April 2011 issue - Lodge Prudentia

PRUDENTIAL MUSINGSMagazine of Lodge PRUDENTIA No 369 GLIof ANCIENT, FREE and ACCEPTED MASONSIssue # 6 (April 2011)for PRIVATE CIRCULATION onlyto make an advancement in seven liberal arts and sciences, which polish and adorn the mindFraternal greetings, Brethren!We are most thankful to all who have contributed, and continue to contribute to the successful monthly releaseof Prudential Musings. April 2011 marks a milestone in the annals of the Grand Lodge of India with LodgeJustitia No. 82, GLI, celebrating its centenary. On this joyous occasion, we raise a toast to Lodge Justitia inparticular and to the Grand Lodge of India in general.Lamb SkinThis issue opens with a thought provoking poemfrom none other than our MW Past Grand MasterMW Justice Devinder Gupta which most beautifullyevinces the charm of Freemasonry to its members.The concept of God and FreemasonryContents at a GlanceSignificance of working tools in our day to daylifeWe reproduce an essay submitted for the LodgeAsoka Essay competition 2011 by Bro B Rameshwho tells us, in an easy to understand format, howthe working tools apply to our actions and behaviorin daily life.W Bro Ganesh Ram is back again, this timeindicating how Freemasonry is our bridge with God.Instilling moral values in today’s youthMrs Uma Vythianathan, beloved wife of our WM WBro Vythianathan laments the damage caused by ashift from joint family to nuclear family andhighlights the role of parents in damage control.The case of the empty pockets: Effectiveness inritual workingW Bro K C Giridharan tells a poignant tale of anexperience that has left a lasting impression on himand which should serve as a beacon for ritualworking in Freemasonry.My Masonic journey: What Freemasonry did formeOur esteemed PM W Bro D Srinivasan takes a tripdown memory lane reliving Masonic incidences thatchanged his life and made him the person that he istoday.Freemasonry: The Giraffe Management SchoolIn a light, yet meaningful fashion Bro Kasturiranganlikens Freemasonry to the way a baby giraffe israised by its mother.Kanya Gyan: Enlightenment through educationLodge Prudentia and Lodge C A Ramakrishnanjointly undertake to educate needy girls

Lamb SkinBy MW Past Grand Master, Grand Lodge of India, MW Justice Devinder GuptaIt is not ornamental; the cost is not great,There are other things far more useful, yet truly Istate,Of all my possessions, there's none can compare,With that white leather apron, which all Masonswear!As a young lad I wondered just what it all meant,When Dad hustled around, and so much time wasspent,On shaving and dressing and looking just right,Until Mother would say: "It's the Masons tonight."And some winter nights she said:"What makes you go, Way up there tonight throughthe sleet and the snow,You see the same things every month of the year."Then Dad would reply: "Yes, I know it, my dear."Forty years I have seen the same things, it is true.And though they are old, they always seem new,For the hands that I clasp, and the friends that Igreet,Seem a little bit closer each time that we meet."Years later I stood at that very same door,With good men and true who had entered before,I knelt at the alter, and there I was taught,That virtue and honor can never be bought.That the spotless white lambskin all Masons revere,If worthily worn grows more precious each year,That service to others brings blessings untold,That man may be poor though surrounded by gold.I learned that true brotherhood flourishes there,That enmity fades 'neath the compass and square,That wealth and position are all thrust aside,As there on the level men meet and abide.So, honor the lambskin, may it always remainForever unblemished, and free from all stain,And when we are called to the Great Father's love,May we all take our place in that Lodge up above.Stay well.The concept of God and FreemasonryW Bro S Ganesh Ram (sgram2006@gmail.com), Lodge Shanthi No 146The essential and necessary qualification for one tobecome a Freemason is his faith in the SupremeBeing. This faith helps one to always feel humble,seeking and receptive to ideas which results in selfimprovement. It helps contain the egoistic “I” andsets in him humility, and he tends to attribute everysingle achievement to His grace. Faith in God is agreat source of strength at all times and in times ofcrisis and this is imbibed in a candidate when he isprompted to answer before his initiation, that, attimes of dangers and difficulty he should put histrust in God.The concept of God helps one choose the righteouspath since he will consciously know that whateverhe does, whether seen by others or not, is alwaysobserved by Him. Conscience is essentially a smallvoice within you which always makes you feelsmaller when you commit a wrong. In fact one caneven consider that his interaction with hisconscience is his first encounter with the Almighty.God warns you of your wrong doing through yourown conscience. You face the consequence onlywhen you overrule your conscience and indulge inwrong doing. Inadvertent mistakes are neverpunished with such severity. Benevolence and

