The Book of the Law

For any literature associated with Crowley's deck and its underlying philosophy

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Barleywine
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The Book of the Law

Post by Barleywine »

We don't have a generic Crowley or Book of the Law sub-forum, but since the Book of the Law holds the underlying structure for much of the Book of Thoth, I figured I would put this here. It's my concise commentary on the "Do what thou wilt" flash-point for many of the unenlightened. It's also posted on my blog.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mzj9gx22vhwl3 ... .pdf?raw=1

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Michael Sternbach
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Re: The Book of the Law

Post by Michael Sternbach »

Thanks for posting this, Barleywine. It definitely belongs in this forum.

Extending on what your link talks about: Crowley's "Do what thou wilt" should be understood in the way of the Daoist wu wei or "non-action", which really means effortless and "innocent" action as the natural result of one's suchness.

This kind of action in keeping with one's True Will is different from action that is based on fear, anger, addiction etc. and is bound to be supportive of the whole of which the individual is considered to be an intrinsic part.

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CharlotteK
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Re: The Book of the Law

Post by CharlotteK »

Yes, thanks Barleywine, being fairly new to Crowley's ideas, this is very helpful in understanding something I've found confusing.

I know Crowley studied Buddhism (which i know a little about) and other Eastern philosophies for a while before rejecting them and developing his own (or receiving them). But assuming there was a strong influence, is True Will perhaps similar or related to karmic forces?

He seems to be saying that acting according to your True Will is to let play out the 'natural' path of your life, what you were born to be?

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Michael Sternbach
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Re: The Book of the Law

Post by Michael Sternbach »

CharlotteKAT,

I will leave it to Barleywine to reply to your question, before (perhaps) chiming in with something of my own, just let me emphasize that Crowley much rather received than rejected any Eastern or other philosophy/religion, when he created Thelema. He was extremely syncretic, and thus, the Thoth comes replete with symbolism from many different systems - including Christianity, even though he gave his own twist to the latter. :beasty:

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Barleywine
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Re: The Book of the Law

Post by Barleywine »

CharlotteKAT wrote: 26 Aug 2017, 01:56 Yes, thanks Barleywine, being fairly new to Crowley's ideas, this is very helpful in understanding something I've found confusing.

I know Crowley studied Buddhism (which i know a little about) and other Eastern philosophies for a while before rejecting them and developing his own (or receiving them). But assuming there was a strong influence, is True Will perhaps similar or related to karmic forces?

He seems to be saying that acting according to your True Will is to let play out the 'natural' path of your life, what you were born to be?
Crowley's primary teacher in the Golden Dawn was Charles Henry Allan Bennett, who was later ordained a Buddhist monk, Bhikkhu Ananda Metteyya, the second Englishman to be so ordained and instrumental in bringing Buddhism to Great Britain. Crowley eventually wrote effectively on Yoga at least twice, once in Part I of Book 4 (around 1911) and again in Eight Lectures on Yoga in 1939. While he intended to debunk what he saw as the popular Oriental nonsense around yoga, he named it "a great science of universal importance," and "the essence of all phenomena whatsoever." He identified the Aphorisms of Patanjali as his own preferred source.

Regarding the nature of True Will, he likened it scientifically to the natural affinity for atoms of opposite character (like Hydrogen and Oxygen) to unite; each such act of union has it's own form of "true Will" that is unlike any other, producing its own unique consequences. In that sense, exercising one's True Will would seem to be an organic imperative, once what he called the "Sin of Restriction" has been dealt with. He doesn't use the word "karma" anywhere that I can find, since his intent is more scientific than mystical.

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