Why does Pierre join the Masonic society. Why Pierre became disillusioned with Freemasonry - essay

If I’m not mistaken, ”said the traveler slowly and loudly. Pierre silently, inquiringly looked through his glasses at his interlocutor.

“I heard about you,” the traveler continued, “and about the misfortune that befell you, my sir. - He kind of stressed the last word as if he had said: "Yes, misfortune, whatever you call it, I know that what happened to you in Moscow was a misfortune." - I am very sorry about that, my sir.

Pierre blushed and, hastily lowering his legs from the bed, bent down to the old man, smiling unnaturally and timidly.

“I did not mention this to you out of curiosity, my sir, but for more important reasons. He paused, not letting Pierre out of his gaze, and moved over on the sofa, inviting by this gesture Pierre to sit down beside him. It was unpleasant for Pierre to enter into conversation with this old man, but, involuntarily submitting to him, he went up and sat down beside him.

“You are unhappy, my sir,” he continued. - You are young, I am old. I would like to help you to the best of my ability.

“Oh, yes,” Pierre said with an unnatural smile. - I am very grateful to you ... Where are you going to pass from? - The face of the traveler was not affectionate, even cold and stern, but in spite of that, both the speech and the face of the new acquaintance had an irresistible and attractive effect on Pierre.

- But if for some reason you are unpleasant to talk with me, - said the old man, - then you say so, my sir. - And he suddenly smiled unexpectedly, a fatherly gentle smile.

“Oh no, not at all, on the contrary, I am very glad to meet you,” said Pierre, and, glancing once more at the hands of his new acquaintance, examined the ring closer. He saw on it Adam's head, a sign of Freemasonry.

“Let me ask,” he said. - Are you a Freemason?

- Yes, I belong to the brotherhood of free stone-makers, said the traveler, looking deeper and deeper into Pierre's eyes. - And on behalf of myself and on their behalf, I extend my brotherly hand to you.

“I’m afraid,” Pierre said, smiling and hesitating between the confidence instilled in him by the personality of a Mason and the habit of ridiculing the beliefs of the Freemasons. the universe is so opposite to yours that we are not understand friend friend.

- I know your way of thinking, - said the Mason, - and that way of thinking about which you speak, and which seems to you the product of your mental labor, there is a way of thinking of most people, there is a monotonous fruit of pride, laziness and ignorance. Excuse me, my sir, if I did not know him, I would not have spoken to you. Your way of thinking is a sad delusion.

“In the same way, how can I suppose that you are also delusional,” said Pierre, smiling weakly.

“I will never dare to say that I know the truth,” said the Mason, more and more striking Pierre with his certainty and firmness of speech. - No one alone can reach the truth; only stone by stone, with the participation of all, millions of generations, from the forefather Adam to our time, the temple is being erected, which should be a worthy dwelling place of the Great God, - said the Mason and closed his eyes.

“I must tell you, I don’t believe, I don’t ... believe in God,” Pierre said with regret and effort, feeling the need to express the whole truth.

The Mason looked attentively at Pierre and smiled, as a rich man who held millions in his hands would smile at a poor man who would have told him that he, a poor man, did not have five rubles that could make him happy.

“Yes, you don’t know Him, my sir,” said the Mason. - You cannot know Him. You don't know Him, that's why you are unhappy.

- Yes, yes, I am unhappy, confirmed Pierre; - but what am I to do?

- You do not know Him, my sir, and that is why you are very unhappy. You do not know Him, but He is here, He is in me. He is in my words, He is in you, and even in those blasphemous speeches that you uttered now! - the Mason said in a stern, trembling voice.

He paused and sighed, apparently trying to calm down.

“If He weren't there,” he said quietly, “we wouldn't be talking about Him, my sir. What were we talking about? Who have you denied? - he suddenly said with enthusiastic severity and authority in his voice. - Who invented Him if He is not? Why did the suggestion appear in you that there is such an incomprehensible creature? Why did you and the whole world assume the existence of such an incomprehensible being, an omnipotent, eternal and infinite creature in all its properties? ... - He stopped and was silent for a long time.

Pierre could not and did not want to break this silence.

