Post by vadro on Apr 13, 2006 14:36:00 GMT
The Esoteric Way, Social Engagement and Moral Conduct
Address of the Most Worshipful Grand Master Gustavo Raffi to the Brothers of the Grand Lodge 2001, GOI
on the web: www.grandeoriente.it/
Dear Brethren of the foreign delegations, of the Grande Oriente d'Italia, and of the Ritual Bodies,
before beginning, I would like to recognize the excellent fraternal relations existing between the Grande Oriente d'Italia and the other regular Masonic Grand Lodges in the world, as the presence of numerous distinguished foreign delegates here testifies.
Our action taken to restore the fraternal relations which had been suspended, in part because of the long judicial inquest that concluded with the exclusion of any kind of illegality on the part of members of our Institution, has obtained and continues to obtain excellent results.
From this view, we have worked to permit those Brothers who in these years, in good faith, have lost their way, to come back to the house of the father and so peacefully take up again their Masonic way.
Also the brotherly friendship with the United Grand Lodge of England has been re-established in a climate of reciprocal and sincere Brotherhood, felt also on the occasion of several Masonic ritual events, and international Masonic meetings.
For this, we will work in order to restore, also on the formal plane, the fraternal relations with the United Grand Lodge of England, convinced as we are, beyond the misunderstandings endured, that this represents for all regular Freemasons of the world a solid point of reference for the historic role it has played and for its current Masonic commitment.
In this past year we have dedicated much attention to the non-Masonic world, and we have debated several great social, cultural, and existential problems in conferences of a high scientific level, which have met with great interest and consideration on the part of public opinion and the mass media. We have, that is, expressed our opinions and Masonic values on the great themes that involve all mankind.
So, we have opened ourselves toward the world, and this engagement is not only right, but has also led to the consideration of Freemasons in a positive light on the part of the society.
Nevertheless, this engagement cannot make us forget the ultimate nature of our Institution, which is a community of initiates. In effect, our presence in the world derives from our being initiates, from our working esoterically to the Glory of the Grand Architect of the Universe, and laboring following our rituals in our Lodges, to attend the perfection of our spirits. We cannot contribute to the good of the human family if we do not elevate our consciousness and our spirituality through that esoteric, ethical, and cultural work that distinguishes Masonic work.
Freemasonry is not only an association of free men, but of men who seek after the knowledge, who refine their spirits, and who raise themselves above the world of metals. Our work is a continuous work, one can say an alchemical one, for the transformation of ourselves. This is what characterizes us and it is only this that allows us to be free and just, to better ourselves and in this way dispose ourselves to make a contribution for the good of mankind. We must give great attention to this work, even at the cost of personal sacrifice and a commitment to push ourselves to understand and to become better.
The time has arrived to point out our attention to ourselves to strengthen and elevate the Masonic preparation of all the Brothers. We must confront ourselves in a deep, critical, and constructive way, beyond stereotypical formulas, with our initiate-esoteric tradition, and devote ourselves in such a way that satisfies our internal worlds and our elevation, but also for the enrichment that serves the work dedicated to the good of mankind, in relation to the spirit that moves the world in which we live.
What we call our esoteric tradition, which is parallel and complementary to our ideals of illuministic nature, is seen from diverse perspectives, such as Hermeticism, the Cabbalah, Pythagoreanism, Templarism, Rosicrucianism, alchemy, and others again, that are, so to speak, the esoteric foundation that characterizes our Institution, that make it unique and render it possible that the Freemasons can consider themselves like initiates, beyond any kind of self-certification.
We do not presume to hold that the Freemasons are the sole heirs of these traditions, and neither to think of a direct historical derivation from these associations, but it is certain that such esoteric traditions are our point of reference to which we must look to give meaning to our initiation, to our spiritual journey, and to our beings as Freemasons.
So, the Brothers must dedicate their intellectual energy to the study of the symbols that carry on our esoteric tradition. In fact, the understanding of esoteric symbols and, in particular, of Masonic symbols, permits the understanding of the nature of Freemasonry, and this duty every Mason must fulfill. The symbols of the Temple and our rituals are interpreted in different ways, and only a common effort in the Lodge can lead to their understanding and make them living and active in our spirit and not a mere inheritance of the past.
