Help needed

[Guest guest]

Hello all,

 

It's been a long time since I visited this club, and I'm really

happy to see the activity here.

 

I am currently affiliated with some ashrams, and we are building a

comprehensive website on Swami Vivekananda. I have done some work on

it, however there's a lot more to go. You can take a look at the

website at www.vivekananda.net

 

There'll you'll find that most of the links are still incomplete and

a lot of content has to be added. I'm looking for volunteers or

employees who'll help me build this website on Swami Vivekananda.

 

If any of you are interested in helping me out, please write to me

at s_v_c_s

 

Thanks,

Yours in Sri Bhagavan,

svcs

[Guest guest]

, s_v_c_s <no_reply wrote:

>

> Hello all,

 

Dear svcs,

 

We are so happy to hear from you SVCS. You have been one among the

original pioneers, who started and helped this club. Your old posts

still remind us of you clariy of thoughts and wisdom

 

I am sure you will get some people to help you build your site.

and we would be grateful if you could write again remind us of great

thoughts of Vivekananda, your guide and guru.

 

with my love

[Guest guest]

Dear Sir,

Om Nama Shivaya.

 

I just had a look at your website on Swami Vivekananda Ji. Nice work.

For your information i am giving the following details about swami

ji.

The Reason why Swami Ji adressed the chicago meet in 1893 as BROTHERS

and SISTERS is this coz he was a Freemason and its in Freemasonry we

call ourselves Brothers.

 

Narendranath Dutta in his quest for spiritual knowledge was attracted

to the tenets of freemasonry and on his seeking the privileges and

mysteries of freemasonry, his proposal was well received..

Bro.W.C.Banerjee a distinguished advocate guided and helped him in

the initial stages of his career.Narendranath Dutta was initiated on

19 th February 1884. He was passed to the degree of F.C on 15-4-1884

and was raised to the sublime degree of M.M on 20 th May 1884.

Subsequent to his initiation, he assimilated the teachings of

freemasonry. His pursuit of spiritual progress did not leave him much

time for progress in freemasonry. He did not acquire the highest

honour the Lodge could have conferred on any of its members namely

the mastership. He however was deeply imbibed in the teachings of

freemasonry particularly the basic tenet of freemasonry namely

Universal Brotherhood. He always used to project himself as Bro.

Vivekananda and treated others as brothers. His adherence to

Universal Brotherhood was reflected, when he commenced his famous

address in Chicago in the Parliament of Religions, addressing the

audience as " Brothers and Sisters of America". A Convention of all

the Lodges was held in Chicago at the same time and Bro. Swami

Vivekananda could not attend the same due to his participation in the

Parliament of Religions. Nevertheless Swamiji met W.Bro.Connor and

the latter in his letter dated January 22, 1894 to W.Bro.Gilbert

W.Bernard introducing Swamiji had written as follows.

" I take very great pleasure in introducing to you personally and as

a freemason, our East India Brother Swami Vivekananda, whom I

examined in the English Work, in which he was made a Master Mason in

Anchor and Hope , 236 E.C." .

Swamiji had thus acted according to the Masonic teaching

of "willingness at all times to undergo examination, when properly

called on". He underwent the examination and proved himself to be a

Freemason 10 years after his initiation in spite of his spiritual

pursuits.

Prior to his leaving for the World Parliament of Religions in

Chicago, Swamiji went to Kanyakumari, the southern most tip of India

and formerly known as Cape Comerin. There is a huge piece of rock

jutting out in the sea, being the confluence of the three seas.

Swamiji dived into the sea and swam to the rock and spent a few days

in meditation and prayers and obtained Divine blessings. A fitting

memorial has been erected on that rock with a meditation hall. It has

been named Swami Vivekananda Rock Memorial and the same can be

reached by the ferry service.

With a view to commemorate the holy visit to Kanyakumari and to

honour the memory of such a distinguished brother, a Lodge named

after him was consecrated on 12 th February 1985. It is Lodge

Vivekananda (No.254) and it meets on 2 nd Saturdays in Kanyakumari.

Bro.Swami Vivekananda practiced the teachings of Freemasonry in his

life. His writings reveal his exemplifying the principles of

freemasonry. He was a noble son of the country, very respectable in

life, was very useful to mankind and he was the brightest ornament of

the Fraternity in India.

 

some of the prominent Indians who were Freemasons.

A). Swamy Vivekananda (initiated in 1884 under the name of Bro.

Narendra Nath Dutt in Lodge Anchor & Hope, Calcutta). Motilal Nehru -

Lodge Harmony, Kanpur (Father of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and grand

father of Indhira Gandhi), C. Rajagopalachary (Governor General of

India), Sir C P Ramaswamy Iyer (Divan of Travancore), Dr. P V Cheriy

(Governor of Maharashtra), and Fakruddin Ali Ahmed (President of

India).

