INFLUENCE OF VIVEKANANDA &

VEDANTA ON

FREEMASONIC IDEAS

TARAKNATH TARAPHDAR

FREEMASONS

• CONTROVERSIAL

• MYSTERIOUS

• OCCULT (?) PRACTICES

IN LIGHT & SHADE

• QUEER DRESS!

• CONSPIRATORS(?)

• FATERNAL NON-

RELIGIOUS

ORGANIZATION

• SPIRITUAL

• MONOTHEISTIC

• PHILANTHROPHIC

• SYMBOLISM

• MALE ONLY

ORIGIN

• STONEMASONS GUILD

• ENGLAND & SCOTLAND

• LATE 16TH. OR EARLY 17TH. CENTURY

• MAY BE EARLIER.

• ROSLYN CHAPEL, SCOTLAND: 15TH. CENTURY.

• They e e lea ly the elite of the labour

fo e, had se et usto s a d a ks..

SOURCE OF INFLUENCE

Freemasons

GREEK

PHILOSOPHY,

SCIENCE, MATHS

STONE MASONS

IDEAS &

TERMINOLOGY BIBLE,

HEBREW SCRIPTURES

ASTROLOGY

HERMETICISM

IDEAS OF CELTIC

DRIUDS

ANCIENT

MEGALITHIC

CULTURE KNIGHT TEMPLARS

ANCIENT

EGYPTIAN

CULTURE

RELIGION &

PHILOSOPHY

OF EAST

KABBALAH

ALCHEMY SYMBOLISM

FREE MASONS: TRADITIONAL VIEW

• A system of morality veiled in allegory and

illustrated by symbols."

FREEMASONS: A MODERN VIEW

F ee aso y,…. is ut Ma s uest fo t uth. T uth, indeed, is the most important of the three Grand

p i iples o hi h the o de is fou ded….. The T uth that F ee aso y tea hes is… -- the

k o ledge of o eself …..Ou ituals a d e e o ies are specifically designed to guide us into this spiritual

journey – to dispel ignorance, to know God, and

finally to experience God.

-- Masonic Symbolism & Vedanta, (2004)

W. Bro. Chakravarthy Sampath Madhavan

[Lodge Jyothi 253 Salem, TN.]

THE VIEW OF MASONS

• The religions of the world, though all aiming at teaching truth, express that truth in different ways, …

-The Meaning of Masonry by W.L. Wilmshurst

EXPANDING FRONTIERS

• EARLY: ALL CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS SECTS

• JEWS MUSLIMS ZORASTRIANS

• SIKHS HINDUS

• P.C.DUTTA: Not polytheist, ot pa theist,

eithe idol o shippe

MONOTHEISTIC TO VEDANTA?

• DUALISTIC? QUALIFIED MONISTIC?

• NONDUALISTIC? MONISTIC? [MISTAKENLY

EQUATED WITH PANTHEISM]

• VEDANTA AS PAR RAMAKRISHNA-

VIVEKANANDA?

FREEMASONS

DEGREES

• APPRENTICE MASON

• FELLOWCRAFT

MASON

• MASTER MASON

* SCOTTISH RITE: UPTO 33o

3 GRAND PRINCIPLES

• TRUTH

• BROTHERLY LOVE

• RELEIF

NARENDRA BECOMES A MASON

1884

• FEB 19: APPLIED

• FEB23*: FATHER DIED

• APRIL5: PASSED

FREEMASON TEST

• APRIL 15: FELLOWCRAFT

MASON

• MAY 20: MASTER MASON NARENDRANATH IN FREE

MASON REGALIA(1884)

APRON OF F.C. MASON (Authenticity to be verified)

SO SIMILAR?

WHAT IS THE SECRET OF A MASTER MASON?

"The true knowledge of ourselves, the conscious realization of our divine potentialities."

W.L. WILMSHURST

A MASTER MASON SAYS:

"Religion is the realization of the divinity already in man. Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest it."

MASONS HIGHLY REGARDED VIVEKANANDA (BUT NOT AS MASON)

• Deshbandhu C.R. Das (1870-1925)

• Dr. M.R. Jayakar (1873-1959)

• C. Rajagopalachari (1879-1972)

• Sir C.P. Ramaswamy Ayer (1879-1966)

• Sir A.L. Mudaliar (1887-1974)

• Dr. B.G. Kher (1888-1957)

http://www.masonindia.org/WellKnownFreeMasons.htm

Thus they have paid homage

There are number of prominent Indians who have been Freemasons. The most important and revered of all of course is Swami Vivekananda, who is known to us as Bro. Narendra Dutta , .....

