Is the Third Degree a teletē?

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB Darin A. Lahners   

In Orphic cosmology, the universe was conceived of in a cosmic egg. The idea is that the cosmos was initially a self-contained embryo, which at a certain point hatched, the upper half of the egg formed the Heavens, the lower half formed the Earth. After that ensuing Chaos, the three realms consisting of Heaven, Earth, and Sea, were bound by Aether. This substance which was described as the fifth element by Aristotle, held the three realms together, creating the universe. The Orphics believed in an omnipotent creator, a demiurge, named Phanes. Phanes was the god of all gods until he was devoured by Zeus.  This creation story parallels those of other ancient civilizations. 

Orphism was named after Orpheus, a mythical hero, who tried to retrieve his wife from the Underworld under the condition that he not look at her. He failed and was killed by mænads, who were followers of Dionysus. The religious foundations derive from the myth of Dionysus. Born to Zeus and Persephone, Dionysus was dismembered and eaten by the Titans. An angered Zeus struck the Titans with his thunderbolt, disintegrating them, and reviving from their ashes a reincarnated Dionysus, along with mankind.  

Man had a dual nature, a soul from Dionysus which contained the pure divine spark, and body from the Titans which was impure. For this reason, the Orphics thought the body (soma) was a tomb (sema). To the Orphics, the body reminded man of his corporeal nature, as opposed to his spiritual one. In his dialogue, , Gorgias, Plato states: “I have heard a philosopher [Pythagoras] say that at this moment we are actually dead and that the body is our tomb…” In order to achieve salvation from the tomb of our material existence, one had to be initiated into the Dionysian mysteries and undergo teletē. Teletē is a ritual purification which consisted of reliving the suffering and death of the god. Orphics believed that they would, after death, spend eternity alongside Orpheus. The uninitiated (amúētos), they believed, would be reincarnated indefinitely.  This idea is similar to the Buddhist idea of Samsara, the wheel of rebirth.  If, when we die, we have not balanced our Karma, we are condemned to live another life.  This process would continue ad infinitum until we do so.

By this point, you might be wondering, What does this have to do with Freemasonry?  Pythagoreanism, the philosophical brotherhood started by Pythagoras, took many of the orphic doctrines and incorporated them into his teachings. In the third Degree lecture, we are taught that Pythagoras was the inventor of the forty-seventh problem of Euclid.  We are told that in his travels through Asia, Africa, and Europe he was initiated into several orders of Priesthood, and is said to have been raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason. Historians accredit Pythagoras with being the first to call himself a philosopher; as he considered it a way of life. He believed that philosophy was a life that was lived in discussion and in experimentation. He is said to have “intellectualized” Orphism by applying scientific thinking and reasoning to its beliefs. In doing so, he made it a viable way of life, rather than a mystery. In Gorgias, Plato states: “[T]hey say that the soul of man is immortal, and at one time has an end, which is termed dying, and at another time is born again, but never destroyed. And the moral is, that man ought to live always in perfect holiness.”

Plato describes the ethical system of Orphism, explaining the idea of purification, which is required if one wants to reach the afterlife. This system heavily influences the idea of the immortality of the soul advocated by Pythagoras. It is believed that this is an idea that Socrates taught him and that would play a crucial role in his philosophy. Pythagoras believes that the soul exists eternally and can never be destroyed; if it is impure at the end of its body’s life, it would be reincarnated into the body of a new person, this cycle continuing until at death, the soul was pure, at which point it would go onto be one with divinity. For Pythagoreans, a virtuous life was one that would lead to this purification.  This life consisted of dutiful moral responsibility and severe self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence. Although our bodies were a tomb, the Pythagorean believed that the soul was holy and needed to be pure if it wanted to return to divinity. The life of the Pythagorean was dedicated to caring for and tending to the soul.  They were cautious not to commit any vices. In the afterlife, the soul would be judged by its scars, not the physical ones, but the spiritual ones. These spiritual scars are symbolic of the vices of which the body was guilty. Because of this belief, the soul was of absolute importance and it took precedence over the well-being of the body.