The approach to the Masonic symbolism cannot be other than an active participation and ascension to levels of superior knowledge and it must never translate into an attitude that considers it like something mystic, inscrutable, and unattainable. Each Brother, then, must be capable in the Lodges to draw nearer to the symbols and to esotericism without ever thinking that only a few can possess the truth that is not comprehensible and transmittable to others.
None of the Brothers of our Craft, and even those who have dedicated more study to the esotericism and symbolism, can feel himself the possessor of a truth that is not accessible and transmittable to all the Brothers. The hidden truths which we seek must be shared and made active in the works we make in our Lodges, in such a way that all the Brothers, according to their degree of understanding and their disposition, can raise themselves in a learning process based on a common intent.
We must devote ourselves to these esoteric cultures with an attentive gaze and above all with humility to be always in a state of not knowing, of ignorance, but always ready to move towards knowledge, towards gnosis, that strengthens our spirit.
The Freemasons are not only free men of good living, but above all they are initiated: this is the cement that unifies them in the universal Masonic Brotherhood, according to the rules of the Old Charges. Not only they do they work for the good and progress of mankind with idealistic, cultural, social and ethical dedication, but they are also men who cultivate the esoteric doctrines as the essence of their being, with a work centered on the search for truth, avoiding every dogmatic air.
Any progress then can not be taken as definitive, but always as a step forward that prepares other steps. The Freemasons must never think that they have reached the truth, but only to have understood something more, certain that in the future that new obstacles will arise in the search for knowledge.
Our attitude will always be that of doubt, because only in this manner our minds can be open and not closed in any dogmatic way. We should, therefore, be always in a dialectic relationship with ourselves and the Brothers, in a fraternal and harmonious way, because our knowledge and elevation can only follow with a continuous constructive confrontation.
Our esoteric tradition is not a sacred text, but the source to which refer and drink from to continue along our way and so to give an actual meaning to the teachings given to us.
Esotericism and Masonic thinking have never derived from a vacuum, but are the result of the dedication of many scholars and initiates who, in the course of the centuries down to our own day, have not thought to halt and retain as definitive the knowledge attained, and so they have dedicated themselves to broadening the horizon of esotericism and Freemasonry.
In this same way, every Freemason must work, moving from the knowledge already attained, making it his own and working to carry it further. This is the sense of refining the rough stone within a community of initiates.
The great initiates of the past are, then, our interior masters to whom we must turn with a searching spirit.
Dear Brothers, we must clarify, though, that the esoteric tradition to which we refer cannot be considered to exhaust Masonic esotericism.
The latter, in fact, even in remaking itself different from these traditions, possesses its own uniqueness which we must focus upon. We must not confuse Masonic esotericism with any of these other traditions. There is a specifically Masonic esotericism that is expressed in its own symbolism, in rituals, in diverse expressions of thought, and particularly, in the different paths of research that are proper to its rites. These later must be the school of research that certainly are not independent from the esoteric culture of our Craft, but are rooted in it and develop and deepen in different directions according to the specific rite.
So, we must ask to ourselves a fundamental question: what is the aim of our esoteric works? We cannot think that esoteric work is an aim in itself, that it is aimed only at the perfection of every mason; although that is true and desirable, the nature of our esotericism, with its symbolism and its historical roots, different from any other kind, resides in the fact that our esoteric perfection has a double goal: the elevation of the individual and, at the same time, that of our commitment in the world.
Perfection cannot be only aimed at every individual Mason and his interior world, but it must be such through which the preparation within the lodges permits them to contribute to his work, individual and collective, for the good of humanity.
There is however another aspect on which we must reflect.
The esoteric way must be unified with our moral conduct not only in reference to the world, but, before all else, toward our Institution and all the Brothers. The way of knowledge and interior perfection are the foundation to actualize an ethical and virtuous conduct within the Institution.
