To Learn to Subdue My Passions

Darryl Carter

Benjamin B. French Lodge No. 15

“To learn to subdue my passions” is a simple yet profound prepositional phrase that forms a cornerstone of the Masonic journey. to us as anger in the Gospel narrative was not anger in the profane sense; the Nazarene was incapable of profane anger. Subduing one’s passions can be understood on an intuitive psychological level. Our Passions are our emotions, and they must be restrained in a manner such that they do not cause injury to self or others. This noble goal is not the absolute elimination of emotion. In fact, in psychiatry, “fl atness of affect”, can be a sign of serious underlying pathology. The goal for a Mason is to harness emotional energy so that it contributes positively to the harmony of the family, place of business, place of worship, and the Masonic lodge, and make certain that the emotional energies do no harm. This noble goal is a lifelong exercise, which most of us, including me, only partially achieve. Yet I submit to you What is the source of human emotions? No one can deny that there is a biological dimension to human emotions. And no one can deny the power of Freud’s psychoanalytical triad of id, ego and superego, to understand the human psyche. But Freud’s superego ultimately fails to bring peace or harmony to the psyche; it is only the source of guilty feeling, yet another emotion. Aristotle taught that man is a rational animal, but rationality is penultimate to spirituality. Ultimately, man is a spiritual animal. With apologies to Descartes, I dare say that I pray, therefore I am. To truly understand the source of the negative or injurious aspect of human emotions, one must understand “…to circumscribe our desires…” my Brethren, that mere restraint or control of their spiritual origin. The key antagonist is our emotions is necessary, but not suffi cient, to attachment. The key protagonist is the antithesis truly subdue our passions. For without a deeper of attachment, i.e. non-attachment, and this is the understanding of the source of human emotion, cornerstone of all wisdom, and the source of the restraining our emotions is nothing more than purest and highest bliss. Lao Tzu, Patanjali, and etiquette. Yeshua of Nazareth overturned the Buddha taught non-attachment. King Solomon, tables of the moneychangers in the Temple and Yeshua of Nazaraeth, and the Prophet Mohammed declared “…you have turned it into a den of taught non-attachment. Selfl ess non-attachment thieves”. The Nazarene was not a diplomat, nor is a universal principle of spiritual attainment. did he teach diplomacy. Yet, the Nazarene knew how to subdue his passions. What might appear King Solomon is the author of three books of Tanakh (the Old Testament): Proverbs,

Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs. Ecclesiastes nature, and the unity of all things is undeniable. (Qoheleth, The Preacher) is a masterful teaching Embrace nature, and death becomes a cherished on non-attachment. The three opening verses friend and advisor. Lao Tzu called the unifi ed are: “The words of the Preacher, the son of ever-changing fl ow of existence the Tao. In David, king in Jerusalem; Vanity of vanities, physics, the law of Conservation of Mass tells saith the Preacher; all is vanity; What profi t hath us that matter cannot be created or destroyed, a man of all his labour that he taketh under the it simply changes form. So it’s futile to cling sun?” [King James Version] to forms, and thus the ego’s impositions and The original Hebrew for “vanity” is “hevel”. The literal translation of hevel is “fl eeting” or “transitory”, like a breeze. The Hebrew name “Abel” is actually Hevel, and that leads to an important Gnostic teaching unto itself, but we won’t get into that here. Why is all vanity? All is vanity because everything in this world is impermanent. This however is not the real problem: the problem is that we cling to things as if they were static; this clinging originates from the ego. The ego clings to a delusion. This delusion is the root of all human existential misery. The ego sees itself as separated from everything else. This is a mirage that the average man identifies as “himself”. The ego’s delusion fi rst fears its own death, and then all change. In its insecurity the ego clings to things; it is incapable of letting go and letting nature be. This in turn creates a psychopathological complex which manifests itself as fear and insecurity, which in expectations are irrational. It’s futile to fear change, especially death. Once one is free from the fear of death, one ceases to cling to things, and the ego is relegated to its proper place. As Masons, it is our solemn obligation to try to live every minute of every day as our Grand Master H.A. lived, and to always remember our ritual. You must observe the ruffi ans compassing about you and compassing within you. Never succumb to their demands. The ruffi ans are the ego, whether it is your ego or the egos of your fellow human beings. The Nazarene taught that he who would save his life shall lose it. Grand Master H.A. lived, died, and was resurrected in accordance with this universal principle. By simply seeing the ego for what it is, you put it in its place. The result is internal peace and harmony. The elimination of fear and longing in human consciousness causes spiritual bliss. Thus are one’s passions truly subdued. Ultimately, man is a spiritual animal. With apologies to Descartes, I dare say that I pray, therefore I am. turn manifest as anger, jealousy, greed, anxiety, As part of my mental preparation upon entering and depression. Ultimately, this complex is the a Masonic lodge room, I’ve developed a practice. root of all harm to self and to others. It’s ironic, I look at the “G” in the East, and inwardly but easily understood within this framework, visualize it as the third letter of the Hebrew that the biggest megalomaniacal dictators in alphabet, “gimel”. I briefl y meditate upon a story history have been extremely violent, insecure, from Jewish lore which culminates with a line controlling men who were crippled by paranoia attributed to King Solomon. The King was being and chronic anxiety. The ego is a petty tyrant. honored at a lavish celebration. He was presented King Solomon taught us in the opening verses of with a gold ring with three Hebrew letters Ecclesiastes to labor, and then to let go. Do not engraved on it: Gimel-Zayin-Yud. The King had attach to the work itself or to the results of the an epiphany and knew that this acronym encoded work or “profi t”. Do what needs to be done, move “Gam zeh ya ‘avor”, which translates “This too on. Learn from every experience and move on. shall pass”. When we embody this wisdom and How do we escape the misery created by the ego? By practicing non-attachment! How? Observe peace, only then are we worthy to enter within the Holy of Holies. ■