mercy are divine traits and God gives us a longrope before we are punished .But we try to takeadvantage of this leniency and repeat our mistakesthinking that the earlier mistake is absolved. Thepencil in Freemasonry reminds us of the record ofour life and actions that He maintains.Freemasonry gives its members the advantage ofexposure to concepts that tend to polish and refineour thoughts and actions and instant access tohappiness among the brotherhood .The sign ofreverence or the courtesy bow, extended by one toanother voluntarily and spontaneously, reflects thewarmth of his heart, and is amply reflected in thebroad smile and the radiant and infectious brillianceof the “other’s” face which lights up the entireatmosphere. In fact attending Lodge meetings isaddictive and those who enjoy it will vouch for it.May we make the best use of the institution and itsbeneficial effects. Be a proud Mason and make theworld know what it is to be a Freemason.Instilling moral values in today’s youthby Mrs. Uma Vythianathan, wife of W Bro M VythianathanGone are those memorable days, when everyhousehold had at least half a dozen or more eldersin the family. I remember my own childhood, whenmy house was full of members. My parents, myuncle and his family, my grandparents, mygrandfather’s mother and sister, and four kids werethere permanently. The rest, my aunts, theirspouses and kids used to come every evening andspend a few hours at our place. Although mymother was working, I never felt that I was nottaken care of, or ignored as both my grandmotherand my aunt took great care. All the children athome were together and treated the same way. Wehad a great bond amongst us which still continue,In today’s scenario, most of the families are nuclear.There aren’t many elders living with their sons ordaughters. Today’s situation demands that both thepartners work to make a better living. Added to this,is the fact that the girls are equally, if not betterqualified, than their male counterparts. Due to theirpassion to utilize the knowledge they have acquired,many women are found working. All this havemade the current generation kids to be left uncaredfor, or cared very little. Mothers have to double uptheir work at home as well their workstations. Theycarry with them unwanted work stress and tension,which they take out on their spouses or kids.The children of yesteryear have had the goodfortune of listening to bedtime stories from theirgrannies. Those stories would let the children knowabout cultural and religious happenings. AncientPuranas would be narrated in an effective mannersuch that the children would be taught aboutrighteousness, truth, dharma, and the like. Thestories of the ancient king who stood by Truth, inspite of the troubles and sorrow that he wentthrough will definitely make the child want to be likethat king.Now the grandparents are replaced with not onlyTelevision but also other latest electronic gadgetslike Play Stations, Computers, and Laptops etc.Most of the kids surf the Internet without any adultor parental supervision. They are not guidedproperly. Sitting before the Idiot Box and thecomputer for hours together makes them not onlyobese but leads to other problems like eye strain,introversion, distraction from studies etc.They think that parents are under obligation toprovide whatever they demand from their parents.Most of the children do not value people, becausethey haven’t been in a joint family setup whereinrespect, tolerance and other such virtues areimbibed right from their young age.To summarize, today’s kids are extremely talented,intelligent and vibrant. But to make them grow intoresponsible adult and a true citizen to the nation,requires the parents to play a strong role in the livesof children, by inculcating moral values and ethics,failing which they should become Freemasons toimbibe these values and lead by example..

The case of the empty pockets: Effectiveness in ritual workingby W Bro K C Giridharan (giridharan@abacusmc.com)I had been to Delhi to attend our college alumnimeet and was pleased to meet all my oldclassmates. Bro Vijay Narang calls up and says, “Iunderstand that you are a Freemason and I wouldlike you to attend our Indraprasta Lodge meettomorrow”. Though I was supposed to be present atthe FICCI Auditorium for the Alumni meet, Iacceded to his demand that we attend the lodgemeeting first and then join our buddies later fordinner.Freemasons hall in Delhi, is an imposing regalbuilding located at Janpath. A senior Brotherreceives me and accommodates me in the temple.The WM opens the lodge and, his having beennewly installed, the initiation ceremony isproceeding at a slow, measured pace with guidancefrom senior brethren. The ritual proceeds to thecharge in the North East. W Bro Sudershan Mehtais invited to deliver. As he delivers the charge aboutcharity, there is a palpable embarrassment whenthe candidate declares that he has nothing to give.The ceremony was so sincere, that it had gone farbeyond just being a ritual being enacted. However,the story does not stop here.Towards the end of the meeting the charity box istaken around. When it reaches the newly initiatedBother, he gets up and empties a huge bundle ofnotes into the charity