A Mason's Work

You Are Not Your Results: The Mason’s Paradox


Listen Later

Drawing wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita and the tools of Freemasonry, this episode challenges a deep cultural illusion: that our value lies in our results. By reflecting on sacred labor, symbolic detachment, and what it means to build in faith, we examine the paradox every Mason must face—how to work without becoming what we make.


🔑 Key Takeaways

  • The Bhagavad Gita teaches detachment from success and failure.
  • Masonic labor is symbolic—not for reward, but for refinement.
  • Identity must be separated from outcomes to sustain real growth.
  • Bhagavad Gita 2.48 https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/chapter/2/verse/48

💬 Featured Quotes

This is really instructive for us as Mason's because it helps us understand that what we're really doing is cultivating our behavior in a way that allows us to shape the probability of outcomes by shaping the behavior that we execute. — [00:02:39]
We stop getting focused so much so on this sort of perilous attachment model to outcomes. — [00:03:40]
As we move to higher virtue work, higher ways of working, we get to a point where the execution of the work becomes the value itself. — [00:04:00]
This helps us demystify some of the things with like the hustle grind culture or the kind of magic pill solutions as well. — [00:04:45]

🔗 Explore Related Episodes

  • Freemasonry Without Permission: A Path Beyond the Lodge
    May 26, 2025 — Explores how to sustain Masonic growth and symbolic labor even when one’s environment doesn't support it. 
  • Cultivating your Inner Jedi: Becoming a Master
    Mar 5, 2025 — This episode dives into mastering autonomy and upskilling, with a focus on emotional intelligence and honest self-analysis. 
  • Unpacking the Walks of Masonic Degrees A Skill Quest
    Dec 1, 2023 — Understand the walk of a bearer of burden and why sucking at something is the first step to mastery – unwrap these insights and more as we delve into learning curves and rites of passage.


Creators & Guests

  • Brian Mattocks - Host
  • Click here to view the episode transcript.
    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    A Mason's WorkBy Brian Mattocks


    More shows like A Mason's Work

    View all
    Whence Came You? - Freemasonry discussed and Masonic research for today's Freemason by Robert Johnson

    Whence Came You? - Freemasonry discussed and Masonic research for today's Freemason

    317 Listeners

    The Masonic Roundtable - Freemasonry Today for Today's Freemasons by Jon Ruark, Jason Richards, Nick Johnson, Juan Sepulveda & Robert Johnson

    The Masonic Roundtable - Freemasonry Today for Today's Freemasons

    203 Listeners

    Tyler's Place Podcast by The Tyler's Place Podcast

    Tyler's Place Podcast

    42 Listeners

    Masonic Lite Podcast by Masonic Lite Podcast

    Masonic Lite Podcast

    46 Listeners

    Short Talk Bulletin by Short Talk Bulletin

    Short Talk Bulletin

    85 Listeners

    Scottish Rite Journal Podcast by The Tyler's Place Podcast

    Scottish Rite Journal Podcast

    33 Listeners

    The Working Tools Podcast by The Working Tools Podcast

    The Working Tools Podcast

    16 Listeners

    The Traveling Man Masonic Podcast by Jim Hall

    The Traveling Man Masonic Podcast

    34 Listeners

    Craftsmen Online Podcast by Craftsmen Online

    Craftsmen Online Podcast

    39 Listeners

    Masonic Muscle by Cesar Rubio

    Masonic Muscle

    27 Listeners

    Minnesota Masonic Histories and Mysteries by Reed Endersbe and John Schwietz

    Minnesota Masonic Histories and Mysteries

    9 Listeners

    Further Light Podcast by C Luedke

    Further Light Podcast

    12 Listeners

    The Third Degree Masonic Podcast by Brothers Samuel , Gabriel,  and Ryan

    The Third Degree Masonic Podcast

    7 Listeners

    The Square Magazine Podcast by Square Magazine

    The Square Magazine Podcast

    2 Listeners