Honor
T.F.S.
Three, five, and seven
3 5 7
Number 150 – July 01, 2009
“There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.” Denis Waitley.
This publication, while it is printed with the permission of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of A.F. & A. M. of Minnesota, contains the writings and opinions of Ed Halpaus and is not in any way the opinion of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota.
“You and I are essentially infinite choice-makers. In every moment of our existence, we are in that field of all possibilities where we have access to an infinity of choices.”
Deepak Chopra
Honor
Some time ago a Brother wrote to me asking whether I had written an article on ‘honor,’ and asked, if I had, to please send him a copy. Well, it was a good question because it told me I needed to do something on that topic, as I hadn’t written specifically about ‘honor’ previously. I had given talks at Masonic functions where I did mention honor, because it is important to Freemasonry and to Masons. Honor is one of the things a Mason is admonished to keep uppermost in mind when he is wearing his Masonic apron; (we symbolically wear our apron 7 days a week 24 hours a day as Freemasons – the charge to wear it with honor and pleasure does not end when the Lodge is closed.) The New Mason gets this first important lesson about his apron when he is presented with it in his first degree: When you think about our degrees there is so much wisdom in the life lessons that are woven into them that we could spend the rest of our lives pondering the lessons and living up to them.
The new Mason is told to wear his apron with equal pleasure to himself and honor to the fraternity; actually Honor to the Fraternity also means honor to others and to himself as well. Equal Pleasure to himself and honor to the fraternity is an interesting phrase, because when a man is honorable he is a happy man; it’s acting in less than an honorable fashion that contributes to unhappiness.
One of my favorite authors is Rabbi Zelig Pliskin; his books are not entirely religious, they are more like self-help and books for living than religious books, although religion is a part of self-help and joyful living.
In his book “Harmony with Others” he has a short chapter (all of his chapters are on the short side) called “Who is an Honorable Person?” The question comes from the Talmud, and the Talmud also provides the answer; from Pirkei Avos 4:1 “The one who shows honor and respect to others.” This is not strictly something that is taught only in Judaism – it’s something I was taught all through my youth from my parents, teachers, and ministers, – treat others with dignity and respect. Most religions of the world have something akin to the Golden Rule about treating others as you would like to be treated; The 14th Dalai Lama says he likes to amend it to “Do unto others – more – than you would have them do unto you”
Rabbi Pliskin, in his book, says we all want to be treated with basic respect, and, ‘as we internalize the essential message of the Sages [Pirkei Avos 4:1], we will decrease our concern about how others treat us and we will increase our concern about how we treat others.’
In Rabi Pliskin’s book “Building Your Self-Image – and the Self-Image of Others” is another short chapter called “I am My Choices.” In this chapter he reminds us that in every situation we have the opportunity to make a choice. J. Martin Kohe back in the 1950’s wrote a ‘wonderful’ small book called “Your Greatest Power;” this is a self-help classic and well worth reading if you can get a copy; in it he tells us our greatest power is the power to choose. Rabbi Pliskin reminds us about this great power, one which we use all day long every day, and he tells us that in every instance, especially stressful and disturbing moments, we have the opportunity to use our great power to choose; we can say to ourselves ‘I am My Choices:” This can serve to remind us to make wise choices.
We choose our feelings, because our feelings are created by our choice of thoughts, words, and actions: The essence of who we are, as Rabbi Pliskin says, comes from our choices; choices come from thought, and are manifested through our words and actions. When we say to ourselves ‘I am my choices,’ we are stating a truthful fact, and we are in a position to make wise choices.
There is a lot to study about honor, but unfortunately the subject is not found in many ‘Masonic’ books, so in order to study it we need to look elsewhere. But then, it may come down to our power to choose, to decide, what a Masonic book is. To me a Masonic Book is not only one that talks about symbolism, history, and Masonic Lodges or Masons. It is a book that will help the Mason in his search for truth, one that helps in understanding Masonic values even though they are not labeled as such, one that will help him in his quest to become a better man than he was previously to the learning gleaned from the book, one that will help him mentor and teach his Brother Mason, and help him in his personal quest for truth and improvement.
Information and learning about what Masonry stands for and teaches can be found in a great number of places. All we need to do is broaden our horizons and be open to finding this information in places we might not have thought of before.
Words to live by: There are always two choices, two paths to take. One is easy. And its only reward is that it's easy.
“To decide to be at the level of choice is to take responsibility for your life and to be in control of your life.” Arbie M. Dale
From the Great Light of Masonry: “Butter and honey will he eat when he knows to reject the evil and choose the good.” Isaiah 7:15
Please remember: if you would like to participate in the latest Masonic Monday Question, please go to http://www.lodgebuilder.org and click on the Lodge Education forum. When you have an answer send it to masonicmonday@gmail.com the Masonic Monday Question for the week of 07/06/09 is: What are the ornaments of a Freemason?
“For what is the best choice, for each individual is the highest it is possible for him to achieve.” Aristotle
More Light – Mehr Licht ©, Masonic Matters © and T.F.S. ©, are sent out by Email at no charge to anyone who would like to receive them. If you enjoy these publications please share them with others. To subscribe to these publications just send an E-mail to erhmasonic@gmail.com with Subscribe in the subject line and you will be added to the list to receive the publications.
“Of neighborhoods, benevolence is the most beautiful. How can the man be considered wise who when he had the choice does not settle in benevolence.” Confucius
To read some past issues of Ed’s publications on the web go to: http://www.halpaus.net and click on the publication you would like to read.
With “Brotherly Love”,
Ed Halpaus
Grand Lodge Education Officer
Seek to mentor a Brother Mason:
It’s good for him, it’s good for you, and it’s good for Freemasonry!
