WHY IS THE MASTER ALWAYS IN THE EAST?

“And yet you are a man and not a god,

Yet you may think that you are yourself

Like a god. “

Ez. 28: 2

God rules the world by authority and not by force. Otherwise, there would be no freedom and no rule of law. One is free to be a believer or an unbeliever. Nothing and no one can force any of us to have faith. No scientific discovery, no argument from logic, and no torture of the body or mind can compel us to believe in anything, not even to accept the authority of the Supreme Architect of the Universe. However, once that authority is recognized and embraced, the powerless become powerful reminding us of the parable Jesus spoke about the mustard seed: a grain of faith is enough to move mountains.

The Master of a lodge of Masons represents that authority. During a segment of the ritual in a Masonic degree, the candidate is instructed that the Master is always stationed in the east, while the Senior and Junior Wardens are always stationed in the west and south respectively. The ritual does not explain why this is so, and most veterans of Masonic titles are quick to suggest that it is simply because it has always been so. While that explanation is certainly true to some degree, it is incomplete and totally unenlightened.

Being something, knowing something, and being capable of something is what empowers a person with authority, such as the Master of a lodge. After all, authority is the true and only power. Compulsion or force is simply a device that can be used to remedy the lack of authority. Where authority exists in its purest form, one can feel and feel the breath of sacred magic filled by the fire of mysticism, the essence of the divine.

At his facility, the Master of a lodge is entrusted with a mallet and is told by his facility officer that it is an emblem of his authority that he can wield in the name of acts of great good or greater evil. The point here symbolized is that the true Masonic authority is handled with the scepter and not with a weapon. It is reported in Masonic ritual that the first Most Excellent Grand Master of Freemasonry, Solomon, King of Israel, brandished the scepter over Israel, not another weapon, and thus stands as the most prominent example of how it is wielded. or Masonic authority must be exercised.

Kabbalah teaches that all authority has its origin in the ineffable name of the deity – YHVH – and that all law derives from that name. The clear implication here, as in all Masonic lodges, is that the human bearer of authority does not replace divine authority. Rather, he renounces his own will and allows himself to behave as a conduit of divine authority. Always stationed in the east, the Master renounces action, as opposed to obedience, ease in favor of duty, and movement in favor of the permanent watchman. In other words, the Master is a guardian of his post and essentially guards the scepter.

The scepter is symbolized by the mallet, which is also a symbol of the moderation that a Master must exercise in order for his authority to be effective. The Master who shouts his opposition, yells to make his point, tortuously politicizes his lodge, or gleefully gives orders without logic or reason, has not exercised that restraint. Instead, he has taken measures designed to deprive the brothers of freedom from the loving guidance of the deity. A Master who is aware that the mallet represents the scepter retains his naturally impulsive nature so that he does not intervene and replace God as head of the lodge.

The lesson of such restraint is not new as it applies to the Master, it simply applies equally to the brother in authority as well as to the brothers forced to follow. Therefore, it is not the individual who predominates when Masonic authority is considered: it is the Supreme Architect of the Universe. Candidates are instructed throughout their Masonic journey that the compass is a valuable instrument for teaching that in dealing with other men, particularly other Masons, you must circumscribe your desires and keep your passions within proper limits. This form of restriction is in the direct benefit of the brother or individual who comes into direct contact with a Mason. The form of restriction applied to the Master is intended to benefit the entire lodge, the entire body of brothers and, in turn, all those outside the lodge with whom each brother has contact.

When he obeys the responsible duty to always remain in his post in the East, the Master means that he has made a place within himself for the divine name, YVHV, which is the source of true authority. It also means that he has not only given up the freedom of physical movement, but also that of intellectual movement. Within each lodge of Freemasonry it is intended that the resulting void must be filled by the divine, that is, movement physically and intellectually should only occur after a prayerful consultation with the Supreme Architect.

By remaining in office, the Master also means that he has given up any personal mission or effort to promote his own self-esteem. It has literally become anonymous. His name has given way to the ineffable name of the divine and thus he has become the embodiment of enduring law and order.

The obligation of a captain to exercise such restraint can best be supplemented by the following commands:

(1) be humble and you will remain whole;

(2) will be used and remain new;

(3) be empty so you can receive much from God;

(4) don’t pursue rewards that you are not ashamed of;

(5) avoid approving yourself and getting noticed;

(6) give glory to those around you so you can excel; Y

(7) do not compete with your brothers, because there is no one who can compete with you, you have authority.