# How do you know yourself to be one?



## Jamesb (Oct 4, 2010)

I have often wondered what it means to be a Mason. What does this mean? Is it the hours of boring meetings about the same old topics, the building, the lack of money, fund-raisers etc…I know that some Masons believe that this is what it is, and that the myriad of fund-raisers will bring us closer to the answer. Some will say that, it’s about God, and only about God, and we are doing what we do to bring us closer to religious understanding and God’s open arms. I have been verbally assaulted by both of these groups of Masons in my attempt to find the answer to “What is Masonry?” Today I found a clue. It was written on the bottom of a brother’s e-mail, I doubt he even knows what knowledge is contained in the word’s he has written.

“How do you know yourself to be one?” A phrase we have heard many times in meeting after meeting. But I think we have been putting the emphasis on the wrong word. It should not read: “How do you know yourself to be one?” but “How do you know yourself; to be one?” To take a good man and making him better, is not about Masonry taking a man and molding him into a better person, but taking a Good Man and helping him find himself, to know himself thus making him a better person. 

Is that what we are being taught? Right now much of masonry is in a state of disrepair. The buildings, finances and people; now this is not a statement against anything or anyone, this is just an opinion. It is hard to draw good men into a building that in 1955 was new and shiny and that was the last time anyone has done anything to the building; there’s the stains, rust and mold. This building was loved, much like an old doll that’s had its stitches worn and stuffing pulled out and is so beat up that it might as well be tossed out for a new one. But to mention to the membership that the building should be sold, and the proceeds taken to another lodge where we could combine our membership and become stronger, would send them into a feeding frenzy of accusations and anger, as if you were suggesting that we disband the fraternity and walk away leaving a pile of money laying on the ground. 

It leaves me wondering if the building which has seen its better days is Masonry. At least that is my impression as we have 3 struggling lodges within a 20 mile radius of each other, which could combine to make one super lodge, with plenty of working capital, yet no one would want their building to be the one that got sold. And the brotherly love continues if you were to ask a lodge to move in! Now they have to vote and set up a bunch of rules for your lodge to move your charter that would make you wonder if they were the ones guarding the treasure of the Knights Templar somewhere inside their broken down walls. We have had brothers from all over the country come and visit, welcomed with open arms, but to suggest that we could move into your building and the arms are gone and the door is shut in your face. 

We are a fraternity: \Fra*ter"ni*ty\, n.1. The state or quality of being fraternal or brotherly; brotherhood. 2. A body of men associated for their common interest, business, or pleasure; a company; a brotherhood; a society; Am I missing where the building fits here? My opinion is not going to win me any popularity contests of that I am sure. I almost wish that the Grand Lodge would force some lodges to merge and sell their building. But I am sure the membership would have the proverbial head on a pike for the mere suggestion. God forbid we should do anything that would help the fraternity grow and prosper. 

Is masonry merely the membership? I have watched seemingly good men come to our lodge, go through the process, become raised and poof they are gone, never to be seen or heard from again. If someone were to call these men and ask for fraternal assistance what would be the bet that they would jump right in to help? Any takers? Anyone? Bueller? It is a sad state when we are fighting for our fraternal life and we are allowing these diseases to come in and run us to ruin for the simple fact that “we need their dues to stay open.” Man, we have raised some real winners. It’s hard for me, as I take my obligation very seriously. These things mean something, don’t they? That’s why they are included in there. It seems so easy to gloss over someone’s faults, because their Dad is a good man, or any numbers of reasons pick one. But why would we as a group allow this? What would cause us to lower our standards beyond what we would aspire ourselves to be? I know some guys I would love to invite to be members, yet I can’t do that, (rules). These men are already like brothers to me yet I cannot, according to the GL, invite them to come to my lodge and become my fraternal brothers (I could but wouldn’t that make me a hypocrite?). 

I have a rule, I would drop the black ball on anyone I would not trust to come into my home if I were incapacitated, yet there that guy is, walking around my fraternity with all the rights and privileges, as if he truly belonged because I wasn’t there that night. And you can’t say anything, or do anything because he’s done it, finished, too bad. I wonder how many men we would allow to get raised if you had to give them a key to your house the day they become a master. You’d certainly see allot more thorough investigations. Call me a Masonic Snob; I don’t care. I don’t think it should be so easy to become a mason, why do you think the guys from the 50’s skipped the hippie generation? With the way things are now heck just open the door to anyone, as long as they pay their dues. Talk about a white wash, no wonder we’ve lost the secrets. Why would you want to share the secret of anything with that guy who showed up until he could wear the ring and then skipped; or how about the guy who allowed that to happen? If you found out that there was really a deep secret that is revealed only to a master mason, the keys to the universe, whom would you, share it? Would you allow that person to live in your house for several months with your wife and children, while you were out of town? 

These are the questions we need to ask ourselves when going over a potential member’s petition. We want the secret! I remember my Grandfather; he was a mason. He carried himself with a sense that there was always a safety net following him around. I was almost as if he could do no wrong, proud and confident he lived his life; he was a success. I have to believe that a big piece of that came from the fact that he had his Masonic brothers around watching his back and they knew because of the man he was, that he had theirs.

