Over the next few months, I will be providing a series of articles from the booklet – “PENETRATING THE VEIL”
– by David C. Bradley–Grand Master–1989-1990
This month’s issue will be an introduction to these articles –
“PENETRATING THE VEIL:
PART ONE OF A RETROSPECT OF THE THREE DEGREES.
(As the presentations in this website are available to all readers,
items involving the Second and Third Degrees will be excluded.)
Chapter 1: A Preview
There is a continuity of ideas that has been known since time immemorial: justice, mercy, law, order, responsibility, respect for others and many more absolute truths. These are not taught as new subjects to Masons, but merely as a reinforcement of a natural order of a good and humane society. This continuity of ideas is found is found in the ritual. The ceremonies provide an essential base upon which to understand masonic philosophy. The message, however, is not always crystal clear, but is there for the member to discover, because comprehension comes from within oneself. Although someone else my lead a person to the door of knowledge, an individual must open it for himself.
In order to produce a permanent influence the ritual must contain some essential truth and it, therefore, tries to answer one of the age-old philosophical questions: how ought a person to live. A Mason, who is free and responsible person can live a full life that satisfies all human needs: intellectual, social, moral and spiritual. Masonry is a science, because it involves rational thought and tolerance; it is universal because of the inclusion of all cultures, creeds and races in one magnificent brotherhood of good will to all.
The historical statements in the ritual are not intended to be an accurate reflection of history, but are simple legends upon which to base the framework of masonic philosophy. The paramount consideration is not the truth or otherwise of these stories, but their underlying philosophy. The drama of the ritual illustrates the life of a Mason and, as it concerns itself with the human spirit, the philosophy is true of all time. The ritual has much greater significance than to be regarded simply as series of actions designed to admit members. Hardly anything arises suddenly from a vacuum. Members must be able to draw upon many years of masonic history, otherwise they are simply existing. A glance at the past is essential to a glimpse of the future. Everything is interconnected. No single inventor came up with a new idea. He was building on a foundation of information created by others. Time has been spent, therefore, in directing the attention of the reader to historical documents.
The candidate progresses according to the timetable of the lodge and it is assumed that he has achieved some ability in his progress through each degree. Although the ritual provides a background upon which the candidate may build his own personality and character, it is the duty of every member to assist in his unsteady steps to knowledge. The ritual is not an instructive nor a directive, it is a guardian of tradition and lays before every candidate the absolute truths of masonic philosophy. There is pain and labour in maintaining true values in a corrosive world of dangerous energies and selfish power-play. Quietness and steadiness are essential qualities, as well as enormous moral courage to achieve and maintain masonic values. Masonry attempts to inspire all members to renew their dedication to their lofty ideals presented in the ceremonies and to practice those same ideals in in their public and private lives. In this life there is only one mountain to limb and each person determines how difficult or easy the path. Sometimes the path is walked alone and sometimes in company but, if he has faith, that person will always have someone beside him. The world is streaming like lemmings into technological activity with scare a thought as to the human component. New ways to support the traditions and values of an old organization must be brought into action. It is not sufficient to just talk tolerance and brotherly love, but to ensure that they are a vibrant force and brought to the attention of every member. The charm of Masonry today is in its ideals and its principles of high character and good conduct.
The most basic source is knowledge. The task is not simply to teach, but encourage members to want to learn. The glorious philosophy of Masonry is available for all those who wish to make the effort. Masonry deals exclusively with ethics: right and wrong conduct in today’s world. In short, how to live as a human being, who nourishes life and seeks the sacred in the ordinary and leading to a journey into self- understanding. It is the song of the heart, the dance of life.
It has not been the purpose off this booklet to recite a banal account of the ritual or its history. Neither a line by line examination of the ritual nor a detail of each degree has been attempted, only parts of the ritual therefore, have been isolated for closure scrutiny by selecting and grouping together ideas that appeared to be congruous. The main objectives have been to illustrate the continuing development of masonic ceremonies by quoting from historical documents and flesh out the areas of ritual where the symbolism appears obscure. Adequate guideposts can be found in the chapter headings, where selected topics are grouped together.
R.W. Bro. Robert South