R.W.Bro Justice Devinder Gupta,

(Past)G. M. Grand Lodge of India http://www.lcl274.org/aboutus.html

Commemorating Vivekananda

LODGES NAMED AFTER HIM:

1.Kanyakumari Lodge Vivekananda 254

Inaugurated: 12Feb 1985*

2. Nagpur Lodge Vivekananda

Inaugurated: 2 April 2010** *: http://www.masonicpaedia.org/showarticle.asp?id=13

http://www.masonindia.org/diaryofmasonic.htm

**: http://shirishborkar.blogspot.com/2010/04/masonic-lodge-named-after-

swami.html, published on 14.4.2010 . Pu lished i Hitavada Nagpu . . . Not mentioned in http://www.masonindia.org/diaryofmasonic.htm

COMMEMORATING SWAMIJI

• Centenary Celebration of Swamiji becoming

Mason: 19/2/1984. ( Anchor & Hope Lodge)

• Dr. P.C.Chunder wrote:

• Brother Vivekananda 1884-1984, A Centenary

Tribute

• 17 Dec 1999: Conference Kolkata

• Chairperson: Justice M.M. Mukhopadhyay

• Guest of Honour: Swami Atmapriyananda

SWAMIJI’S BIOGRAPHY: MASONIC VIEW

• AUTHOR: R. W. BROTHER R. RATNASWAMI

• Posted on: Sunday, June 16, 2002

• ‘Many brethren have requested that a write up about Swami Vivekananda, as a Freemason should appear in our web site.’

• SOME FACTS ARE ERRONEOUS, SOME DEBATABLE.

• Available at:

• http://www.masonicpaedia.org/showarticle.asp?id=13

• Swamiji is the only Indian, whose

biography has been published by

this Lodge. • NOT THE SAME AS WRITTEN BY BRO.

RATNASWAMI • http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/biography/vivekananda/vivekananda.html

An old book

"The Lost Keys of Masonry" by Manly P. Hall

(1924)

Foreward by Reynold E. Bright.

Essence of Vedanta

"Life is a Divine adventure, a splendid quest.

http://www.rgle.org.uk/The%20Lost%20Keys%20of%20Freemasonry.pdf

IN THE 21ST CENTURY

ESSAY COMPETITION 2004

• 1ST: MASONIC SYMBOLISM

• K. JYOTHINDRA KUMAR

• 2ND.: MASONIC SYMBOLISM & VEDANTA

• CHAKRAVARTHY SAMPATH MADHAVAN

MASONIC SYMBOLISM

• VEDANTIC VIEW OF MASONIC SYMBOLS &

IDEAS.

• “ a i Vi eka a da ou sai tly aso …

• 4 paths of Yoga to attain mukti can be

followed by Masons too.

http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/kumar.html

Freemasonry in Light of Vedanta

Philosophy

• Despite the numerous parallels between the symbolism of the fraternal organization of Freemasons and the ancient Hindu philosophy of Vedanta, there is a rather small collection of meaningful articles on the topic.

• Given a working knowledge of both systems, here I have attempted to formulate a basic structure by which we can see how Vedanta understands the symbols and teachings of Freemasonry.

---Ravi S. Kudesia, 28/12/2009 raviskudesia.blogspot.in/2009/12/freemasonry-in-light-of-vedanta.html

• DECEMBER 2011

• 2 ARTICLES

• "THE POINT WITHIN THE CIRCLE“: A VEDANTIC PERSPECTIVE by RW Bro SIVAKUMAR MURUGAIYAN

• SPECULATIONS INTO THE ORIGINS AND WHYS OF RITUALS IN FREEMASONRY

By W Bro V. DILIP KUMAR

"THE POINT WITHIN THE CIRCLE“: A VEDANTIC PERSPECTIVE

RW Bro Sivakumar Murugaiyan

• A Vedantic perspective of “point with in a circle” from Master Masons ritual, to establish it as a Universal truth applicable to all.

• This definition of the absolute by reference to

the relative would give credence to Swami

Vivekananda's words that these are but

attempts to realise the infinite

SPECULATIONS INTO THE ORIGINS AND WHYS OF

RITUALS IN FREEMASONRY

By W Bro V. DILIP KUMAR

• Traces the history of rituals and charts us through the gist of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, and its impact on the personality of man.

• He concludes by a notable quote by Swami Vivekananda:

• Let me end my dissertation with the words of

Brother Swami Vivekananda: “that the experience has been possible millions of times before, and will be repeated eternally”.

Need of Guru

• The Masonic Guru Meets the Masonic Teacher Who Meets the Mentor”

• Arthur Hendrickson

• 11 January 2013, 5:23am

• Freemasonry as a spiritual path.

• Discusses need of Guru

• Examples of Ramakrishna & Vivekananda

• http://purposelyhoodwinked.blogspot.in/2013/01/the-masonic-guru-meets-masonic-teacher.html

Influence of Vivekananda

• The th ust of Hi du Veda ta as p opagated by the Indian Mason Swami Vivekananda and

the pioneering work of Albert Pike in

establishing Hindu & ancient Aryan themes

within the American Scottish Rite degrees

formed impressive substantiation of spiritual

thought…..

• Masonry in India, Guy Beck & Naresh Sharma http://homepage.mac.com/johngroves/AASR/Orations/Masonry%20in

%20India.pdf

“Pike and Vivekananda wove ancient Indian teachings into Scottish Rite Lectures.”

ALBERT PIKE [1809-91] SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

MASONIC VEDANTA

• "It was Swami Vivekananda's teachings regarding tolerance and belief in a Supreme Being that first drew our attention towards commonalities between Hindu Vedanta and Freemasonry.....

