The problem of right
conduct as espoused in the ‘Book of the Law’ must be a central one for
all Thelemites. Of course, the truth of ‘One’s True Will’ is the final
word, but as a document, The Book of the Law (Liber AL) is often
misperceived, misunderstood and misinterpreted. I’m sure this is not
news to anyone who knows what I’m talking about. There are many
references to bloodshed, killing and torture. Like: Al.III.11:
“This
shall be your only
proof. I forbid argument. Conquer! That is enough. I will make easy to
you the abstruction from the ill-ordered house in the Victorious City.
Thou shalt thyself convey it with worship, o prophet, though thou
likest it not. Thou shalt have danger & trouble. Ra-Hoor-Khu is
with thee. Worship me with fire & blood; worship me with swords
& with spears. Let the woman be girt with a sword before me: let
blood flow to my name. Trample down the Heathen; be upon them, o
warrior, I will give you of their flesh to eat!”
etc etc.
Amongst the concepts of
Kingship and the Warrior-way lurks the supposed fire of implied fascist
ideology and totalitarianism that some so-called Thelemites, even
today, espouse, using Liber AL as their justification and ‘proof.’ This
is the ‘might makes right’ social Darwinism of the slave gods and,
hopefully, those so called fundamentalist ‘Thelemites’ who follow this
line of reasoning and are thus led to a belief in a doctrine of
Thelemites ruling over masses of ignorant slaves are ‘not of us.’
It is my opinion that the
key to ‘right action’ running through AL is encoded in the word
COMPASSION (Communal-Passion).
It is most clearly stated in AL. II. 21:
“ We
have nothing with the
outcast and the unfit: let them die in their misery. For they feel not.
Compassion is the vice of kings: stamp down the wretched & the
weak: this is the law of the strong: this is our law and the joy of the
world. Think not, o king, upon that lie: That Thou Must Die: verily
thou shalt not die, but live. Now let it be understood: If the body of
the King dissolve, he shall remain in pure ecstasy for ever. Nuit!
Hadit! Ra-Hoor-Khuit! The Sun, Strength & Sight, Light; these are
for the servants of the Star & the Snake.”
Yet, the crucial
announcement that Compassion is the vice of Kings (and this is a
profound call to such ‘kings’)
seems to be contradicted by the violence
then described. Or does it? Later ‘Hadit’ says in
AL.II.52:
“
There is a veil: that
veil is black. It is the veil of the modest woman; it is the veil of
sorrow, & the pall of death: this is none of me. Tear down that
lying spectre of the centuries: veil not your vices in virtuous words:
these vices are my service; ye do well, & I will reward you here
and hereafter…”
As a Thelemite, I am
a
King. Compassion is my ‘vice’ and this ‘vice’ is in the service of
Hadit. Hadit being the inner core of my being, my Guardian Spirit as it
were, this makes sense. It is through the active actions of Compassion
that Hadit is brought forth in my life on a daily basis. It is wrong to
veil this Compassion in ‘virtuous words’ (bullshit, prevaricating,
words-not-deeds) because it then becomes labeled as ‘altruism’ or
‘charity’ or ‘paternalism’ which is NOT what Hadit is saying. So what
is the point here? Let’s start with a few words and their real roots.
All quotes from the very excellent http://www.etymonline.com/
:
Let’s start with VICE, a
word used very positively throughout AL. If Compassion is the chief
Vice of Kings, what is this about?
"VICE: L. vitium "defect,
offense, blemish, imperfection," in both physical and moral senses (cf.
It. vezzo "usage, entertainment"). "
Thus we can consider the
fact that, to the world at large, the vice of Compassion is seen as a
defect or, more appropriately, an imperfection. In other words, the
attitude of balanced (and, detached) Compassion seems odd to those who
are egocentric and immersed in the attraction/repulsion world of
samsara. It is also nice to see that the word is rooted in
Entertainment, inferring that it is a joy and ecstasy
for the KING to
exist in a state of enlightened Compassion.
So, what of this
word KING?
