Lord Sri Krishna who appeared in Bengal about 500 years back and re-discovered
this lost technique to attract the grace
of God. People call it Bhakti Yoga at its intense most and of an entirely different
kind – Awe and reverence, yielded way to unqualified and intense love ( not to be misunderstood as lust) for God
and also for his devotees. Sri Chaitanya’s technique of Bhakti
was unique because he experienced and
spread amongst the devotees electrifying joy that was literally of a very high intensity.
But how this high voltage joy impacted
or felt on the body is not known to the world at large and would only be felt if we understand and practice Bhakti Yoga. The
end result of Sri Chaitanya’s Bhakti Yoga was vastly different in terms of intensity from the one
of Sri Aurobindo though the process remained the same – Bhakti, but with
variations. Sri Aurobindo was drawing the energy slowly and softly, whereas Sri
Chaitanya was drawing energy of a huge intensity and he spread it wild, wide
and afar. Many followed Sri Chaitanya blindly. Unfortunately none of his disciples or followers has left their joyful experiences in writing.
ESSENCE OF THE
TOTAL BHAKTI PATH
1).While
I find the influence of Tantra in Freemasonry, the total Bhakti path is reflected in Freemasonry in a limited way only. In bhakti
path the effect starts happening in the opposite manner that people of Tantra
are familiar with. Bhakti embraces the tantra method automatically and no
special and additional efforts are needed. Everything concerning Bhakti Yoga is contained in the Srimad
Bhagavatham, but the whole concept was suddenly forgotten until Sri Chaitanya
appeared about 500 years back or until Sri Aurobindo had to make his
disclosures in the 1900s.
To explain the essence of this spiritual path, I will once
again resort to the Holy Books. I said earlier, the Bhakti path enables one to
treat God as a brother, sister, father, mother, master, friend, lover, etc. Another aspect of the soul-supersoul
relationship stated in the Holy Books is relevant at this stage -
“I (i.e. Lord Krishna) am the only Purusha (man). All else in the
Universe are Prakritis (Females). ”
The meaning
arising out of the above statement has to be taken at face value. Any departure
from the interpretation will only confuse a reader on the path of understanding
the soul within and many will also lose out on the spiritual journey.
The Lord’s
spiritual past times are several and they are all described in the Holy books. In
the same book, there is a description of the Raas Leela performed by the devotees
with Lord Sri Krishna. SriRadhe is a name given to the soul of an individual
devotee who is an intense and passionate devotee of the Lord and she plays the
role of the God’s lover. Gopi is the name given to those souls (devotees of
the Lord) who are SriRadhe’s friends. These Gopis experience joy because of their
association with the Lord through SriRadhe.
Therefore SriRadhe or the Gopis are
all devotees. They can
physically be a man or a woman as we understand in common parlance.
When
narrating the Raas Leela, the
Bhagavatham also describes explicitly the feelings of
true devoted souls named SriRadhe
and the Gopis. SriRadhe and the Gopis are
deliberately portrayed as females (please refer to the soul-supersoul
relationship defined above). Sri Chaitanya tried to understand this
relationship with the Lord by stepping into SriRadhe’s place. In other words Sri
Chaitanya truly believed that he was a female.
An intensely devoted person, he found that only love of a very high caliber
and intensity from SriRadhe can
attract the Lord towards her and vice versa. In the process the Lord can be captured and arrested in one’s heart and a
transformation of the entire mind, body and soul can happen. When Sri Chaitanya
discovered the secret of the intense love relationship, he spread it to people with and around him. After
all an enlightened person is capable of attracting and charging several people with
spiritual energy that was of an unimaginable strength and intensity. Those with
and around him went crazy with joy and felt liberated for life. No wonder he
had rediscovered the lost secrets of the
Vedas i.e. Bhakti Yoga in the form of unqualified and unadulterated love and
devotion. His followers were so huge that it resulted in the formation of a new
order called the Gaudiya Vaishnavas and they branched away from their
parental Vaishnava body. This is the
Bhakti way of breathing prana or life to a deity and also of spreading joy to a massive gathering.
