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| THE MASTER MASON DEGREE | ||||
| CREDITS | INTRODUCTION | THE ENTERED APPRENTICE DEGREE | THE FELLOWCRAFT DEGREE |
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| THE MASTER MASON DEGREE | ||||
| CREDITS | INTRODUCTION | THE ENTERED APPRENTICE DEGREE | THE FELLOWCRAFT DEGREE |
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THE MASTER MASON DEGREE
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SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE DEGREE
This Degree is the crown of the Blue Lodge. It is the culmination of all that has
been taught to the candidate in the two preceding ceremonies. At this point the
candidate has symbolically, if not actually, balanced his inner natures and has shaped
them into the proper relationship with the higher, more spiritual parts of himself.
His physical nature has been purified and developed to a high degree. He has
developed stability and a sure footing. His mental faculties have sharpened and his
horizons have been expanded. The candidate is now ready to approach the portal of
the Sublime Degree of Master Mason.
The candidate enters the Lodge of the Master Mason in darkness, for he has not witnessed
the Light at this Degree before. But the difference of this entrance from that of
the others is that he is now in a state of equilibrium and is prepared to walk on sacred
ground. He becomes fully committed to the Fraternity and completely puts his faith
on the Three Great Lights. The initiate is given full use of every working tool, but
the one tool exalted above the others from this point on is the one that symbolizes the
spreading of brotherly love.
The Working Tools of a Master Mason are "all the instruments of Masonry."
In the United States, the Trowel is especially assigned to this Degree. The Master
Mason uses the Trowel to cement ties between Masons, and to spread Brotherly Love
Hiram Abiff, the skilled artificer, was the Son of a Widow of the Tribe of Naphtali.
The earlier accounts of Hiram are recorded in the 1st Book of Kings, 7:13 & 14.
His coming to work on the great Temple at Jerusalem is mentioned in a letter written to
King Solomon by Hiram, the King of Tyre, and recorded in II Chronicles, 2:13 &
14. The word Abiff is believed to mean "his father", and the name is often
translated as "Hiram, my father". He was regarded as the father of the
workmen on the Temple. One of the lessons of the legend of Hiram Abiff is that of
fidelity to one's highest ideals.
The three Grand Masters mentioned often in our rituals concerning the building of the
Temple are: Solomon, King of Israel; Hiram, King of Tyre; and Hiram Abiff. In early
times, some religions regarded Deity in three aspects. The secrets known only to
these Three Grand Masters typify Divine Truth, which was known only to Deity, and was not
to be communicated to man until he had completed his own spiritual temple. TRAVELING IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES
The goal of our ancient operative brethren was to become masters, so they might posses
those secrets, which would enable them to practice the art of the builder, no matter where
they traveled, even in foreign countries. There are many symbolic explanations for the appearance of these three ruffians in our ritualistic work. Their attempt to obtain the secrets not rightfully theirs, and the dire consequences of their actions, are symbolic of many things. Trying to obtain knowledge of Divine Truth by some means other than a reward for faithfulness makes the culprit both a thief and a murderer. Each of us is reminded that rewards must be earned, rather than obtained by violence or devious means. The Ruffians are also symbolic of the enemies we have within us: our own ignorance, passions and attitudes, which we have "come here to control and subdue." In ancient symbolism, the number twelve denoted completion. This sign arose from the twelve signs of the Zodiac being a complete circle and the twelve edges of the cube being a symbol of the earth. The number twelve denoted fulfillment of a deed, and was therefore an emblem of human life. High Twelve corresponds noon, with the sun at its zenith, while Low Twelve denotes midnight, the blackest time of the night. THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH
The lion has always been the symbol of might and royalty. It was the
sign of the Tribe of Judah, because this was the royal tribe of the Hebrew Nation.
All Kings of Judah were, therefore, called the "Lion of the Tribe of
Judah." This was also one of the titles of King Solomon. This was the
literal meaning. In the search for "That Which Was
Lost," we are not actually searching for a particular word. Our search is a symbol
for our "feeling of loss" or "exile" from the Source of Life. What we
are searching for is Divine Truth, which should be the ultimate goal of all men and
Masons. This was a wooden instrument used by operative masons to set polished stone firmly into a wall. The Maul has been shown to be a symbol of destruction from prehistoric times, and is shown many times in mythology. One of the best known is that of Thor, God of Thunder, who is shown as a powerful man armed with a mighty hammer. Hebrew people used to plant a sprig of acacia at the head of a grave for two purposes - to mark the location of the grave, and to show their belief in immortality. Because of its evergreen nature, they believed it to be an emblem of both immortality and innocence. The true acacia is a thorny plant, which abounds in the Middle East. Both Jews and Egyptians believed that because of its hardness, its evergreen nature and its durability, it signified immortality. It is believed that the acacia was used to construct most of the furniture and the tabernacle in the Temple. Acacia has red and white flowers. It is a tradition in the Near East that the Crown of Thorns was acacia. In Egypt, it symbolized rebirth and was an emblem of Neith. Most people do not understand what being "Raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason" means. This Degree is the sublime climax of Symbolic Freemasonry. If you learn only that the living, dying and raising of a Master is a drama, designed to teach the virtues of fidelity, faith and fortitude, you have received only partial light and have seen nothing but a moral lesson. This Degree seeks to answer the age-old question put forth by Job - "If a man die, shall he live again?"
The Degree delves into the deepest recesses of man’s nature. While it leads the
initiate into the Sanctum Sanctorum of the Temple, it probes into the Holy of Holies in
his heart. As a whole, the Degree is symbolic of old age and by the wisdom of which
we may enjoy the happy reflections consequent on a well-spent and properly directed life,
and die in the sure knowledge of a glorious immortality. QABALISTIC ALLUSIONS OF THE THIRD DEGREE The system of Traditional Jewish Mysticism known
as Qabalah often provides important clues to the interpretation of passages of Scripture.
Since much of our ritual is derived from Scripture, there are certain very
interesting Qabalistic allusions throughout the rituals of Freemasonry
In The Three Pillars we have the three great supports of Masonry - Wisdom, Strength and
Beauty. The Three Steps remind us of how youth, manhood and old age is each an
entity in itself, each possessing its own duties and problems, and each calling for its
own philosophy. The Pot of Incense teaches that, to be pure and blameless in our
inner lives is more acceptable to God than anything else, because that, which a man really
is, is of vastly greater importance than that which he appears to be. It is also a
symbol of prayer and meditation. The Beehive recommends the virtue of industry and
teaches us that we should never rest while our fellow creatures are in need of
assistance. It should be mentioned that bees have also been symbols of
messengers from the heavens. The Book of Constitutions Guarded By The Tyler’s
Sword is the emblem of law and order, and reminds us that our moral and spiritual
character is grounded in law and morality as much as is government and nature. It
teaches that no man can live a satisfactory life who lives lawlessly. The
Sword Pointing To A Naked Heart symbolizes that one of the most rigorous of these laws is
justice, and that if a man be unjust in his heart, the inevitable results of injustice
will find him out. The All Seeing Eye shows that we live and move and have our being
in God; that we are constantly in His Presence, wherever or whatever we are doing.
The single Eye is found in many countries from Egypt to India: The Eye of Horus, the Eye
of Shiva and so on. The Anchor and Ark stand for that sense of security and
stability of a life grounded in truth and faith, without which sense there can be no
happiness. |
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A BASIC MASONIC EDUCATION COURSE |
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