Adopted by the Assembly of the Grand Lodge on 12 November, in the Year of True Light 6016, at the Orient of Almaty (as amended, 2024).
Foundational Principles
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Freemasonry takes its origin from the initiatic organisations of the Middle Ages, which received the symbolism of the ancient builders.
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Its customs and rituals are the fruit of the development of traditions of immemorial antiquity, known as the Ancient Charges, or Landmarks, transmitted by Masters to Apprentices and contained in various ancient texts revered as foundational. In them is set out the statement of the universally received principles of Masonry, unchanging through time.
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Masonry is founded upon the inviolable faith of all its initiates in Almighty God, Who is worshipped under the name of the Great Architect of the Universe.
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The principles of the Masonic view of the world are reduced to two fundamental precepts: "Know thyself" and "Do unto another as you would wish to be done unto you."
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Masonry is a free fellowship of independent men, without regard to their creed, striving for the realisation of the ideals of peace, love and brotherhood.
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Masonry holds as its aims the moral perfection of its members and, in the final account, of all mankind as a whole, together with the exercise of true charity.
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Masonry lays upon all its initiates the obligation to respect the opinion of others, and strictly forbids any discussion of political or religious questions, so as to remain an unalterable centre of fraternal union in which there reigns a perfect harmony of spirit.
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Masons assemble in places called Lodges for the conduct of ritual labours, to which are admitted only men of good morals and irreproachable reputation, men of honour and of duty, loyal to the lawful authorities, prudent, and in every respect worthy of the name of Brother, having received due initiation into the Brotherhood.
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The Brethren who assemble in Lodges are bound to love their country, to be faithful to its laws and to its lawfully elected authorities, to hold labour to be the fundamental duty of man, and to honour it in all its forms.
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Masons are likewise bound with all their strength — by word, by example, and by useful published works — to guard the Masonic secret.
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A true Mason is bound unceasingly to help his Brethren, even at the peril of his very life, and always, whatever the outward circumstances of life, to remain calm and master of himself in all that concerns his thoughts and his words.
The Twelve Principles of Regularity
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Masonry is an initiatic brotherhood founded upon the traditional faith in God, the Great Architect of the Universe.
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Masonry is founded upon the Ancient Charges and Landmarks of the brotherhood, which contain the essential and particular traditions of the Order, the observance whereof is an indispensable condition of the regularity of a Jurisdiction.
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Masonry is an Order admitting to its membership only men free and of irreproachable reputation, who agree to labour for the realisation of the ideals of peace, love and brotherhood.
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Masonry holds as its purpose the moral perfection of its members and, in the final account, of all mankind as a whole.
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Masonry lays upon all the Brethren the obligation strictly and exactly to observe the rituals and to preserve the traditions of Masonic symbolism, as the foundation of recognition by the other members of the spiritual initiatic Order.
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Masonry lays upon all the Brethren the obligation to respect one another's opinion and faith. It forbids the Brethren any discussion whatsoever of contentious political and religious questions. It holds itself to be an unalterable centre of fraternal union, tolerance and mutual understanding — of fruitful harmony among men who, outside it, are prone to dispute and discord among themselves.
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Masons take their solemn Obligations upon the Book of the Sacred Law of their own faith, so that the Obligation they take may acquire for them the force of a sacred and inviolable oath.
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Masons leave the profane world and assemble in Lodges, in which are always present and displayed the Three Great Lights of the Order — the Book of the Sacred Law, the Compasses and the Square — and there labour with diligence and zeal, according to the ritual and the principles of respect.
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Masons admit to their Lodges only men of good morals and irreproachable reputation, loyal to the civil authorities, prudent, worthy, and in every respect deserving of the name of Brother, believing in the high destiny of man and in the boundless power of the Eternal.
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Masons cultivate in their Lodges love of their country, reverence for its laws and for its lawfully elected authorities. They hold labour, in all its forms, to be the highest and most honourable duty of man.
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Masons, by their example and by constant and persevering labours, guard the Masonic secret with dignity, for the prosperity of the Order.
