|
Our beloved leader M.W.Bro. Justice Devinder Gupa, M.W. The Grand Master, R.W. Bro. Vasudev Masurekar, RW RGM of Western India, R.W. Bro. S.Krishnan, RWRGM of Northern India, R.W.Bro. Sisir kumar Ghosh, RWRGM of Eastern India, Our visiting leader from English constitution, R.W.Bro. Balaji Singh, representative of RW The District Grand Master, District Grand Lodge of Madras, Respected Past Grand Master, M.W.Bro. H. P. Mathur, RW Brethren, V.W Brethren, W.Brethren and My dear Brethren,
Time waits for none. It passes without our realizing it. Perhaps it is the only thing in the world that can never be regained back. Past is gone, Future is yet to come. Present is in our hands now and it is up to us to make the best use of it so that we live respected and our life is meaningful. That is why it is called ‘Present’ – a Gift.
We are hardly out of the hangover of our Annual meet at Visakhapatnam in March, we are now already here at the Half yearly meeting at Tirupur being hosted by Lodge Tirupur.
I am indeed touched by the gracious and warm presence of all of you on this Half yearly meeting of our Regional Grand Lodge of Southern India at Tirupur.
I extend a hearty and warm welcome to this wonderful town of Tirupur. The Brethren of Tirupur have left no stone unturned to organize this meeting and ensuring that all of us will have a very pleasant stay.
Brethren, it is the endeavour of every freemason to ascend to the immortal mansion as a reward of life well spent here. Traditionally It is the Jacobs ladder that takes us to the celestial canopy of heavens. The ladder with number of rounds corresponding to the number of all moral virtues, has three principals ones which are also the first three rounds. Namely Faith, Hope and Charity.
The lowest round in the theological ladder is Faith and hence symbolically instructing us that the first step in masonry and the first essential qualification to be a freemason is faith in God.
The origin of faith is the loyalty. All of the instances of the word faith refer to the concept of Loyalty.. when one is faithful, he will be loyal. Every religion precepts Faith in its principles and the consequential benefits one derives.Judaism does recognize the positive value of faith and the specific tenets that compose required belief throughout Jewish history. Many, Orthodox Jews have accepted the Thirteen Principles of Faith.
Faith in Christianity is directed toward an object. In this way Christianity claims not to be distinguished by its faith, but by the object of its faith. Faith is essentially an act of trust, reliance or dependence on God. This leads to an active life of obedience to the one being trusted. Faith is not static but causes one to learn more of God and grow, faith causes change as it seeks a greater understanding of God.
Faith in Islam is a complete submission to the will of God which includes belief, profession, and the body's performance of deeds consistent with and according to His will.
It has two aspects
- Recognizing and affirming that there is one Creator of the universe and only to this Creator is worship due. According to Islamic thought, this comes naturally because faith is an instinct of the human soul.
Willingness and commitment to submitting that a supreme being exists, and to His prescriptions for living in accordance with his prophecy.
In Hinduism, faith means unshaken belief and purity of thought. Faith is recognized as a virtue throughout all schools of thought. Although there is a variety of interpretations of the role of faith in one's daily life, its foundation, and what rests upon it, some schools more strongly emphasize reason and direct personal knowledge, while other schools of thought more strongly emphasize religious devotion
Faith is also an important constituent element of the teachings of the Buddha - Faith in Buddhism often refers to a sense of conviction, which is often described as:
- A conviction that something is existing
- A determination to accomplish one's goals
- A sense of joy deriving from the two
While faith in Buddhism does not imply "blind faith. Traditionally, faith implies a resolute and steadfast pursuit of Truth. It combines the steadfast resolution that one will do a thing with the self-confidence that one can do it.
As a counter to any form of "blind faith", Buddha taught his disciples to investigate any teaching and to live by what is learnt and accepted, rather than believing something outright.
May I share a short story with you on Faith. A man was walking in the mountains just enjoying the scenery when he stepped too close to the edge of the mountain and started to fall. In desperation he reached out and grabbed a limb of a gnarly old tree hanging onto the side of the cliff.