box! There is a satisfied smileon his face that is reflected on the face of everyonepresent. The Junior Deacon, puzzled on receivingsuch a bounty, goes into a huddle with theSecretary, who then approaches the WM and theyhave a quick, whispered discussion. The JD thencarries the overflowing charity box to the generousbrother and tells him that, while the WM and theLodge are pleased by his gesture, the foregoingritual was only symbolic, and he may kindly takeback his bank roll and give a token amount for.charity. The enlightened one refuses to take themoney back!There are two points I would like to highlight in viewof the incident I have just narrated. First, the ritualwas like a play being enacted, and the role playedby the individual actors came close to the real lifesituation. Both Sivaji Gnesan and Naseeruddin Shahave been acclaimed as great actors. But it hasbeen observed Sivaji Ganesan plays a role, yousee Sivaji the lawyer, Sivaji the land lord or Sivajithe beggar. On the contrary when Naseeruddin Shaacts you do not see Naseeruddin, but only astruggling teacher or a valiant freedom fighter. Allof us play different roles, father, boss, customer,negotiator, husband etc., in real life situations andact as the case may be. However, it is only whenthe person merges with the role he is playing thatwe see tangible and wholehearted outcomes. Inthe above incident, W Bro Sudershan Mehta wasnot loud or commanding or theatrical. But hiscareful, measured delivery with lots of deliberationsdid the candidate in.Secondly, we should not be conducting rituals in atheatrical, play acting, dramatized fashion, norshould we rush through them for whatever reason.Nor should a competitive nature mar themeaningfulness of the ceremony. All this detractsfrom the content and prevents the ritual from beingmeaningful to the candidates and the observers. Aucontraire, incidents that drive home theeffectiveness of rituals during a regular meetingshould be recorded for posterity and recommendedfor awards as an example to our brethren to drivehome the true sprit of rituals in Freemasonry.I recommend that the incident I have narrated berecorded in the annals of the Grand Lodge of Indiato serve as a guiding beacon to all brethren.

Significance of working tools in our day to day lifeBy Bro B Ramesh (rameshgpm@gmail.com), Lodge AsokaSubmitted for the Lodge Asoka essay competition 2011Life, at best, is a fortress of faith in friendship andfraternity. If you ask a bird watcher, "How is life?",he will say "all a flutter". If you ask a sailor he willsay "ship shape." A yogi will say "walking on air". Anewspaper editor will say "making headlines".Freemasons will say "we understand thesignificance of working tools namely, the Square,the Level and the plumb rule in our day to day lifestyle.A devoted mason deploys his tools to constructbuildings of quality. We, as free masons, endeavorto build the society around us with exalted qualitiesby our whole hearted social service like discipline,national pride, coherent community living besidesuplifting the downtrodden in all possible ways. Eachmasons tool mentioned above symbolizes thesignificance of a laudable quality each free masonis expected to possess and proliferate for thecommon good.Firstly, the square of a mason is designed to try andadjust the rectangular corners of a building andassist in bringing crude matters into due form. TheSquare teaches us the valuable quality of squaremindedness viz. Morality. We should imbibe andinfuse in the minds of citizens heavenly qualitieslike love, friendship, respect, truth and good sense.In the course of our making inroads into the mindsof citizens, it is our bounden responsibility to cleartheir minds of the cobwebs of casteism, egoism andpessimism and shape crude minds into culturedminds.Secondly, the Level of a mason is used to lay levelsto prove horizontally without any undulation. Itimpresses on us to the importance of equality in ourtreatment of our brethren. A freemason adaptshimself to the world instead of adapting the world tohimself. "Let every man be respected as anindividual and no man idolized", says AlbertEinstein. This attitude will erase any mean aptitudein our minds and elevate us to the highest altitudein life. This will make everyone remain calm inadversity, happy when alone and give a coolcomposure to deal with others.Thirdly, the Plumb Rule is meant to try and adjustright while fixing them on their proper basis. Weapply this plumb rule principle also to our morals asa rule. The plumb rule teaches us uprightness inlife; that it is necessary to be honest and true in ourdealings with others; that you must be sure you areright and upright, then go ahead; that your pathshould be straight and not zigzag. Free masonsshould build a conscientious and noble society brickby brick on the strong foundation of earnestness.Last, but not the least, it the million dollar questionlooming large in everybody's brain is: "How canFreemasons equip themselves to bring about ametamorphosis and reach the pinnacle ofperformance? The answer is simple. It is possibleonly by cultivating and possessing the visual andspatial brain of Winston Churchill, logical andmathematical brain of Albert Einstein andinterpersonal brain of Mahatma Gandhi.To conclude, the significance of a Mason's tools tothe lifestyle of Freemasons is of immediate andimmeasurable importance. Let us know ourselvesfirst and do all the good we can, in all the ways wecan, in all the places we can, at all times we can, toall the people we can, as long as we can."Jai Hind"

