GRAN LOGIA FEMENINA DE CHILE

OR. DE SANTIAGO DE CHILE, MARZO 2002

MASONIC ETHIC: THE FREE-MASON BETWEEN

DOUBT AND CERTAINTY

“Celui qui croit détenir la Vérité ne croit pas au progress. Dans un monde en perpertuelle evolution, il est en contradiction avec la grande loi qui le régit” (Paul Naudon)

Masonry, for the rest of our lives has entrusted us with a grand mission, which is the exercise of doubt and to search for the truth.

In our doctrines and rituals it is instill in us to combat wrong, and to carefully study all before arriving at a conclusion, examining all that has been taken for granted, and to apply the tools of reasoning and critical evaluation before arriving at certain conclusions. Masonry makes us aware of the freedom of expression, since it is easy for us to think and believe as others would have us do. We must study the secret of life, which is truth, we should not rest until we have found the secret.

CRITERIAS OF THE TRUTHFULNESS OF REALITY

Our knowledge’s, ideas, values, vision of the world, was given to us by our family network, the formal education, the leaders of opinions, lectures, the media.

As a rule, realities and certainties, obtain through out our lives, are ideas validated by consensus. And the process of knowledge is of unending questions, of doubts, that generally comes from the basic and by the establishment of an intellectual relationship between man and the object of knowledge. Following this path we should be getting degrees of certainties of a characteristic of scientific valuations or other rational reasons.

The biggest danger that is in evidence through out the history of mankind, is that certain certainties were dogmatically made, were made in the conscience and collectives of individuals. Many were formulated as hypothesis or scheme of truths, but that were becoming auto realistic and auto prophetic, and whose application were becoming auto realistic.

The world has evolve in its thinking, although the criteria of certainty is different and changing, depending on a point of view. For many thinkers, the criteria’s of validity, of reality and certainty are by and large untrustworthy.

From Platón: “Truth is inaccessible by our means”, to the opinion of St. Agustin: “God, is the last certainty, it is therefore unknown.”, to W. James “Abstract truth does not exist”, or our own M. Oswald Wirth who thinks that “that truth that we can hold, is only the one that can fit with in the space determined by our compass”, the theme of truth is elusive”, it is like the inaccessible lover”.

Also, the criteria of reason is not only what is use to validate reality, there exist other experiences that permits us to conclude about personal certainties, like a raising of consciousness, ecstasy, the light of beauty, the sentiments of unity with the ONE or the OTHER, or even experiences of characters like beauty and the mystic vision.

Our own certainties depends on certain circumstances that are changeable, as our maturity, our living conditions, new knowledge, and having develop a greater degree of conscience. And if certain ideas that were true, no longer are, this does not mean they should be discarded, everthing leaves something, it is all a part of what evolution permits, “that which is of yesterday is a component of today”.

The Certainties acquired will provide us with a state of tranquility of conscience, and it is possible to be with your own ideas, nonetheless we must remain firm and be truth to that adopted. At the same time we must realize how to confront the certainties of others and how to resolved the rifts that divides them. This illustrated all the contextual value that will permit us to bypass the danger of certainty on a fundamentalist level.

We must remain flexible, to replant the certainties and keeping clear that they are relative, each think we believe true, is so within certain limits.

“It is version that is possible given the way things are”.

¿And what is the proof that we are right? Well we know this went we can identify with our truths, when it satisfy our intellect and our reason, when it is useful to relate to the Part or the All, when doors are open to a higher integrated vision, when we are permited to grow.

It would seem that it is human tendency to pass from doubt to certainty, constantly searching, y a gradual manner, integrating this way a superior vision.

One of the securities of certainty, is that from truth, they are sustain by values. The ethical is the impulse and also to the ideal that is aspired; reason why conduct is so controlled, because the value tends to be a reality.

