The Lost Key: An Explanation of Masonic Symbols

56The Lost Key167. Beginning at the bottom line of the square we find that thissymbolizes the lowest and basest of human qualities, Selfishness.Rising from this bottom line are the two side lines which symbolizethe progress of development of the lower natures away from theprimitive and altogether hideous passion of unadulterated selfishness.The bottom line, of course, represents “pure” selfishness, thestark, unmitigated passion. The two side lines represent the twomethods of growth away from this wholly repulsive thing, but wemust remember that selfishness is not conquered all at once and sothe tinge and taint of it continues, growing less and less, until wefinally reach the top line, the line of Unselfishness.168. Now what do the side lines mean? Simply this, that in ourdevelopment towards the great goal of spiritual enlightenment wemust progress by means of two different “lines” both of which areconstructive and which supplement each other. Both of these linesmust be followed, not one only, if we would have our charactersevenly developed. One is the line of the heart, of service tohumanity through love and sympathy, and the other is the line ofintellectual development. To follow one of these lines to theexclusion of the other would make the character one-sided and imperfect.The man who is intellectually developed but in whom thegreat throb of human suffering arouses no feeling of sympathy isvery apt to develop the quality of cruelty. Even if he does not dothis he leaves undeveloped and atrophied the great heart side ofhis being.169. The man who progresses by means of the heart and ofsympathy alone is also becoming one-sided, his heart being unbalancedby his intellect, is apt to lead him into emotional excessesand he may become a bigot in religion, one of the greatest enemiesto real human progress. Both of these lines must be followed andthe development must be equalized in order to have the square ofour Apron properly formed. But when both lines are followed