Sunday, January 8, 2023

Random Building Thoughts - 2023-01-08

 

-------------- TRUE RECOGNITION --------------
 

FILED UNDER: 

One of Many Master's Wages...

You may never know the details of a man's past,
but as a Master Mason,
you have done the Work
that empowers you to discern a man's true Character.

That is True Recognition. 

For Further Light:

Character

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

-------------- MYTH --------------

Of all the Things I Myth...
... I Myth my Mind the Most.

-------------- THOUGHTS --------------

"Just try this some time. Take into your mind an image––somebody that you care for, some image that you would care to contemplate––and try to hold this image still in your mind. You will find that you are immediately thinking of other images, associated with the first; for the mind continues spontaneously to move. Yoga is the intentional stopping of this spontaneous activity of the 'mind-stuff.' It is an intentional bringing to rest of this continuous action.
 
"But why should one wish to do this?
 
"A favorite simile used in Indian discussions of this subject is that of the surface of a pond with its waves in action––a wind blowing over the pond and the waves moving. If you look at the surface of the pond moving in this way you will see the many reflections––many broken forms; nothing will be perfect, nothing complete; you will have only broken images before you. But if the wind dies down and the waters become perfectly still and clear, suddenly the whole perspective shifts and you are not seeing a lot of broken images, reflecting things round about. You are looking down through the clear water to the lovely sandy bottom, and perhaps you will see fish in the water. The whole perspective changes and you behold, not a multitude of broken images, but a single, still, unmoving image.
 
"This is the idea of yoga. The notion is that what we see when we look around, like this, are the broken images of a perfect form. And what is the form? It is the form of a divine reality, which appears to us only in broken images when our mind-stuff is in action. Or, to state the case another way: we are all, as we sit here and stand here, the broken images, the broken reflections, of a single divine perfection; but all that we ever see when we look around with our mind-stuff in its usual state of spontaneous activity, is the broken rainbow-reflection of this perfect image of divine light."
-- Joseph Campbell, Baksheesh and Brahman
(courtesy of the Joseph Campbell Foundation)

-------------- THEOLOGY --------------

Theology:
the study of God
and of God's relation to the world.
Does this sound familiar?

-------------- QUICK FIXES --------------

Applying Quick Fixes
only Delays the Work Necessary
to Resolve Long Standing Issues.
Fix Things
so the next Generation
Doesn't have to Clean Up
Your Messes.

(or any other messes
created by the quick fixes
of previous generations.)

-------------- FORTITUDE --------------

 
 
"The person with fortitude
is one who perseveres in doing 
what his conscience tells him he ought to. 
He does not measure 
the value of a task exclusively
 by the benefit he derives from it, 
but rather by the service he renders to others."
- Saint Josemaria Escriva
 
 

-------------- HUMOR --------------


-------------- ACTION-LESS --------------

 

An Inoperative Speculation
is A Pregnant Pause
Whose Significance
Invariably Diminishes
with Time. 

-------------- ESOTERIC BRIDGE --------------

 
FYI - Just in case you didn't know...
 
The Building Better Builders Series of Uncommon Masonic Education Books
and Videos can be found here:
http://www.coach.net/BuildingBuilders.htm

I need to add to the picture "A Brother Asks!" and "The Craft Perfected!"

-------------- THE MORE YOU KNOW --------------

Under the Heading:
THE MORE YOU KNOW

Ancient Anglo-Saxons noticed
that mistletoe often grows
where birds leave droppings,
which is how mistletoe got its name:
In Anglo-Saxon, “mistel”
means “dung” and “tan” means “twig,”
hence, “dung-on-a-twig”
or more specifically "dung twig".
 
You're welcome. 

-------------- UNCRACK? --------------

I: Is initiation permanent?*
R: Can one undo an egg once cracked?

* A Inquiry from a Brother

-------------- 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:

 
 
 
 

 

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Saturday, January 7, 2023

Random Building Thoughts - 2023-01-07

 

 

-------------- SPOT THE ODDITIES! --------------

Can you identify at least 6 Masonic Oddities?*

-------------- SHINE! --------------

It doesn't take much
to Shine a Light in the Darkness;
Unless you're a Candle
and you're Facing a Big Blowhard.

