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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 radisting therefrom.
I may also, in this cantext, 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 "Dharmassashtras"
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
fellglous thoughts in the world are embeded in and thus
it inculcates, in its broadest sense, the cardinal and
all pervading virtue of 'self-immolation."
In common parlance, when we, freemassons
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 wordly 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."
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