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Article ON THE STUDY OF MASONIC ANTIQUITIES. ← Page 9 of 16 →
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On The Study Of Masonic Antiquities.
regular and genial ; the virtuous experienced delight , the strong winds were hushed , and the rivers glided tranquilly . At midnight , when the supporter of all was about to be born , the clouds emitted low pleasing sounds , and poured down a rain of flowers . Kansa , a mighty demon , being , however , apprised that a child would be born that was for ever to overthrow his power , summoned all his principal asuras , or infidels , and told them' Let active search be made for whatever young children
, theremay be , upon the earth , and let every boy of unusual vigour be slain without remorse . ' Chrishna was , however , saved by Nanda , a cowherd , and brought up with Rama , the son of the herdsman ; and after many exploits performed by them , they delivered the world from the tyrant Kansa . "
I he ninth avatar is that of Buddh or Buddha , being the one now in course of performance . Stripping the allegory of its trappings , Buddh represents some great philosopher or reformer , who , some centuries before the Christian era , and probably about the time of Confucius , attempted to overthrow the system of castes , and other Brahminical institutions , and restore the pure principles of faith and doctrine inculcated in the Vedas . Though opposed most vigorously by the Brahmins , the new system spreadand great controversies arose between those who
, supported it and the supporters of the ancient system . The Brahmins anathemized the Buddhists as atheists ; the latter stigmatized the former as idolaters . At length , the Brahmins obtained the superiority , antl drove the Buddhists into the neighbouring countries , where the system is still regarded as the great opponent of Brahminism ; and though degenerated from its pristine state , presents a much purer and simpler form of worship than that which it vainly attempted to supersede .
The destroying power , of which SIVA is the type , has also many temples and numerous worshippers . There are also various avatars or manifestations of this power , but these are not so important or so celebrated as the incarnations of Vishnu . According to the Puranas , it is believed that Siva will not exert his powers of destruction on a great scale until twelve millions of years have elapsed . In the mean time , he is regarded as the Divinity exercising the creating or re-generating power ; inasmuch
as every act of apparent destruction , so far from annihilating , is , if strictly considered , simply a change in the material substances , which are at the same time reproduced in other forms . Thus , when the destroying power of Siva is exercised on any material substance , by whatever agency that power may be manifested , the operation consists in causing one form of existence to pass away , whilst its elements assume other shapes in the undyingthough constantl-varyingsystem of nature .
, y , If wood be consumed by fire , its constituent elements do but undergo a change—no particle is lost . The smoke or gaseous principles commingle with the atmosphere to form fresh combinations connected with the ceaseless oeeonomy of animal and vegetable life , whilst the residuum in the shape of ashes again mingles with the earth—not an atom perishes . There is but a change in material substances . In thus tracing the essences or ideas represented by Sivawe perceive merely a
personifica-, tion of the profound philosophical principle consequent upon the indestructibility of matter—that principle of ceaseless change eternally acting in the mysterious processes of creation . Siva is sometimes worshipped under the name of Maha Kala , " Time , the Great Destroyer . " The philosophical idea of the principle of de-VOL . v . s a
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Study Of Masonic Antiquities.
regular and genial ; the virtuous experienced delight , the strong winds were hushed , and the rivers glided tranquilly . At midnight , when the supporter of all was about to be born , the clouds emitted low pleasing sounds , and poured down a rain of flowers . Kansa , a mighty demon , being , however , apprised that a child would be born that was for ever to overthrow his power , summoned all his principal asuras , or infidels , and told them' Let active search be made for whatever young children
, theremay be , upon the earth , and let every boy of unusual vigour be slain without remorse . ' Chrishna was , however , saved by Nanda , a cowherd , and brought up with Rama , the son of the herdsman ; and after many exploits performed by them , they delivered the world from the tyrant Kansa . "
I he ninth avatar is that of Buddh or Buddha , being the one now in course of performance . Stripping the allegory of its trappings , Buddh represents some great philosopher or reformer , who , some centuries before the Christian era , and probably about the time of Confucius , attempted to overthrow the system of castes , and other Brahminical institutions , and restore the pure principles of faith and doctrine inculcated in the Vedas . Though opposed most vigorously by the Brahmins , the new system spreadand great controversies arose between those who
, supported it and the supporters of the ancient system . The Brahmins anathemized the Buddhists as atheists ; the latter stigmatized the former as idolaters . At length , the Brahmins obtained the superiority , antl drove the Buddhists into the neighbouring countries , where the system is still regarded as the great opponent of Brahminism ; and though degenerated from its pristine state , presents a much purer and simpler form of worship than that which it vainly attempted to supersede .
The destroying power , of which SIVA is the type , has also many temples and numerous worshippers . There are also various avatars or manifestations of this power , but these are not so important or so celebrated as the incarnations of Vishnu . According to the Puranas , it is believed that Siva will not exert his powers of destruction on a great scale until twelve millions of years have elapsed . In the mean time , he is regarded as the Divinity exercising the creating or re-generating power ; inasmuch
as every act of apparent destruction , so far from annihilating , is , if strictly considered , simply a change in the material substances , which are at the same time reproduced in other forms . Thus , when the destroying power of Siva is exercised on any material substance , by whatever agency that power may be manifested , the operation consists in causing one form of existence to pass away , whilst its elements assume other shapes in the undyingthough constantl-varyingsystem of nature .
, y , If wood be consumed by fire , its constituent elements do but undergo a change—no particle is lost . The smoke or gaseous principles commingle with the atmosphere to form fresh combinations connected with the ceaseless oeeonomy of animal and vegetable life , whilst the residuum in the shape of ashes again mingles with the earth—not an atom perishes . There is but a change in material substances . In thus tracing the essences or ideas represented by Sivawe perceive merely a
personifica-, tion of the profound philosophical principle consequent upon the indestructibility of matter—that principle of ceaseless change eternally acting in the mysterious processes of creation . Siva is sometimes worshipped under the name of Maha Kala , " Time , the Great Destroyer . " The philosophical idea of the principle of de-VOL . v . s a