by Guardian in Chief Richard A. London
Given in the Blue Star Memorial Temple
November 10, 2024
Every day we have the opportunity to choose the attitude we’ll be bringing to everything we think, say, and do. No matter the quality or quantity of resources at our disposal, it’s up to us to work with what we have or to take the necessary actions that may lead to a greater fulfillment of our needs and desires. How we do this together, how we resolve to reconcile our individuality within the context of community, is the ultimate purpose of our political elections.
The paradox of hypocrisy is raging. On the one hand we want freedom of choice, and on the other we are discontented when others do not share our point of view. The intensification of intolerance seems to be overwhelming the freedom of expression. The irony of this palpable discord is that it will eventually lead us to the Unity that is meant to be. As disturbing as it may be for some of us to accept, we all need to be harmonizing as well as the plurality of differentiated cells, organs, and systems are hopefully getting along within our bodies. Although rather reluctantly, we continue to be resolving the process of how we reconcile our appetite for the sustainability of our precious planet’s resources.
Amazing to have the juxtaposition of a rather polarized election about how we manage resources, even beyond our own borders, and then near the end of this month celebrating a holiday initially meant to give thanks and gratitude for the bounty of resources available to sustain our existence.
According to Ambrose Bierce’s Devil’s Dictionary, the definition of politics is “The conduct of public affairs for private advantage … in a strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles.” I’m relatively certain that the results of our recent election are conjuring up varying degrees of jubilation and disappointment, along with contentious uncertainty about our future. Even the potential for masquerading as a “more perfect union” seems difficult at best.
Here in Halcyon, we too, are challenged by a significant shift in the way livings are made and maintained, as our world of human beings incongruently attempts to dominate the Forces of Nature into submission. Many of us are doing this without malice or forethought. Coming to terms with principles that are congruent with Love, Law, and Karma out of reverence rather than contempt, will never cease being a necessity as our core values struggle resolving to reconcile with Universal Law.
Going from the Centennial of the Blue Star Memorial Temple to acknowledging the 126th year since the founding of the Temple of the People has reminded us of the richness of Halcyon’s history. While much has been accomplished since the Temple’s inception, especially by our forebears, I find myself wondering how many of us are finding sanctuary in a sense of complacency, while taking the little things for granted.
No matter how deep I go into the volumes of Temple Teachings, I continue to rely on the nourishment received by consuming what is routinely repeated during our daily and weekly services and classes. There is much low hanging fruit at our fingertips and it is freely available for nurturing our sense of wellbeing.
Certainly, some of the words and phrases may appear complex and perhaps somewhat antiquated. Nevertheless, this need not be perceived as a barrier to discovering the underlying principles being offered, especially for those of us with open minds and pure intentions.
Living by the Mantrams, believing in the Words of Force, taking the Noon Healing Service to heart, all are filled with words that can nurture and feed our Souls, especially when not taken for granted.
It is common knowledge that without air, shelter, water, and food our lives are dramatically impacted. The same can be said for when the Twelve Temple Principles are in short supply. They are Love, Will, Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith, Hope, Truth, Justice, Loyalty, Honesty, Service, and Obedience, and all are fundamental to the Harmony needed for Unity. Without the Twelve Principles our abilities to know Trust, Gratitude, Joy, and Accountability are dramatically impacted and difficult to grasp.
Out of all the words we may come to learn and understand, I truly believe that the most important word is my word, as in “I give you my word.” There was a time when, more often than not, hearing “My word is my bond” was considered to be a sacred promise. Nowadays, the economics of life has made keeping one’s word difficult at best, and that’s without any nefarious intent. This challenge has become exacerbated with the evolution of high-tech politicking. In fact, one might say that artificial intelligence is on the verge of developing a mind of its own. My head is still spinning from the significant polarity of political promises of the last few months.
Of course, our word is subject to our core values, along with our capacity to responsibly and respectfully manage our priorities and commitments. And then there is the true spirit of our attitude, which reveals what’s really alive in us as demonstrated by how we behave when all alone and in the presence of others. Having the choice to choose need not ever be taken for granted.
