INSTEAD OF A CONCLUSION
How to conclude a story that does not have an end? After centuries of Masonic scholarship, the feeling that the last Chapter is yet to be written is as present as ever. We are still “in search of that which is lost”. In the old Greek story, Aesop told his sons, before his death, that he had buried a great treasure in his vineyard. They didn’t find gold, but because they dug and stirred the ground around the roots of their vines, they had a rich vintage the following year. The story of Freemasonry is somewhat parallel to Aesop’s Fable. Thousands of books are written and numerous Lectures are given, all in hope of finding that which has been lost. It is yet to be found, but because of the search for it, much knowledge in all branches of learning has been uncovered and accumulated.
Some Freemasons believe that our Royal Art appeared with the birth of the first man and that it will be around till the end of human kind. To be born a human being means having unalienable right to be “Human”- to act and to be treated as such. To practice Masonry means to constantly strive towards the highest ideals of humanity. Freemasons often disagree among themselves what the end result of their quest “for that which is lost” represents. For some it is return from the fall to the original Divine state of the First Man. For others, it is the achievement of the inner perfection and happiness and improvement on all fields of human existence. Whatever it is, the quest is still one and the same: to enlighten our hearts and minds, search for absolute truth, believe in the inherited goodness of man, and maintain human dignity, practice virtues, and always, always endeavor to be in harmony with the whole of Creation.
It is not an easy task. It requires wisdom and strength of the Master Builders of ancient pyramids and Gothic cathedrals. It requires love for harmony and beauty. It requires measuring and weighing our thoughts and actions and being on the square with others and ourselves. It requires use of the best stone. The hardest stone to cut and carve is one within us. It is heavy with passions and prejudice, it is rough with bad habits, and it is brittle with fears and confusions and often is invisible. Most of the people go through life without ever realizing their ability and right to create and improve. But those who dare to take the mallet and the chisel and strike that stone are rewarded with nourishment of learning, refreshment of achieving and joy of discovery. To make a perfect stone is the ultimate ideal of all the Master Builders. The responsibility is serious and consequences far-reaching. Stones cut centuries ago by Great Initiates like Socrates, Plato, Moses, Pythagoras, Jesus, Confucius, and Mohamed are still standing as the foundation stones of edifices they started. But each individual’s life starts with a new rough stone waiting to be discovered by a willing Apprentice. Every Apprentice has a chance to be better than his Master and every Master is obligated to contribute his part to that edifice called Humanity.
The sounds of each Builder’s working tools are like Symphony of Creation that brings us closer to the Great Architect of the Universe. This Divinely inspired music lifts our bodies, expands our souls, touches our spirits, and…
How to conclude a story that does not have an end? After centuries of Masonic scholarship, the feeling that the last Chapter is yet to be written is as present as ever. We are still “in search of that which is lost”. In the old Greek story, Aesop told his sons, before his death, that he had buried a great treasure in his vineyard. They didn’t find gold, but because they dug and stirred the ground around the roots of their vines, they had a rich vintage the following year. The story of Freemasonry is somewhat parallel to Aesop’s Fable. Thousands of books are written and numerous Lectures are given, all in hope of finding that which has been lost. It is yet to be found, but because of the search for it, much knowledge in all branches of learning has been uncovered and accumulated.
Some Freemasons believe that our Royal Art appeared with the birth of the first man and that it will be around till the end of human kind. To be born a human being means having unalienable right to be “Human”- to act and to be treated as such. To practice Masonry means to constantly strive towards the highest ideals of humanity. Freemasons often disagree among themselves what the end result of their quest “for that which is lost” represents. For some it is return from the fall to the original Divine state of the First Man. For others, it is the achievement of the inner perfection and happiness and improvement on all fields of human existence. Whatever it is, the quest is still one and the same: to enlighten our hearts and minds, search for absolute truth, believe in the inherited goodness of man, and maintain human dignity, practice virtues, and always, always endeavor to be in harmony with the whole of Creation.
It is not an easy task. It requires wisdom and strength of the Master Builders of ancient pyramids and Gothic cathedrals. It requires love for harmony and beauty. It requires measuring and weighing our thoughts and actions and being on the square with others and ourselves. It requires use of the best stone. The hardest stone to cut and carve is one within us. It is heavy with passions and prejudice, it is rough with bad habits, and it is brittle with fears and confusions and often is invisible. Most of the people go through life without ever realizing their ability and right to create and improve. But those who dare to take the mallet and the chisel and strike that stone are rewarded with nourishment of learning, refreshment of achieving and joy of discovery. To make a perfect stone is the ultimate ideal of all the Master Builders. The responsibility is serious and consequences far-reaching. Stones cut centuries ago by Great Initiates like Socrates, Plato, Moses, Pythagoras, Jesus, Confucius, and Mohamed are still standing as the foundation stones of edifices they started. But each individual’s life starts with a new rough stone waiting to be discovered by a willing Apprentice. Every Apprentice has a chance to be better than his Master and every Master is obligated to contribute his part to that edifice called Humanity.
The sounds of each Builder’s working tools are like Symphony of Creation that brings us closer to the Great Architect of the Universe. This Divinely inspired music lifts our bodies, expands our souls, touches our spirits, and…
(from Royal Art: Three Centuries of Freemasonry, Published Feb. 2006 by iUniverse, Pages 206, Paperback, ISBN 0595387748, ISBN -13 9780595387748, Available from:
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