 As I stated, One of the key beliefs of the Pythagoreans was the transmigration of the soul borrowed from the Orphics and expanded upon. In fact, one story about Pythagoras was recanted by Xenophanes. He recalled: “Once they said that he [Pythagoras] was passing by when a puppy was being whipped, and he took pity and said: Stop, do not beat it; for it is the soul of a friend that I recognized when I heard it giving tongue.” In this story, Pythagoras remembered the voice of a friend of his and reasoned that his soul must have been reincarnated as a dog. Pythagoras was famously a vegetarian and anyone who joined the Pythagoreans would become a vegetarian.  This was not for ethical reasons, it was based upon the basis that animals could be the host of either a friend’s or an ancestor’s soul. Beans were also to be refrained from, for Pythagoras said they were the seeds from which humans were birthed. To the Pythagoreans, to eat a bean was to eat a fellow human. Ironically, according to legend, Pythagoras died because he was chased to a bean field by an angry mob, and in not wanting to trample the beans, decided to surrender himself to the mob instead. 

The eating of meat or beans was called Adikia, and it was one of the greatest vices. Plato stated in his work, Laws, that “[M]en are said to have lived a sort of Orphic life, having the use of all lifeless things, but abstaining from all living things.” Orphism was practically synonymous with vegetarianism as a result. The Pythagoreans believed all life was interconnected like a web which was connected to the Divine, of which all living things were a part. A story in Pythagorean teaching tells of a man named Æthalides. He was bestowed by Hermes the gift of being able to remember his past lives. Upon passing, he was reincarnated as Euphorbus, who was slain by Menelaus in the Trojan War. His soul then went to inhabit Hermotimus, who went to a temple and allegedly pointed out the shield used by Menelaus.  In doing so, proving he was Euphorbus in his previous life. Then, Hermotimus died and became Pyrrhus; and finally, the soul went on to inhabit Pythagoras. Because of this, Pythagoras taught his followers to every night to go through their previous day in their memory. In recalling as much detail as possible, as a way of strengthening their memory, they would be able to eventually remember as far back as their own previous lives.

Prior to the second section of the third degree in Illinois, we read code 365A, which strictly forbids "any levity, horseplay or roughness and insists that there be no such actions and no audible laughter or other noise in the Lodge room which might distract the attention of the candidate. Failure to comply with this Code, and any action by any officer or member in violation of or inconsistent with the language of this order shall constitute grounds for disciplinary action."  But what I find really interesting is what is written right before that statement in the code.  I have bolded the sentence that stands out.  "The second section of the Third Degree constitutes a most solemn and impressive portion of our ritualistic work. In it we are taught the ultimate lessons of Masonic philosophy--victory over death and the immortality of the soul. Nothing must be allowed to impair the deep impression which should be made upon the mind of the candidate."  This makes me wonder if Pythagoras and his teachings still resonate within the second section of the third degree?

In the first degree lecture, we are taught the ornaments of the lodge, one of which is the mosaic pavement.  A mosaic pavement consists of several stones of mixed colors joined together in a pattern to imitate a painting.  In Freemasonry, the pavement is depicted as alternating black and white tiles like that of a chessboard.   We are told that it is emblematical of human life, checkered with good and evil.  Does this dualistic philosophy not remind you of the Orphic/Pythagorean belief?  The belief that man has both the divine spark which is pure (good), and the body which is impure (evil).  

If this is the case we can think of the third degree as a teletē.  If the ultimate lessons of Masonic philosophy are - victory over death and the immortality of the soul, then does it not stand to reason that what happens during the second section of the third degree is a ritual purification which consists of reliving the suffering and death of our Grandmaster Hiram Abiff.  I want to be very clear, while the Orphics did this for a god, Dionysus; Freemasons do not worship or deify Hiram Abiff.  That being said, in undergoing this ritual and in following the teachings of Freemasonry, are we not purifying ourselves?   Is the idea of becoming a perfect ashlar not an idea of becoming pure?   By undergoing this ritual in the second section of the third degree, we are taking a necessary final step in the purification of ourselves.  