-------------- INSIGHT --------------

Does your Lodge face the same Problems repeatedly?
Are the same provided solutions truly ineffective?
Do the incoming officers re-invent the wheel
or follow the counsel of Brothers who didn't effectively deal with them before?
Do you Think it's time to Think Differently about Thinking Differently?

Do you truly believe that what we face in society is any different?

-------------- CHOOSE WISELY! --------------
 
 
-------------- LEGACY --------------

 

 Worth Viewing!


-------------- WOMB --------------

"Mythology
is the womb of mankind's initiation
to life and death."
-- Joseph Campbell,
The Flight of the Wild Gander
 
And the Freemasonic Lodge
 is where men are supposed
 to be birthed!
 (when they do the Work!)

Did you think that the Circumpunct 
wasn't a symbol for the Womb?

 -------------- WELL? --------------

How Are You Progressing?

-------------- SHADOWED HEARTS --------------

The Shadows Men Create Within Their Hearts...
... Prevent Them From Seeing the Light They Seek.

-------------- WARNING --------------

A Cowan is not a Pretender. 

That is a myth created by unknowing Freemasons.
A Cowan is a "Dry Dyker".
Dry Dykers are Masons who Build without any Cement,
especially of their own making.
Cement is very important to Freemasons,
for it Unifies the Building into One Common Mass.
Cowans are not interested in Unification.
Freemasons are told to not allow them in their Lodges
because Cowen's Buildings are without Cement;
they do not Build to Unify. 

If you are a Masterful Mason,
you now know something about the Tyler's job
that he doesn't.
You also now know that he most likely didn't know
who he was allowing into your Lodge.  

For Further Light:
the-hole-story


 -------------- MSA --------------

Masonic Service Announcement of the Day:

The Circumambulations Mason do
within Ritual
are by Perambulating Ritual
with Purposeful Ambulation! 

-------------- THINKING --------------

Fellow Craft Work
is where you Learn how to Learn
so that you eventually
Think how to Think! 

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


-------------- PLUG --------------


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

-------------- 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:

 
 
--------------------
 
 * 1)  Nice white gloves (Freemasonic, Not Masonic!)
2) Breaking stone on a brittle  tile floor
3) Wooden Setting Mall on steel chisel (Not how this tool is used!)
4) Nice Suit (Freemasonic, Not Masonic!)
5) Pretty ceremonial Apron (Freemasonic, Not Masonic!)
6) Location of the chisel (Not the angle or position!)

 

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Friday, January 6, 2023

Random Building Thoughts - 2023-01-06

 

-------------- INSTRUCTIONS --------------

What if I told you
Obligations are Operating Instructions
that you Bind yourself Toward Doing
and Not Something you have to say
to get a Title.

<sigh> unfortunately,
this goes in one ear
and out the other
of far too many.

For Further Light:
a-brother-asks-oaths-vows-promises

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

-------------- END RESULT --------------

 

In all the Invested Time,
at all the Attended Events
and on all the Gathered Light,
can you Honestly say
that you Truly Know that
What you've Crafted as a Result
is Masterful?

  -------------- THE SOUL WORK --------------


FILED UNDER: Hidden in Plain Sight
 
EA: Heart Work - To Learn to Subdue one's Passion and keep them within Due Bounds, including Circumscription of one's Desires, Establishing one's Priorities, Time Management, Divestment Vs&Ss, Investment Vs, Etc. (ALL HEART DISCIPLINES!)
 
FC: Head Work - To Learn to Improve one's self in Masonry: Mental Training, Pattern 
 Recognition and Application in 7 key realms (7LAs&Ss). (ALL MENTAL DISCIPLINES!)
 
COMMON THREAD: Learning. Disciplines
UNCOMMON THREADS: Heart-Disciplines (EA) and Head-Disciplines (FC)
 
Masonic Goal: To Learn!
 A. Heart-Disciplines
 B. Head-Disciplines
Heart Work + Head Work = Soul Work
 
(Not to be confused with Spirit Work - the object of the Master's Work!)
 
The Work of the first two degrees are designed to cultivate the Soul and prepare the soul for 
Spiritual Work!!
 
My 2 cents

-------------- IMPORTANT LESSON --------------

When you Can't Differentiate between
the Important and Unimportant in Life,
you've Missed the Most Important Lesson
Presented by the Masonic Threshing-floor.

If you don't know what that is,
you've not opened your eyes wide enough.