My Masonic journey: What Freemasonry did for meby W Bro D Srinivasan (abisailegal@gmail.com)Born in Tirunelveli, to Mr S Durairaj, a Governmentofficial and Mrs. Anusha Durairaj a house wife, Iwas basically a shy child. I did not even mingle withmy relatives well. I would not talk to anyone. My selfconfidence was low. I was shy of authority figuresand was afraid to voice my opinion. My relativeswould wonder whether I will ever come out of myshell and start interacting with others, at least whenI grew older.In May 1984 my father was transferred to Chennai.I was put into the Madras Christian College HighSchool and the culture shock made me morereserved and shy. I felt like a village bumpkin whowas thrown into an alien society. I somehowcompleted my schooling and baccalaureate in lawat the Madras Law College and joined as a juniorunder my maternal uncle, Sri M Ravindran,presently the Addl. Solicitor General of India(South). Law college did little to improve myintroversion or boost my self confidence. .In June 1994, I came to know about freemasonrythrough the Late W Bro R Muthukrishnan,Chairman, Bar Council of India and PM of LodgeRamaprasad No.228 GLI and member of LodgeJustitia No.82 GLI and who introduced manybrethren to Freemasonry. But his busy scheduledelayed my proposal and I was finally initiated inLodge Justitia on 8.4.1995. I can never forget thatevening when I got the first glimpse of a Masonictemple. W Bro N Chanderaj, then WM, initiated, Iwas fascinated by the ritual and the festive boardthat followed. This meeting and the many otherrituals and festive boards gave me an opportunity tomingle with many people from different walks of like.I began to bloom. My entry into freemasonry gaveme exposure that I would not otherwise have hadand I made a lot of friends. My self confidence wasboosted. I began to feel wanted. Freemasonry was,therefore, responsible for the initiation of myselfdevelopment by giving me a platform that I lackedtill then.When W Bro Muthukrishnan was called to theGrand Lodge above, I thought that it was the end ofmy innings in freemasonry. My mentor, whoinjected in me the elixir of freemasonry, was nomore. For a Freemason who was hardly 24 yrs,and an introvert to boot, it appeared an uphill taskto continue interacting with brethren many years mysenior, and the other members of Lodge Justitita.But the love and affection of the brethren kept megoing. A good friend, fellow member of the MadrasBar, and my advisor, W Bro D Shivakumaran PM ofLodge C A Ramakrihnan No.192 GLI, invited me toattend the meeting of the Lodge during hisMastership in 1997. The brotherly love and caretaken by the Past Masters made a great impressionon me, and I agreed to be balloted as a joiningmember. Almost all the senior Past Masters startedtreating me as their own son due, probably, to thegeneration gap. I had the rare privilege of having anumber of “fathers” as role models.I acted as a JD in 1998 and found myself on theladder. It was an exhilarating experience, and quiteintoxicating, and I was hooked on Freemasonry.Due to some vacancies, my ascent was quick, and Ifound myself in the Eastern Chair in Jan 2002. Theview was totally different from this hot seat. Ilearned to be Temperate and Prudent anddeveloped a Fortitude that was rare for me. Therewas no looking back after that. As WM, I had theutmost cooperation of all the officers and we endedup breaking every record: 21 initiations, 22passings and 24 raising ceremonies and themembership leaped from 51 to 74. The total cameup to 71 rituals (ceremonies) including LTSJ andmemorial services. The Lodge, which wasconsidered sick, was rejuvenated.As a PM, I then began joining all the other superiordegrees Conclave, Chapter, Mark and RAM. I wasonce again installed as WM of the prestigiousMadras Masters Lodge No.103 GLI on 15.2.2009 atthe young age of 37 and also became Founder

Master of Lodge Prudentia No.369 on 14.11.2010.I made it a point to actively involve myself in theorganisation of all masonic events in the past sixyears. Handling men and heading theprojects/committees in freemasonry contributed tomy success in life and I found a new meaning toFreemasonry. I learnt about discipline, and timemanagement, planning, and choosing the right menfor the right job. The Masonic tours were the bestoutings in my life and resulted in an expansion ofmy vision through visiting new places, meeting newfriends, learning new styles of ritual etc. In short,Freemasonry did for me, what no personality andleadership development training could have. I shallforever be indebted to Freemasonry and all thesenior Masons and brethren who contributed togetting me where I am today, a free man, not afraidto say what he feels or do what is Just, with Faith,Hope, and Charity.Freemasonry: The