Certainties are part of an integrator with the values that sustain them in precise form, so says Maslow: “Truth should be good, beautiful, perfect, just, orderly, legal, lively, widespread, united, and be more that the dichotomies, not be overly strenuous and be nice”. It should be about trust, compromise with itself and with others and should make it easy to be free and would permit us personal independence.

THE SEARCH FOR CERTAINTY ON THE MASONIC ROAD

“Le maçon en prétend pas avoir la certitude dogmatique”

Masons, have embarked on an initiative pathway, that have as its goal that attainment of LIGHT, which in our existence we are faced with the search for truth. Masonry gives us made truths which are dogmatic. The sure path is initiative, making use of the tools and opportunities that life and masonry itself gives us.

Knowledge, our livelihood and the rest, the suffering and the happiness, conscientiously lived, the experience of love, the sublimity of music, meditation, and many instances, where honestly one is confronted with.

From first grade we are taught to leave the travel path in search for certainty, leaving aside all that is a burden, that which has been impose on us through socialization, languages and its paradigms, and religion.

We learn to be open to other interpretations of reality and reinterpret or system of ideas.

There are test and difficulties (travels), and we leave the darkness of the West to the light of the East, also making the journey of retro gradation.

For the Mason it is not enough to give oneself objective certainties and to be obtain knowledge. The seek knowledge, the answers and questions found have to correspond with intelligence and the spirit.

The statement of certainties is oriented more and more to the superior, towards the models or archetypes of the mayor causes. ( for some these archetypes, are present in human nature. For others they are on the divine sphere that can transcend us).

On this mission, to know is not the object, but more importantly it is the Will to Know and all that are initiated, who believe in the process, and are so united by the purest of Fraternity.

He who know is a wise man, because he has the capacity to chose between good and evil. Therefore knowledge is virtue, the essential of knowledge is Goodness.

In this constant dialogue to go from doubts in search of certainties. We should exercise to place more new tools, principally of the value order in the service of our cause. The practice of empathy, assertiveness, critical sentiment, and the capacity to engage in dialogue. All of this built on the principles of tolerance and the understanding of the other, as a guarantee of the survival of mankind and a safe world, that permits the raising of all its children.

A sure method for mutual living is not base on confronting certainties, but to understand the different points and manners to interpret the reality, but also giving recognition to people who believe otherwise, and have their own rights to liberty of consciousness.

FINAL COMMENTARIES

The reflection on this theme is very much in keeping with actual times. The bombings in New York, and the polarization of certain leaders, made us aware and questioned (remettre en question) some of the mayor problems of our times: Failures in the area of the trust in man, the principle of authority, economic security, in the fundamentalist, in the values.

The historic and ideological lines are crossed. There is doubt in the Gran Sistema Cartesiano and of the classified world, partial, rational and mechanical. For many there is an imbalance between the significance of life and the firm basis of spirituality.

¿ Is there a way out? The past cannot be reconstructed, we cannot go back. And besides, ¿What for?

Therefore we have to continue looking incessantly, with serenity, but at the same time with a firm decision. ¿How? Like we are taught in Masonry. By the path of the elevation of c consciousness, reflection, vital human experience.

The initiate is the one that looks for resources, he is not limited in his search: reason, intuition, strength, love of humanity. Working within a secured framework, that practice of higher values, this is to say, the application of Real Art.

This type is work is done collectively and the results are usually shared fraternally.

Masons facing the profane world will not aggressively assert their certainties, but on the contrary will offer better attitudes. If in fact fear rules without, distrust, fanaticism, the absurd, opposing confidence, feelings of joy, clarity of ideas, faith in humanity, a vision of man and woman as complimentary strengths, and a large vision of building a life that is worth living (une vie qui vaille la peine d’être vécue).

These convictions permits us to feel deeply the philanthropy and experience the joy that all has a meaning, a transcendence. This would be the maximum expression of the law of Love.

GRAN LOGIA FEMENINA DE CHILE
MARZO DE 2002

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