 

If you need more details about freemasonry and swami's contribution

pls let me know so that i will collect more details on this.

 

Thanks and Best Regards

Senthil.

Shivaya Nama Aum.

Thiruchitrambalam.

 

 

, s_v_c_s <no_reply wrote:

>

> Hello all,

[Guest guest]

Freemasons are a Christian Community. I dont think Vivekanada belonged

to it or any other so called "Secret Socities". In fact many other

"Societies" tried to claim that Vivekanand was inspired by them- like

the Theosiphical, which Vivekanand clearly denied.

 

The only person Vivekananda who inspired was his Guru. The only

philosophy he preached was Vedant(he also must have known about

Tantra, since his Guru was a Tantric Master-in fact in his book

Rajyoga he gives clear link between Rajayoga & Kundalini rising).

 

Vivekananda used the term Brothers & Sisters, as the philosophy of

Vedant says we are all related, part of & born of a single super soul.

This was a new view for the Westerners, who used the formal Ladies &

Gentlemen. As such, Vivekananda was preaching Vedic culture, not

Freemason philosphy.

[Guest guest]

Freemasons are not an exclusive christian group. I've been around

enough people who have studied to "occult" to know better. Freemasons

require members to believe in some form of God ( i.e. no athiests).

 

In reguards to Sri Vivekananda talking about vedantic or masonic views,

he just may well have been doing both. One of the things that i have

learnt since being introduced to hinduism is that most

religious/spiritual opinions all have the say root and all point in the

same direction. The unfortune problem with most people is that they

have this compulsive urge to disect, dissolve, and divide absolutely

everything. The whole planet would be a better place if someone could

create a pill to eliminate this compulsive order.

[Guest guest]

Dear ShanracerJI, BabaJi and all other readers of this post,

 

Om Shivaya Namaha,

 

Its Nice you raised this question.

 

"Freemasonry is NOT a Christian organization NOR a Religion"

 

"The mission of Freemasonry is to promote a way of life that binds

like minded men into a worldwide Brotherhood that transcends all

religious, ethnic, cultural, social and educational differences; by

teaching the great principles of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth:

and, by the outward expression of these, through its fellowship, its

compassion and its concern, to find ways in which each may serve his

God, his family, his country, his neighbors and himself."

 

In Fact GOD is called as The GREAT ARCHITECT of the UNIVERSE in

Freemasonry.

 

All Holy books – Gita for Hindus, Bible for Christians, Quran for

Muslims, Torah for Jews, Guru Granth for the Sikhs are displayed at

the alter and given due respect, and personal oaths are taken on

them which ever they believe. Holy book of that religion a member of

that Lodge has to be displayed. It's a must.

NO ATHEIST can become a Freemason.

 

The working tools of an operative mason which are applied to the

morals of Freemasons is all the three degrees is a further proof of

the ethical value of Freemasonry. The Initiate is told that the 24

inch gauge represents 24 hours of the day, part to be spent in

prayer to Almighty God, part in labour and refreshment and part in

serving a friend or Brother in time of need. that the common gravel

teaches that skill without exertion is of little avail and that the

Compass points out the advantage of education by which alone one can

be a member of a regularly organised Society.

 

Freemasonry teaches its members the mystery that the Supereme Being

is never far away from him and that He seems to be far away,

because, he holds Him aloof by his attitude of mind; but that He can

be drawn close to him through simple faith and purity of heart. Thus

it is assured that every one can find the Hidden and attain the

Unattainable. It further shows that the ramparts of the dwelling of

the Self are build with faith, hope, courage and love and that these

four walls sand all weather and storm. It points out, that when one

walks in the Light of God, there is no darkness. This part of the

Ritual is nothing but a dramatisation of the vedantic path of Self-

realisation. In short, here the little man, the selfish man fades

away, and another takes his place, one that is bigger, nobler, more

efficient.

 

It is to be remembered that the evolution of man is in proportion to

the degree of knowledge acquired by him and the extent to which his

knowledge has been utilised for the improvement of one-self and the

world that one lives in. Therefore, an artistic self-growth,

spiritual fulfilment in life, moral un-foldment with, ethical growth

in the personality, are the goals pointed out by Freemasonry for man

to follow. Such rehabilitated minds of its members are expected to

pursue the right value of life brimming with an evergrowing energy

and become the right vehicle to gain real achievements in life.

Thus beyond doubt, Freemasonry abounding through and through with

ethical science in its ritual, chastens men by its morals and

ethical rules and aids to evolve from good men, men of God,pure at

heart, noble in thoughts, magnanimous in attitude and assures

harmonious living of men among men as Brethren in the belief of

Fatherhood of God and Brotherhood of man.

