The pavement

THE PAVEMENT

There is almost nothing anywhere in the early records of Speculative Lodges to suggest either a history or an interpretation of the Pavement, which is represented by a series of black and white squares inside a rectangular frame; nor does there anywhere appear an explanation of why a Blazing Star was set in the middle of it, or why a rope with a tie and tassels in the corners was combined with it. By general consent Masonic symbologists have treated these as separate symbolisms, yet there must belong together or they would not have been shown together on old Tracing Boards.
Despite this paucity of data the Pavement is one of the most interesting of Masonic symbols, and that interest is heightened with each discover) of news facts. As a design the Pavement itself, whether set from the sides in a system of squares or from a corner in a system of diamonds, is one of the oldest and most universally liked of decorative designs—old as Egypt, or as China, and found at the ends of the earth; and especially beloved by Indians in both North and South America w ho have found numberless adaptations of it; checker-work w as one of the favorite motifs of Byzantine artists; and from early Roman times has been so much used in Italy that walls as w ell as floors are decorated with it, outside as w ell as inside. It is one of the few symbols in which non-Masonic meanings and uses correspond with or are identical with Masonic meanings; and it also is one of the few symbols which is Operative and Speculative at one stroke, because Operative builders used a board of floor or tracing paper (or cloth) divided into squares in laying out plans—as architects and engineers still do. In it many types of symbolism converge.

"The Pavement," writes Pike in his Morals and Dogma, " alternately black and white, symbolizes, whether so intended or not, the Good and Evil Principles of the Egyptian and Persian creed. It is the warfare of Michael and Satan . . . " (Perhaps Pike should have written " a creed " because both Egyptians and Persians had many creeds; nevertheless, and apropos of the latter, the dualism was a cardinal doctrine in Zoroastrianism, Mithraism, Manicheeism, etc.

The Pavement also suggests the correct position of the feet; and the fact that in Circumambulation the turns are at right angles, which in itself impresses upon a Candidate the fact that in a Lodge no member can run to and from at will, and that goings and comings are ordered.

The checkered design may be thought of as inlay work or as mosaic work, but in Masonry it is described by the latter word. "Mosaic" is believed by some etymologists to derive from the Latin, by others from the Greek mousa, muse; in either event it passed from Latin into Italian, thence into French, and finally into English (it had no reference to Moses). The Greek artisans of the Byzantine Period used mosaic extensively and so skillfully that it also came to be called in memory of them opus alexandrium, and opus graecanicum; and occasionally it was called opus sedile. But as a Greek art it died out in the Seventh Century, a short time before Charlemagne, and when the Western Empire was about to sever its last ties with the Eastern. In the Eleventh Century it was revived in Italy, and in the great Twelfth Century (which has a better right than the Thirteenth to the title of "greatest of centuries"—granted that there ever was a "greater"!) the extraordinarily talented Cosmati family made their mosaic work so famous that it came to be called Cosmati work.

If, as the majority of Masonic symbologists believe, the black and white squares symbolize day and night, the Pavement is a member of a recurrent theme—the Twenty-four Inch Gage represents the twenty-four hours, the Sun and Moon are day and night, the East is the place of light and the North is the place of darkness, the Master's station is at the beginning of the day and the Junior Warden's is at the end, the postulant is brought from darkness to light, there are High Twelve and Low Twelve. Masons are to know each other in the dark as well as in the light; in the dark a man needs a guide, in the daylight he can guide himself; a man hexes, or buries, his secrets in the dark where no other can find them. These meanings cluster around the symbolism of the Pavement; perhaps the sun is meant by the Blazing Star (as it was once called) and is in the center because it makes the day by its shining and the night by the shadow it casts; and perhaps the rope around the perimeter reminds men that while for the world day and night go on endlessly they do not for him, and only a few days are going to be tied together in his span of them, so that it is good for him, as is the Masons' creed, to work while it is called of day for soon the night cometh when no man can work.

Mackey's Encyclopedia of Freemasonry

Freemasonry and Spirituality

Here is a very good article written by my father - an active and practicing Freemason. 

