Masonic education

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Part of The Cabletow

Title: Masonic education
Language: English
Source: The Cabletow Volume XLIV (Issue No.1) January 1968
Year: 1968
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Fulltext: Taught by Self. . . Masonic Education WB C. F. Arkoncel (50) • Mackey’s Definition of Freemasonry. Freemasonry or Speculative Ma sonry, according to Bro. Albert G. Mackey, 33°, may be defined as the scientific application and the religious consecration of the rules and princi ples, the language, the implements and materials of Operative Masonry to the veneration of God, the purifi cation of the heart and the inculca tion of the dogmas of a religious philosophy. It is a progressive mo ral science taught by degrees, veiled in allegory and illustrated by sym bols, which has its moral, religious and philosophical doctrines. It is a fraternity of men bound together by a peculiar tie which inculcates its obligation of kindness as a moral duty to his neighbor. Its. moral de sign is to make men better to each other; to cultivate brotherly love and to inculcate the practice of all those virtues which are essential to the perpetuation of brotherhood. A Ma son is bound to obey the moral law; and of this law the very keystone in the Divine Precept — the Golden Rule of Our Lord — to do unto others as we wotdd that they should do unto us. Its moral doctrines teach us to re lieve the distressed, to give good counsel to the erring, to speak well of the absent, to observe temperance in the indulgence of the appetite, to bear evil with fortitude, to be pru dent in life and conversation and to dispense justice to all men. Its religious doctrines arc belief in God and in the immortality of the soul, and teaches universal brother hood of men based upon the univer sal fatherhood of God^ Its philosophical doctrines involve the symbolism of the lost and recov ered word, the search after the divine truth, the manner and time of its dis covery and the reward that awaits the faithful and the successful search er. According to Pike. Gen. Albert Pike, 33°, Masonic ritualist and author of Morals and Dogma, says: “A good Mason is one that can look upon Death and see its face with the same countenance with which he hears its story; that can endure all the labors of his life with his soul supporting his body; that can equally despise riches when he hath them and when he hath them not; that is not sadder if they are in his neigh bor’s exchequer, nor more lifted up if they shine around about his own walls; one that is not marred with good fortune coming to him nor go ing from him; that can look upon man’s lands with equanimity and pleasure as if they were his own; and yet look upon his own and use them too just as if they were another man’s; that never spends his goods prodigally and foolishly nor yet keeps them avariciously; like a miser that weighs neither benefits by weight and number but by the circumstances of him who confers them; that never thinks his charity expensive if a worthy person be the receiver; that does nothing for opin JANUARY, 1968 ion’s sake but for conscience, being careful of his thoughts as if act ing in markets and theatres, and in as much awe of himself as of a whole assembly; that is bountiful and cheer ful to his friends and charitable and apt to forgive his enemies; that loves his country, preserves its honor and obeys its laws, and desires and en deavors nothing more than that he may do his duty and honor God.” According to Ncivton. Dr. Joseph Fort Newton, 33°, in his monumental work, The Builders, says ‘‘When is a man a Mason? When he can look out over the rivers, the hills and the far horizon with a pro found sense of his own littleness in the vast scheme of things; and yet have faith, hope and courage. When he knows that down in his heart everyone is as noble, vile, as divine as diabolic and as lonely as himself and seeks to know, to forgive and to love his fellowmen. When 'Re knows how to sympathize with men in their sorrows, yet even in their sins, knowing that man fights a hard fight against many odds. When he has learned how to make friends and to keep them and above all how to keep friends with himself. When he loves flowers, can hunt the birds with out a gun and feels the thrill as an old forgotten joy when he hears the laughter of a little child. When he can be happy and high-minded amidst the mean drudgeries of life. When star-crowned trees and the glint of sunlight in flowing waters subdue him like the thought of one much loved and long dead. When no voice of distress reaches his ears in vain and no hand seeks his aid without response. When he finds good in every faith that helps everyman to lay hold of higher things and to see majestic meanings in life whatever the name of that faith may be. When he can look into a wayside and see something besides mud and into the face of the most forlorn mor tal and see something beyond sin. When he knows how to pray, how to love, how to hope. When he has kept faith with himself, with his fel lowmen and his God; in his hand a sword for evil, in his heart a bit of a song, glad to live but not afraid to die. In such a man, whether lie be rich or poor, scholarly or unlearned, famous or obscure, Masonry has wrought her sweet ministry.” S'lintntariccd Definition. From the context and connotations of the above definitions, it may be in ferred that Freemasonry is a way of life gauged from the personal, natu ral, social, intellectual, moral