Before we can gain a better understanding of Freemasonry we should begin to understand certain facts about the world in which we live - a world only half of which we see or understand.
It is true that our perception of the universe resembles that of a caterpillar feeding on a leaf, it’s vision and perception extend but very little beyond the leaf upon which he crawls. How difficult it would be for this caterpillar to transcend his limitations, to take a wider view, to understand that his leaf is part of a huge tree with millions of leaves, a tree with a life of its own - a life outlasting a thousand generations of caterpillars; and that tree in turn only a unit in a vast forest of dimensions incalculable to his tiny brain!
And if by some unusual development this caterpillar could catch a glimpse of the great world around him and tried to explain his vision to his friends, how they would disbelieve and ridicule him.
When later on he becomes a butterfly, his view widens, and he comes into touch with a beauty, a glory and a poetry in life of which he had no conception before. It is the same world, and yet so different, merely because he can see more of it, and move about in it in a new way.
Every caterpillar is a potential butterfly; and we have the advantage over these creatures in that we can anticipate the butterfly stage, and so learn much more about our world, come much nearer to the truth, enjoy life much more, and do much more good.
Freemasons study the hidden side of every-day life, and for this reason they get so much more out of it. Our life and what we can make of it largely depend upon how real these hidden things are to us. Whatever we do, we should think always of the unseen consequences of our action.
Though this vast inner world is unseen by most of us, it is not invisible.
There are within man faculties of the soul which, if developed, will enable him to perceive this inner world, so that it will become possible for him to explore and to study it precisely as man has explored and studied that part of the world which is within the reach of all.
These faculties are the heritage of the whole human race; they will unfold within every one of us as our evolution progresses; but men who are willing to devote themselves to the effort gain them in advance of the rest.
There are men who have these powers in working order, and are able by their use to obtain a vast amount of most interesting information about the world which most of us as yet cannot see.
These men are called Freemasons.
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