I believe that while it is not implied nor can it be proven, that the ancient mysteries have heavily influenced our rituals and practices.  Pythagoras is specifically mentioned as our ancient friend and brother in our third-degree lecture for his invention of the forty-seventh problem of Euclid.  Does it not stand to reason that some of his other teachings would have influenced our ritual?  There are other connections to the Egyptian mysteries and others that I will not go into today, but if you look hard enough you will be able to make the connections yourself.   Just don't think too much about whether or not to eat those green beans at the next dinner you are able to have with your brethren after this pandemic is over. 

~DAL       

WB Darin A. Lahners is our co-managing Editor.  He is a Past Master of and Worshipful Master of St. Joseph Lodge No.970 in St. Joseph. He is also a plural member of Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL), where he is also a Past Master. He’s a member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Danville, a charter member of Illinois Royal Arch Chapter, Admiration Chapter No. 282 and is the current Secretary of the Illini High Twelve Club No. 768 in Champaign – Urbana (IL). You can reach him by email at darin.lahners@gmail.com

Southern Hospitality

By Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB Gregory J. Knott

During a recent visit to New Orleans, I had the privilege of attending a third degree at Perfect Union No. 1.  Perfect Union is the oldest lodge in Louisiana.  According to some research I did, Perfect Union was chartered March 30, 1794 by the Grand Lodge of South Carolina, as Parfaite Union No. 29.  It’s work, was originally conducted in French and later in English, later it came under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Louisiana after the grand lodge formation.

My friend, brother Michael Poll, owner of Cornerstone Publishing and the Editor of the Journal of the Masonic Society, picked me up and gave me a quick tour of downtown New Orleans.  We drove by the former grand lodge building, which is now a Hilton Hotel and other buildings with a masonic connection.   I inquired, about the damage done by hurricane Katrina a few years back and Mike was able to describe the devastation the entire region suffered.  Many of the areas have come back and others have not.

We arrived at Perfect Union Lodge, which meets in the lodge building of Germania Lodge No. 46, as do several other masonic lodges.  This lodge building suffered damage as a result of Katrina, and has been restored and updated.   The ground level is a dining room and the lodge room is on the upper level.

Wonderful smells were flowing out of the kitchen as we entered the dining room, and as I expected, the brethren were serving a traditional southern dish of red beans and rice.   Though I had never meet any of these brethren prior (other than Mike and his two sons), I was greeted like an old friend.   The food and conversation was fantastic.

This being my first visit to Perfect Union, I met with an investigation committee so that I might be properly examined and thus proving myself to be a Master Mason.  

Upon entering the lodge room on the second floor, I immediately noticed some differences to the lodge rooms I am familiar with in Illinois.  In particular, the secretary and the treasurer desks appeared to be backwards.  Each desk had a symbol on the front of that particular office, and this is how I knew they appeared to be reversed.   But this is one of the unique differences of freemasonry in Louisiana.  

There are a number of lodges, that work under the Scottish Rite blue lodge ritual.   These lodges, were formed prior to the adoption of the current Louisiana Blue Lodge ritual and were permitted to keep their historical rituals.  Thus, some of the officer stations, are in different locations than in what is referred to locally, in the York Rite lodges.  Perfect Union Lodge, works the current Louisiana ritual and the third degree that I was to see, would be conducted in this manner.   

One of the unique artifacts in the lodge, was a statue of King Solomon.   This statue used to be on the grand lodge building in downtown New Orleans, but was removed and kept after this building was sold.  I have never seen anything quite like it.

The candidate being raised that night, was the nephew of the DDGM.    Brother Poll and his sons were all members of the degree cast.  Present in the room were a Past Grand Master of Louisiana, and DDGM’s from several neighboring districts. 

The work differed from the Illinois ritual I am accustomed to, yet the words were familiar.   The degree was performed with great precision and the candidate was raised in due form.

Visiting other lodges and jurisdictions, is truly one of the greatest privileges of being a freemason.  If you are taking a business trip or a vacation, I encourage you to see if there is a local lodge that may be meeting.   You will make new friends, and enjoy the fraternal comradery that our great organization is founded upon.

