What is the vsl

The Volume of the Sacred Law is one of the Three Great Lights of Freemasonry, consisting of the holy text or texts displayed open upon the lodge altar during meetings (the United Grand Lodge of England states). Rather than representing a single religious creed, it serves as a symbol of the divine will and moral guidance of the Supreme Being, under which members are charged to regulate their actions 23 (an article on the Grand Lodge of India's website states).

Because the fraternity is non-sectarian and requires only a general belief in a Supreme Being, the specific text used as the Volume of the Sacred Law varies according to the faith of its members 13. Candidates take their obligations upon the sacred volume that is binding upon their own conscience, whether that be the Bible, the Quran, the Torah, the Shastras, or other sacred writings 1 (an article on the Grand Lodge of India's website states). Claudy emphasizes that the volume on the altar functions symbolically to remind the Mason that his promise is made in the presence of Deity, meaning the candidate's spiritual intent and reverence give the obligation its binding force rather than the physical material of the book 2.

Jurisdictional customs govern how multiple texts are displayed. For example, under the English Constitution, the Holy Bible traditionally remains open on the altar as the primary text of the lodge, while the sacred books of non-Christian initiates are placed upon the altar specifically for the administration of their obligations 1. Historically, explicit references to the Bible as one of the Great Lights appear in Masonic records around 1760 3.