Lodge Burroughs Strange No. 87
Vijayawada, India

It is possible that some kind of Freemasonry, i.e., man's ideas regarding God, the Creator and the Great Architect of the Universe, has existed wherever man has begun to contemplate on the mystery and origin of the Universe.

The Nile Valley must have afforded a great opportunity for people living there for Operative masonry as their lands were systematically flooded every year and thus they had to measure the land and demarcate it so that it can be restored again to the rightful owners after each flood. There are also the Pyramids in Egypt which must have entailed a great deal of calculations and planning before they were erected and which exhibit masterly workmanship in their execution. They are still standing after these millenniums. Apart from the superior officers much of it must have been done by forced labour. If any organised Freemasonry as such existed in Egypt, it would appear that we do not have tangible proofs for the same so far but they were certainly great and wonderful builders and artificers in metals whose skill has stood the test of time and are so true to life and still a source of inspiration and wonder.

It would appear that Moses must have been well skilled in all the knowledge of Egypt, as he was brought up in the home of the Pharaoh and also the Israelites who fled with him must have had some acquaintance with the wonderful Arts and Crafts of Egypt. It is possible that some of it is treasured in the Bible with subsequent developments of the same to suit the new and the Independent state of the Israelites.

From all accounts Freemasonry had its original at the time of the building of the Temple Jerusalem by King Solomon. This Temple we presumably to house the Ark of the Covenant which the Israelites carried in their wandering in the wilderness when they fled from Egypt. We have it that in the building of that Temp Solomon had the assistance of Hiram, the King of Tyre and Hiram Abiff, an eminent Craftsman who was well skilled in designing and in bulling as well as in moulding metals. Thus traditionally in the Craft Degrees of Freemason the kings and the commoners are associate. It is interesting to note that in every Degree Freemasonry the words and incidents associate with them are found in the bible which is considered to be the Volume of the Sacred Law by Freemasons, though when any person who does not have faith the Bible takes his Oath Secrecy on the Volume consideration by him to be sacred, and an oath taken on it makes it binding upon him.

The Building of the Holy Temple is recorded in great detail in the Volume of the Sacred Law, i.e. in the Old Testament of the Bible. As I have said above every Degree in Freemasonry is derived from some part of the Bible. It includes the Net Testament also.

Since Masonry is associated with the building of a Temple, Craft masons in ancient time were actually builders of the great Cathedrals and Sacred edifices associated in some way with the Bible, and this has happened in all parts of Europe.

When the desire came to free the Holy Land or parts thereof associated with the Life of Christ from the Saracens and Turks, the crusades were begun and they were also associated with Freemasonry. In course of time the Operative Masons who erected the sacred edifices had a chosen few how were not actually Operative masons but who shared their mysteries and secrets and that is how Freemasonry as we know now came into existence.

Some people have wrong ideas about Freemasonry and call it a Secret Society. it is a Secret Society but it does not mean thereby that the are involved in doing something which is objectionable or contrary to the Laws of Nature or subversive of the order of Society. On the other hand it is exactly opposite of that in that they are examples of decency and propriety, interested in moral truth and virtue and cultivating all the aspects of life which go for the good order and well being of mankind. There secrets are restricted to only those aspects of life which have to be kept away from the eyes of prying men, even as Sacred Mantras and Writings are kept secret and away from the profane and unworthy.

It is an Association of Godly men who are interested in the welfare of mankind without prejudice of colour or creed.

The essential characteristic of Freemasonry is Charity; Charity in thought, Charity in word and Charity in deed. The munificence of charitably minded Freemasons is evident from the Charities and Institutions which they have sponsored, or are conducting for the welfare, health and happiness of people generally.

The essential requisites in a candidate for Freemasonry are Belief in a Supreme being, which is absolutely essential, readiness and willingness to learn and perfect freedom of inclination for its mysteries. It is founded on the purest principles of piety and virtue.

In the Lodge in which I was Initiated, above the V.S.L. there was a ladder with some letters on it which I noticed soon after my Initiation. This ladder and the letters intrigued me and I thought at once of Vikramaditya who had a throne with eighteen steps (some accounts state thirty-two steps) and I am told that one has to climb eighteen steps to go to the Temple of Sabarimalai in the erstwhile Travancore State and the Mahabharata contains eighteen Padalams. It took many years for me to understand the significance of this ladder with its letters, "I have not seen this ladder and the letters in any other Lodge which I have visited in many parts of the World. Since the building where my Mother Lodge was originally held is no longer in existence I wonder whether this ladder continues to be in its usual place !

It would appear that Masonry in India is not the same as it was half a century ago and the quality of men who offer themselves as candidates is not perhaps of the same calibre as it was in former days.

As we all know, there are many Degrees in Freemasonry with peculiar secrets restricted to each. It is also a fact that only worthy men, and worthy men alone, who come of their own free will and accord to participate in the mysteries of Freemasonry are made Masons. They should be free born and should be able to act with responsibility and should be able to have the means to help others, as well as the leisure to pursue the studies and have the time of the contemplation on the mysteries of God and Nature so that they can make a daily advancement in Masonic knowledge.

Masonry is essentially the same throughout the world with some local differences.

Each Lodges is an association of free men formed into separate groups and strata in society according to their culture and each Lodge has a set of grade officers who are there for the conduct of administration, business and imparting mystical knowledge. Several of these Lodges are grouped together into Districts for the convenience of wider and better administration and a number of Districts are again grouped together as a Grand Lodge which becomes a hierarchy. It is usual for each independent country or State to have a Grand Lodge of its own. It is thus that when India became independent, an impetus was given for the Grand Lodge of India to be born, by the Authorities of the heads of the Lodges which had worked in India under the three different Constitutions and which originally came from the Countries of England, Scotland and Ireland.

God has given certain characteristic gifts to certain races and each of them have their particular contribution to make in the edifice of Masonry. Therefore through no innovations can be made in the body politic of Masonry, which is Universal, some little variations according to the genius of individual nations is possible.