“He exists, but it is difficult to understand Him,” the Mason spoke again, looking not at Pierre’s face, but in front of him, with his old hands, which from internal excitement could not remain calm, turning over the pages of the book. - If it was a person whose existence you doubted, I would bring this person to you, take him by the hand and show you. But how can I, an insignificant mortal, show all the omnipotence, all eternity, all His goodness to the one who is blind, or to the one who closes his eyes so as not to see, not to understand Him, and not to see, and not to understand all my filth and wickedness? He paused. - Who are you? What you? You dream of yourself that you are a sage, because you could utter these blasphemous words, '' he said with a gloomy and contemptuous smile, because he does not understand the purpose of these watches, he does not believe in the master who made them. It is difficult to cognize Him ... For centuries, from the forefather Adam to our days, we have been working for this knowledge and are infinitely far from achieving our goal; but in not understanding Him, we see only our weakness and His greatness ... - Pierre, with a sinking heart, looking into the face of the Mason with shining eyes, listened to him, did not interrupt, did not ask him, but with all his soul believed what this stranger told him. Did he believe those reasonable arguments that were in the speech of the Freemason, or believed, as children believe, the intonations, conviction and cordiality that were in the speech of the Freemason, the tremor of the voice, which sometimes almost interrupted the Freemason, or these brilliant, senile eyes that grew old on that the same conviction, or that calmness, firmness and knowledge of his purpose, which shone from the whole being of the Mason, and which especially strongly struck him in comparison with their despondency and hopelessness; - but with all his soul he wanted to believe, and believed, and experienced a joyful feeling of reassurance, renewal and return to life.

- It is not comprehended by the mind, but comprehended by life, - said the Freemason.

“I don’t understand,” said Pierre, feeling with fear a doubt rising in himself. He was afraid of the vagueness and weakness of the arguments of his interlocutor, he was afraid not to believe him. “I don’t understand,” he said, “how the human mind cannot comprehend the knowledge you are talking about.

The Mason smiled his gentle, fatherly smile.

“The highest wisdom and truth is, as it were, the purest moisture that we want to take into ourselves,” he said. - Can I take this pure moisture into an unclean vessel and judge its purity? Only by internal purification of myself can I bring the perceived moisture to a certain purity.

- Yes, yes, it is! - Pierre said happily.

- The highest wisdom is not based on reason alone, not on those secular sciences of physics, history, chemistry, etc., into which mental knowledge decomposes. The highest wisdom is one. The highest wisdom has one science - the science of everything, the science that explains the entire universe and the place of man in it. In order to accommodate this science, it is necessary to cleanse and renew your inner man, and therefore, before knowing, you need to believe and improve. And to achieve these goals, the light of God, called conscience, is imbedded in our souls.

- Yes, yes, - Pierre confirmed.

- Look with spiritual eyes at your inner person and ask yourself if you are satisfied with yourself. What have you achieved by being guided by one mind? What are you? You are young, you are rich, you are smart, educated, my sir. What have you made of all these blessings given to you? Are you satisfied with yourself and your life?

“No, I hate my life,” Pierre said with a frown.

“You hate, so change her, purify yourself, and as you purify, you will learn wisdom. Look at your life, my sir. How did you conduct it? In violent orgies and debauchery, receiving everything from society and giving nothing to it. You have received wealth. How did you use it? What have you done for your neighbor? Have you thought about the tens of thousands of your slaves, have you helped them physically and mentally? No. You used their labors to lead a dissolute life. Here's what you did. Have you chosen a place of ministry where you would benefit your neighbor? No. You spent your life in idleness. Then you got married, my sir, took responsibility for the leadership of the young woman, and what did you do? You did not help her, my sir, to find the path of truth, but plunged her into the abyss of lies and misfortune. The man insulted you, and you killed him, and you say that you do not know God and that you hate your life. There is nothing tricky here, my sir! - After these words, the Mason, as if tired of the long conversation, again leaned against the back of the sofa and closed his eyes. Pierre looked at this stern, immovable, senile, almost dead face, and silently moved his lips. He wanted to say: yes, a vile, idle, depraved life - and did not dare to break the silence.

The Freemason cleared his throat hoarsely, senilely, and called the servant.

- What horses? He asked, not looking at Pierre.

Psychological insight character artwork there is an internal monologue-reflection, internal ("to oneself") speech, reasoning of the character. One thought evokes another; each, in turn, generates a chain reaction of considerations, conclusions, new questions. The “discoveries” that the heroes make are steps in the process of their spiritual development.