2).Before Sri Chaitanya appeared, there were many individual saints from South
India like the Alwars - all men, who
wrote poems in the Nayaki Bhavam (female feeling) and Andal (a female). In the mode of loving
God, they wrote poems in glory of Lord Sri
Krishna (Supersoul) which resulted in
the creation of the 4,000 Divya Prabhandams
or Divine Verses. The Alwars and Andal appeared on earth between the 6 and 9th
century A.D. All were enlightened souls and
expressed their joy in a poetic
form. But none appear to have left on record the
joy that was felt on their
physical being or their soul. These being individual efforts, they did not
impact and galvanize the masses in a great manner. The ideal method for the
soul to connect to the supersoul existed
until about the 9th century and thereafter this method gradually
started disappearing. Before and after these saints, there were some devotees
who sang their hearts out in a devotional and loving mood and gave up their
lives at the altar of God. There are verses
or slokas by others which pointedly talk of a superior
joy experienced by a soul when it connects to the supersoul .
3).Notable is the work by
Sri Jayadeva in the 12th century A.D. In one of the Sanskrit slokas composed by
him, he reveals that he felt the energy moving on a private and sensitive part in his body. Noises were and are made by many in ignorance after translating the Sanskrit sloka literally and
thereby overlooking the esoteric message
in the sloka. All chakra points are high sensitive regions in our body. Our
body has not got 7 chakras as made out by many. There are several chakra points
in every part of the body and the soul permeates every part of our being.
Unfortunately people for and against the verses have drawn wrong meanings from
the Sanskrit wordings. The point to
understand is how the experience impacts our physical body. There is no
meditation, call it Pranayama or Kundalini or Japa or Bhakti that does not
impact our mind, body and the soul.
Impact varies from person to person depending on the intensity of the devotion
by the person.
4).Maharashtra also had its share of great bhaktas in the
late 1200s A.D . 13Sant Dhyaneshwar
(born in 1275 A.D), 14Sant Namdev ( born in 1270 A.D) and 15Sant
Tukaram in the early 1600s A.D., all of whom wrote heart rending poems called
Abhangs and also wrote books in praise of Lord Krishna. But how Bhakti impacted
their body, mind and soul again went undocumented.
We have only
Sri Aurobindo’s writings on his Silent Bhakti
Yoga, which he called Integral Yoga that are now available for understanding
and enjoying. There are some writings about Sri Krishna Chaitanya who was a mass
leader and was able to galvanise, electrify and inspire a massive crowd. He had such a profound impact on the community
that he drew followers irrespective of
religion, caste or creed.
16MY VIEWS
1).Pleasure and joy obtained by the energy rising to the
head in the Kundalini path is described to be intense and colourful. But that
is only momentary. It could last at the most for a few seconds or minutes as
described by several authors on this subject. Of course it can have the effect
of taking a person into a trance for several months or years. But they are not
without risks. Besides the seven main chakras , there are several other chakra
points in our body beginning with our
finger and toe tips. Kundalini path does not clean up these centers. In fact the cleansing of the main centers itself is not
complete in this path as it starts from the waist and ends at the head and it
has three nadis to move through. There is much more left to happen in this path.
2).In
the total Bhakti path, consecration of the deity in the temple is also done by
the intense and collective energies of all the participants in the
congregation. No mantra, yantra, tantra, mudra techniques are used. The path
has the potential to give continuous and
intense joy for a long time. The bigger the congregation, the larger and better
the impact.
3).Bhakti
Yoga can take slightly more time in
these times, as it depends on our time, devotion
and dedication, but it does the cleansing process differently but completely
and with minimum adverse consequences. Bhakti path covers the entire body from
head to the toe and the effects of Bhakti should last for a longer period if
not for a life time. A bit of meditation, whether in silence or uttering a Mahamantra,
is enough to bring back the joyous feelings.