The writer of the paper is Bro. T.S.Sridhar and is based in Mumbai. This paper was read at the Rustom Cama Masonic Study Circle meeting held in April 2011 under the title of “Why am I a freemason”. He can be contacted at email: titai.sridhar[at]gmail[dot]com

He also maintains his own blog which has more such articles: titaisridhar.blogspot.com

Freemasonry and Spirituality.

Very early in life I was told by my family elders that my grand father was a Freemason and
that he died very young leaving behind the widow and 5 children who were studying in school. The Lodge came to the timely help of the distressed family till the eldest son started earning. I was very impressed by what the Lodge had done. I took a liking for such an organisation and
decided to join it when I grew up in order to help the needy. Beyond this I knew nothing about
Freemasonry. When the opporturnity came I joined Freemasonry.

Contrary to what I thought before joining Masonry, I saw that collecting and disbursing charity at the meetings were relegated to the bottom of the agenda and occupied no more than 2 minutes time. Discussions rarely took place on the issue. I had the preconceived notion that collections would be made and distributed to needy persons at meetings after meetings. Naturally I was led to believe that there must be something more to Freemasonry and I decided to find that out. Brethren made vague and unsatisfactory statements like Freemasonry makes good men better, which in my opinion was too simple and told nothing. There were placed on the Altar the Holy Books of various religions, the Three Lights, the Square, the Compass, etc., and we were told that we should live our lives with the Holy Books as our guide and conduct ourselves within the boundary of the square and the compass. Our meeting places were referred to as a Temple, the Brethren were said to be involved in a peculiar labor, and the name of the presiding deity varied from degree to degree. Yet we were told that Freemasonry was not a religion or a religious body. There was something beyond my reasoning and my curiosity was aroused. 

Pranayams and Meditation had formed a part of my daily routine from a very young age and I had started feeling a faint energy on my finger tips whenever I visited a Lord Vishnu temple. Time and again I visited the temple just to experience this. Later on I learnt from elders that this energy is described in the Vedas and Upanishads as the energy generated by the spark of the Divine Life (Divine Agni or Divine Fire) present in every living being. Five or six years after I had joined Freemasonry, I read a book by Leadbeater titled “The Hidden Life in Freemasonry”. I was surprised to read Leadbeater write about the generation and circulation of spiritual energy
within a tyled lodge and called the Lodge a temple. He says that the peculiar labor engaged by Brethren in a Masonic Lodge refers to the collective duties performed by every brother in a disciplined and solemn manner to enable the generation and flow of the spiritual energy. After reading the book I decided to attend Lodge meetings and verify if I could feel such energy. To my disbelief I felt the energy in a Masonic temple as I would feel in a Lord Vishnu temple. I
was convinced that our Lodge is indeed similar to a holy temple for self and group realization which enables us to know about ourselves and our connection with God. I got the answers to elementary but important questions like - how freemasonry makes good people better, why our meeting places are called temples and what is the peculiar labor that brethren are engaged in.

Speculative Freemasonry as we can understand is indeed speculative in nature and therefore it has taken me 25 years to tell or write - what made me remain a Mason for all these years. As I was already convinced that our meeting places generated a spiritual aura which is there in a Lord Vishnu Temple, my quest should have concluded . On the contrary it only intensified. In addition to the Craft Lodge, I had also joined other Masonic bodies like - Chapter, RAM, Conclave, etc., and as I was exposed to their workings my interest was further kindled as advancing in spiritual knowledge was very important to me.

I started taking a close look at the workings in the various bodies in Freemasonry and tried to understand their relation to the advances made by the spiritual energy in our body as described in several non-masonic books. 

To illustrate – By the symbolic penalties of the 3 degrees in the craft lodge I understood them to represent paving the path for the mystic spiritual energy in our body to advance from the bottom of the spine to the top of our head or the crown. This energy is described in the Vedas and Upanishads as the Mystic Kundalini Shakti or Energy or The Serpent Power which is dormant in most of the human beings. 