On the other hand, a case can be made that like a thief in the night, too many of us seem to be losing our purpose in life to a sense of entitlement. This can be true for some residents of Halcyon as well as for some citizens of these United States. I believe that without a responsible purpose in life it becomes difficult to survive, let alone thrive. Worse yet, those who cling to a sense of entitlement eventually debilitate the potential for becoming resilient when it comes to making one’s living.
I still find it remarkable how few people know little more than innuendo when it comes to the significance of the Temple of the People, especially those of us who have lived in Halcyon for years. From the Temple’s Foundation Stones to the Temple’s Higher Purpose, even the Temple’s reliance on the Golden Rule can easily be misconstrued. But then, how many of us accept, let alone know, the karmic truth about how the United States of America really came into being? These days, history in general seems to be on the witness stand within many a mind.
From this point on, I would ask for your indulgence as I identify our federal presidential constitutional republic with the term democracy. It seems to be more in tune with the political discourse emanating from most media outlets of every distinction.
As such, a claim can be made that Halcyon is one of the oldest intentional communities still in existence and that the United States of America is one of the oldest democracies still in existence.
Remarkably, a claim can also be made that the founding principles of both Halcyon and the United States were inspired by a common source of wisdom.
Last month, I offered the following remarks as part of my public comment during the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors’ meeting:
I’m here to highlight a couple of historic events:
Thirty-six years ago, the 100th U.S. Congress acknowledged the contributions of the Iroquois Confederacy to the founding principles embodied within the United States Constitution through their passage of House Concurrent Resolution 331. And 100 years ago, construction was completed on the Blue Star Memorial Temple in Halcyon.
What might these two events have in common? For one, most of us are unfamiliar with both 331 and the Temple. For another, when the Temple of the People was founded on November 15, 1898 in Syracuse NY, the two founders of the Temple had already been adopted into the Turtle Clan of the Onondaga Nation, one of the Six Nations of the Iroquois League or the Haudenosaunee, or “People of the Longhouse,” their name of origin.
The Temple Teachings have been infused by the Wisdom of the Haudenosaunee, while being intertwined with a blend of Western and Eastern Philosophies known as the Wisdom Religion or Theosophy. The Temple founders were inspired to relocate to Halcyon, California, in 1903, where their energy remains as one of the oldest intentional communities endeavoring to nurture harmony and a respect for Nature. Living by the Golden Rule is the ultimate goal.
The Temple continues to serve as a gathering place for individuals seeking connection and inspiration, with Halcyon having been designated a National and State Historic District in 2017.
In honor of these historic events, the Temple of the People is pleased to announce an open house on Sunday, November 17, from 2 to 4 PM. The public is invited to explore the rich history and symbolic artistry within the Temple and the University Center.
Guests can tour the Temple and also view a special collection of Hiawatha paintings by Harold Forgostein, the fourth Guardian in Chief, in the University Center Gallery. Hiawatha was cofounder of the Iroquois Confederacy and Chief of the Onondaga Nation. The Temple’s meeting hall or longhouse is called the Hiawatha Lodge.
To celebrate this occasion, the first 100 guests will receive complimentary Temple Artisan booklets commemorating the Centennial and highlighting the Temple’s heritage and aspirations for fostering “unity in community.”
I’m sharing these remarks to stress the possibility that when it comes to history, there is much that many of us take for granted. I believe that when our perceptions of the past are in conflict with the realities of the past, the implications to our future selves and generations yet to come may be quite profound.
Having said that, while the United States of America may be one of the oldest democracies still in existence, and while Halcyon may be one of the oldest intentional communities still in existence, without the influence of the Haudenosaunee, our lives would be different.