“KING ; O.E. cyning, from
P.Gmc. *kuninggaz (cf. Du. koning, O.H.G. kuning, O.N. konungr, Dan.
konge, Ger. könig). Possibly related to O.E. cynn "family, race"
(see kin), making a king originally a "leader of the people;" … Lith.
kunigas "clergyman" are loans from Gmc.”
Note the connection
between
Kin and King and (!) Clergyman (Heirophant?) We could say it goes all
the way back to the ancient prehistoric Shaman-Tribal leader and this
‘office’ is referred to in AL as ‘priest king.’ The gist is this- if
you have a direct connection to the divine gnosis, this lays certain
responsibilities on you as a ‘KINg.’ A King would not, in this manner,
slaughter his or her own people!
So what is this war-like attitude all
about? Quotes like:
“We
have nothing with the
outcast and the unfit: let them die in their misery” or
“Trample down the Heathen;
be upon them, o warrior, I will give you of their flesh to eat!”
What are the ‘outcast’ and
the ‘unfit’ and the ‘heathen’? Buddhism (and Taoism before that) has
the most obvious answer.
They are the ‘demons’ of our very fragmented
and ego-centered Mind. To quote a bit of Buddhist theology from
http://www.experiencefestival.com
:
“ (In
meditation, when)
Encountering demons, kill the demons, encountering Buddhas, kill the
Buddhas."
Both demons and Buddhas are mind-made, Mind-Only.”
If AL is a Tantra or Sutra
of the new aeon (my overall thesis) then its worth lies in its ability
to coach us through the radical spiritual path to direct gnosis and
plug in to spiritual current here and now. It is about self development
and, clearly states, that the cultivation of Compassion
is key to that
magickal progress for the current Priest/ess-Kings/Shamans- us.
The real enemies are not external, one should not be viewing one’s
‘kin’ as cattle or the unfit, but instead should be looking within and
become engaged in ‘stamping down’ the neuroses, slave-programming and
ego-centeredness that lurk within the real temple, our Mind. If all is
illusion and, as Nuit says, “there is no difference between any one
thing and any other thing” then the outer world is a reflection of the
Mind. Everything we seek is in the MIND and the real work, the real
battles and fighting and conquests will be inner. In this way we will
also affect and change our OUTER world. This is far more efficient than
striking out at everything that pushes our buttons or offends us. Worse
is using ‘Thelema’ to craft a superior and arrogant ‘I’m a king’
attitude that is merely ego-based and thus inherently false and
entrapping and, in the end, self defeating. The ‘outcast and unfit’ are
within and the true work is the inner struggle, the inner alchemy or
‘great work.’
In fact, Hadit in AL declares this as the working
principle of Thelemic spiritual work. AL. II.5:
“Behold! the rituals of the
old time are black. Let the evil ones be cast away; let the good ones
be purged by the prophet!
Then shall this Knowledge go aright.”
If the old
rituals = old
slavish programming, and false dogma and the ‘good ones’ are be seen as
the inner archetypes (gods), and
the Prophet = the adept, and Knowledge =
Gnosis, then the meaning is clear.
The next step, when one has
stomped and subdued one’s ‘enemies’ and ‘old programming’ and ‘inner
demons,’ seems to be the further cultivation of Compassion as a Sadhana
or spiritual practice according to AL.
What is this Compassion?
It infers
'sympathetic
consciousness of other distress together with a spiritual desire to
alleviate it' or so says Webster’s Dictionary. The root of the word
comes from compassionem (nom. compassio) meaning "sympathy", it also
means to ‘suffer together.’ And this makes complete sense if the title
of ‘King’ or ‘adept’ is accepted by a Thelemite. Keep in mind that,
once again dipping into Buddhist and Taoist theology, this does NOT
mean pity or mawkishness or some sort of paternalistic caste system
differentiating
peoples. It is clearly stated by Nuit in AL.I.22 :
“…Since
I am Infinite
Space, and the Infinite Stars thereof, do ye also thus. Bind nothing!