For Further Light:

 

-------------- THE GIFT OF FEAR --------------

FILED UNDER: 
 The Gift of Fear!

Success is often times avoiding the landmines
that fears warn us about in advance.
Interestingly, a lack of fear is itself dangerous at times
and it is too often a reflection of ignorant confidence. 

True wisdom acknowledges dangers
and the gift of fear lets us know 
that we perceive them.  

Only fools dismiss this gift
without further investigation
and confirmation as to the reality
of that perception. 
 

-------------- OBJECT --------------


FILED UNDER:
Why we have so many ignorant members...

Can you say
"Fellow Craft Work"?!

You know...
Learning How to Learn!!!

-------------- TRUE RELIEF --------------

When you Don't Realize
the Use of this Tool
Provides to you Your
First Experiences of True Relief,
You Miss Its Point Altogether!

-------------- UNDERSTANDING REQUIRED! --------------

Knowledge Requires
No Understanding.
Wisdom Does!

-------------- JERKING AROUND --------------

No matter the Insight,
the Revelation,
the Epiphany,
or the Find,
if it hasn't Brought you to Living Better,
you're just Jerking around.

 -------------- THOUGHT-PROVOKER --------------

-------------- HUMOR --------------

 

For Further Light:

-------------- 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:

 
 
 
 

 

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Thursday, January 5, 2023

Random Building Thoughts - 2023-01-05

  

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

 
Post enlightenment behaviors
rarely change from that of pre-enlightenment.
People have a burning desire to know;
they rarely have any burning desire to change;
even when suffering.

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


 -------------- HUMOR --------------

 

For Further Light:
a-brother-asks-wheres-goat

 -------------- PAST GLORIES --------------

When you Stop Priding yourself
upon Imagined Past Glories
Wrought by others
and Do the Work
that Brings forth Worthwhile Memories,
you Might just begin to Create
the Awesome Futures you Desire.

 -------------- THE ODDS --------------

You haven't
a snowball's chance in hell
dealing effectively with someone
who knows you better than
you know yourself.

-------------- THE BASIS --------------
 

When you Understand
the Basis of Craft Practice,
you Begin to Realize
Why Its Problems Continue to Plague it to this day
and what is behind all its Troubles.
To Rise to the Challenge of Rebuilding the Craft,
you must first know what that Challenge is.
Seek the Man Behind the Curtain!

For Further Light:

http://www.coach.net/TCP.htm 

-------------- PROJECT MANAGER! --------------

The Raised Male
is not a Brother who earns a title
due to an event
to which he voluntarily subjects himself.
He is a Dedicated Project Manager
who both Embraces & Implements
a never-ending Improvement Process
upon himself and his World.

For Further Light:

a-brother-asks-completing-apprentice

 -------------- WHAT?! AGAIN?! --------------

Are Reincarnation Naysayers
Doomed to Return
Until They Change Their Minds? 

-------------- THANKS! --------------

 
"New reading material! 
I would like to thank Brother John S Nagy
  for helping expand our knowledge!"
-- Bro. Nick Silvers, 1/5/2015 

For Further Light:  

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

 
-------------- PSA -------------- 

PSA of the Day!

Sublime (adj.)
1. Characterized by nobility; majestic.
2. a. Of high spiritual, moral, or intellectual worth.
2. b. Not to be excelled; supreme.
3. Inspiring awe; impressive.
4. Archaic Raised aloft; set high.
5. Obsolete Of lofty appearance or bearing; haughty:
 
Sublime (noun)
1. Something sublime.
2. An ultimate example.
(Verb). sub·limed, sub·lim·ing, sub·limes
v.tr.
1. To render sublime.
2. Chemistry To cause to sublimate.
v.intr. Chemistry
To sublimate.
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
[French, from Old French, sublimated, from Latin sublmis, uplifted.]
Etymology - 1580s, "expressing lofty ideas in an elevated manner," from M.Fr. sublime, from L. sublimis "uplifted, high, lofty," possibly originally "sloping up to the lintel," from sub "up to" + limen "lintel." The sublime "the sublime part of anything" is from 1670s. Sublime Porte, former title of the Ottoman government, is from Fr. la Sublime Porte, lit. "the high gate," a loan-translation of Arabic Bab 'Ali, title of the Ottoman court at Constantinople.

-------------- 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:

 
 
 
 

 

 



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