Giraffe Management Schoolby Bro K. Kasturirangan (kasthurirangan@vsnl.com), The Mount Lodge No 14Based on an article circulated on IIT Chennai 1977 yahoo groupsBABY giraffes never go to a business school. Butthey learn a very important management lessonearly in life; a lesson that all of us would do well toremember.The birth of a baby giraffe is quite an earth-shakingevent. The baby falls from its mother’s womb, someeight feet above the ground. It shrivels up and liesstill, too weak to move. Some initiates feel this way.The mother giraffe lovingly lowers her neck to kissthe baby giraffe, like the Mother Lodge and thensomething astonishing happens. She lifts her longleg and kicks the baby giraffe, sending it flying up inthe air and tumbling down on the ground, like someFellowcraft Freemasons being passed.As the baby lies curled up, the mother kicks thebaby again and again until the baby giraffe, stilltrembling and tired, pushes at its limbs and for thefirst time learns to stand on its feet, like some newlyraised Master Masons. Happy to see the babystanding on its own feet, the mother giraffe comesover and gives it yet another kick. The baby giraffefalls one more time, but now quickly recovers andstands up like the Master Mason deliveringpassages of ritual. Mama Giraffe is delighted. Sheknows that her baby has learnt an important lesson:Never mind how hard you fall, always remember topick yourself up and get back on your feet.Why does the mother giraffe do this? She knowsthat lions and leopards love giraffe meat. So unlessthe baby giraffe quickly learns to stand and run withthe pack – it will have no chance of survival. If youstudy the lives of successful people you will see arecurring pattern. Were they always successful inall they did? No. Did success come to them quickand easy? No. You will find that the common streakthat runs through their lives is their ability to standup every time they fall. The ability of the babygiraffe!The road to success is never an easy one. Thereare several obstacles, and you are bound to fallsooner or later. You will hit a road block, you willtaste failure. But success lies in being able to get upevery time you fall.Most of us though are not quite as lucky as babygiraffes. No one teaches us to stand up every timewe fall. When we fail, when we are down, we justgive up. But, Freemasonry kicks us out of ourcomfort zone to remind us that to survive andsucceed, we need to learn to get back on our feet.That is a critical life skill. And it is the habit of allsuccessful people.Long Live Freemasonry!

Kanya GyanEnlightenment through educationThe ‘KANYA GYAN’ project is Lodge Prudentia'sendeavor to provide the security of unbrokeneducation to girl children from underprivilegedcommunities studying in the 6th to 12th grades atselected schools. Forty Nine girls have beenchosen initially for joint sponsorship by LodgePrudentia and its mother Lodge, Lodge C ARamakrishnan in 2011. Of these 2 children areorphans, 20 have no father, and 2 have no mother.The education of these children is assured till theycomplete their schooling.Though the Indian government has expressed astrong commitment towards education for all, Indiastill has one of the lowest female literacy rates inAsia. Many girls still drop out of school after the 6thStd. because of inability of parents to meet thedemands of educating them, however meager thedemands may be. This not only has a negativeimpact on girls' lives but also on that of their familiesand on their country’s economic development as awhole. It leads to high levels of maternal mortality,poor nutritional status, low earning potential, andlittle autonomy within the household. A woman’slack of education also has a negative impact on thehealth and well being of her children.The MCJ Girls Higher Secondary School isfunctioning under the auspices of the Guild ofService for educating girls belonging to lower socioeconomiccommunities living on the banks of theCooum in Chetpet and Egmore, Chennai. Most ofthe parents are unskilled workers who find it difficultto educate their children. The school has around650 children studying in the 6th to 12th Stds. Ofthese, the parents / guardians of about 50 children(working as coolies, auto-rickshaw drivers, housemaids, scavengers, tailors etc.) are unable to meettheir annual educational expenses and the childrenmay be unable to continue their studies unlesssome charitable organization steps in.The brethren of Lodge Prudentia decided to ensurethe education of these children, who may otherwisebe forced to drop out of school for lack of funds, ona sustainable and ongoing basis, under the ‘LodgePrudentia Kanya Gyan’ project. The Project ismanaged by a committee of 5 brethren from LodgePrudentia three of whom will be nominated everyyear, and will be chaired by the WM. The Secretaryis the ex-officio secretary of the committee whichwill report to the PC. Selection and mentoring ofthe beneficiaries under the project is undertaken bya committee comprising ladies from the families of 3brethren of Lodge Prudentia.Editorial Committee: W Bro N Suryanarayana Moorthy, Bro Prof Dr Gautamadas Udipi, Bro Dr K Thirugnanam,Bro Ashok Gopalan.