rms ideas, that reasons upon facts and
determines upon courses of action and carries them out, which is not the
physical body. This is the real "I Myself." This is the Person we are
really concerned with; and it is the betterment of this "I Myself" that
makes it worth while to enquire what our Thought has to do in the
matter.

Equally true it is on the other hand that the forces of Nature around us
do not think. Steam, electricity, gravitation, and chemical affinity do
not think. They follow certain fixed laws which we have no power to
alter. Therefore we are confronted at the outset by a broad distinction
between two modes of Motion--the Movement of Thought and the Movement of
Cosmic Energy--the one based upon the exercise of Consciousness and
Will, and the other based upon Mathematical Sequence. This is why that
system of instruction known as Free Masonry starts by erecting the two
symbolic pillars Jachin and Boaz--Jachin so called from the root "Yak"
meaning "One," indicating the Mathematical element of Law; and Boaz,
from the root "Awaz" meaning "Voice" indicating Personal element of Free
Will. These names are taken from the description in I Kings vii, 21 and
II Chron. iii, 17 of the building of Solomon's Temple, where these two
pillars stood before the entrance, the meaning being that the Temple of
Truth can only be entered by passing between them, that is, by giving
each of these factors their due relation to the other, and by realizing
that they are the two Pillars of the Universe, and that no real progress
can be made except by finding the true balance between them. Law and
Personality--these are the two great principles with which we have to
deal, and the problem is to square the one with the other.

Let me start, then, by considering some well established facts in the
physical world which show how the known Law acts under certain known
conditions, and this will lead us on in an intelligible manner to see
how the same Law is likely to work under as yet unknown conditions. If
we had to deal with unknown laws as well as unknown conditions we
should, indeed, be up a gum tree. Fancy a mathematician having to solve
an equation, both sides of which were entirely made up of unknown
quantities--where would he be? Happily this is not the case. The Law is
ONE throughout, and the apparent variety of its working results from the
infinite variety of the conditions under which it may work. Let us lay a
foundation, then, by