House Concurrent Resolution 331 brings to light the concept of resolving to be reconciling with the following words:
IROQUOIS CONFEDERACY AND INDIAN NATIONS — RECOGNIZING CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE UNITED STATES
Whereas the original framers of the Constitution, including, most notably, George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, are known to have greatly admired the concepts of the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy;
Whereas the confederation of the original Thirteen Colonies into one republic was influenced by the political system developed by the Iroquois Confederacy as were many of the democratic principles which were incorporated into the Constitution itself; and
Whereas, since the formation of the United States, the Congress has recognized the sovereign status of Indian tribes and has, through CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS — OCT. 21, 1988 102 STAT. 4933 the exercise of powers reserved to the Federal Government in the Commerce Clause of the Constitution (art. I, s.2, cl. 3), dealt with Indian tribes on a government-to-government basis and has, through the treaty clause (art. II, s.2, cl. 2) entered into three hundred and seventy treaties with Indian tribal Nations;
Whereas, from the first treaty entered into with an Indian Nation, the treaty with the Delaware Indians of September 17, 1778, the Congress has assumed a trust responsibility and obligation to Indian tribes and their members;
Whereas this trust responsibility calls for Congress to “exercise the utmost good faith in dealings with Indians” as provided for in the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, (1 Stat. 50);
Whereas the judicial system of the United States has consistently recognized and reaffirmed this special relationship: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
That —
(1) the Congress, on the occasion of the two hundredth anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution, acknowledges the contribution made by the Iroquois Confederacy and other Indian Nations to the formation and development of the United States;
(2) the Congress also hereby reaffirms the constitutionally recognized government-to-government relationship with Indian tribes which has been the cornerstone of this Nation’s official Indian policy;
(3) the Congress specifically acknowledges and reaffirms the trust responsibility and obligation of the United States Government to Indian tribes, including Alaska Natives, for their preservation, protection, and enhancement, including the provision of health, education, social, and economic assistance programs as necessary, and including the duty to assist tribes in their performance of governmental responsibility to provide for the social and economic well-being of their members and to preserve tribal cultural identity and heritage; and
(4) the Congress also acknowledges the need to exercise the utmost good faith in upholding its treaties with the various tribes, as the tribes understood them to be, and the duty of a great Nation to uphold its legal and moral obligations for the benefit of all of its citizens so that they and their posterity may also continue to enjoy the rights they have enshrined in the United States Constitution for time immemorial.
Agreed to October 21, 1988.
Subsequent to the passage of H. Con. Res. 331, I became consciously aware about the content contained within its declaration through the Temple Teachings and have a recollection of being taken aback. Curiously, I had no memory of being taught about the history behind 331 during my formative years, yet somehow, I had imprinted into the recesses of my mind a vivid impression of the culturally second-class nature of our Indigenous Brothers and Sisters.
More than 400 years ago the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth Bay, Massachusetts. To contrast another example of man’s inhumanity to man, that same time frame corresponds to the 400 years the Hebrew People were enslaved by Pharaoh. Yet our inability to know unbiased historical truth contemporaneously continues to be of use to the forces whose interests are not served by “a more perfect union.”
To quote the Temple’s Higher Purpose:
You must never lose sight of one fact: The higher purpose, the aim of all who are true Templars, was and still is the preparation of a place where it might become possible for the overshadowing Christ to enter and send forth the message which the world has waited for so long. It would be truly impossible for such an overshadowing of the spiritual forces to enter and dwell with a number of disaffected, treacherous, inhuman elements. It could not do the work for which It came, even if it were possible to come. Such a place requires quiet, concentration, aspiration, unified endeavor and faith in each other and the common purpose. These are essential; all else is nonessential.
— Hilarion
From survival of the fittest to a code of civility, throughout human history we have been blessed with the emergence of Teachers who appear from time to time to inspire us into realizing the potential for tuning into a Higher Purpose.
For the Haudenosaunee, Deganawidah was such a Teacher, and became known as “The Great Peacemaker.” It was Deganawidah’s vision of the Great Law of Peace that led to establishing the League of Six Nations, a democratic confederation with their very own constitution. Again, 331 acknowledges that the interaction between the Iroquois and the Founding Fathers had a significant impact on the founding principles that brought the United States into being.
Besides shifting the emphasis away from warring amongst the various tribes by initially consoling Hiawatha as he was grieving for the loss of his family after a recent battle, the Deganawidah Impulse led to the strengthening of another two traditions that resonate deeply with me. One is women’s political participation within the Haudenosaunee, and the other is the Seventh Generation Principle.
