SPECULATION
Pit of Deception or
Holy Grail?
by Jim Tresner, 33°, Grand Cross
Speculation, the attempt to develop insight, is the real benefit of
Masonry.
You will find it throughout the ritual.
"Masonry is a speculative and moral science and philosophy founded on an
operative art." "By Speculative Masonry we learn to subdue the passions, act
upon the square, keep a tongue of good report, maintain secrecy and practice
charity.... It leads the contemplative to view with reverence and admiration the
glorious works of the creation and inspires him with the most exalted ideas of
the perfection of his Divine Creator." "I learned the difference between
operative and speculative Masonry."
Speculation is a simple word. The dictionary says it derives from the
word for "spy out" or "examine," which in turn derives from the word for
"watchtower," which derives from "look." And it says that speculation means to
meditate on or ponder a subject, to reflect.
The ritual seems to suggest that speculation is important to Masonry—some
have gone so far to say that it is the duty of a Mason. Others suggest that it
is, at best, a waste of time.
To some Masonic thinkers, speculation is a pit of deception, an excuse for
sloppy thinking, at best a somewhat disreputable excursion into self-indulgence.
To others, it is a Holy Grail—not only a positive good in itself but also a
source of even greater benefits.
I'm firmly in the "Holy Grail" camp.
Speculation seems to me to be one of primary ways in which Masonry does its
work. It is important to have the solid information, the knowledge of history
including the history of the ritual and the history of the symbols. Those are
the "working tools." But the real reward and purpose of Masonry, for me at
least, is what happens then, when the mind takes those symbols and plays with
them. The conclusions have validity, if any, only for the individual speculator.
That's why the warning is repeated over and over again that each person must
interpret the symbols of Freemasonry for himself. But it is the speculation, and
the attempt to develop insight, the "ah-HA!" experience, which is the real
benefit.
I think the ritual supports that point of view. To me, one of the most
astonishing, mind-rocking statements ever written in English is found in the
stair lecture of the Fellowcraft Degree. Think about what these words are really
saying: "You have this evening, my Brother, pressed beneath your feet,
transmounted and transcended, all the powers and passions, the senses and
sciences of man." Wow!
A Mason is supposed, that says, to go above and beyond everything that
science can teach him, beyond in fact everything which his senses can tell him.
He is supposed to be able to operate with insight, inspiration, and intuition.
I've a long way to go, but what a goal, what a wonderful, ego-shattering,
spirit-soaring goal!
But why is speculation important? And why is it more important, I believe,
than just historical research and accuracy alone?
Because science discovers fact, but speculation discovers truth. The two are
very different, and both are very important. I want my doctor well grounded in
fact. I want him to know the causes of disease and the medications which treat
them. But I also want him well grounded in truth. I want him to understand the
almost mystic power of a good bedside manner, to understand his patients respond
almost as much to his personality as they do to his medications. I want my
lawyer well grounded in the law, but I also want him well grounded in ethics.
Science discovers fact, not truth. Fact is generally verifiable by
observation, direct or indirect. If I assert the fact that, under a given set of
circumstances, water freezes at 32° Fahrenheit, you can check the statement with
a thermometer. It is the essence of science/fact that it is observable and
repeatable, and that it works regardless of the personality of the individual
making the observation. King Solomon or Groucho Marx would have had the same
results with a thermometer as you do. If I have any argument with science, it is
that.
Truth is not verifiable in the same way. If I say it is better to be honest
than dishonest, there is no thermometer by which you can measure the truth of
the statement. You have to speculate. You have to compare that statement to
other things you believe to be true, and see if it fits or contradicts. You have
to ponder the concept of honesty and see where those reflections take you. If
you are lucky, the reflections may lead you in the direction of an additional
truth, or even a greater truth. That is to say, if you are lucky (or perhaps
skillful), you may develop an insight, you may operate by intuition, you might
even receive inspiration.
Masonry "works" by truth, not fact. The symbols and allegories are designed
to help you discover the truths of human nature and spirit, not history or
biography. Both history and biography are important, of course. They provide the
context and are worthy and significant in their own right. But there are far
better sources for learning about Jerusalem in the time of Solomon than the
ritual of the Lodge. If you try to add an anchor to a beehive, you will get
nothing but wet bees. But if you add the symbolic meaning of the beehive to the
symbolic meaning of the anchor, then you can speculate on the results of a
steadfast faith united with or expressing itself through hard work and
cooperative industry. Are all speculations equally valid? Of course not. Can we
make mistakes? Certainly. But that, too, is part of the process. Perhaps the
most eloquent statement I have ever seen of the importance of this process of
speculation comes from Symbols of Freemasonry by Daniel Béresniak.
"The act of becoming is a metamorphosis. This concept underscores Masonic
thought. A metamorphosis takes place during a journey through different
landscapes, among forms and colors, during which each of us is transformed....
Those who undertake this adventure come out of it with varying rewards,
depending on the landscape they visit, their approach, what they make of it and
how much of it they see. A journey of initiation is not a package tour. There
are no signposts. The risk of becoming lost, of sliding back when attempting to
go forwards, is what gives life to the unexpected. The intertwining of danger
and promise creates the possibility of understanding and allows the idea of
freedom to be considered a moral value.
"The way in which Freemasonry uses symbolism gives us an insight into the
word itself. Masonic symbolism is based on the notion of building: building,
becoming, making. 'To make' is understood as 'to make something of oneself.'
This approach forges a relationship between the physical roads we walk along in
the city on our way home and the spiritual paths which in each of us lead
between our desires and our thoughts. Freemasons delve into myths in order to
understand how the human mind works, with a view to becoming free people, which
is to say people who act rather than react."
Speculation is a fuzzy process, no doubt of that. But it is also much more a
Holy Grail than a pit of deception. And it is one of the most rewarding
challenges of man.
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