My thanks to Brother Poll and the other brothers of Perfect Union Lodge No. 1, for allowing me to visit and witness a third degree.

~GJK

WB Gregory J. Knott is the Past Master of St. Joseph Lodge No. 970 in St. Joseph (IL) and a plural member of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL), Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL) and Naval Lodge No. 4 in Washington, DC.  

The Craftsmen's Journey

by Midnight Freemason Contributor 

Steven L. Harrison, 33°, FMLR

Long ago King Solomon sent three craftsmen on a journey to apprehend and return three criminals for trial. Their mission took them to the seacoast near Joppa where they found a wayfaring man. The wayfaring man told the craftsmen he had seen the men they sought. He said the ne'er-do-wells had gone toward the hill country of Judea. The craftsmen took that news to the King, who sent them to complete their mission. Soon they found themselves on the brow of a hill near Mt. Moriah. There, they discovered a grave and heard the voices of the men they sought. The craftsmen captured the three men and returned them to King Solomon. The fugitives admitted to a murder and King Solomon had them executed.

In other words, the craftsmen's journey took them from the Temple 1 to Joppa, back to the Temple, to the Judean hill country, to a place near Mt. Moriah, then back to the Temple — all on foot. Did they go on a wild goose chase to Judea before finding the fugitives near Mt. Moriah? Was the information from the wayfaring man wrong... or did the craftsmen ignore what he told them? A closer look at their journey reveals what really happened.

Joppa is not to be found on present-day maps. Today, its name is Jaffa, or Yafo. It is the oldest section of Tel-Aviv, located approximately 40 miles northwest of the likely site of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem. There is, in fact, a seacoast nearby. The Mediterranean Sea shore is about 200 yards away from the traditional town border. 2

The three ruffians and the craftsmen in pursuit would have had a relatively easy journey 3 from the Temple to Joppa. The elevation at Jerusalem, where the quest began, is about 2,600 feet, while Joppa is near sea-level. In other words, it's almost all downhill. The craftsmen, however, on their return trip to report to Solomon, would have had an arduous climb.

After completing the 80-mile round trip to Joppa, at King Solomon's command, the three craftsmen set out again. A look at the second part of their expedition requires a review of some history and geography, with a little tradition thrown in.

There are conflicting reports as to whether archaeologists have found conclusive evidence of the location of Solomon's Temple. However, tradition and the Bible itself place it in Jerusalem at the Temple Mount, likely at the same location where we find the Dome of the Rock today — the same place where Solomon's father David built an altar to the Lord (2 Samuel 24:18); and also the place where God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22:2-8, et. al.). This place is also known as Mount Moriah (2 Chronicles 3:1).

On their second quest, the craftsmen ultimately came to "the brow of a hill near Mt. Moriah," and found a grave. There, they apprehended the fugitives. In other words, the ruffians were making their way back toward the Temple. 4  While almost certainly not "returning to the scene of the crime," it is likely they were beating a path to the safety and multitude of hiding places the foothills offered. They had, in fact, returned to the grave site of the man they had killed and buried earlier. The geography of the area confirms the closest hills (and fastest route) lie on a direct line between Joppa and the Temple.

So, if the outlaws were within a few miles of the Temple, what of the wayfaring man who said they were heading for the hill country of Judea?

Judea (also known as Judah) is a moving target — historically a region whose boundaries have remained fluid. Today it generally refers to the southern part of Israel or, by some accounts, a specific part of the West Bank region. In Solomon's time, however, the area called Judea was nearly congruent with the boundaries of Israel today, minus the southern region seacoast. That area, Philistia, included what today is the Gaza Strip. Its northern boundary was just beyond the outskirts of Joppa. In other words Joppa was in Philistia and the remainder of the region to the east, including Mt. Moriah was in Judea.

The hill country extends the entire length of present-day Israel. It includes the foothills of Mt. Moriah. In other words, when the craftsmen were at the brow of a hill near Mt. Moriah, they were in an area that was at once in Judea, in the hill country and near the mountain.

There was no wild goose chase; and the information from the wayfaring man was correct. When the craftsmen apprehended the outlaws they were in fact in the hill country of Judea and at the brow of a hill near Mt. Moriah.

