Who am I? Why am I here? (continue chapter 28)

Welcome back as we continue reading and studying Chapter 28 of Albert Pike’s “Morals and Dogma”.

 

  Today, we further our thoughts about God and mankind, and we begin with the age old questions “Who am I? Why am I here?"

 

   Some days, I must admit to wondering if this position I hold in existence in the universe is just a waste of time. Then upon further review of the question, I realize that existence is NOT a waste of time, but failing to try and better society, both present and future societies, during my existence is certainly a missed opportunity.

 

 And now, LET’S READ PIKE!

 

 

  Before the world grew old, the primitive Truth faded out from men's Souls. Then man asked himself, "What am I? and how and whence am I? and whither do I go?" And the Soul, looking inward upon itself, strove to learn whether that "I" were mere matter; its thought and reason and its passions and affections mere results of material combination; or a material Being enveloping an immaterial Spirit: . . and further it strove, by self-examination, to learn whether that Spirit were an individual essence, with a separate immortal existence, or an infinitesimal portion of a Great First Principle, inter-penetrating the Universe and the infinitude of space, and undulating like light and heat: . . and so they wandered further amid the mazes of error; and imagined vain philosophies; wallowing in the sloughs of materialism and sensualism, of beating their wings vainly in the vacuum of abstractions and idealities.

 

  As I mentioned, these questions, including “where am I going?” are prevelant in the minds of all mankind today. We are still mostly far from the truth of the creator, some of us seek enlightenment, but we know that any enlightenment is still hampered by the short comings of the human psyche. 

 

  We seemingly have some control over our destiny, but we have no control over what obstacles may confront us on our way. Hopefully we have the strength to confront our obstacles and make paths around, over, or through them. Those of us who have encountered such obstacles can testify that it takes a lot of time and patience and mental strength to see our way through sometimes.

 

  Next:

 

 

   

While yet the first oaks still put forth their leaves, man lost the perfect knowledge of the One True God, the Ancient Absolute Existence, the Infinite Mind and Supreme Intelligence; and floated helplessly out upon the shoreless ocean of conjecture. Then the soul vexed itself with seeking to learn whether the material Universe was a mere chance combination of atoms, or the work of Infinite, Uncreated Wisdom: . . whether the Deity was a concentrated, and the Universe an extended immateriality; or whether He was a personal existence, an Omnipotent, Eternal, Supreme Essence, regulating matter at will; or subjecting it to unchangeable laws throughout eternity; and to Whom, Himself Infinite and Eternal, Space and Time are unknown. With their finite limited vision they sought to learn the source and explain the existence of Evil, and Pain, and Sorrow; and so they wandered ever deeper into the darkness, and were lost; and there was for them no longer any God; but only a great, dumb, soulless Universe, full of mere emblems and symbols.

You have heretofore, in some of the Degrees through which you have passed, heard much of the ancient worship of the Sun, the Moon, and the other bright luminaries of Heaven, and of the Elements and Powers of Universal Nature. You have been made, to

p. 584

some extent, familiar with their personifications as Heroes suffering or triumphant, or as personal Gods or Goddesses, with human characteristics and passions, and with the multitude of legends and fables that do but allegorically represent their risings and settings, their courses, their conjunctions and oppositions, their domiciles and places of exaltation.

Perhaps you have supposed that we, like many who have written on these subjects, have intended to represent this worship to you as the most ancient and original worship of the first men that lived. To undeceive you, if such was your conclusion, we have caused the Personifications of the Great Luminary of Heaven, under the names by which he was known to the most ancient nations, to proclaim the old primitive truths that were known to the Fathers of our race, before men came to worship the visible manifestations of the Supreme Power and Magnificence and the Supposed Attributes of the Universal Deity in the Elements and in the glittering armies that Night regularly marshals and arrays upon the blue field of the firmament.

In these paragraphs, Pike revisits the fall into darkness of mankind and the plight of mankind away from the enlightenment of a god. A universe that makes no sense, and existence without a purpose.

Pike reminds us of some of the lessons of the degress we have studied previously, where some cultures have turned to worship of the sun and moon as to “make sense” of the world we inhabit. 

 

  The next paragraphs will contain an array of gods that mankind has made in order to further his acceptance of the things not easily understand by our senses.

   We will stop here today in a abbreviated version of this study because the list of the gods and their purposes will need ample time to study and I believe we should dedicate one entire study post to that end.

 

    Thank you for reading along! I am ever hopeful that Universal Freemason Research Society is a part of furthering your knowledge of freemasonry, and a part of your own self discoveries, and self betterment. 

  The Universal Freemason Magazine is in its final stages of production!  I will be announcing where you may purchase the publication very soon!

 

   Thanks again for your time spent here!