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 aedifico42| Learning Like a Mason
Posted at: 12:41 am
Yes it’s been forever since I posted. Moving a law office and life got in the way. But while preparing for my Masonic Education stuff at Lodge for April’s meeting, I started to write some ideas. What you will read here (it ain’t short…deal with it) was the result.
Warning…I have not yet figured out how to get regular comments back on this site. Yes that sucks, and I will fix it when I get a chance. For now, just read and enjoy.
Learning Like a Mason
An Essay by [] AEdifico
Introduction:
Masonic Learning is probably the most elusive of skill to most Masons. We send our candidates through the three basic degrees of the Blue Lodge only then to let them sail the wide and deep seas of Masonic knowledge with no rudder, no sail and no map.
The sail is that set of skills which catch the winds of energy and motivation. These winds are mostly prevalent when the new Mason is given a glimpse of the wide world of Masonic Learning…he is excited to learn and that energy can only be harvested by that sail.
The rudder is the guiding force that each man has within him. He can steer his way through those seas to reach the goals he strives for…if he knows that he already has that tool in his hands. This is the free choice that each of us has. We steer our own path and make our own decisions about where we want to go and what we want to learn.
The map is the Craft itself. We have no interest in making pottery or weaving yarn…we are builders of that building not made with hands…and we must ask ourselves if we are actually meeting the requirements of our Masonic obligation to learn. Our map, then, is illustrated on the tracing boards of the three degrees, in the tree of life of the Kabbalah, in the sacred writings of the Holy Bible, in the mysterious symbols of the ancient alchemists, even the point within the circle itself is a part of this map.
Thus, we begin this journey on Learning Like a Mason. We have no future save that which we prepare for ourselves. When we read, we prepare ourselves to think different thoughts, and to decide for ourselves. Many of us will come across topics which will challenge our own thoughts and perceptions. We will encounter systems and facts which may make us uncomfortable, and which may confuse and befuddle us. This is the beginning of the future of our minds. Thinking about things which others may have told us is taboo…that is the beginning of being an independent and mentally strong Man. Taking the time to read books that profane society tells us are evil…this where maturity and self-control make us better than the average man. Even daring to meditate on the ancient wisdom of other cultures and other people is a step towards that Masonic enlightenment we all should seek.
There is no degree or diploma to be received at the end of this journey. Like so many pilgrimages of so many religious faiths, it is the journey itself that counts. In order to claim and honestly hold the title of Master Mason, we must move out of our comfort zone and Work. Some of the work will be hard…like recognizing characters from the Hebrew or the Greek alphabet. Some of the work will be easier…like reaching out to an old friend who we have not contacted for years. But all of this is the work of a Mason…and all of this will be part of Learning Like a Mason.
And so, without further ado, we will on this night tread away from the shore in our little boat with the sail full of excitement and the rudder firm in our hands. I will tonight show you the map. I will also attempt to explain to you how it is that Masons can capture that wind of excitement by using the sail. But first, I will attempt to explain to you how you can steer the rudder which is already in your hands.
Part I: The Rudder
What is it that separates us from the animals? Why is Man more special and more important than, say, a wolf or a whale, a snake or a spider?
The answer is clearly described in one word…the answer is REASON.
“Reason separates mankind from the other forms of life; it is a gift. The spider may spin a beautiful web but it is not an artist; the bee may dance its messages but that is not ballet; termites construct large dwellings but they are not engineers. Man alone possesses the divine spark of intellect and therefore, reason. The gift of reason is, however, no gift of ease and indulgence – it requires the greatest effort and thus is often dispensed with almost entirely. The great majority of mankind makes little or no use of this divine gift, choosing rather the simple life of physical labor occasionally punctuated by periods of time devoted to hobbies or passive recreation.”[Hutchens, Bridge to Light, p.146]
“By reason, we have come to understand the mechanics of the natural world, established societies bound by custom and law, mysteries of the human mind and secured at least a cursory understanding of the nature of Deity and our place in the universal plan. It remains for us to marshal its power to better ends, to alleviate human misery and suffering, end the scourge of war and loose the shackles of vice.” [Id. at 150]
It is by REASON, then that we can steer ourselves through the waters. It is this characteristic that allows us to recognize the difference between survival and achievement. We are the beneficiaries of the divine gift described above, and with it we can and should steer ourselves through the waters of life on our journey.
And with this we have taken the first step towards realizing our goal for the evening. We are one third of the way towards learning how to learn like a Mason.
In case you missed it, let me slightly shift the focus. Knowing that we are not just animals, but the recipients of the gift of Reason, should allow us the capacity to make choices without guilt. We should also not lose sight of the fact that it is by applying this gift to our lives that we will regain that control which we may feel we have lost. We can reason our way through many, if not most, of life’s challenges. We can also use our own mental and character strengths to pick for ourselves where we want our energy and motivation to take us.
With REASON as our rudder, therefore, we can think our way through the journey that is Masonic Learning. We can make the best of all that shimmers before us, and we can swim deeply into the water wherever we choose to anchor our vessel.