4).I
had earlier deferred the explanation about the energy moving from the base to
the head through the Sushumna Nadi. That is because I felt that the force generated by
Yogas other than Bhakti Yoga was inadequate to raise the energy through this
nadi. In my view, after the Kundalini has risen through the Ida and the Pingala
nadis, Bhakti Yoga in its intense form should take over the Sadhak or the
student. Even the Ida and Pingala Nadis and the chakras would not have been
cleansed totally in the Tantric path. The energy after the Kundalini is awakened,
should revisit our body through the head as Sri Aurobindo said and should
reach the feet, thus enveloping the entire body. Very softly, smoothly,
lovingly and without any hindrance it
happens. If a person is already on the Bhakti Path, he can continue with
that and feel what Sri Aurobindo has written, but it is wrong to assume that enroute
the Kundalini Chakras have been cleansed or bypassed. This is very important point
for Sadhaks of Bhakti Yoga as well as of Integral Yoga to note.
Having reached the feet, the same
energy gathers steam from around the feet, and moves up from the outside of the
legs to the waist. It then pierces the two smaller nadis, one at a time, and cleanses
the chakras as the energy moves to the top of the head. After the two smaller
nadis are done with, the energy will again gather momentum and intensify and move
up with adequate force from the base of
our legs to the waist. Then it pierces the Sushumna Nadi and moves to the top
of the head. Thus all the three nadis would have been covered. This is TOTAL
BHAKTI YOGA without any side effects. To move through the Sushumna Nadi, all
the energy centers have to be totally cleansed. This cleansing itself takes
time and can cause plenty of physical discomfort with psychological
disturbances. A devotee should be prepared with a very firm focus and resolve.
This Nadi is the most important and the most intense path.
When the Sushumna path is resorted to,
people may not have visions of colours,
hues or shapes. It should be plain
energy that melts and merges into our
self and leaves a blissful and serene
feeling. These mystical feelings should be felt by a young person with an energetic mind and body. The foundation for this
should be laid early in life instead of at
a time when the body and mind are past their prime. I have seen a number of
staunch bhaktas on the Bhakti path behave strangely and have shown signs of anxiety when the Kundalini rises.
This is because they do not know what is happening in view of the stand taken
by the Bhaktas and their Gurus that
Kundalini centres do not come on the Bhakti path. This approach and attitude need
to change. Similarly those on the
Kundalini path think that their quest gets fulfilled once the energy rises
through any one of the smaller nadis. There is much more waiting to happen.
5).We
have been disconnected from God for too long. True and unconditional love to
God can bring a diabolical change in our relationships. People are divided at
the level of religion or their philosophies and are unable to enjoy spiritual
life which is beyond religion or caste. Lot of energy is wasted over what names to call God or applying
identifying marks or asserting the superiority of one sect, or path or religion over the other. An
average life span being short, it is recommended that the total Bhakti path should
be resorted to right at the beginning itself. The Holy books recommend Bhakti
Yoga for this Kali Yuga and call it the Supreme
Yoga. Many Gurus recommend so. With conditioning of the mind and the
body, the soul can reach glorious heights.
Other teachers recommend Tantra Yoga for
the new age. Still others recommend Hatha or Karma or Raja Yoga, etc.,
depending on what one is proficient at. After all today’s religion and Yogic knowledge
are treated as revenue centres.
6).There
has to be a proper understanding of the two different paths to spread the new
consciousness that can embrace souls on
the earth. Unless there is unity, true spiritual joy cannot be experienced. It was
Sri Aurobindo’s ultimate wish that he wanted the descent of a supramental
consciousness on earth. The Mother said that supramental consciousness has
already descended on the earth in the year 1956 and is waiting to embrace the
living beings within its fold. In today’s troubled times, Intense love for God is the path which can
embrace, enlighten and unite the human race. It is perhaps time to do away with
the concept of religion and proclaim universality of religions as Freemasonry
and Sanathan Dharma have already done.
7).High voltage joy can be experienced
through high voltage bhakti and its
effect is contagious, and far more intoxicating. In the words of Sri Krishna
Chaitanya the superior consciousness will spread even to plants, trees, animals,
mountains, sky, oceans, etc. Scientific studies have shown that productivity or
output of plants, animals, humans and other living beings increase when there
is a superior consciousness available around us.