• Swami Vivekananda showed how closely the Vedantic Hinduism resembles Masonic teachings of the ascent of Masonic degrees....

• In rare genius Swami Vivekananda was able to weave a fabric of universal religious tolerance for humanity that was simultaneously Masonic and Vedantic and might be labeled 'Masonic Vedanta'...."

• Masonry in India, Beck & Sharma http://homepage.mac.com/johngroves/AASR/Orations/Masonry%20in%20In

dia.pdf

THE LEGACY CONTINUES

• Swamiji’s disciple Swami Paramananda was cordially received by Masons in Buffalo, USA.

• C-I-C of the GL felt: “the message that the Swami had for them, was of the utmost importance to all humanity.”

• Message of the East, Vol 9, 1920

http://books.google.co.in/books/about/Vedanta_Mo

nthly.html?id=tINXeP2JcaoC&redir_esc=y

A BRIEF REVIEW

http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/

‘PIETRE-STONES Review of Freemasonry’ (Masonic Research papers, articles, short essays,

lectures: Alphabetical Index)

A REVIEW

• 240 PAPERS, 9 BY INDIANS

• VEDANTA IN 4, VIVEKANADA 1

• 215 ARTICLES BY FAMOUS MASONS

• VEDANTA 1:

• MARCUS AURELIUS AND VEDANTA by

• R.W. Bro. LEON ZELDIS 33o [ISRAEL]

DID SWAMIJI INFLUENCE THEM?

W.L.WILMSHURST NORMAN VINCENT

PEALE

DID SWAMIJI INFLUENCE WILMSHURST?

• Walter Leslie

Wilmshurst

• (22 JUNE, 1867 – 10

JULY, 1939) :

• One of the World's

greatest Masons,

deepest Mystics and

Most perfect of English

Gentlemen.

The Meaning of Masonry (1922)

• The ea liest tea hi g of the Myste ies traceable within historic time was in the

Orient and in the language known as Sanscrit

(sic) … and for very great lights upon the

ancient Secret Doctrine one must still refer to

the religious and philosophical scriptures of

India, which was in its spiritual and temporal

prime when modern Europe was frozen

beneath an ice-cap. – Chapter V

Occult review (March1924)

‘e ie of ‘.M. Bu k s Cos i Co s ious ess

"The person affected realizes as never before the oneness of the universe. He sees himself as part and parcel of this unity which he senses as the expression of a single conscious life. At the moment of the experience the realization of the consciousness of the separateness of the ego and the non-ego, the knower and the known, entirely disappears. The man who has once had it is no longer able to feel a shadow of doubt as to human immortality.

He knows it with a certainty that no argument or evidence can strengthen or shake.

http://www.bradford.ac.uk/webofhiram/?section=walter_leslie_wilmshurst&page=Cosmic.html

Raja Yoga of the Vedantists

It is the ‘aja Yoga of the Vedantists, the royal

art of self-i teg atio . --Contempletions: Being Studies in Christian

Mysticism, [Chapter IV Raising of the Dead]

W.L. Wilmshurst (1994) pg 85. http://ia701505.us.archive.org/13/items/ContemplationsBeingStudiesInChristianMysti

cism/Chapter4TheRaisingOfTheDead.pdf

W.L. WILMSHURST

• He had a p ofou d k o ledge a d u de sta di g of o ld eligio s.

• The Chief “ iptu e of I dia The Bhagavad Gita) a d its elatio to p ese t e e ts , 9 6 London: Philip Welby

• Widely acclaimed as a unique interpretation to the Western world of one of the greatest esoteric teachings from the East.

http://www.skirret.com/archive/dormer/symposium_of_papers

_contributed_8.html

• MAY HAVE KNOWN VEDANTA.

• OCCULT REVIEW, the monthly magazine,

where he published many articles, also

pu lished a y a ti les o Veda ta, e.g. The Philosophy alled Veda ta y Flo e e Fa , (June 1908, pg 332)

• http://www.austheos.org.au/indices/OCCREV.

HTM

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!

• The Power of Positive

Thinking,

• The Art of Living

• INFLUENCED BY JUNG,

WHO KNEW ABOUT

VEDANTA

• ANY INFLUENCE OF

VIVEKANANDA?

• NORMAN VINCENT

PEALE (1898-1993)

• Champion of Positive

Thinking

• "To me, Freemasonry is

one form of dedication

to God and service to

humanity."

MASONIC SYMBOLISM?

SUGGESTION

PERIOD EVENTS

1890-1902 “WAMIJI “ EVENTFUL LIFE

1902-1947 “WAMIJI “ INFLUENCE ON INDIAN F‘EEDOM STRUGGLE, CHANGING ROLE OF INDIAN

FREEMASONS

1960-2000 GRAND LODGE OF INDIA (1961), VIVEKANANDA

CENTENARY

2001- INTERNET WIDESPREAD

COMPARE PRE & POST VIVEKANANDA PERIODS

FOR MENTION OF VEDANTA/ VIVEKANDA IN

MASONIC WRITINGS

QUESTIONS??