Random Building Thoughts - 2022-06-03

 

-------------- LIBERTY --------------  

 

Liberty requires 

the strictest of personal disciplines

that many cannot begin to comprehend, 

much less practice responsibly.

 

-------------- HUMOR --------------  

 

-------------- CHARACTER --------------  

 

 

Masons are people who accept full responsibility for Maturing themselves. 

They don't believe and no longer accept 

that others shall do this Maturing for them in any way. 

They seek God's Guidance in this great and important undertaking and, 

through commitment and diligence, 

become Builders of themselves. 

Brotherly Love and Affection, 

including any points of Fellowship 

are merely symptoms of this acceptance and undertaking. 

You cannot reasonably expect these symptoms from anyone 

who has yet to Obligate themselves fully to this end 

and remain true to this Obligation. 

 

For Further Light:
Manhood

-------------- CHALLENGE --------------  

 

What great and important undertakings 

are you involved in this week?

 

-------------- CHARACTER --------------  

 

At What Point Do You Reach Out?

 

-------------- MISSION: ACCOMPLISHED! --------------  

  

When Brothers share Freemasonic history 

that isn't conjecture 

and that truly Supports Building a firm basis for Improving men, 

I'm interested. 

But the majority of the "who did what when" 

that is shared these days 

offensively distracts me from my mission: 

 

Improving myself in Masonry. 

 

When unsupportive information is presented, 

I Gavel it down and move on. 

My Gauge calls me toward 

more Important Matters.

 

-------------- THE TRUTH --------------  

 

The Truth behind the Hiramic lesson
is Lost to far too many.
Mastery is not a Possession
that can be handed over from one man to another
and you're a Ruffian to think as much.
PS - There are quite a few things wrong with this picture.
Look closely, count them,
but keep them to yourself. 

 

For Further Light:

Mastery

 

-------------- RUFFIANS --------------  

 

 

-------------- MATH --------------   

 

 

 (hat tip to Bro. David Moran!)

 

-------------- MYTH --------------  

 

"The priest presents for consideration
a compound of inherited forms 

with the expectation (or, at times, even requirement) 

that one should interpret 

and experience them 

in a certain authorized way, 

whereas the artist first has an experience of his own, 

which he then seeks to interpret 

and communicate through effective forms. 

Not the forms first 

and then the experience, 

but the experience first, 

and then the forms."
-- Joseph Campbell,
 “Mythological Themes in Creative Literature and Art,”
 The Mythic Dimension, p. 186
 
hmmmmm.... remind you of anything?

 

-------------- WELL? --------------  

 

got stones?

 

-------------- SECRETS --------------  

 

Initially, I was told what the Freemasonic secrets were. They were given me during the three Blue Lodge Rituals.

 

Since that time, I've realized that these things are not secret at all. They are pieces of confidential information entrusted to me for safe keeping. 

 

I shall continue to honor that trust even though I no longer view and understand these things as secrets. 

 

I've learned that the point of them is not that they are considered secret or not. The point is the trust that was placed in me to keep and share these things accordingly.

 

What I've also realized since that time is that there are many things that some people simply can't see or don't understand that I do see and understand. These things have also been referred to as "secret" by others. 

 

But from everything that I know about them, they too are not secret at all. They are merely things that are not seen or understood by the majority of those who have not taken the time to see and understand them.

 

At least, that's how I see and understand it. And that's no secret.

 

-------------- BALANCE --------------  

 

 

The Twenty-Four Inch Gauge 

is about Proper Balance; 

not about Dividing your Time Equally. 

Get it?

 

-------------- INDEED! --------------  

 

-------------- MASONIC EDUCATION -------------- 

 

Five Masonic Paradigms 

Every Mason Should Know 

and Be Capable of 

Explaining In-Depth!

Are you up for the Challenge?

-------------- END --------------

 Be Well and Travel Light!
-- Coach Nagy ;-)

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You can also find me on:

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Educational Materials can be found here:

 http://www.coach.net/BuildingBuilders.htm 

 

https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnSNagy 

 

 

 

 

 

Random Building Thoughts - 2022-06-02

 

-------------- CHARACTER --------------  

 

To Find the Truth,

 Know The Difference between 

Picking a Fantasy and 

Picking at a Fantasy.

It pays to be picky!

 

 -------------- ALLEGORY--------------  

 

 

The Lodge is not any Building 

or any Group who perform Ritual therein. 

Far too many Brothers see it this way though 

and for them, 

that is all that a Lodge can be.

 

-------------- HUMOR --------------  

 

When you carefully consider

 all the countless difficulties, challenges and problems 

all Lodges have keeping things going, 

you soon realize how ridiculous any claim 

that Freemasons rule the world actually is.
Such claims when taken seriously 

show more arrogant ignorance

 than actual truth.  

 

 -------------- CHARACTER --------------  

 

 Big Disappointment Comes 

From Learning How Few Men 

Join Our Great Fraternity 

To Better Themselves. 

Even Greater When it is You!

 

-------------- MYTH --------------  

 

"It once was possible for the ancients to say, 

\'We are the chosen of God!' 

and to save all love and respect for themselves, 

projecting their malice 'out there.' 

We have now to learn somehow to quench our hate and disdain 

through the actual operation of love . . . 

and with that fructify, 

simultaneously, both our neighbor's life and our own."
-- Joseph Campbell, Thou Art That
(courtesy of the Joseph Campbell Foundation)

 

-------------- DEAL --------------  

 

 

There is an unusually large cross-section of Craft members 

who have no clue at all as to what the Fraternity 

can do for Brothers who want to become Better men. 

 

They honestly believe that being a Member is all that is necessary. 