The Haudenosaunee have a blend of a matriarchal-patriarchal form of government, as the male chiefs are nominated by clan mothers. One’s clan is determined by matrilineal lineage, as clan membership is inherited from the mother. Similar to the Jewish tradition, membership in the Haudenosaunee is exclusively inherited matrilineally. Within Haudenosaunee culture, all clan members from other nations are considered family.
The Seventh Generation Principle originates from the Iroquois Confederacy, which encourages leaders to consider how their decisions may impact not only life in the present but also in the future. It serves as a moral compass for selfless service and stewardship, promoting behaviors that are respectful of the resources provided by Mother Nature for those yet to come.
Just to reiterate, my traditional history lessons did not teach me that our Indigenous predecessors contributed to our concept of basic democratic principles, nor that both men and women had impactful roles in their form of government leadership decisions, nor that they had a sacred respect for the future wellbeing of their children’s children and their environment. More vivid is my recollection of the historical assertion that our indigenous predecessors had a tendency to be heathenistic war prone creatures needing containment on reservations.
And yet they were welcoming and generous enough to continue being recognized for their contributions to the gratitude of what many now cherish as the Thanksgiving Holiday.
The foundation stones of The Temple are RELIGION, SCIENCE and ECONOMICS. True religion must have a scientific basis, and a right economic system must have a foundation in a science that is religious and a religion that is scientific. Therefore, these three aspects are all important.
Perhaps the Haudenosaunee had become enlightened by their religious beliefs in a Sacred Creator through their scientific knowledge of the workings of Mother Nature, and both approaches had facilitated an economic system that was just right for sustaining them within the bosom of nature. This approach was being experienced well before the Pilgrims stepped onto their shores.
Though the Pilgrims would come along with their enticements of progress, the introduction of new diseases, firearms, whiskey, and the emphasis on me rather than we ended up taking a toll on the Haudenosaunee way of life. Yet miraculously, this unprecedented migration failed to annihilate the Haudenosaunee’s opportunity for sharing with humanity the essence of their hard-fought sacrifice and their hard-won wisdom.
From the Noon Healing Service, we may hear daily:
Not only through pain and suffering is Thy Will made manifest, for joy and beauty burn equally in the creation of Thy Universe. Help us daily to respond with Gratitude and Obedience, both inviolable to the Creative Law which, from heights beyond our conception, shines into the shadowy depths of our own creation.
Let each day of our lives be marked with Hope, Faith, Wisdom, and Courage, in patient realization of Thy Presence. May Thy Power flow through us to those around us who make up our daily lives, for they are witness to Thy Creation of every Kingdom of Nature.
You climb from opposite points of Life, but it is the same stairway, the final mount of which will always bring you together in every effort or problem. Never halt on any less than the topmost step through doubt or fear. Such alone can separate you and blacken the step on which you halt.
Whenever difficulty of understanding falls upon you, always climb higher until you reach the broader landing at the top, on which opens the door of the house of Wisdom and Learning, the Temple of your own souls and hearts, the home of the Master and all most dear to Him and you.
There alone can you find peace and happiness. The Light from that Home shines clear and wide to help you in that climb. The fire on that hearth burns bright to warm and cheer you when you enter.
May the two prominent political tribes of this Nation endeavor to find solace in the Light of the Temple’s Twelve Principles, by resolving to be reconciling how we bind our bonds into a true Kinship, into a more perfect union. May we be resolving to honor our promises while being open-minded to change. May we be reconciling to the need for sacrifice by being self-responsible and forgiving. May we be endeavoring to inspire consensus by bridging the gulf between the shared realities of our history and our individual perceptions of that same history. May we know gratitude in our freedoms, such as they are, and in our responsibility to vote.
Resolving to be reconciling to the Will of the Great Peacemaker is inevitable, for the evolution of Matter, Force and Consciousness is leading us to where we need to be, no matter how anyone may have voted.
Let us keep constantly in mind three of the most basic tenets of the Temple: Creeds Disappear, Hearts Remain; Do unto others as you would have them do unto you; and Judge not lest ye be judged.
Remember, just as day follows night, joy follows sorrow. So much can be learned from both jubilation and disappointment. And yet, Soul Learning is always optional, for only when the student is ready will the Teacher appear.
On this, I can give you my word.
Richard A. London
6th Guardian in Chief