Upon admission to Freemasonry, guarantees are required from the new entrant. Anyone wishing to become a Freemason must obtain the recommendation of one of the members of the lodge into which he wishes to be accepted. Then, on the appointed day and hour, the guarantor, blindfolding the profane, introduces him into the lodge for the rite of initiation into the first Masonic stage of a disciple. "

“A week later, Pierre, having said goodbye to his new friends, the Freemasons, and leaving them large sums on alms, went to his estate. His new friends gave him letters to Kiev and Odessa, to the local Masons, and promised to write to him and guide him in his new activities”(Ch. 5).

What concrete steps did Pierre Bezukhov take to confirm the moral appeals of the Freemasons with practical deeds? Later, Pierre saw that under the noble guise of the saint was not at all what the brothers were trying to demonstrate. Tolstoy writes: “From under the Masonic aprons and signs, he saw on them uniforms and crosses, which they sought in life.” Pierre saw that many representatives of high society, who had no less wealth than he, and who had taken the Masonic oath to give all their property for their neighbor, shied away from making even a penny alms, and doubts began to creep into his soul.

Today in Europe, America, Asia there is big number Masonic lodges. Most of them are united in an international organization. But there is no unity in the ranks of the Freemasons. The Masons themselves are less and less denying their connection with politics, but, as before, they consider humanistic ideals and the provision of human rights to be the most important. Several Masonic lodges operate legally in Russia. One of them - “The Great Lodge of Russia” - has its own official website on the Internet. Great master, a certain Grigory D., in his address to the readers of the site, informs that his lodge avoids politics. When asked if there is one among modern masons famous people from the world of business and politics, answers: "I suppose there may be."

What will Freemasonry be like in the future? Will it be an influential force or will it attract people by its involvement in ancient secrets and mysterious rituals? The future will give answers to these questions.

"War and Peace" - Russian national epic, in which the character of the great people was reflected at the moment when its historical destinies were being decided. Tolstoy, trying to cover everything that he knew and felt at that time, gave in the novel a code of life, customs, ...

"Deep knowledge secret movements of psychological life and the immediate purity of moral feeling, which now gives a special physiognomy to the works of Count Tolstoy, will always remain essential features of his talent "(N.G. Chernyshevsky) Beautiful ...

Natasha Rostova - central female character the novel "War and Peace" and, perhaps, the author's favorite. Tolstoy presents us with the evolution of his heroine at the age of fifteen, from 1805 to 1820, a segment of her life and for more than one and a half thousand ...

We meet Prince Andrei Bolkonsky already on the first pages of the novel War and Peace. The whole appearance Leo Tolstoy's hero, his "tired, bored look" tells us that this person is in a state of mental crisis. He got bored ...

Life path Pierre Bezukhov in the novel "War and Peace": spiritual path searches, life history, stages of biography

The way of searching for Pierre Bezukhov is a difficult, winding path. In his life, Pierre goes through many trials: the death of loved ones, war, captivity, etc.

The origin of Pierre Bezukhov

At the beginning of the novel, Pierre Bezukhov is 20 years old (in 1805): "... abroad, where he stayed until the age of twenty ..."

Pierre is the illegitimate son of a wealthy count Kirill Bezukhov: "... After all, he only has illegal children. It seems ... and Pierre is illegal ..."

Pierre hardly knows his father. Pierre has been living abroad for 10 years without a father. There he receives a foreign education. Pierre is brought up abroad by a tutor: "... his father, whom he almost did not know ..." "... That’s all the upbringing abroad led to ...." before the age of twenty ... "

Pierre's return to Russia

20-year-old Pierre returns from abroad to Russia (volume 1 part 1): "... From the age of ten, Pierre was sent abroad with the tutor-abbot, where he stayed until the age of twenty ..."

Returning to Russia, Pierre leads a dissolute life: " ... stop going to these Kuragins, to lead this life. So this does not suit you: all these revelry, and the hussars, and all ... "" ... Pierre lived with Prince Vasily Kuragin and took part in the wild life of his son Anatol ... "

Pierre Bezukhov does nothing. He doesn't know who he wants to be. His path of searching is just beginning: "... I just don't know what to start ..." "... Pierre never had time to choose a career for himself in St. Petersburg ..."

Pierre Bezukhov - best friend Andrey Bolkonsky... They have been friends since childhood: "... said Prince Andrey. - I have known him since childhood ..."

Inheritance and marriage to Helen Kuragina

After the death of his father, Pierre receives a huge inheritance (volume 1 part 1): "... Pierre, suddenly becoming a rich man and Count Bezukhov ..."

