Council of Kadosh

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	19th: Grand Pontiff The great lesson of this degree is that lif= e, when lived properly, is but a bridge to eternal life. Once the secr= et of life after death is known, a man understands that there is no time but eternity. Therefore, calamities which happen are temporary and will= not continue. We are not taken down by calamities, but remain strong to fight against oppression and ignorance; we have passed from the Alpha to = the Omega, have learned all the letters of the alphabet and understand that A= lpha comes after Omega, that life is renewed. There is no end to learning and science.
	20th: Master of the Sy= mbolic Lodge This degree teaches that a Mason who knows = that he does not possess the qualities of leadership, and who has not duly prepared himself to be a leader, should not want to be one. Notwithstanding, every Mason should endeavor to educate himself, bearing in mind that one day he may be asked to lead. Because he is= of his community, it expects him to dispense light and knowledge; to practice the virtues both in and out of lodge.
	21st: Noachite, or Pru= ssian Knight The principle lesson of this degree is to n= ot be conceited, or belittle others. Nobody should rely on his wealth, nobility, heavenly or worldly titles. We should be humble and modest and sincerely seek God's mercy; for God protects those who are sincere and honest. A Mason should never lose hope and confidence in the fact t= hat correctness and honesty will always be victorious.
	22nd: Knight of the Ro= yal Axe Work is the mission of man. We should respect our labor for its own sake, and do our work. Manual and men= tal work complete one another; thus, one who works in either manual or mental labor should not try to exploit, or oppress, the other. A Mason mus= t be a person who makes no distinction in the nature and kind of work in which= his brother is engaged.
	23rd: Chief of the Tab= ernacle In this degree, we are reminded that we owe= our knowledge to our faith in a revealed God. Therefore, it is our duty= to disseminate this knowledge to all mankind. A Mason who believes in = God has a duty to acquire knowledge and disseminate this knowledge to other people so that others are also enlightened. A Mason who is generous with his knowledge knows that he will receive the blessing of God, not by sacrificing living beings, but by destroying superstitions and bringing happiness and prosperity to other people.
	24th: Prince of the Ta= bernacle This is a continuation of the last degree a= nd examines the nature of knowledge. We must be vigilant not to accept corrupted and erroneous echoes of real knowledge. We have to distinguish for ourselves what is truth; for many do not realize that they are in error when they think they have found the truth. As Masons, = we must fight continuously against superstitions, wrong knowledge, false prophets, tyrants, and despots. Our task is to free knowledge from = the monopoly of classes, casts, leaders, or priests; and to disseminate it to everyone.
	25th: Knight of the Br= azen Serpent This degree teaches the virtue of hospitali= ty. One who shows hospitality to guests is obliged not to differentiate between race, nationality or religion from whoever knocks at his door. The nature of Masonry is to heal those who are in distress from mor= al collapses, psychological crises, diseases caused by superstitions and ignorance. To save our fellows from these, to break the chains which represent moral slavery, to set men free, to be faithful and kind in every respect is the compulsory thing to do. We fulfill our destiny by re-creating ourselves, by enlarging our knowledge.
	26th: Prince of Mercy<= /span> Practice forgiveness! Be tolerant! Masons a= re to respect all beliefs that do not dirty sacredness. Masonry is not= a religion, nor do its members belong to one religious order, or any one religion. It embraces the truth in every belief and respects all of them. The truths of Masonry are contained within the religions of t= he world. Our task is to love all mankind; to be faithful to the agree= ment between the GAOTU and ourself-we should trust that we can attain His boun= dless affection and compassion, the mercy in the degree's title--that is, we can attain God's love.
	27th: Knight Commander= of the Temple This degree teaches the virtues of knightho= od and asks its adherents to practice these virtues in life. Virtue requires duty; and both remain the same, regardless of the times. T= he Knight Commander of the Temp= le learns that he is the manager of the time, that he himself will decide wh= en he will perform his duty; he does not wait for orders or authorization. He is his own man, and his task is to abolish distress at just the right time.
	28th: Knight of the Su= n Be a lover of wisdom. This degree poi= nts out seven truths: There exists an indefinable and incomprehensible princi= ple that governs the universe. Human life is but a speck of eternity. Universal equilibrium is a result of a balance between similarities= and contrasts. The absolute is the soul in its proper essence. The visible is the invisible. Evil, disaster, and misery are indispensa= ble for universal equilibrium. Similarities are the only keys for comprehending nature. The majority of men fail to realize their err= ors. Masons are required to take up the arduous struggle against error. The moral code of Masonry is more extensive than that of philosophy= .
	29th: Knight of Saint = Andrew In this degree, the Mason learns that there= is no contradiction between religion and science; that religion can be better understood through science and science can be better understood by religi= on. He who denies science is as fanatical as he who denies religion. Our lifetime is limited in time; thus we must see God within this limited period of our time. Yet, God transcends all time; he is ene= rgy over and beyond time. There is no other energy that creates that energy. There is no end to that energy. Freemasonry is thus t= he continual effort to exalt the divine in man over the human so that we may come to better understand the nature of God in our time.
	30th: Knight Kadosh This is the last of the philosophical degre= es. To spread the sciences, to apply the virtues, to learn the sublime doctrines which enable humanity to live as one great family-this is the school of which Masonry is engaged. It is not within the realm of Masonry to punish oppressors and tyrants who enact barriers to brotherly = love and affection. They are always punished in the course of history. It is our goal to defeat the passions and fanaticism which lead to oppression by spreading love and toleration. The Knight Kadosh is a= ware of his obligations. He is just, equitable, and respectful of all id= eas. He battles for freedom of conscience. He opposes those who wo= uld attack these liberties, but material revenge is not in his thoughts and philosophy. He is a lover of great example.

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