8).In ancient India, spiritualism was given the status
of a science and it flourished. Regular schools were teaching this science and
they existed in every nook and corner. These have vanished today. These
literatures in the form of Holy Books were written for Sanathan Dharma and they
were the result of the collective wisdom of all the people who lived then and practised
spiritualism in unison. The word Hindus and Hinduism are of recent origin and the
division along religious lines also happened after these books were written. The
knowledge in these literatures are the intellectual
properties of the whole of Sanathan Dharma - past, present and future and
everyone irrespective of religion, sect or
caste should participate and enjoy the fruits. Divided as the people are today,
it is time to unite and enjoy life by connecting to God. No matter what name,
sign and colour one gives HIM or HIS
religion.
9).Hope that after reading this post many will be tempted to resort to “Total Bhakti Yoga” as a path to spiritual
progress. GOOD LUCK to one and all.
P.S:
I have concluded
above that in a typical Bhakti Yoga, the divine energy envelopes the whole body from head to toe as it
moves down. Then it rises up cleansing all the main and sub-chakra points, the nine gateways to our body, and even the skin
pores. Even the Brahma knot at the center of the heart unfolds. In my opinion that should happen not once, but three times
as per my understanding as there are three nadis involved in the whole scheme
of our body’s spiritual energies. That it will open atleast twice is my understanding
as on date. Sri Aurobindo had the carapace on the top of his head opened up.
And that is how and why he experienced joy and pleasure. He started feeling the
down pouring of the Divine Grace and started
enjoying God and people, fine arts,
dance, literature however drab they be. Name it and he was enjoying anything
and everything. He was operating from a different plain.
On 5th
February, 2013 I chanced to receive a pocket book of “ Droplets of Nectar”
written by Srila Bhakti Ballabha Tirtha Maharaj of the Chaitanya Gaudiya Math
and founder of GOKUL (the Global Organisation of KrishnaChaitanya’s Universal
Love). The year of its publication is not indicated. As I read on, I had to abruptly
stop after reading particular para midway under the heading :
“
Transcendental Reality can be known through the ears”. The author questions –
How can you know about Krishna and Ramachandra? He himself answers thus – “You
can know only through the ears but not through the eyes. You can see the real
form of Krishna and Ram through the ears. But we have no time to listen. For
transcendental knowledge there is no other way except this ear”. Our Param
Gurudev, Srila Saraswati Thakur, used to say “ Tanscedental Reality can only be
known through the ears. There is no other way”
If one reads
the para in plain terms one is either likely
to take it lightly or even ignore it. What
is this knowing through the ears? If we look for its esoteric significance, the meaning is self revealing. What the author means to convey is something similar to the openly expressed feelings
of the divine grace experienced by Sri Aurobindo from the head top to the toes.
On the ear chakras getting pierced and cleansed, there is an outpouring of the
divine grace from the ears and the energy reaches the Brahma knot at the centre
of the heart and unties it.
The esoteric,
which is always a secret in our
scriptures, lies in the importance given
to Shravan and loud chanting of the
Divine Mahamantra – `Hare Krishna, Hare
Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare
Hare.’ Through constantly and loudly uttering the Mahamantra and singing and hearing
the loud songs sung in glory of the Lord , the ear chakra gets cleansed before opening
the gateway to the ears. From there the energy travels to the center of the heart and the Brahma knot.
It feels as though a knot is opened. I am grateful to the Great God
for laying this book on my lap at about the most appropriate time. I have also
heard Srila Bhakti Swaroop Tirtha Maharaj, the founder Acharya of the Gaudiya Vaishnava
Association, Navi Mumbai, India personally and on CDs repeatedly saying - open
the mouth widely and utter loudly the Mahamantras and the Divine songs. The loud
chanting opens the ears and leads to God
realisation and delight to the self. It is not a coincidence that God reveals
himself to his devotees in several ways after all.
‘Knowing God through the ears’ is indeed ‘feeling God through the ears’.
8th February, 2013.