and spiritual points of view, which guides man to be at peace with himself, his family, his neighbor, his country, the world and his God. It develops and improves human character and pro motes self-study, self-analysis, self guidance, self-reliance, self-control and self-improvement. It involves a searching inquiry into secrets and mysteries of nature and human na ture — a bold exploration into the fields of the infinite, the invisible and the unknown. It requires a man to know positively his capabilities and weaknesses, his bearings and moor ings in the rough sea of human life, the high mountains, the shallow wa ters, and the profound depressions, so as to know where to sail with safe ty, and to escape from disastrous collisions, accidents and groundings, disasters and calamities so as to take the correct direction onward to sal vation, toward success and victory. The Masonic Profession. As the profession of law is based upon the municipal law, political law Turn to pago 19 The Cabletow MASONIC EDUCATION...From p.g. 6 and international law; and medicine upon botany, chemistry, zoology, physiology and anatomy, so is the profession of Freemasonry founded upon the sacred scriptures, the hu manities, the liberal arts and sciences and the wisdom of the ages. Each of the profession has its own peculiar ethics to guide the practitioner in his relations and interactions with public, the world and God. While himself, his fellow professionals, the law and medicine operate thru pro fessional skill sometimes against the will of the client, Freemasonry works freely and voluntarily, in innocence, silence and secrecy^ thru friendship and fellowship, love and harmony, with wisdom, strength and beauty. The Masonic profession is similar and dissimilar in many respects to the other professions. Tile entered apprentice Mason is supposed to re main in his station not less than sev en years before he can be passed and raised to higher degrees which also require preparatory studies lasting for years where the candidate is re quired to be proficient in the lectures and rituals; while in law and medi cine there are prescribed courses of study to be taken up for S or 9 years. In Freemasonry the mode of instruc tion is indirect, suggestive or figura tive by symbols, thru metaphors and allegories understandable only to the intelligent mind; while in law and medicine and other non-Masonic pro fessions is direct and inductive, by questions and answers, by experi ment, and observation, analysis and comparison. Instruction in Freema sonry has its peculiar charm and beauty while that in other professions, its inherent directness and fatigable dryness. Being a peculiar sort of philosophy, it is quite extensive in scope in con trast with other professions which are quite specialized or limited. Even professionals including Freemasons agree that every profession is a con tinuous and diligent study in order to update itself in order to adjust one’sself to the needs of the changing times. The students of the various professions are taught in the colleges and universities by specialized pro fessors or instructors, while Freema sonry is studied in the Lodge, in of fice or in private where the Freema son himself is his own professor or instructor. The aims and purposes of the nonMasonic professions are to prepare the professional to be proficient, dex terous and expert in his own line and to make the maximum earning thereafter. But Freemasonry aims to inculcate into the minds of its vota ries the wisdom of the ages; to im prove man and society without hope of monetary reward; and to seek pro gress, peace and tranquility of the universe and the happiness and wel fare of the entire humanity. Methods of Masonic Study The methods of Masonic study may be: (1) by self-study which is self-explanatory and (2) by group study which is also efficacious de pending upon the patience, ability and skill to learn. The group study may be done by the formation of study clubs con sisting of 5 to 10 members each to report and be quizzed on the differ ent aspects of Freemasonry. Each will contribute one or more Masonic books on the various aspects of Free masonry from which the study will be based. For every report, every member will receive a copy. Ques tions and answers will be made by the members until all doubts are cleared or removed. Turn to noit pogo JANUARY, 1968 29 Materials for Masonic Study. In every serious study of Freema sonry, the student has to delve into its history, philosophy, symbolism and jurisprudence — its rituals, tra ditions and practices — its ethics, spirit, aims and purposes. These ma terials are found not only in the works of Masonic authors and wri ters, but also in the various sacred scriptures, in the teachings of the world’s geniuses such as Buddha, Brahma, Mahomet, Confucious and Jesus Christ — in the classical works of Homer, Virgil and Aesop — Soc rates, Plato and /Vristotle, Voltaire, Bacon and Emerson, Victor Hugo, Dante and Goethe, and Bocaccio, Rousseau, Cervantes, Tolstoi and Rizal — in all of which the wisdom of the ages are concealed and re vealed in and between the pages. For beginners, the following are re commended for reading: 1. History of Masonry, by Delmar Darrah, 33°; 2. Symbolism of Freemasonry, by Mackey; (3) Masonic Jurisprudgnce, by Mackey; (4) Philosophy of Ma sonry, by Dr. Roscoe Pound 33°; (5) The Builders, by Dr. Joseph Fort Newton, 33°; (6) Symbolical Masonry, by MacBride; (7) Morals and. Dogma, by Gen. Albert