Coming to the Chapter, I understood the guarded veils (whose duties are clearly described in the Irish Chapter working) before one is allowed to advance to the Council Chamber as representative of the Kundalini Chakras or Energy Centers in our body. For the spiritual energy to smoothly move from one center to another, strict observance of moral and ethical codes are expected and we should have strong belief in God. Any deviation therefrom will lead to disastrous consequences to our well being. Hence in the Chapter there are Companions symbolically guarding the Veils to prevent undeserving people from advancing towards the Council Chamber. The Council chamber is representative of the Kundalini Sahasrara at the top of the head. I have read several books which say that an attentive person should be able to feel the sensations as the energy advances from one center to another. As pains and pleasures form an essential and integral part in the path of spirituality, only a person who has firm faith in God can keep the Divine Fire or Agni burning to ultimately secure Self Realisation, God Realisation and the Realisation that very living being is a ‘Soul and not a Body’. No wonder that belief in God or the Supreme Being as a prerequisite before one is admitted into freemasonry. 

Sri Aurobindo has described in his book on Savitri (1) that after the spiritual energy in our body rises from the base of the Spine to the top of our head and meets the Universal energy, the same Spiritual Energy reverses and comes down into our body through the top of the head. Sri Aurobindo calls it the Descending Divine Grace as distinguished from the rising Kundalini. He names this Integral Yoga and says that the Integral Yoga begins only after the end of other Yogas i.e. after the ascending energy has completed its course from the bottom of the spine to the head as symbolised in the craft and chapter working. 

Attending other Masonic bodies also made me realise that their workings/rituals alluded to movements of the spiritual energy in our body. This time about how it feels when the Divine Energy travels from top to bottom - The wonderful feel of the Divine Energy or Blessing is very nicely depicted in the Anthem of Secret Monitors in the Brotherhood of David and Jonathan in the following words :

“ Behold how good and joyful a thing it is : brethren, to dwell together in unity!

It is like the precious ointment upon the head , that ran down unto the beard: even unto
Aaron’s beard, and went down to the skirts of his clothing.

Like the dew of Hermon : which fell upon the hill of Sion.

For there the Lord promised his blessing : and life for evermore.” 

Sri Aurobindo has also in his inimitable manner described how it feels when the Divine Grace or Blessing descends in the Integral Yoga. When the Divine Grace descends it feels as though snow flakes flow from the top of the head to the face, then the neck, then the throat till it has traversed the whole body.

In Chaitanya Charitamritha , the author describes the ecstatic and joyful moments that Sri Krishna Chaitanya experienced when there was an outpouring of the Divine Grace or Blessing during the time of his dancing in praise of Lord Krishna. Sri Krishna Chaitanya is claimed to be an Avatar of Lord Krishna who appeared in Bengal about 500 years back and re-discovered the lost secrets of the Vedas contained in Bhakti Yoga. 

Though there is scope for citing similar examples from other Masonic bodies, suffice it to say that apart from the quest for knowledge, brotherhood at Lodge meetings is the key to spiritual progress. If Brotherhood was wanting at a particular Masonic meeting the spiritual energy was either not felt or absent as the thought processes and negative attitudes tended to disturb the free flowing movements of the spiritual aura. Hence the spiritual progress of brethren are negated. That explains why two brethren not on amicable terms are asked to resolve their differences before they enter the temple. Such is the importance attached to brotherhood for
our collective progress.

It is my opinion that if we make the Spiritual side of Freemasonry known loudly and widely, we
can expect Brethren to take a more serious interest at the meetings and perhaps more people will join Freemasonry. The Spiritual side is indeed the Hidden Side of Freemasonry which is also the most important goal of all religions.

My interest in Spirituality brings me to the Lodge as I see in the Lodge Temple a place where
we meet in a group to collectively elevate our souls to higher levels and in the process evolve
a new quality of life on earth. Sri Aurobindo and The Mother toiled all their life for the descent of the Divine Grace in themselves and the Pondicherry Ashram inmates as they felt that the descent of the Divine Grace will ultimately culminate in the descent of Super Consciousness in the human body . My years in Freemasonry has given me rich knowledge. I hope you enjoyed
listening/reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

May the blessings of Heaven pour and rest upon us.

All Glories to the Most High.

Amen.

1.Savitri - Savitri’s love for Satyawan described in the Mahabharata.