 

Sadly, they act as if those who do have a clue 

actually don't 

and Condemn them for making any Sustained Effort 

to Realize Betterment for themselves. 

 

Dealing with these Brothers is one of the things 

clued Brothers must become Better at 

should they wish to remain sane and not lose heart. 

 

Let's all pray for betterment.

 

-------------- LIFE 101 --------------  

 

-------------- PURSUE --------------  

  

Pursuing "Eureka!": 

a Task Best Left

 to those Radically Unsatisfied 

with Mundane Superficialities.

 

-------------- THE ONE --------------  

 

-------------- YOU ARE HERE --------------  

 

"When the world gets crazy, remember your boundaries."
-- Bro. Richard Newton

 

-------------- SUMMONS -------------- 

 

And now, a different spin on an old familiar story...

 

THE SUMMONS SILENCED!

 

"...He then scooped up the other embers with the ash shovel 

and put them in an ash bucket, 

closed its heavy lid down upon it, 

and sealed them off from the natural draft. 

He sat back and enjoyed the warm glow of the remaining ember, 

now flared up in brilliant glow due to the swift flow of the flue draft...."

 

Continued: here

 

-------------- END -------------- 

 Be Well and Travel Light!
-- Coach Nagy ;-)

 PS: Subscribe to get daily notifications

You can also find me on:

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Educational Materials can be found here:

 http://www.coach.net/BuildingBuilders.htm 

 

https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnSNagy 

 

 

 

 

 

Random Building Thoughts - 2022-06-01

 

-------------- WORKING TOOLS --------------  

 

Each & Every Working Tool shown to you 

during your Craft Lodge Degrees 

Represents a Life Enriching Discipline.

However,

The Only True Working Tool is the Mind. 

All Others are Merely Reminders 

of the Life Changing Disciplines 

One Must Consciously Cultivate 

Within One's Heart and Head.

 

When you do not 

Internalize these Disciplines,

You sustain a Level of Life

that Prevents your Knowing

The Master's Word.

 

For Further Light:

The Craft Mastered! 

 

-------------- THE REALITY --------------  

  

 

"Masonic Education" that's provided by most Brothers within this Society focuses upon three primary areas: 

 

Organizational Structure, Organizational History & Organizational Ritual. 

 

In truth, there's very little that has not already been shared on these three areas. 

 

After a while, you could reasonably say that you've heard it all before. And you would not be lying, especially when you have been an active member for many years. Sharing information in these three areas alone presents a dis-incentive to have this type of Masonic Education continue to be shared (unless required) because it's quite boring to those who have sat through it dozens of times. It's no longer interesting to them.

 

One of the things that I point out on a regular basis is that this Organizational information is not truly "Masonic Education" at all. It's "Freemasonic Education" due to its strict and narrow focus upon the "Organization" and not the actual Building of men.

 

When you want to Improve yourself and your Brothers, you have to stop providing "information" that focuses only upon the Organization. You must start providing opportunities that Improve Men! 

 

This requires different Light (W), different Sight (B) and Different Might (S).

 

Do you have the Word for this?

 

-------------- CHALLENGE --------------  

 

"When young men seek to be like you, 

when lazy men resent you, 

when powerful men look over their shoulder at you, 

when cowardly men plot behind your back, 

when corrupt men wish you were gone 

and evil men want you dead... 

Only then will you have done Your Share." 

-- Phil Messina
(Hat Tip to Bro. Jerry Klein)

 

 -------------- CHARACTER --------------  

 

 

 -------------- INVITATION ONLY --------------  

 

 Freemasonry only Invites males to Grow Up. 

It won't Force them to Do so. 

If you remain active for any length of time, 

there will be many times 

when you will be required to Accept 

or at least Tolerate 

the Immaturity that Plagues the Craft.

For Further Light:
http://www.coach.net/TCP.htm

 

-------------- CIPHER --------------    

 

  

-------------- MYTH --------------  

"What if we choose
not to do the things we are supposed to do?

The principal gain
is a sense of an authentic act
– and an authentic life.

It may be a short one,
but it is an authentic one,
and that's a lot better
than those short lives full of boredom.

The principal loss is security.

Another is respect from the community.

But you gain 

the respect of another community,
the one that is worth having the respect of."
-- Joseph Campbell,
Myth & the Body:
A Colloquy with Joseph Campbell p. 39

AMEN!

 

-------------- COMPARING LITERATURE --------------  

 

 

 His disciples said to him, 

"When will the kingdom come?"
(Jesus said) "It will not come by watching for it. 

It will not be said, 'Look, here!' 

or 'Look, there!' 

Rather, 

the Father's kingdom 

is spread out upon the earth, 

and people don't see it."
-- Gospel of Thomas  113

 

-------------- HAVING LIGHT --------------  

 

 

 Imagine having Light 

that puts all the 

Irritating Discrepancies and Annoying Inconsistencies 

into Clear Perspective, 

Leaving little Doubt as to 

why the Craft does what it does?

For Further Light:
http://www.coach.net/TCU.htm

 

-------------- MAKING CEMENT --------------  

 

 My YouTube Channel's edition 

of the first of 5 video segments in the Master Level Section... 

Part one - Making Masonic Cement 

 

Have you ever wondered 

how the Cement of Brotherly Love and Affection is made? 

The clues are found directly within ritual!

 

 

 -------------- END --------------

 Be Well and Travel Light!
-- Coach Nagy ;-)

 PS: Subscribe to get daily notifications

You can also find me on:

https://mewe.com/i/john_snagy

https://www.facebook.com/johns.nagy

Educational Materials can be found here:

 http://www.coach.net/BuildingBuilders.htm 

 

https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnSNagy