The History of Initiation - The Masonic Trowel

IN HINDOOSTAN. 35
assented to, he was sprinkled with water ; a mantra or
incantation was pronounced over him, or more frequently
whispered in his right ear; 56 he was divested of his
shoes, 57 that the consecrated ground on which he stood
might not be polluted, and was made to circumambulate
the spacious cavern three times, in reference to the Tri-
murti, whose representatives were stationed triangularly
in the east, west, and south points of the circumference of
the mystical circle. While performing this ceremony,
he was taught to exclaim, on his arrival each time in the
south, " I copy the example of the Sun, and follow his
benevolent course." This being completed, he was again
placed in the centre, and solemnly enjoined to the practice
of religious austerities, as the efficient means of
preparing his soul for ultimate absorption; and was told
50 The mantra is merely an invocation of the deity. According to
Mr. Ward, in his "View of the Hindoos," the initiary incantation was
this : Haree, Haree, Haree, Rama, Haree, Rama, Rama, Rama, Haree,
&c. j" which is merely a repetition of the two names of the deity,;
( Vid. Bhagvat Geeta, p. 156,) and they believe that this repetition has
abundance of merit and ; that,
like fire, these names will consume and
destroy their most inveterate sins. How contrary to the simple com-
" mand of the true God, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord
thy God in vain !" The Hindoos are further persuaded, that by meditating
on the perfections of the deity, and pronouncing those meritorious
names, they are enabled to penetrate into futurity, and to obtain
every wish of their hearts.
57 "
This was the common practice of antiquity. Moses at the Bush,
and at the Mount, was enjoined to take the shoes from off his
feet,
because the place on which he stood was holy ground. Herodotus
and Diodorus Siculus assure us, that when the Egyptian priests
adored any of their deities, their ieet were uncovered. According to
Strabo, such was the practice with the sacerdotal Order among the
Germans and such ;
was the case in the worship of Diana and Vesta,
which the fathers assert to have been borrowed from Moses. Silius
Italicus (Bel. Pun., 1. iii.,) says of the priests of Hercules,
Nee discolor ulli
Ante aras cultus ; velantur corpora lino,
Et Pelusiaco praefulget stamine vertex,
Distinctis mos thura dare, atque, a lege parentum,
Sacrificam, lato vestcm distinguere clavo.
Pes nudus, tonsceque comce, costumque cubile,
Inrestricta focis servant altaria flammae.
In 2 Chron. xxviii., 15, the captives taken by the children of Israel
from the cities of Judah and Jerusalem are depicted as barefooted,
previously to the harangue of Oded ; and Isaiah walked barefooted,
to typify the captivity in Babylon. Several gentile philosophers
affected to do the same to enforce reverence from their disciples."
(Wait, on Jewish, &c. 5 Antiquities, p. 69.)