He assessed his situation. He was about 100 feet down a shear cliff and about 900 feet from the floor of the canyon below. If he should slip again he'd plummet to his death. Full of fear, he cries out, "Help me!" But there was no answer. Again and again he cried out but to no avail. Finally he yelled, "Is anybody up there? "
A deep voice replied, "Yes, I'm up here."
"Who is it?"
"It's the Lord."
"Can you help me?"
"Yes, I can help. Have faith in me."
"Yes I have complete faith in you my lord, Help me!"
"Let yourself go, leave the branch."
Looking around, the man became full of panic. "What?!?!"
"Have faith in me. Let go. I will catch you."
After a pause, the man cried again.
"Uh... Is there anybody else up there?"
The second rung in the theological and Masonic ladder is Hope as having been appropriately placed there. Having attained the first step of the faith in God, we are led by a belief in His wisdom and goodness to the hope of immortality. That is a reasonable expectation without which we would lose the necessary stimulus and life would be without joy.
Hope is a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. Hope implies a certain amount of despair, believing that a better or positive outcome is possible even when there is some evidence to the contrary. It is to wish for something with the expectation of the wish being fulfilled.
Hope can be passive in the sense of a wish, or active as a plan or idea, often against popular belief, with persistent, personal action to execute the plan. Consider a prisoner of war who never gives up hope for escape and, against the odds, plans and accomplishes this. By contrast, consider another prisoner who simply wishes or prays for freedom, or another who gives up all hope of freedom.
The third round in the eternal ladder is Charity
It is said in our ceremonies that Faith may be lost in sight, Hope ends in fruition, but Charity extends beyond this mortal life. This is because, Faith is the evidence of things not seen, Hope lives only in the expectation of possession, Charity exhibited in acts of kindness and forbearance is still found in the world to come in the sublime form of mercy from God to us.
Charity is the chief of every social virtue, and the distinguishing characteristic of the Order. This virtue includes a supreme degree of living to the expectations of the great Creator of the universe, and an unlimited affection to the beings of his creation, of all characters and of every denomination.
It is is not particularly our province to enter into disusstion of every branch of the amiable virtue; we shall only enjoy the happy effects of a benevolent disposition toward mankind, and. show that charity, exerted on proper objects, is the greatest pleasure man can possibly enjoy.
This humane, this generous disposition fires the breath with manly feelings, and enlivens that spirit of compassion, which is the glory of the human frame, and not only rivals, but outshines, every other pleasure the mind is capable of enjoying.
Even if one speaks with the tongue of the angels, and has no charity, he is as good as sounding hollow brass. And one has the gift of prophecy and understands all mysteries and have all faith but have no charity, he is nothing. Such is the sentiment that constitutes the cementing bond of freemasonry. Charity is the chief corner stone of our temple and upon it is to be erected a superstructure of all the other virtues, which make the good man and the good mason. The true mason will be slow to anger and easy to forgive. He will stay his falling brother by gentle admonition, and warn him with kindness, of approaching danger. These sentiments of Freemasons will not be confined to those who are bound to him, but extends throughout the universe. He will love and cherish all those under the canopy of this universal Lodge. A Mason would find in every human being, a Brother and every land, a Home.
Let me conclude with a quote from an eminent Mason, George Washington.
“
Being persuaded that a just application of the principles, on which the Masonic Fraternity is founded, must promote private virtue and public prosperity, I shall always be happy to advance the interests of the Society, and to be considered by them as a deserving brother.”
Brethren I have a few pleasant tasks to perform before I sit down.
I would like to recognize the Brethren for their contribution to the Region in various fields of activity.
1. Max no of initiations, Lodge Keys no. , Hyderabad
2. RW Bro. KK Banerjee award for leadership in coastal Andhra during 2007 – G.Prabhakar
3. Donor to RGLSI Charitable Trust more than Rs. 1,00,000
4. Release Masonsouth
5. Release ‘Souvenir
I would like to congratulate the Organising committee of this RGL meet, particularly its chairman and the two organizing secretaries, W.Bro. TS Swaminathan and W,Bro. BK Nambiar under whose leadership, the whole committee had put in their best efforts stretched their capabilities to make this meet a memorable one. The Registration to the Meet has crossed 800 mark and I thank you all for the support rendered through your participation.
Thank you My Brethren.
|
