Thursday 9 December 2010

The Checkerboard


One of the first thing that strikes you when you enter a lodge room, is the presence of the 'checkerboard' - a basic explaination was given to me about this - that a man may walk through the dark and light of life.

Through further meditation and reflection in the lodge room (and reading Robert Lomas's Secret Science of Initiation) there are several theories regarding the presence of the 'board'.

"The floor represents the physical state - or body, the lower or material nature"

This is where we constantly focus (while we are awake), this is our realm of experience, most of us see inherent duality within the physical plane, hence the checkerboard.  We see both the dark and light aspects of the world around us and within us - since the Garden of Eden, Man has understood the dual nature of  his being - yet the knowledge of Good and Evil, displeased the creator, ashe knew this would bring conflict within our mortal self.

More aspects of duality are present within Man himself - two arms, two legs, two lungs, two eyes etc, even the duality of gender of Male and Female - dualism is inherent within the world itself, an inescapable fact of this reality.

As Dr Lomas continues to elaorate:

"Experience of these opposites is essential to human growth.  Our existence consists of perpetual movement, like chessmen, from a white square to a black square, and from a black square to a white one.  These moves continually test us and form our character, we grow as a result of our responses to both good and bad principles"

This calls us to look at the checkerboard, and as we move through it, recognise the universal teaching offered by the white and black tiles

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