 

Freemasonry is doesnot adopt any particular RELIGION. Members are

from all religion, all walks of Life are a part of It. Present Head

of Freemasonry in India is CHIEF JUSTICE.

 

There are some fixed misconceptions in the minds of the laity about

Freemasonry - that we meet behind closed doors, get drunk, strip

ourselves naked and run about in the Meeting place and that whether

we like it or not, we are forced to drink and eat meat and fish.

many also are of the opinion that we "raise the Devil" and practise

some sort of "witch craft". Even to this day our meeting places and

buildings in the North are referred to in local parlance as "BHOOTH

KANAS" or "JADU GHARS".

 

Let me categorically and unequivocally say that there is absolutely

not an iota of truth in any of these notions. We call our meeting

places "TEMPLES". For us, faith in God is the first requisite for

admission into our Order. Our teachings are intensely religious in

their import. We have constant. reference to God in our ceremonies

and we invoke. His blessings in all our undertakings. Our meetings

are conducted in an atmosphere of absolute silence and solemnity

with Jignity, decorum and decency and there is not place at all for

the slightest frivolity therein.

 

Another misconceived notion about our institution is that we are

a "secret society". This again is of course fallacious. We are

neigther a secret society nor an underground organisation. Perhaps

we are an organisation with some secret signs and words to

distinguish us from non masons. This is necessary in a worldwide

fraternity like ours, where the need for proving our identity as

genuine Freemasons to other Masons may arise in times of distress

and unforeseen difficulties say, in a foreign place. There is

nothing secret with regard to the broad principles, the spirit and

ideals of Freemasonry. There are many books and periodicals about

Masonry published in many countries which any one can read. Our

meeting places are well known in the community and our printed

meeting notices contain the names of all the members and the

addresses of the principal officers. We are proud to be known as

Freemasons in our communities.

 

The Gita is referred to as "Royal Secret" (Raja Guhyam) and

the "Secret of Secrets" (Guhyathamam) meaning that its true imports

cannot be grasped by one unless one has a prepared mind and

intellect to imbibe those teachings; secrecy here refers to the

profundity of the teaching and not that it is arbitrarily kept away

from some people. Secrecy in Freemasonry has also a similar import.

 

I still can write more and more about Freemasons and Freemasonry but

to conclude I would say we are not a secret society and we are not a

Single Relgion based organization, and donot claim one as a member

of our organization. Records lay intact to be checked if required.

Swamiji was a member of Freemasonry. Proofs of his documents can be

seen in Grand Lodge of India and in The local lodge – Lodge of

Anchor and Hope – Kolkata. I donot say Freemasonry was the cause of

his divinity, but he was in Freemasonry and was a proud freemason by

himself with free will and accord.

 

Iam a Freemason, and a strong beleiver in Hinduism and God.

 

If you have any doubhts or if you need more explanation pls feel

free to post so that i will reply.

 

Thanks and Best Regards

Senthil.

Shivaya Nama AUM.

Thiruchitrambalam.

 

 

 

, shanracer <no_reply wrote:

>

> Freemasons are a Christian Community. I dont think Vivekanada

belonged

> to it or any other so called "Secret Socities". In fact many other

> "Societies" tried to claim that Vivekanand was inspired by them-

like

> the Theosiphical, which Vivekanand clearly denied.

>

[Guest guest]

Dear Caisuir,

Om Shivaya Namaha.

 

Thanks for your veiw/post.

 

Iam not claiming only becoz Swamiji was freemason he addressed

chigago meet as brothers and sisters of america. His vedantic

knowledge is so vast and could have addressed becoz of that.

My point in posting this was to provide details reg swamiji to

construct website on swamiji. Always the Lodge he was a member

can be approached for evidence.

 

Thanks and Best Regards

Senthil.

Shivaya Nama Aum.

Thiruchitrambalam.

 

, caisuir <no_reply wrote:

[Guest guest]

Now that Swami Vivekananda is dead, anyone can claim anything about

him. I can say he was a member of the Potato farmers association, &

all his great insights were due to the training he recieved with them.

 

While he was alive, Swami Vivekananda accepted all philsophies, but he

preached only Vedant. Now that he is dead, every Tom Dick & Harry

claims he was inspired by them.

 

And dont give me this "All Religons & Philosophies are equal & preach

the same thing" bull. If they do, then why are some hell bent on

converting & butchering others?

 

Caisurji,Some of the things Vivekananda was praching could be found in

the Koran as well. So now I can claim he was a follower of Mohammed?

Universal Love & Brotherhood were slogan of French Revolutionists too,

so now Vivekananda is a French Nationalist?

 

How come this never happens the other way round- someone claiming

Western thought is inspired by Indian, rather than always the other

way round?