It is not uncommon that in the Lodges there is too much focus on the chasing after of offices and honors and this is the cause of animosities and disputes among the Brothers. The election to offices must take place in the most deep harmony permitting to all to express themselves freely, in order to select the Brothers who are most capable and suitable, and not according to group pressure.
We must take great care about the morality within our Craft and act so that within our community harmony and mutual respect reign. To this end we must reflect on the significance of the metals. When we were initiated we left them outside the Temple to see them restored only because they are necessary in the profane world and certainly not to be used within the Temple. As the words of the Evangelist say, we cannot serve at the same time God and Mammon.
On the other hand, how can we elevate our spirit, and prepare ourselves to be deeply free and decent men if we introduce the metals in the Temple? At the moment of initiation we were accepted as free and decent men, but these qualities must not be held to be definitive. On the contrary, they must be strengthened and manifested with our conduct.
The metals must always be left outside the Temple to signify that our gaze and our mind must be turned to our interior search and for the good of the Craft.
The metals in fact represent that which divides and does not unify; and on the contrary the esoteric way of freemasonry is aimed at union and harmony: the only qualities that permit the refining of rough stone, so that the research does not reduce itself to a mere intellectual exercise referred to knowledge, but also as a moral refinement that leads to a strengthening of the Chain of Union.
The esoteric way and the ethical way are not two separate ways: there cannot be a true esoteric enrichment if this does not lead to moral perfection.
Esotericism, in the end, must be related to our vision of the social world. Our values with reference to man and society must be unified with our esoteric vision so that there is a harmony between our internal world and our social presence.
Following the hermetic principle of correspondence in the "Emerald Table", according to which "that which is low is the same as that which is high, and that which is high is like that which is low", we must make sure that our internal microcosm corresponds to our way of being in the macrocosm of the social body.
So, let us work more and with a greater effort in our Lodges, to deepen the knowledge of the Masonic symbolism: let us prepare ourselves culturally to face the great problems of mankind and let us better our moral conduct because only in this way can we build on rock and not on sand, and so proceed on our path and attain another brick in the construction of the Temple to the Glory of the Grand Architect of the Universe.
* * *
Address of the Most Worshipful Grand Master Gustavo Raffi to the Brothers of the Grand Lodge 2001, GOI
on the web: www.grandeoriente.it/
* * *
Dear Brethren of the foreign delegations, of the Grande Oriente d'Italia, and of the Ritual Bodies,
before beginning, I would like to recognize the excellent fraternal relations existing between the Grande Oriente d'Italia and the other regular Masonic Grand Lodges in the world, as the presence of numerous distinguished foreign delegates here testifies.
Our action taken to restore the fraternal relations which had been suspended, in part because of the long judicial inquest that concluded with the exclusion of any kind of illegality on the part of members of our Institution, has obtained and continues to obtain excellent results.
From this view, we have worked to permit those Brothers who in these years, in good faith, have lost their way, to come back to the house of the father and so peacefully take up again their Masonic way.
Also the brotherly friendship with the United Grand Lodge of England has been re-established in a climate of reciprocal and sincere Brotherhood, felt also on the occasion of several Masonic ritual events, and international Masonic meetings.
For this, we will work in order to restore, also on the formal plane, the fraternal relations with the United Grand Lodge of England, convinced as we are, beyond the misunderstandings endured, that this represents for all regular Freemasons of the world a solid point of reference for the historic role it has played and for its current Masonic commitment.
In this past year we have dedicated much attention to the non-Masonic world, and we have debated several great social, cultural, and existential problems in conferences of a high scientific level, which have met with great interest and consideration on the part of public opinion and the mass media. We have, that is, expressed our opinions and Masonic values on the great themes that involve all mankind.
So, we have opened ourselves toward the world, and this engagement is not only right, but has also led to the consideration of Freemasons in a positive light on the part of the society.
Nevertheless, this engagement cannot make us forget the ultimate nature of our Institution, which is a community of initiates. In effect, our presence in the world derives from our being initiates, from our working esoterically to the Glory of the Grand Architect of the Universe, and laboring following our rituals in our Lodges, to attend the perfection of our spirits. We cannot contribute to the good of the human family if we do not elevate our consciousness and our spirituality through that esoteric, ethical, and cultural work that distinguishes Masonic work.