With the help of Prince Vasily, Pierre gets a place in the diplomatic corps and the rank of chamber junker (volume 1 part 3): "... you are enrolled in the diplomatic corps and made a chamber junker. Now the diplomatic path is open to you ..."

The cunning prince Vasily brings Pierre to his daughter Helen Kuragina. Prince Vasily almost forces Pierre to marry Helene (volume 1 part 3): "... he was married and settled, as they said, the happy owner of a beautiful wife and millions in a large St. Petersburg, newly decorated house of the Counts Bezukhovs ..."

Breaking up with Helen

There are rumors in society that his wife Helen is cheating on him with Dolokhov (volume 2 part 1): "... this morning he received an anonymous letter, in which it was said with that vile playfulness, which is characteristic of all anonymous letters, that he does not see well through his glasses and that his wife's connection with Dolokhov is a secret only for him ... "

On one of the evenings, Dolokhov insults Pierre. Pierre challenges Dolokhov to a duel. In a duel, Pierre wounds Dolokhov, but he himself remains unharmed: "... you ... you ... scoundrel! .. I call you," he said and, moving a chair, got up from the table ... "" ... And I shot Dolokhov because I considered myself insulted ... "

After the duel, Pierre breaks off relations with his depraved wife Helene. Pierre leaves Helene for Petersburg: "... the whole clue was in that terrible word that she lecherous woman: told myself this scary word, and everything became clear! .. "" ... He hated her and was forever torn from her ... "

Pierre and Freemasonry

Pierre is unhappy because of his unsuccessful marriage. He does not believe in God and is disappointed in life: "... I must tell you, I do not believe, I do not ... believe in God," Pierre said with regret and effort, feeling the need to express the whole truth ... "" ... Yes, yes, I am unhappy, "Pierre confirmed. , - but what can I do? .. "

On the way to Petersburg, Pierre meets the Freemason Bazdeev. He inspires Pierre to become a Freemason: "... The traveler was Osip Alekseevich Bazdeev<...>Bazdeev was one of the most famous Masons ... "

Pierre hopes to find happiness in Freemasonry. In St. Petersburg, Pierre joins the Masonic lodge (volume 2 part 2 chapter IV): "... Pierre<...>with the delight of renewal, imagining his blissful, impeccable and virtuous future, which seemed so easy to him ... "" ... The next day after being admitted to the box, Pierre was sitting at home ... "

After joining the lodge, Pierre goes about business on his estates (volume 2 part 2 chapter X): "... Soon after his admission to the brotherhood of Masons, Pierre, with a complete written guide for himself about what he had to do on his estates, left for the Kiev province, where he was most of his peasants ... "

However, Pierre only pretends to be busy with his estates. In fact, Pierre does not improve the life of the peasants: "... All those enterprises by names that Pierre started at himself and did not bring to any result, constantly moving from one business to another ..."

Returning from the villages, Pierre becomes the head of St. Petersburg Freemasonry: "... Two years ago, in 1808, returning to St. Petersburg from his trip to the estates, Pierre unwittingly became the head of St. Petersburg Freemasonry ..."

Pierre goes abroad on Freemasonry and returns to St. Petersburg: "... And therefore, at the end of the year, Pierre went abroad to devote himself to higher secrets order. In the summer, back in 1809, Pierre returned to St. Petersburg ... "

Pierre with Helene again

Soon Pierre begins to live again with his wife Helene. Helen shines at balls and is liked by men (volume 2 part 3 chapter VIII): "... I am living with my wife again ..."

Pierre perceives Helene as a cross that he must carry. Life with Helene makes Pierre unhappy, but he decides to carry this cross. Suffering forces Pierre to develop internally: "... In the soul of Pierre, during all this time, a complex and difficult work of internal development was going on, which revealed a lot to him and led him to many spiritual doubts and joys ..."

Pierre enters the service - on the advice of his benefactor-Mason: "... I got up at eight o'clock, read the Holy Scriptures, then went to office (Pierre, on the advice of a benefactor, entered the service of one of the committees) .."