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Masons bind themselves to help and protect one another, even at the peril of their own lives. In all circumstances they preserve the calm and equanimity necessary for perfect self-mastery.
The Duties of Masons
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Masons solemnly undertake and swear to reveal none of the mysteries of the Order to any but true and lawful Brethren, or in a duly constituted and opened Lodge of Free Masons. They likewise keep in their hearts love for their Brethren, are bound to comfort them in hours of adversity, and to come to their aid in case of need.
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They likewise undertake to honour and observe the rules set out in the Twelve Principles of Regularity above.
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Masons hold that all men, notwithstanding differences of station and of endowment, possess equal rights and duties. They count it their duty to conduct themselves in accordance with this conviction, and to move all around them to treat their neighbours fraternally, with love and respect, upon the foundation of universal equality and brotherhood.
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Masons strive for the spiritual and intellectual perfection of the members of their Order, and put into practice the principles of the love of mankind. The principles of their activity are these: the use of the universal system of symbolic instruction known as the Royal Art; the reverent use of the established rituals; the exercise of charity; tolerance; and irreproachable conduct.
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The Lodge is a place where perfect harmony and brotherly love reign; no profane passion is admitted into it. During Masonic meetings all the Brethren must so conduct themselves that no word or act of theirs disturbs the harmony of the assembly.
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Masons receive into the Brotherhood only men free and of good morals, who intend to labour actively for their spiritual and moral perfection. They make no distinction among their initiates by faith, race, nationality or social condition.
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No Mason is permitted to wear his Masonic regalia — aprons, collars, jewels and the rest — outside the walls of the Lodge, or otherwise than during a regular and duly opened meeting, save in cases determined by special dispensation of the Grand Master.
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No Mason is permitted to publish, issue or in any other manner make public — in the Masonic or the profane press — any information or document by the publication whereof he, willingly or not, violates the Masonic laws or the terms of his Obligations towards the Order or its individual members, or which is contrary to the principles of the Order or injurious to its honour or to the honour of its individual members.
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All the Brethren undertake to take no part, open or secret, in the meetings of any Masonic organisation not recognised by the Grand Lodge of Kazakhstan.
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All the Brethren undertake to acknowledge and respect the jurisdiction and the prerogatives of Grand Lodges duly constituted and recognised.
Basic Principles for Grand Lodge Recognition
In deciding whether to recognise any Grand Lodge as a fraternal jurisdiction, the Grand Lodge of Kazakhstan is guided by the following rules, adopted by the United Grand Lodge of England on 4 September 1929:
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Regularity of origin: each Grand Lodge must have been established by three or more Lodges, each of them lawfully constituted by another Grand Lodge that is regularly recognised. A new Grand Lodge must be established with the participation of its Mother Grand Lodge.
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Belief in the Great Architect of the Universe and in His revealed will is an essential and fundamental condition of membership of the Order.
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Every initiate must take his obligation upon the open Volume of the Sacred Law, by which is meant the revelation from above set out in the sacred scripture of the candidate's own religion.
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The membership of the Grand Lodge and of the individual Worshipful Lodges under its jurisdiction is composed exclusively of men, and no Grand Lodge may hold any Masonic relations with Lodges of mixed or female membership.
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The Grand Lodge must hold supreme and sovereign authority over the Lodges under its aegis. It must be a responsible, independent and self-governing body, with sole and undisputed authority over the symbolic degrees (Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and Master Mason) within its territory, in no way subject to, nor sharing that authority with, a Supreme Council or any other Masonic power that claims authority or control over those degrees.
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The Three Great Lights of Freemasonry, namely the Volume of the Sacred Law, the Compasses and the Square, must always be displayed in the Grand Lodge and in the Lodges under its jurisdiction while they are at work, the chief of them being the Volume of the Sacred Law.
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The discussion of religion and politics within the Lodge is strictly prohibited.
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The principles of the Ancient Landmarks, and the customs and traditions of the Craft, must be strictly observed.