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Article ON THE STUDY OF MASONIC ANTIQUITIES. ← Page 5 of 16 →
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On The Study Of Masonic Antiquities.
misunderstood and grossly perverted , eventually gave rise to a superstition so complicated in its references , and interwoven with such multitudinous improbabilities , as to be totally unintelligible to the greatest portion of its professors . The present Hindoo belief is a gross corruption of the ancient system . Its symbols , however , in great part remain the same , * and from them we may be enabled to trace the leading features of the
primitive faith . To these leading features it will now be necessary to advert , so that the elements of belief may be traced to their primal source , and the mind of the enquirer freed from misconception . These elements also appear in the Vedas , or sacred books of the Hindoos , which are unquestionably of great antiquity . They are inaccessible to the great mass of the people , but show how little the horrible and degrading systems practised at the present day accord with the primitive
references and sublime doctrines of the ancient faith . Thus the vedas declare that there is " one unknown , true Being , all present , all powerful , the creator , preserver , and destroyer of the universe . " This Being "is not comprehensible by vision , or by any other of the organs of sense , nor can he be conceived by means of devotion , or virtuous practices . " " He has no feet , but extends every where ; has no hands , but holds every thing ; has no eyes , yet sees all that is ; has no ears , yet hears everything that passes . His existence had no cause . He is the smallest of the small , and the greatest of the great ; and yet is , in
fact , neither small nor great . This Supreme Being is also described as the soul of the universe , in fact , the universe itself , or the cause of what we call the universe . " In him the whole world is absorbed , from him it issues , he is entwined and interwoven with all creation . " " All that exists is God , whatever we smell , or taste , or see , or hear , or feel , is the Supreme Being ; " and he alone was declared to be the proper object of worship .
" Adore God alone , know God alone , give up all other discourse . " " It is written in the Vedas , " says tbe Tedant ( an abridgement or epitome of the Vedas ) , " that none but the Supreme Being is to be worshipped , nothing excepting Him should be adored by a wise man . " " To God we should approach , of Him we should hear , of Him we should think , and to Him we should strive to approximate . " In the Shastas , Narud asks— " What shall we think of God ? " to
which Brahma replies— " Being immaterial , he is above all conception , being invisible he can have no form ; but from what we behold in his works , we may conclude that he is eternal , omnipotent , knowing all things , and present every where . " In the A ' tharva veda is the following prayer : — " Where they who know the Great One go , through holy rites , and through piety , thither may Brahma conduct me . " And again , " May Brahma lead me to the Great One . " From various passages of the Vedas , it appears that the worship of the true God did not require any particular forms or ceremonies ; that
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Study Of Masonic Antiquities.
misunderstood and grossly perverted , eventually gave rise to a superstition so complicated in its references , and interwoven with such multitudinous improbabilities , as to be totally unintelligible to the greatest portion of its professors . The present Hindoo belief is a gross corruption of the ancient system . Its symbols , however , in great part remain the same , * and from them we may be enabled to trace the leading features of the
primitive faith . To these leading features it will now be necessary to advert , so that the elements of belief may be traced to their primal source , and the mind of the enquirer freed from misconception . These elements also appear in the Vedas , or sacred books of the Hindoos , which are unquestionably of great antiquity . They are inaccessible to the great mass of the people , but show how little the horrible and degrading systems practised at the present day accord with the primitive
references and sublime doctrines of the ancient faith . Thus the vedas declare that there is " one unknown , true Being , all present , all powerful , the creator , preserver , and destroyer of the universe . " This Being "is not comprehensible by vision , or by any other of the organs of sense , nor can he be conceived by means of devotion , or virtuous practices . " " He has no feet , but extends every where ; has no hands , but holds every thing ; has no eyes , yet sees all that is ; has no ears , yet hears everything that passes . His existence had no cause . He is the smallest of the small , and the greatest of the great ; and yet is , in
fact , neither small nor great . This Supreme Being is also described as the soul of the universe , in fact , the universe itself , or the cause of what we call the universe . " In him the whole world is absorbed , from him it issues , he is entwined and interwoven with all creation . " " All that exists is God , whatever we smell , or taste , or see , or hear , or feel , is the Supreme Being ; " and he alone was declared to be the proper object of worship .
" Adore God alone , know God alone , give up all other discourse . " " It is written in the Vedas , " says tbe Tedant ( an abridgement or epitome of the Vedas ) , " that none but the Supreme Being is to be worshipped , nothing excepting Him should be adored by a wise man . " " To God we should approach , of Him we should hear , of Him we should think , and to Him we should strive to approximate . " In the Shastas , Narud asks— " What shall we think of God ? " to
which Brahma replies— " Being immaterial , he is above all conception , being invisible he can have no form ; but from what we behold in his works , we may conclude that he is eternal , omnipotent , knowing all things , and present every where . " In the A ' tharva veda is the following prayer : — " Where they who know the Great One go , through holy rites , and through piety , thither may Brahma conduct me . " And again , " May Brahma lead me to the Great One . " From various passages of the Vedas , it appears that the worship of the true God did not require any particular forms or ceremonies ; that