Apparently, Helen Bezukhova is cheating on Pierre with the prince. For this, Pierre receives the rank of chamberlain. Pierre is ashamed of this promotion, but he resigns himself: "... about the time of the prince's rapprochement with his wife, Pierre was unexpectedly granted a chamberlain, and from that time he began to feel heaviness and shame in a large society ..." (rank of chamberlain - IV class in the Table of Ranks)

The death of the benefactor and the wild life

Pierre's Masonic lodge mentor, Joseph Alekseevich, is dying. At the same time, Natasha Rostova becomes engaged to Andrei Bolkonsky. Pierre stops seeing Natasha, who is dear to him. All these losses shock Pierre. His life loses its meaning: "... after the engagement of Prince Andrey to Natasha and after the death of Joseph Alekseevich, about which he received news almost at the same time, all the charm of this former life suddenly disappeared for him ..."

After the death of the benefactor, Pierre "sinks": he drinks a lot and leads a riotous life. Then he leaves for Moscow: "... He stopped writing his diary, avoided the company of brothers, began to go to the club again, began to drink a lot again, again became close to single companies<...>so as not to compromise his wife, he left for Moscow ... "" ... Pierre was that retired chamberlain, good-naturedly living out his days in Moscow, of which there were hundreds ... "

Patriotic War of 1812

Pierre lives in Moscow. In 1812, the war with Napoleon begins. Pierre goes to the front to participate in the battle (volume 2 part 5): "... Pierre explained his intention to participate in the battle and inspect the position ..." Pierre is captured by the French (volume 3 part 3 chapter XXXIV): "... Four weeks have passed since Pierre was in captivity. .. "

While Pierre is in captivity, his wife Helene dies unexpectedly: "... Countess Elena Bezukhova died suddenly ..."

Life in French captivity changes Pierre's views and values. He becomes a mature, self-confident, wise person: "... He became somehow clean, smooth, fresh; as if from a bath, you understand? - morally from a bath. Really? .."

Marriage to Natasha Rostova

After the death of Andrei Bolkonsky, Pierre becomes close to Natasha Rostova. Soon they get married (1st part of the epilogue): "... The wedding of Natasha, who was married to Bezukhov in the 13th year ..."

In marriage, Natasha and Pierre have three daughters and one son: "... in 1820 she already had three daughters and one son ..."

Pierre and secret society

In 1820, Pierre is a member of a secret society that is preparing a coup d'etat. Apparently, the "secret society" is an allusion to the Decembrists (the Decembrist uprising occurs 5 years later, in 1825): "... You say that everything is bad with us and that there will be a coup ..."<...>we only for this take hand with hand, with one goal of common good and common security ... "

This is the story of life, the life path of Pierre Bezukhov in the novel "War and Peace", the main stages of his biography in quotes, the spiritual path of quest.

Count Pierre Bezukhov

The fact that Pierre came to Freemasonry is the result of his life searches. He wanted to find the meaning of life and ways to achieve it. The ideas of Freemasonry about brotherhood, mutual assistance, self-sacrifice attracted him.
He wants to "be quite good", to do good, to sacrifice.
Influenced by the ideas of Freemasonry, he forgives his wife and is again burdened by his ambiguous position.
Pierre becomes the head of the Freemasons, travels abroad to fully comprehend the laws of this movement. He expresses new noble thoughts to the brothers, but they do not perceive them.
Under the aprons of the Masons, Pierre sees seekers of crosses, awards, orders, those whom he so often met in secular society.
He became disillusioned with Freemasonry, realizing that behind the external nobility lie the same traits that are inherent in a secular society: greed, selfishness, greed, hypocrisy.

All this leads Pierre to a break with the Freemasons and to the fact that he again falls into a dead end in life and plunges into a state of hopeless melancholy and despair.

Like Andrei Bolkonsky, Pierre is an honest, highly educated nobleman. But if Andrei is a rationalist (for him reason prevails over feelings), then Bezukhov is a spontaneous nature, capable of acutely feeling, easily aroused. Pierre is characterized by ... lofty thoughts and doubts in the search for the meaning of life. His life path is complicated and winding. At first, under the influence of youth and the environment, he commits many mistakes: he leads a reckless life of a secular buffoon and a loafer, allows Prince Kuragin to rob himself and marry the frivolous beauty Helen. Pierre shoots himself in a duel with Dolokhov, breaks with his wife, becomes disillusioned with life. He hates the lies recognized by all secular society and he understands the need to fight.
At this critical moment, Bezukhov falls into the hands of the freemason Bazdeev. This "preacher" cleverly sets before the trusting count the networks of a religious and mystical society, which called for the moral improvement of people and their unification on the basis of brotherly love. Pierre understood Freemasonry as a doctrine of equality, brotherhood and love, and this helps him direct his energies to the improvement of the serfs. He was going to free the peasants, establish hospitals, shelters, schools.
The war of 1812 forces Pierre to get down to business again ardently, but his passionate appeal to help the Motherland causes general discontent among the Moscow nobility. He fails again.

