Ceremony for the degree of Sage, or Prince Brahmin, 58°
Dit Amerikaanse rituaal dateert uit de tweede helft van de negentiende eeuw.
Instruction in natural and spiritual science. How worlds are in process of
formation; how suns disappear whilst others are newly born, and how globes are
in a state of incandescence for ages. The Night and Day of Brahm, or his
Inbreathing and his Outbreathing, or Awakening.
How organic life begins at the lowest step of the ladder and progresses, in
untold ages, through the mineral, vegetable, and animal kingdom, and is crowned
by the birth of humanity. The Lunar race, and the Solar races. I have translated
the following from the Conference on Indian doctrine. It represents, that of
Reason, and Reply of Divine Wisdom.
R.: O! Sublime first born of God, we say that thou hast created
the world, thy child Reason asks how all was produced.
D.W.: My child, deceive not thy self, think not that I have
created the world independently of the first mover: God hath made all things, I
am but the instrument of his will, He calls upon me to execute his eternal
designs.
R.: How must I think of God?
D.W.: That He is immaterial, incomprehensible, invisible, without
form, eternal, all-powerful, that he knows all things, and is everywhere
present.
R.: How then did God create the world?
D.W.: The Will dwelt with him from all eternity; He being triple
as Creator, Preserver, and Destroyer. The Will of God conjoined with his
goodness, produced. first matter; and the two movements of the will produced
motion.
R.: What are we to understand by Sentiment?
D.W.: It is a portion of the Great Soul of the universe; it rests
in all creatures for a marked time.
R.: What becomes of it at death?
D.W.: It animates other bodies, or it plunges like a drop of water
in the immense ocean from which it set out.
R.: Will virtuous souls be recompensed, and will criminal souls
escape punishment?
D.W.: The Souls of men are distinguished from those of animals
inasmuch as they have the knowledge of good and, evil. If man does good his soul
when disengaged from his body by death, will be absorbed in the divine essence
and not again enter an earthly body. But the Soul of the wicked is vested in the
four elements, and after it has been punished it will retake an earthly body,
but if it takes on its first purity it will be absorbed in the bosom of God.
R.: What is the nature of this Union with God?
D.W.: It is a participation in the Supreme essence. We no longer
know passions, the entire Soul is plunged in eternal felicity.
R.: O! my mother, thou hast told me that if the Soul is not pure
it cannot dwell with God. The actions of men are sometimes good, and at other
times bad; where go all these mixed souls immediately after death?
D.W.: They are divided into classes, for some time they hardly
realize their uniquities, then they either enter heaven, or they receive
sometime the recompense of their good actions; or finally they enter new bodies.
R.: What is that which we call time?
D.W.: It exists with God from eternity, but we cannot comprehend,
or measure, the period when God created movement.
Sign: clasp fingers and bring back of hands to brow.
Touch: fingers clasped bring palms together and, give the S.W.A.U.M.
(implying, Fire, Water, Ether.)
Password: same as last degrees.
Battery: ******* ******* *******
******* ******* ******* *******.
Jewel and Symbol: a circle within which is a Star.