Let there be no difference made among you between any one thing &
any other thing; for thereby there cometh hurt.”
In other words, it is NON
ATTACHMENT (equipoise as it were) that is the key to spiritual
Compassion. It is a compassion of non-attachment, ego-less but open.
One description of this kind of Compassion (borrowed from the Dalai
Lama) is this:
“Compassion
thus refers to
an unselfish, de-tached emotion which gives one a sense of urgency in
wanting to help others.”
Why? Why care about
‘others’? The answer is, in short, enlightened ‘Self’ interest.
Because of the common
experience all spiritual adventurers have of ‘being one with the
universe’ every adept ‘knows’ that any suffering in the world hurts all
people, that injury to one part of the Universal Consciousness’ as also
self harm. AL does not advocate that we see ourselves as above or
separate from humanity, it is the opposite. It is ‘division hither
homeward’ that is the problem. The solution is awakening to the
essential unity of all things- thus Compassion blooms. As Nuit says so
perfectly:
“Let there be no difference made
among you between any one
thing & any other thing; for thereby there cometh hurt.”
The point is this;
Human
evolution is the business of all adepts. All who claim the mantle of
‘few and secret’ priest/ess-kings of Thelema also take the role of
spiritual mentor (Guru- ‘light from darkness’- If you will) and though
the slaves shall serve, they are not there to serve US, they serve
their own demons, their own failed dogmas and ‘rituals of the old time’
and weaknesses and insecurities. This is not cause to despise such
slaves, they are all struggling with the same 'battles' within as all
others. Sympathy is knowledge is the root of
Compassion and an active Compassion is called for because we have been
through those battles of the ego/mind/conditioning and have emerged
with the Fire from Heaven of direct Gnosis and can therefore, from a
state of detached Compassion, help to alleviate suffering of the
'slaves' by helping them to free themselves. This is the gift of
'Thelema' in all its forms, though
unlike most Buddhism, this 'freeing' may not always be in a peaceful
and
all-embracing manner. Militant Zen offers a
better model in terms of this for Thelemites, where the ‘short path’
may involve shocks, a few slaps, an intensive and sometimes aggressive
focus on HELPING PEOPLE WAKE UP. To hijack a phrase, Thelema can and
should be in practice akin to a kind of Punk Zen.
Still, this active
Compassion does seem, on the surface, to be contradictory to some of
more aggressive individualist instructions in AL, but in the end, not
really. If every man and woman is a star, isn’t our mission to reflect
to every person we encounter his or her ‘star-ness by being the Star we
are?’ Crowley himself upon several occasions noted that if everyone
were doing his or her own ‘True Will’ that there would be little or no
conflict in the world. Every person not doing his or her True Will is
suffering, of this there is no doubt. To these confused and unhappy
Kin, we are called upon to be compassionate. Also for ourselves,
because people not doing their Will often make it hard for people who
are. Still, as mentioned, compassion may entail, like the Zen master
wielding the staff or the Guru swinging the Dandi -stick, ‘striking
low’ and awaking someone to the fact that they are in ‘hell.’ A hell
(like all hells) of their own making, which, if they strive, they can
unlock, with the key of their Will. Is this not Love under Will?
Seriously, does any Thelemite have anything better to do yhan help
humanity evolve?
Yet if a so-called
‘Thelemite’ falls into the ‘pit of because’ (the ego-centered state)
and attacks or harms another from a false sense of superiority or
entitlement due to lack of intensive ‘inner’ work, then he or she is
‘damned for a dog’ and there is no doubt of this in AL. If nothing
else, it is clear in AL that to call oneself a Thelemite requires
tremendous effort, spiritual practice, self examination and discipline.
‘Jack-Thelemites’ who have a superficial knowledge of the book and use
the apparent inflammatory rhetoric in AL to further their own self
aggrandizement or to mock or manipulate others for selfish or weak or
angry reasons will find a special punishment. AL is not a gentle book
and does not suffer ignorant fools, only Holy Fools.