______________________________

The author thanks Carolyn Harrison and RWB Doug Reece for their contributions to this article.

1 The Temple, we are told, was nearly completed. Solomon may or may not have had his office there, depending on its level of completion; however, he was indeed at or very near the Temple as evidenced by his frequent meetings with the Grand Master.

2 Joppa did, however have access to a harbor.

3 Relatively easy, that is, if any 40-mile journey on foot on a dusty gravel road can be easy.

4 Depending on one's definition of the word "near." The foothills abruptly begin about 20 miles from the summit of Mount Moriah, so the fugitives would have to be no more than that distance from the Temple. On foot, however, 20 miles isn't exactly "near," and they may have been much closer.

Map: WordSearch, QuickVerse 10

~SLH

Bro. Steve Harrison, 33°, is Past Master of Liberty Lodge #31, Liberty, Missouri. He is the editor of the Missouri Freemason magazine, author of the book Freemasonry Crosses the Mississippi, a Fellow of the Missouri Lodge of Research and also its Worshipful Master. He is a dual member of Kearney Lodge #311, St. Joseph Missouri Valley of the Scottish Rite, Liberty York Rite, Moila Shrine and a member and Past Dean of the DeMolay Legion of Honor. Brother Harrison is a regular contributor to the Midnight Freemasons blog as well as several other Masonic publications. His latest book, Freemasons: Tales From the Craft, is available on amazon.com.

The Secret of Three : Is It Really A Secret?

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

Bro. Lary A. Saladin, Jr., M.P.S.

As Freemasons, we know of the number three. Your first step in Masonry includes three distinct knocks. In Blue Lodge there are three degrees, the last being that of Master Mason, which is the most important degree of all. There were three original Grand Masters and There are three top officers; Worshipful Master, Senior Warden and Junior Warden. There are three greater lights in Freemasonry as well is the three lesser lights. We also know of these three words; Wisdom, Strength and Beauty. The highest degree in the Scottish Rite has two three’s.

Christians: There is the Holy Trinity; The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. The number three is significant in many initiatory and spiritual traditions. There were two additional men that were crucified at the time of Jesus. He was crucified at the third hour, was on the cross for three hours and rose from his grave on the third day. There were three wise men that visited Jesus and left three gifts. Along with Christianity there are an additional two main Abrahamic religions; Judaism and Islam. In the bible, Peter denies knowing Jesus three times then later says he loves him three times. Both 666 and 777 consist of three digits. During his ministry, Jesus raised three people from the dead. Jesus also fulfilled the three offices of Prophet, Priest and King.

Life itself: Time is divided into three parts: past, present and future. Three is the first of four perfects numbers. Why does the number three seem so prominent in our existence? How does Christianity cross-reference with Freemasonry. Is there a connection between the two? We strongly emphasize that we are not a religious fraternal organization and at one point the Catholic Church slandered our craft.

Quite a few of our brethren have discussed with me that the number three is secret in Freemasonry. Is it really? Just in this brief amount of information, I’ve exposed that the number three is everywhere in our lives. It always has and always will be there. Aside from the Freemasons, quite a few other esoteric “groups” surround much of their ritual around this popular number.

~LAS

Lary A. Saladin, Jr., M.P.S. is a music producer, writer, small business owner and a Freemason from the Chicago area. His interests include: Masonic Studies, World History, Music, Mythology, Conspiracy Theories, Mental Health and Self-Improvement. Lary holds the title of Master Mason in Illinois at Riverside Lodge No. 862 under the Grand Lodge of Illinois A.F. & A.M. He will shortly be starting his degrees in the York Rite and also joining the Scottish Rite. As an active member of The Masonic Society, The Scottish Rite Society (S.J.), The Philalethes Society and the Illinois Lodge of Research, Lary continues to educate himself as well as others on Masonic lineage and traditions. Lary recently published his short autobiography about his lifelong battle with depression. “My Struggle, My Battle, My Achievement” as well as a book on Mozart and Freemasonry, both are available on amazon.com by clicking their titles above.

Visit Lary’s official website at: www.larysaladin.com