G. Pike; (8) Rituals and Monitors. These may be ordered from the Macov Masonic Supply and Publish ing Company, or the Redding Ma sonic Supply Company, both of New York City, U.S.A. Merits and Defects of Short-Cut Study. Freemasonry being a free institu tion, we are free to study it in the manner of our own free will and accord. We can begin with the Ri tuals and a Masonic Magazine which would be quite inexpensive, easy and convenient. However, it will take a long time, even a decade, before we PAGING PAST. .. From page 20 eluded. It is hoped, however, that even up to this point only, that some how, we have served enough construc tive food for thought to every mem ber of the Fraternity which, if only taken in the proper spirit for which it is intended, may pave the way to wards the heightening or furthering the interests of the Order. Brethren, may I remind those of us who take Masonry with insincerity, to govern ourselves accordingly by dedicating more serious thought to our past errors and omissions, especially to those committed by "Worshipful Past Masters” who as the brethren expect, should be the main pillar and support to provide the necessary WISDOM, guidance and leadership, in making the light more brilliant, instead of being darkened in the East. All Past Masters may well remember that dur ing their incumbency as Master of the Lodge, they were seated in a place of honor in the East, where the sacred letter G is suspended and on his right is our national flag — signifying GOD and COUNTRY. Let them not un der any pretext, my worthy brother, become unmeaning symbols for you and me. Adore them, protect them from their enemies, and forsake them NOT. q A G. O. SABAS Jeweller Meker of Masonic Emblems and Jewelry D. R. ESCOSA Authorized Representative 75 Sibuyan St, St*. Mesa Heights Quezon City Tel: 689M have a working knowledge of Free masonry because the rituals are writ ten by symbols or abbreviations Turn to next pogo 30 The Cabletow Vettel* to t&e Sdltot... So nice to hear from, friends. Below are excerpts from, letters received since the first of December last year. More will be coming this way later. Ed. Would be so good to see you and have a visit — we read every word in The Cabletow — Bill & Iva Owen Seal Beach, Calif. 90740 Been in the U.S. thirty-four years. I always enjoy reading all the issues of The Cabletow. It matches a similar paper published by the Grand Lodge of New York called The Empire State Mason. I specially enjoy reading about and seeing pictures of my old friends... When I arrived in America, there were very few Oriental Masons; today, there are many. We have a number of Fili pino and Chinese Past Masters. Re cently, I attended the commissioning of WB Lee as District Inspector in the Grand Lodge of New York. Since I am a member of Mencius Lodge No. 93 in Manila and of Pearl River Lodge No. 3 in Taipei, I cannot hold membership in a Lodge in New York, much as I want to... New York allows only dual membership regardless of Grand Lodge. Tieng Sing New York I am now residing in Brussels as a member of the International Staff of NATO and thoroughly enjoy my only remaining link with all my brethren in tho Philippines through your excellent organ, Tne Cabletow. I remain a dues-paying member of my Mother Lodge, Mt. Lebanon No. 80, even though it is seventeen years since I last sat there. In the last nine and a half years with NATO in Paris, I had the pleasure of affiliating with two English-speaking Lodges; Stability 29, which follows the Nigerian ritual, and Concorde 42, which follows the ritual I learned in my Moth er Lodge. Both are under the jurisdic tion of the Grande Lodge Nationale Francaise. Despite substantial differences in the two rituals, I have always found that Ineradicable, indispensable link of uni versality which characterizes our won derful Brotherhood. Charles O. Search USNATO (I.S.) MASONIC EDUCATION. . From P.B. 30 which are known only to the exper ienced Freemason. Besides that the rituals are very long for every Ma sonic degree which are 33 in the Scottish Rite and 13 in the York. The Masonic Magazines contain a little of each aspect of Freemasonry such as history, philosophy, and sym bolism, and at times a little of the Masonic principles, tenets and teach ings, or practices and traditions, all scattered in the pages thereof, and it will take many magazines to read, and many long years to go before the Masonic student can have some Masonic knowledge. The result may be that the student becomes a doubt ing Thomas with little Masonic learn ing, narrow-minded, confused and self-centered, with a feeling of infer iority complex, or with the air of false superiority. He may choose go ing too fast and jump over the high er degrees thru strategem, but that will not solve the problem of Ma sonic perfection. The field of Free masonry is so extensive and limitless as the sky that only by diligent, hon est, courageous and persistent efforts at serious study may the individual acquire a fairly good working know ledge. While we approach Masonic perfection by legitimately receiving the higher degrees of Freemasonry, yet we can reach the zenith of per fection only when we arrive at that beautiful region from whose bourne no traveller returns. References: 1. The Builders — by Dr. Joseph Fort Newton. 2. Symbolism of Freemasonry — by Dr. Albert G. Mackey. 3. Encyclopaedia of Freemasonry — by Dr. A. G. Mackel. 4. Philosophy of Masonry — by Dr. Roscoe Pound. 5. Morals and Dogma — by Albert Pike. £ JANUARY, 1968 31