Three, five, and seven
3 5 7
Number 150 – July 01, 2009
“There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.” Denis Waitley.
This publication, while it is printed with the permission of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of A.F. & A. M. of Minnesota, contains the writings and opinions of Ed Halpaus and is not in any way the opinion of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota.
“You and I are essentially infinite choice-makers. In every moment of our existence, we are in that field of all possibilities where we have access to an infinity of choices.”
Deepak Chopra
Honor
Some time ago a Brother wrote to me asking whether I had written an article on ‘honor,’ and asked, if I had, to please send him a copy. Well, it was a good question because it told me I needed to do something on that topic, as I hadn’t written specifically about ‘honor’ previously. I had given talks at Masonic functions where I did mention honor, because it is important to Freemasonry and to Masons. Honor is one of the things a Mason is admonished to keep uppermost in mind when he is wearing his Masonic apron; (we symbolically wear our apron 7 days a week 24 hours a day as Freemasons – the charge to wear it with honor and pleasure does not end when the Lodge is closed.) The New Mason gets this first important lesson about his apron when he is presented with it in his first degree: When you think about our degrees there is so much wisdom in the life lessons that are woven into them that we could spend the rest of our lives pondering the lessons and living up to them.
The new Mason is told to wear his apron with equal pleasure to himself and honor to the fraternity; actually Honor to the Fraternity also means honor to others and to himself as well. Equal Pleasure to himself and honor to the fraternity is an interesting phrase, because when a man is honorable he is a happy man; it’s acting in less than an honorable fashion that contributes to unhappiness.
One of my favorite authors is Rabbi Zelig Pliskin; his books are not entirely religious, they are more like self-help and books for living than religious books, although religion is a part of self-help and joyful living.
In his book “Harmony with Others” he has a short chapter (all of his chapters are on the short side) called “Who is an Honorable Person?” The question comes from the Talmud, and the Talmud also provides the answer; from Pirkei Avos 4:1 “The one who shows honor and respect to others.” This is not strictly something that is taught only in Judaism – it’s something I was taught all through my youth from my parents, teachers, and ministers, – treat others with dignity and respect. Most religions of the world have something akin to the Golden Rule about treating others as you would like to be treated; The 14th Dalai Lama says he likes to amend it to “Do unto others – more – than you would have them do unto you”
Rabbi Pliskin, in his book, says we all want to be treated with basic respect, and, ‘as we internalize the essential message of the Sages [Pirkei Avos 4:1], we will decrease our concern about how others treat us and we will increase our concern about how we treat others.’
In Rabi Pliskin’s book “Building Your Self-Image – and the Self-Image of Others” is another short chapter called “I am My Choices.” In this chapter he reminds us that in every situation we have the opportunity to make a choice. J. Martin Kohe back in the 1950’s wrote a ‘wonderful’ small book called “Your Greatest Power;” this is a self-help classic and well worth reading if you can get a copy; in it he tells us our greatest power is the power to choose. Rabbi Pliskin reminds us about this great power, one which we use all day long every day, and he tells us that in every instance, especially stressful and disturbing moments, we have the opportunity to use our great power to choose; we can say to ourselves ‘I am My Choices:” This can serve to remind us to make wise choices.
We choose our feelings, because our feelings are created by our choice of thoughts, words, and actions: The essence of who we are, as Rabbi Pliskin says, comes from our choices; choices come from thought, and are manifested through our words and actions. When we say to ourselves ‘I am my choices,’ we are stating a truthful fact, and we are in a position to make wise choices.
There is a lot to study about honor, but unfortunately the subject is not found in many ‘Masonic’ books, so in order to study it we need to look elsewhere. But then, it may come down to our power to choose, to decide, what a Masonic book is. To me a Masonic Book is not only one that talks about symbolism, history, and Masonic Lodges or Masons. It is a book that will help the Mason in his search for truth, one that helps in understanding Masonic values even though they are not labeled as such, one that will help him in his quest to become a better man than he was previously to the learning gleaned from the book, one that will help him mentor and teach his Brother Mason, and help him in his personal quest for truth and improvement.
Information and learning about what Masonry stands for and teaches can be found in a great number of places. All we need to do is broaden our horizons and be open to finding this information in places we might not have thought of before.
Words to live by: There are always two choices, two paths to take. One is easy. And its only reward is that it's easy.
“To decide to be at the level of choice is to take responsibility for your life and to be in control of your life.” Arbie M. Dale
From the Great Light of Masonry: “Butter and honey will he eat when he knows to reject the evil and choose the good.” Isaiah 7:15
Please remember: if you would like to participate in the latest Masonic Monday Question, please go to http://www.lodgebuilder.org and click on the Lodge Education forum. When you have an answer send it to masonicmonday@gmail.com the Masonic Monday Question for the week of 07/06/09 is: What are the ornaments of a Freemason?
“For what is the best choice, for each individual is the highest it is possible for him to achieve.” Aristotle
More Light – Mehr Licht ©, Masonic Matters © and T.F.S. ©, are sent out by Email at no charge to anyone who would like to receive them. If you enjoy these publications please share them with others. To subscribe to these publications just send an E-mail to erhmasonic@gmail.com with Subscribe in the subject line and you will be added to the list to receive the publications.
“Of neighborhoods, benevolence is the most beautiful. How can the man be considered wise who when he had the choice does not settle in benevolence.” Confucius
To read some past issues of Ed’s publications on the web go to: http://www.halpaus.net and click on the publication you would like to read.
With “Brotherly Love”,
Ed Halpaus
Grand Lodge Education Officer
Seek to mentor a Brother Mason:
It’s good for him, it’s good for you, and it’s good for Freemasonry!
Labels: Masonic Knowledge