Part II: The Map
It would be too easy to give you a stack of books or a reading list and let you go-on and read what I think you ought to in order to be a well-informed Mason. This is insufficient, although the rudimentary necessity to getting our Craft back on the right track. The map to which I speak is more, however, than the Pike, Hall or Mackey. The map is all around you right here, right now.
Take, for example, or Lodge room. It is standard fare, no frills, almost Spartan in its appearance. Yet the placement of the seats, their relation to each other, the flag, the Altar, the features on the wall…all of these are elements of the Map.
Look to the tracing board for any degree. The ritual itself and the way the candidate is moved from one point to another. Where do we stand, how do we gesture, what words to we speak…all elements of the Masonic Map.
The Map gives us direction and shows us where we can stop along our journey. It is the entire catalog of places we can explore and things we can see along our Masonic Learning journey. These are the things all around us – what we wear, what we see and hear – that make-up the subjects for our study. Each of us, however, experiences Freemasonry in a slightly different way. Some have described Freemasonry as Judaism for Gentiles…some have described it as that “moral science, taught by degrees alone” and some simply think it’s a good place to gather and meet friends. None are right and none are wrong. Freemasonry is all of these things to all of these people, and it is more.
But the most important thing the Craft gives to us is guidance. For example, we can learn the ritual of the first three degrees by memorizing it all, only to discover that it does not exactly mean what it says. And after mastering the ritual of the first three degrees, we may begin to accept the truths spoken by so many…that the knowledge contained in the first three degrees is hidden by them, not exposed by them.
And so it is with the second vital element of this lesson on Learning Like a Mason. We must see where the parameters are, and know that those simple guidelines are only hiding from us the truly boundless and limitless scope of Masonic Learning.
All this notwithstanding, a basic foundation is still most necessary prior to moving to more advanced learning.
Part III: The Sail
Without a sail, there will only be slow advancement dictated by the water right where you are. In fact, without the sail, you and the water where you are move together…and you never really get to see anything differently. The Masonic journey requires something more than mere presence. The Learning of a Mason must have some elemental appreciation for that which captures our imagination, our energy and directs it to a useful purpose.
The Sail, then, is truly the most important element of this vessel. It will take us to many different places without the rudder, and even without the map we may run ashore on some distant knowledge which by coincidence may interest us. But without a focusing element…that thing which takes our natural curiosity and shifts it into forward movement…we will never be propelled forward.
Where has the Sail been for the last thirty or forty years of Masonry? Its absence has resulted in a vast and open ocean, dotted with unorganized drifters who know they want to get somewhere, but they keep simply going with the flow…only making headway if there is some strange up-swell or odd current.
This is where the Lodge comes into play. For a Mason without his Lodge is like a ship without a sail. The ship may be waterproof and may be equipped to be steered. The pilot of the ship may be skilled in reading the map and willing and able to make direction and distance. But without the source of power which allows the ship to move forward…without that complimentary energy-capture which can only happen with the encouragement of your brother…your ship will not move.
We are the Sail to each other. In a setting such as this, where we choose to teach and learn, we are the last and most important element to Learning Like a Mason. Teaching is the best way to learn. My exploration of Learning Like a Mason, and the writing of this essay are primary examples of this. I envisioned speaking these very words and outlined a method by which I would share them with you. I found a metaphor which would seem appropriate not only on the surface, but as a source for further contemplation.
While learning we must anticipate teaching the subject. We must contemplate the questions from our students and we must be willing to take their commentary…learning from them also. Only then can we re-approach the subject and re-think what we have shared. But you see…without having an audience to share this with, I am only writing for myself. I will not get any benefit, because my perspective is limited to my experiences in life.
You are my sail. This Lodge is what helps me to focus my curiosity and my willingness to move in a positive direction. It is for the benefit of my brothers, and ultimately through them to my community, that I do the “work” of a Mason.
I am still Learning. I am no longer, however, learning like one of the profane who have yet to experience the magic of our sacred rituals. I am learning like a Mason.
Conclusion:
It is enough to say, at this point, that the rudder, the sail and the map are the external and vital tools in this metaphor. There are more, and you should contemplate them. But knowing that you have the authority to explore, more importantly, the encouragement of your brothers to explore the world of Freemasonry, you should now dispel any other hesitation you may have harbored.
Why do we have a Bible on our Altar? What does the Charter on the wall REALLY mean? Who are the four cardinal virtues…is there more to their story than the first degree lecture tells us? Where did the apron come from? What is the significance of carrying rods for the Deacons and Stewards? Why does the Master sit in the East? Where did the Secretary’s cross pens originate…do they have another meaning?
These are all examples of destinations on the map. This Lodge will no longer focus on the color of the paint on the walls or the need for better plumbing. We will begin tonight to act like Masons. We will begin to take the first few steps on that journey. I have helped you push your ships away from the dock…and you know that you are out there floating.
Will you use the tools you have? Or will you continue to float without direction.
Thank you.
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March 18, 2008