Freemasonry is not only an association of free men, but of men who seek after the knowledge, who refine their spirits, and who raise themselves above the world of metals. Our work is a continuous work, one can say an alchemical one, for the transformation of ourselves. This is what characterizes us and it is only this that allows us to be free and just, to better ourselves and in this way dispose ourselves to make a contribution for the good of mankind. We must give great attention to this work, even at the cost of personal sacrifice and a commitment to push ourselves to understand and to become better.
The time has arrived to point out our attention to ourselves to strengthen and elevate the Masonic preparation of all the Brothers. We must confront ourselves in a deep, critical, and constructive way, beyond stereotypical formulas, with our initiate-esoteric tradition, and devote ourselves in such a way that satisfies our internal worlds and our elevation, but also for the enrichment that serves the work dedicated to the good of mankind, in relation to the spirit that moves the world in which we live.
What we call our esoteric tradition, which is parallel and complementary to our ideals of illuministic nature, is seen from diverse perspectives, such as Hermeticism, the Cabbalah, Pythagoreanism, Templarism, Rosicrucianism, alchemy, and others again, that are, so to speak, the esoteric foundation that characterizes our Institution, that make it unique and render it possible that the Freemasons can consider themselves like initiates, beyond any kind of self-certification.
We do not presume to hold that the Freemasons are the sole heirs of these traditions, and neither to think of a direct historical derivation from these associations, but it is certain that such esoteric traditions are our point of reference to which we must look to give meaning to our initiation, to our spiritual journey, and to our beings as Freemasons.
So, the Brothers must dedicate their intellectual energy to the study of the symbols that carry on our esoteric tradition. In fact, the understanding of esoteric symbols and, in particular, of Masonic symbols, permits the understanding of the nature of Freemasonry, and this duty every Mason must fulfill. The symbols of the Temple and our rituals are interpreted in different ways, and only a common effort in the Lodge can lead to their understanding and make them living and active in our spirit and not a mere inheritance of the past.
The approach to the Masonic symbolism cannot be other than an active participation and ascension to levels of superior knowledge and it must never translate into an attitude that considers it like something mystic, inscrutable, and unattainable. Each Brother, then, must be capable in the Lodges to draw nearer to the symbols and to esotericism without ever thinking that only a few can possess the truth that is not comprehensible and transmittable to others.
None of the Brothers of our Craft, and even those who have dedicated more study to the esotericism and symbolism, can feel himself the possessor of a truth that is not accessible and transmittable to all the Brothers. The hidden truths which we seek must be shared and made active in the works we make in our Lodges, in such a way that all the Brothers, according to their degree of understanding and their disposition, can raise themselves in a learning process based on a common intent.
We must devote ourselves to these esoteric cultures with an attentive gaze and above all with humility to be always in a state of not knowing, of ignorance, but always ready to move towards knowledge, towards gnosis, that strengthens our spirit.
The Freemasons are not only free men of good living, but above all they are initiated: this is the cement that unifies them in the universal Masonic Brotherhood, according to the rules of the Old Charges. Not only they do they work for the good and progress of mankind with idealistic, cultural, social and ethical dedication, but they are also men who cultivate the esoteric doctrines as the essence of their being, with a work centered on the search for truth, avoiding every dogmatic air.
Any progress then can not be taken as definitive, but always as a step forward that prepares other steps. The Freemasons must never think that they have reached the truth, but only to have understood something more, certain that in the future that new obstacles will arise in the search for knowledge.
Our attitude will always be that of doubt, because only in this manner our minds can be open and not closed in any dogmatic way. We should, therefore, be always in a dialectic relationship with ourselves and the Brothers, in a fraternal and harmonious way, because our knowledge and elevation can only follow with a continuous constructive confrontation.
Our esoteric tradition is not a sacred text, but the source to which refer and drink from to continue along our way and so to give an actual meaning to the teachings given to us.