Is it the charity that makes a mason? I remember a statement my Dad used to say: “Charity begins at home!” We, as masons, spend a tremendous amount of money, time and effort focusing on the charitable aspects of masonry. Who are we trying to impress? We have 15 guys who show up out of the 180 paying members of my lodge and frankly they are running out of steam. But to ask that we raise our dues to reflect the times and the pillars of heaven would shake. Charities are supposed to be tax exempt but try to explain that to a group of bureaucrats that just want the money and could give a rat’s behind at the good you might do and of course the taxing authority would come crashing down because the land your building sits on is only a bargain to anyone but you and them.

“What is masonry?” I found myself unable to answer the question myself from the meetings of the blue lodge. The question is lost if the only answer that is found is meaningless to the asker. I started this journey with a hunger for answers within a Masonic context. Primarily, “What is masonry?” I found an appetizer but not the full meal for which I hungered. The story of my life I guess, never the easy path for me; always more questions where questions began. I know that there is more to masonry then meetings about the lack of membership and funds, but one question that has never been answered is, “what drew our founding fathers to the craft and why would they use the precepts to found a country?” I have seen bits and pieces and speculation; however, they have never been sought nor offered within the walls of the lodge room. Why not? What happened to masonry that would cause the “secrets” to become “secret” to its membership? When did we become unworthy to learn or keep them? Doors have been opened for me, but I have more questions to be asked. It might be presumptuous of me to push for these answers, like a three year old consistently asking “Why?” I know in my heart that the resolution is out there, I will need to find that item of knowledge that caused masonry to come forth and remain throughout the ages. I just hope that I will not have to reinvent the wheel to discover it. For the lessons that have been lost within the walls of the blue lodge will someday have to be brought back and cultivated, or masonry will continue to struggle with the lack of direction, membership and funds.

We must find the connection, between the spiritual world and the physical world, and if we live our lives by the principles laid out in masonry we may just do that, or perhaps that’s the real secret; Masonry is the connection, the instructions to how to live ones life in a manner which connects us directly to God.


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## rhitland (Oct 5, 2010)

*Re: What does it mean to be a mason? (Moved from "The Building")*



Jamesb said:


> â€œHow do you know yourself to be one?â€ A phrase we have heard many times in meeting after meeting. But I think we have been putting the emphasis on the wrong word. It should not read: â€œHow do you know yourself to be one?â€ but â€œHow do you know yourself; to be one?â€ To take a good man and making him better, is not about Masonry taking a man and molding him into a better person, but taking a Good Man and helping him find himself, to know himself thus making him a better person.



Could not agree with that statement more.  There is only one point within the circle and Masonry cannot keep us in those due bounds only the individual can choose to keep himself circumscribed.  Masonry simply reminds us those due bounds are there.  I am also reminded each time I give the sign of an EA that humans are the summation of all the cosmos micro and macro and are one with all there in contained.  Which in my opinion means that how I choose to behave effects everything and Masonry gives me a better understanding of how to conduct myself in a proper manner for the benefit of mankind.


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## JTM (Oct 5, 2010)

i promoted this to an article.

you can see it on the front page:

http://www.masonsoftexas.com/content.php


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## Bro.BruceBenjamin (Oct 5, 2010)

It is my personal belief that masonry goes beyond being a fraternity, building and or lodge.  Faced with the question what is masonry my answer is a life style for those who so choose to live by it. Nobody forces us to live by it we choose to by our own free will. Masonry is a life style and I live it daily.

How do you know yourself to be one?

The bible says you know a tree by the fruit that it bears. I would like to think that all the people that I come in contact with daily are changed by the interaction. People have a hard time dealing with change. It is easy to do things the way they have always been done according to tradition, but go against that tradition then you have problems. As men of enlightenment it is our jobs to shine light on areas otherwise dark.


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## xchuckyx (Oct 6, 2010)

My Brother,

I really enjoyed your article about the meaning of our order. Sadly it is true, but the good thing that there are a lot of young guys who share our vision and I think we just must take initiative in our hands and start rebuilding the fraternity.

Greetings from California!

Bro. Alex Chuiko
Confidence #110


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## peace out (Oct 8, 2010)

I think part of Masonry's problem is not clearly understanding the candidate's desire to be a mason, nor taking the time to investigate.  If masonry is ritualistic, teaching morals, veiled in allegories, requiring men of strong desire to better themselves, then doesn't it behoove masonry to strictly applies these characteristics to the men applying?

I've only been raised for a couple of weeks now and I have already had a couple of people approach me about becoming a mason, and brothers, I will not recommend them.  They are not of the material which betters the fraternity, and I can recognize it only from close interaction.  Another danger is the one motivated to be a mason but without purpose.  That's the one that will speed through the degrees and never be heard from again.  How about the one that wants to be charitable but doesn't seem to interested in rituals?  

Do you see the pattern?  We should not fit round pegs in square holes.  

This leads me to how I know myself to be one.  As Br Bruce said because I shine my light for masonry, and my light is made brighter by masonry.  I allow myself to be obligated and even embrace it for the sake of brotherhood.

If I can't see that potential trait in a candidate, then perhaps masonry isn't for the candidate.


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