Where there is no love (agape) towards
fellow humans, there is hell. As Nuit says in AL.I.41:
“…There
is no bond that can
unite the divided but love: all else is a curse. Accursed! Accursed be
it to the aeons! Hell.”
Thelema teaches total
responsibility. Awareness, becoming ‘enlightened’ or manifesting
oneself as a Star comes with duty. The sword of being a Thelemite has
two edges and only a compassionless being strikes out of fear, and fear
is the psychological root of violence. It is the mask of ego-attachment
and arrogance. Hadit makes it clear that ‘Where fear is, I am not’ as
well as exhorting us to ‘fear neither men nor gods…’ thus giving a
vital clue as to the
clear and detached state of consciousness a Thelemite should be aiming
for. However, Thelema is not
Buddhism, it does not call for ‘turning the other cheek’ or simply
being passive in the face of injustice. There is no reliance on karma
or reincarnation per se. Death is not to be feared and there is
ecstasy in the end, the rest of the 'trip' is about being here now and
operating from a place of
Compassion, not for merit, but for freedom. Freedom does need to be
defended.
AL states that you
should
turn on anyone who attacks you ‘like a serpent’ and neutralize the
threat. Yet this must be done with Love under Will, not simply by force
of Will. We must ‘love one another with burning hearts’, with passion
should we live our lives, in joy and beauty, showing others by our
aesthetic example that a life of ecstasy and ‘True Will’ is not only
possible, but necessary! The slave masters, the dangerous ones and
unconscious, mean little clones that promote suffering and
self-centerness, these the forces of evolution will smash with force
and
fire in this aeon, but not because they bother us or because they are
mean, rather because they hinder the birthright of humanity, the
becoming of free STARS.
It is NOT our duty
to force
people into becoming stars, or to punish people for not evolving fast
enough for us. Our work is the Inner Work; this is then reflected in
our Outer Work. Things are the way they are. We are not to remake the
world but to be midwives and mentors to those evolving. There is no
grand Thelemic call to arms, quite the contrary. Thelema isn’t a label
nor can one ‘convert,’ one is either an awakening Star or Not.
Thelema IS NOT a religion but a state of hard-won awareness. The
whole point
isn’t that we are to ‘shape’ or ‘convert’ people, but that the daily
Work is to be AWAKE and AWARE and help others, with Compassion, to
become aware
and awake (from samsara) to what already IS,
or as Hadit says in AL.II.58:
“Yea!
deem not of change:
ye shall be as ye are, & not other. Therefore the kings of the
earth shall be Kings for ever: the slaves shall serve. There is none
that shall be cast down or lifted up: all is ever as it was. Yet there
are masked ones my servants: it may be that yonder beggar is a King. A
King may choose his garment as he will: there is no certain test: but a
beggar cannot hide his poverty.”
As adepts we aim to be the
incarnate ‘prophets’ and ‘priest/ess/kings’ of evolutionary shift and
progress. This is an awesome responsibility and being ‘few and secret’
it is not our destiny to ‘rule’ over people politically (yuck!) but to
offer Compassion and Love and Will by act, word and deed so that they
can do what we strive to do; rule over none but ourselves as stars. In
this way we may offer, by example, a path that others may choose or
not,
the path of True Will or Thelema.
“…Then
they shall chance to
abide in this bliss or no; it is no odds. Do this quickly!”
-AL.II. 39
Love is the Law, Love Under
Will
Aion 131 Written 2/16/88, revised
and added to 12/29/09
'Compassion
and love are
not mere luxuries. As the
source both of inner
and external peace, they
are fundamental to the
continued survival of our species.'
-His Holiness the XIV Dalai
Lama
Some Gematria Notes:
COMPASSION = (with various spellings)
* = from Sepher AL
** = Hebrew, from Sepher
Sephiroth
KOMPASSION - 461 =
Resinous, Victorious *
KUMPASSION - 397 = Internal
Light (Kether)**
KOMPASHION - 641 = Lights**
KUMPASHION - 577 = Ra Hoor
Khu* Concealed of the Concealed (God) **
