The Little Book and the Perfect Ashlar
Brethren,
The Perfect Ashlar—that state of perfection at which we hope to arrive by a virtuous education, our own endeavors, and the blessing of God. But looking at the Perfect Ashlar can be discouraging. We look at our own flaws and feel that the stone is too rough to ever be smoothed.
Brother Benjamin Franklin, one of the most celebrated minds in history, struggled with this same feeling. He did not believe perfection was a gift; he believed it was a project.
The Trestleboard: Franklin realized that he could not fix his character by vague intentions. He needed a Trestleboard—a set of designs. He identified thirteen virtues, including Temperance, Silence, Order, and Humility.
He bought a small notebook. On each page, he ruled columns for the days of the week and rows for the virtues. This was his blueprint. He did not try to build the whole temple in a day. He focused on one virtue per week, cycling through them four times a year.
The Common Gavel: The Daily Chip Every evening, Franklin would review his day. If he had violated a virtue—for example, if he had spoken ill of another (violating Silence)—he would mark a black dot in his book.
This was his use of the Common Gavel. He didn’t just ignore his vices; he acknowledged them. He looked at the rough edges of his day and marked them down so he would know where to strike harder the next time. He famously admitted that while he never arrived at the perfection he sought, he was a “better and a happier man than I otherwise should have been if I had not attempted it.”
The Compasses: Keeping Within Bounds Franklin’s method was a way of circumscribing his desires. By tracking his behavior, he kept his passions within due bounds. He treated his character development like a science experiment.
Many of us fail in our resolutions because we are too vague. We say, “I want to be a better man.” Franklin said, “I will not speak unless it benefits others.” He defined the boundary so he would know when he crossed it.
The Lesson of the Little Book is this: We cannot smooth the Ashlar by staring at it. We must apply the tools daily. Read that again – we must apply the tools. Masonry gives us the tools, instructs us on their use – it is up to us to apply them.
Perfection may be unattainable in this life, but improvement is mandatory. We are not asked to be perfect today; we are asked to be better than we were yesterday.
Therefore, let us imitate this example:
- Draw designs on your Trestleboard: Pick one virtue to focus on this week.
- Apply the Gavel: Review your actions every night with honesty.
- Trust the process: Understand that a stone is smoothed by friction and time.
Questions for the Sideliners
- Do you have a method for reviewing your actions at the end of the day, or do you just let the day pass?
- Which of the virtues (like Silence, Order, or Humility) is the hardest for you to master right now?
- What does “applying the Gavel” look like in your daily routine?
Bonus section – Franklin’s Art of Virtue System
Franklin’s 13 Virtues
- Temperance: Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
- Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself.
- Order: Let all your things have their places.
- Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
- Frugality: Waste nothing.
- Industry: Lose no time; be always employed in something useful.
- Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly.
- Justice: Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
- Moderation: Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries.
- Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.
- Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
- Chastity: Rarely use venery but for health or offspring.
- Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.
1. The Weekly Focus
He focused on one virtue per week. While he still tried to uphold the other 12, his primary attention was on the “Virtue of the Week.” By doing this, he could complete four full cycles of all 13 virtues in a single year.
2. The Daily Log
He carried a small book with him. Each page was dedicated to a virtue, and he created a grid where the columns were the days of the week and the rows were the 13 virtues.
- The Black Spot: Every time he committed a “fault” (failed a virtue), he made a little black mark in the corresponding square.
- The Goal: To keep the lines for the week’s primary virtue completely clear of marks, gradually “cleaning” the entire book over time.
3. The Daily Schedule
To support the virtue of Order, Franklin followed a strict 24-hour schedule. Most famously, he started his day (5:00 AM) with the question: “What good shall I do this day?” and ended it (10:00 PM) with: “What good have I done today?”
Franklin never actually reached “moral perfection.” He famously struggled with Order (his desk was a mess) and Humility (he admitted that even if he became humble, he’d probably be proud of his humility).
However, in his autobiography, he wrote that even though he fell short, he was a “better and a happier man than I otherwise should have been if I had not attempted it.” It was the process of mindfulness, rather than the perfect score, that mattered.
So Mote It Be.
James A. Clark
Author’s Note: The following story is derived from popular anecdote found in general reading. No historical evidence is offered to verify its complete accuracy; it has been adapted here solely to illustrate a Masonic application of self-improvement and discipline. Franklin’s “Art of Virtue” and his method of tracking it is detailed in his own Autobiography and is a matter of historical record.