Esotericism and Masonic thinking have never derived from a vacuum, but are the result of the dedication of many scholars and initiates who, in the course of the centuries down to our own day, have not thought to halt and retain as definitive the knowledge attained, and so they have dedicated themselves to broadening the horizon of esotericism and Freemasonry.
In this same way, every Freemason must work, moving from the knowledge already attained, making it his own and working to carry it further. This is the sense of refining the rough stone within a community of initiates.
The great initiates of the past are, then, our interior masters to whom we must turn with a searching spirit.
Dear Brothers, we must clarify, though, that the esoteric tradition to which we refer cannot be considered to exhaust Masonic esotericism.
The latter, in fact, even in remaking itself different from these traditions, possesses its own uniqueness which we must focus upon. We must not confuse Masonic esotericism with any of these other traditions. There is a specifically Masonic esotericism that is expressed in its own symbolism, in rituals, in diverse expressions of thought, and particularly, in the different paths of research that are proper to its rites. These later must be the school of research that certainly are not independent from the esoteric culture of our Craft, but are rooted in it and develop and deepen in different directions according to the specific rite.
So, we must ask to ourselves a fundamental question: what is the aim of our esoteric works? We cannot think that esoteric work is an aim in itself, that it is aimed only at the perfection of every mason; although that is true and desirable, the nature of our esotericism, with its symbolism and its historical roots, different from any other kind, resides in the fact that our esoteric perfection has a double goal: the elevation of the individual and, at the same time, that of our commitment in the world.
Perfection cannot be only aimed at every individual Mason and his interior world, but it must be such through which the preparation within the lodges permits them to contribute to his work, individual and collective, for the good of humanity.
There is however another aspect on which we must reflect.
The esoteric way must be unified with our moral conduct not only in reference to the world, but, before all else, toward our Institution and all the Brothers. The way of knowledge and interior perfection are the foundation to actualize an ethical and virtuous conduct within the Institution.
It is not uncommon that in the Lodges there is too much focus on the chasing after of offices and honors and this is the cause of animosities and disputes among the Brothers. The election to offices must take place in the most deep harmony permitting to all to express themselves freely, in order to select the Brothers who are most capable and suitable, and not according to group pressure.
We must take great care about the morality within our Craft and act so that within our community harmony and mutual respect reign. To this end we must reflect on the significance of the metals. When we were initiated we left them outside the Temple to see them restored only because they are necessary in the profane world and certainly not to be used within the Temple. As the words of the Evangelist say, we cannot serve at the same time God and Mammon.
On the other hand, how can we elevate our spirit, and prepare ourselves to be deeply free and decent men if we introduce the metals in the Temple? At the moment of initiation we were accepted as free and decent men, but these qualities must not be held to be definitive. On the contrary, they must be strengthened and manifested with our conduct.
The metals must always be left outside the Temple to signify that our gaze and our mind must be turned to our interior search and for the good of the Craft.
The metals in fact represent that which divides and does not unify; and on the contrary the esoteric way of freemasonry is aimed at union and harmony: the only qualities that permit the refining of rough stone, so that the research does not reduce itself to a mere intellectual exercise referred to knowledge, but also as a moral refinement that leads to a strengthening of the Chain of Union.
The esoteric way and the ethical way are not two separate ways: there cannot be a true esoteric enrichment if this does not lead to moral perfection.
Esotericism, in the end, must be related to our vision of the social world. Our values with reference to man and society must be unified with our esoteric vision so that there is a harmony between our internal world and our social presence.
Following the hermetic principle of correspondence in the "Emerald Table", according to which "that which is low is the same as that which is high, and that which is high is like that which is low", we must make sure that our internal microcosm corresponds to our way of being in the macrocosm of the social body.
So, let us work more and with a greater effort in our Lodges, to deepen the knowledge of the Masonic symbolism: let us prepare ourselves culturally to face the great problems of mankind and let us better our moral conduct because only in this way can we build on rock and not on sand, and so proceed on our path and attain another brick in the construction of the Temple to the Glory of the Grand Architect of the Universe.