To the question What brought Pierre Bezukhov to the society of Masons? Why was he disappointed there? given by the author Prosvirnya the best answer is In the epic novel War and Peace, Tolstoy, using the example of P. Bezukhov's meeting with the Freemasons, showed the danger of this phenomenon for Russia.
After parting with Helen, the search for the meaning of life and answers to the questions “What's wrong? What well? What should I love, what should I hate? Why live, and what am I ... "Pierre Bezukhov is brought into the society of Masons. He is attracted by the ideas of "love, equality and brotherhood." Pierre is struggling to bring these ideas to life. He wants to make the life of the peasants easier, to build schools, shelters and hospitals on every estate. But, doing good deeds, Pierre Bezukhov is faced with misunderstanding and outright deception:
"... he did not know that due to the fact that they stopped sending children - women with babies to corvee, these same children carried the most difficult work in their half. He did not know that the priest who met him with the cross was burdening the peasants with his extortions and that the disciples gathered to him were given back to him with tears and were paid off by their parents for a lot of money. He did not know that the stone buildings, according to the plan, were erected by their workers and increased the corvee of the peasants, reduced only on paper ... "
As a result, Pierre is disappointed with Freemasonry.
Pierre's entry into Freemasonry is one of the highlights of the novel. L. Tolstoy very ironically described Bezukhov's dedication to the box, the show to Pierre of both small and large light looks comical. How he was ready to give all his fortune to the Masons, but did not give it up, only being afraid to seem immodest, how during the initiation Pierre blushed to tears, as children blush. Bezukhov himself was creeping in thoughts: "Are they laughing at me? Wouldn't I be ashamed to remember this?" Pierre, entering Freemasonry, thought that the brothers would help change the world for the better, but in fact they needed him because of money (his repeated donations) and connections in high society.
Gradually, "Pierre feels that the swamp he got into is pulling him in more and more." It seems to him: "that Freemasonry is based on one appearance." He sees that people (like Boris Drubetskoy) are entering Freemasonry, pursuing one goal - to get closer to famous and influential people... Tolstoy brilliantly showed that the Freemasons are the same circle of Madame Scherer, only for a select few of the elite. It seems to Pierre that Russian Freemasonry is following the wrong path, deviating from its source. He goes abroad to comprehend the highest secrets of the order. At the meeting, Bezukhov makes a speech, calls on the brothers to speak out against violence in the world, calls on to preach the ideals of goodness and justice. Freemasons should seek out "worthy" (not crooks) and encourage them to join the order. Pierre's speech provokes a stormy protest in the lodge, his proposal is rejected.
The tragedy of Russia at that time was that the Widow's children tried to impose their ideals on Russian society, to crush our culture, and then the whole country. Tolstoy tried to convey this to us.
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Answer from Caucasoid[active]
The desire to change his life for the better leads him to the Freemasons, to a secret organization, whose members hope to appoint their like-minded "brothers" to key government posts, then gain power over the world and begin to implement the ideals of good.
Retelling.
After an explanation with his wife, Pierre leaves for St. Petersburg and at one of the stations he meets one of the famous Masons Osip Alekseevich Bazdeev. Freemasonry seemed to him in the form of a brotherhood of people united with the goal of supporting each other on the path of virtue, Pierre decided to embark on the path of renewal and joined the Masonic lodge.
The goal is to preserve and pass on to posterity some important sacrament; the second goal is -0 to correct the hearts of the members of the lodge; and the third is to correct the entire membership clan. Virtues corresponding to the seven steps of the Temple of Solomon, which every Freemason must cultivate:
1) modesty, observance of the secrets of the order;
2) obedience to the highest ranks of the order;
3) kindness;
4) love for humanity;
5) courage;
6) generosity;
7) love of death.
The Freemasons were most busy with their own progress to power. It seemed to him that Russian Freemasonry had taken the wrong path. He divided all brothers into 4 categories:
occupied with the mysteries of science, the mystical side; seekers, hesitant, like himself; seeing nothing but the outer form; entered Freemasonry to get closer to rich and strong-connected brothers.
After a trip abroad, he made an appeal to act, was accused of fervor.