Lodge Burroughs Strange No. 87
Vijayawada, India

The first and foremost concept in Freemasonry is the Principle of Universal Brotherhood, a fraternity which known no barriers of caste, creed, colour or material wealth. Free masonry in its inherent sense implies a forgetting of self, a sacrifice of the base, indecent and worldly seeking after self-aggrandisement, abandonment of the motto of "Self before Everything". All the prejudices, nuances and ignoble pursuits based on an overpowering, domineering attitude towards the world at large must be eschewed before one can truly call oneself a be eschewed before one can truly call oneself a freemason. Freemasonry teaches not only how to act as a man, but as a mighty superman. Void of mundane aspirations, unseemly squabbles, sabre-rattling over mythical rights, a Freemason stands out in his true colour as a champion of the downtrodden persecuted sufferers of misfortune and he can do it with success only if he is imbued with the idea of self abnegation, merging into the universality of human bond of love, faith and friendship.

From the very inception the rituals bring out in manifold ways this principle of self-sacrifice for the cause of Freemasonry. The Degrees in freemasonry are not only the stepping stones to achievement of the said principle of merger of self into the Universal Soul. This is the highest truth of every philosophical thought pervading throughout the ages and Freemasonry has only adapted itself into it to inculcate within the fraternity the object of forgetting one's self in the cause of Universal Brotherhood.

Man is the highest and most complex creation of God and has been blessed with a creative mind which can transcend the most abstruse parts of matter and spirit and in the ultimate analysis, he can even approach "the throne of God", meaning thereby that by his culture, he can reach a stage where he does not feel the abysmal difference between one man and another, but with a clear and pure vision of equality - which knows no barriers of self.

Freemasonry teaches one how to die and to be reborn with an absolutely purified self or Soul beaming with the Five Principles of Fellowship. This fellowship enjoins self-denial, self-sacrifice and self-abnegation so as to bring into fruition the noblest ideas and ideals of freemasonry. I am tempted to repeat here the beautiful verbiage of our ceremony in this context: "H. to H. I greet you as a brother; F. to F. I will support you in all your laudable undertakings; K. to K. the posture of my daily supplications shall remind me of your wants; B. to B. your lawful secrets when entrusted to me as such, I will keep as my own; and H. over B. I will support your character in your absence as well as in your presence."

In what other expressive but contrite way the principles of freemasonry can be expressed, I cannot comprehend. And the performance of the Masonic ceremonies, day in and day out, cannot but impress upon our mind the beatific influence radiating there from.

I may also, in this context, refer to the excellent passage from the charity toast and the exhortations following thereon to demonstrate the salient point of my discourse.

While harping on this point, I may be permitted to state that self immolation does not mean that you are to completely shun the world, be a monk and be deaf and dumb to whatever happens round about you. Far from if, you are required to practise the principle of self-denial while in daily pursuit of your life and in enjoyment of the fruits and flowers of the earth, but with a perception and belief that in your several pursuits you should not act in such a way as to endanger your fellow-brothers put them into unnecessary and avoidable chagrin, aggrandise yourself at the cost and risk of your life in the most congenial way, in peace and tranquillity, keeping an eye on the balanced view of the world, and with full regard to the equal right of your fellow-brothers in the conduct of their lives.

It is the essence of all goodness and morality that one's self should be so adjusted as to least perturb the equanimity pervading nature.

Freemasonry is the greatest teacher of this goodness and morality. Our " Dharma Shastras" and the teachings of all religions and faiths demonstrate that to reach the highest goal in life is to immolate your petty self into the Universal Soul and then and then only can you 'is reach the destined end. Freemasonry is not religious teaching, but the principles of all religious thoughts in the world are embedded in and thus it inculcates, in its broadest sense, the cardinal and all pervading virtue of 'self-immolation."

In common parlance, when we, freemasons meet in our Temple we - rather most of us truly calling ourselves Freemasons, forget our individual rank, position or authority in society or outside world and mingle with one another with the best outpourings of our open heart forgetting then our petty self and the thousand and one troubles besetting a worldly man This is, in practice, the principle of self-immolation in freemasonry in a narrow perspective.

In its broader sense and aspect, it is the quintessence of all virtue and piety and a ladder to attain the Highest and Subliment position in the approach towards Salvation, the merger of the individual soul in the Universal Soul. This is "Self-immolation is Freemasonry."