Is there more to Light than Knowledge?

[pointwithinacircle2]

Let me start by acknowledging that most Masons have either heard, been told, or believe that "Light = Knowledge". I'm sure that all of us can point to passages in the ritual (I know I can) that support this idea. In my defense I want to say that I am only asking a question. I am not attacking anyone's cherished beliefs, concepts, or ideas. I am writing this because the possibility has recently occurred to me that perhaps there is more to Light than knowledge, and I would like to hear your opinions on the matter.

I live in a world where everyone wants to know "the answer". We live in a world where the internet claims to offer the answer to any question. Just now I googled "moral rectitude" and in 0.4 seconds I got a list of 239,000 websites that reference the term. I looked at a few sites and I now know the definition http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rectitude the synonyms http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/moral+rectitude and I even read the moral rectitude blog http://moralrectitude.blogspot.com/2010/09/what-does-moral-rectitude-mean.html

So now I have some knowledge of moral rectitude. And don't get me wrong, I think knowledge is good stuff. I wouldn't know where to start without it. But does knowledge constitute Masonic Light? Honestly, I don't think so. I do not think that this mornings web search has increased my moral rectitude. In my case I think that increasing (or maintaining) my moral rectitude is going to be some work. And work is something that you do. It seems to me that Masonic Light must have elements of both knowing and doing.

In my mind the new question then becomes "How do you do Masonic Light?".

 

[Glen Cook]

Are you pointing to the concept of Wisdom?

 

[coachn]

Knowledge = Information = Inventory.

Wisdom = knowing when, why and how to apply knowledge successfully toward beneficial ends.

Light is Inventory. Some use it wisely; some not so wisely. Others just gather and store it. Still more don't bother with it at all.

Of course, some think Light is the Source of all Knowledge. But that's a whole different topic.

 

[Glen Cook]

What of applying knowledge toward evil ends? How do we denote that? Thomas Aquinas would seem to avoid discussing Wisdom per se.

 

[coachn]

What of applying knowledge toward evil ends?

It's done all the time! Many times unknowingly by well-intentioned ignorant souls. They pave the road too.

How do we denote that?

I don't know how you do, but I usually shake my head and stay clear, unless I can prevent someone from getting steamrolled by the pavers.

Thomas Aquinas would seem to avoid discussing Wisdom per se.

I wonder why!

 

[dfreybur]

If you think of knowledge as that which has objectively verifiable evidence, then faith is not knowledge. It's a very science oriented idea of knowledge and not the only way to view knowledge. Being very science oriented I tend to think of knowledge that way.

Faith is definitely included in what I call Light. Gnosis is also included in what I call Light. Here I think of gnosis as direct, faith as indirect. Also not the only way to view those ideas.

 

[coachn]

I see faith as a choice to believe something. It doesn't require evidence. All that is required is the ability to see a possibility. It can involve wisdom, but doesn't require it.

Science is rooted in "knowing" and knowing has the same root as knowledge. [know: Old English cnāwan (earlier gecnāwan ) ‘recognize, identify,’ of Germanic origin; from an Indo-European root shared by Latin (g)noscere, Greek gignōskein, also by can1 and ken.

When I take the root on knowledge (recognize, identify) and apply it to faith, I see that faith begins in recognizing or identifying a possibility. I also see that science is seeking to verify that possibility.

I don't see science requiring wisdom. It's a mechanical process of ferreting out if a possibility is highly probable and verifiable. There's some science out there that ain't too wise.

 

[coachn]

...The genuine MMs in group formation assist in the management of some of the various lights that flow across the planet. This is foreshadowed in the proposition that a Freemason's lodge extends from E to W and N to S and from the center of the Earth to the Heavens.

It's important to note too that genuine MM formations like these often foreshadow the formation of planning committees for fish-fries, raffles and turkey-shoots.

 

[Pscyclepath]

And what is knowledge, without understanding?

;-)

 

[Brother_Steve]

I'm young and I literally take the light shown to us at each degree to mean the modes of recognition and the lessons taught therein. The apron, working tools, lessons contained in the lectures, etc...

It is up to us as an individual to apply those to ourselves and then and only then can we be a beacon (of light) for others to follow...The more experienced showing the newly made mason that we are extraordinary men in ordinary circumstances.

 

[Glen Cook]

It's important to note too that genuine MM formations like these often foreshadow the formation of planning committees for fish-fries, raffles and turkey-shoots.

What, no spaghetti dinner? I question the regularity of this lodge.

 

[coachn]

What, no spaghetti dinner? I question the regularity of this lodge.

...as you should my Brother!

 

[GKA]

Knowledge is part of it, it is believed in some Hermetic circles that nothing is ever learned except by experience.

 

[pointwithinacircle2]

Knowledge is part of it, it is believed in some Hermetic circles that nothing is ever learned except by experience.

Now there is a Hermetic circle that I would like to hang out in. I'm not positive that nothing can be learned except by experience, but I'm pretty sure that at least some some things can only be learned that way. Freemasonry, for example, is taught by experiencing it.

Someone I respect recently asked me "If what Freemasonry teaches is good why do you keep it a secret, why don't you just tell everyone?". My reply was "When you say "tell everyone" you mean explain it in words. Freemasonry doesn't teach in words, it teaches through experience". I could have said "transformative experience" but I wasn't quick enough to think of it at the time.

I think that the reason millennials are increasingly interested in Freemasonry is that they are looking for a transformative experience - something that will help them be better than they have been. I know that is the reason that I came to Freemasonry. I think there is a possibility that Masonic Light is an allegory for a positive transformative experience.

 

[dfreybur]

What, no spaghetti dinner? I question the regularity of this lodge.

And green beans!

 

[Glen Cook]

O

And green beans!

only in the higher degrees.

 

[coachn]

Did I forget to mention Pancake Breakfasts?

 

[hanzosbm]

I'm young and I literally take the light shown to us at each degree to mean the modes of recognition and the lessons taught therein. The apron, working tools, lessons contained in the lectures, etc...

It is up to us as an individual to apply those to ourselves and then and only then can we be a beacon (of light) for others to follow...The more experienced showing the newly made mason that we are extraordinary men in ordinary circumstances.

Brother Steve, there is nothing wrong with being young, nor what you are currently seeing. However, I think it is important to know that there is more for those willing to seek it. What you have learned and what you now understand is the first step, the outermost layer of the onion. But, one cannot understand the allegory without first learning the literal.

 

[GKA]

O

only in the higher degrees.

Here in California, the green beans are the worst ever

 

[hanzosbm]

Someone I respect recently asked me "If what Freemasonry teaches is good why do you keep it a secret, why don't you just tell everyone?". My reply was "When you say "tell everyone" you mean explain it in words. Freemasonry doesn't teach in words, it teaches through experience". I could have said "transformative experience" but I wasn't quick enough to think of it at the time.

I recently came across a video lecture by a member of the Theosophical Society (and seemingly, a fairly senior member) in which he openly talked about the ideas that it has taken me years of very deep digging to come to. He spoke about them very matter-of-factly and without much interest. As the discussion continued, I realized that he really didn't seem to have any clue about the things he was discussing. He had the knowledge, but not the understanding. It would be like someone reading the exposes of the degrees. They know it, but they don't really know it. And because of this, the discussion started going off on some weird tangents, much in the way I sure would happen if a non-Mason skimmed through our ritual and then tried to interpret things.
Going back to why we keep secrets, I think this is the reason why. That knowledge is wasted and in fact can be perverted if it is not truly understood.