The Book of The Law Study Group 3.53

[Grigori]

53. With my claws I tear out the flesh of the Indian and the Buddhist, Mongol and Din.

http://www.sacred-texts.com/oto/index.htm
http://hermetic.com/crowley/index.html
http://lib.oto-usa.org/libri/liber0220.html

Other threads in this study group

 

[Always Wondering]

This verse proves a little harder for me. Crowley wrote much on Buddhism and it seems conflicting. I understand that he probably changed in growth. I keep meaning to find a timeline of his writings to see if this helps me any.

I suppose it's unfair to consider this verse, or others as conflicting to Crowley's views. I have recently taken up the practice Sam Webster offers up in Tantric Thelema. My goal is to learn that beautiful ritual in the back. But I keep getting hung up on the compassion thing and dedicating merit. I read Science and Buddhism. In one way this helped because it made clear I just need to Do as research for myself. On the other hand he ends the whole article like this.

Aum ! I take my refuge holy in the Light and Peace of Buddh.
Aum ! I take my refuge, slowly working out His Law of Good.
Aum ! I take my refuge lowly in His Pitying Brotherhood.

His Pitying Brotherhood seems very Book of Lawish to me. And then he has some nice things to say on compassion.

I guess I am just trying to work out the difference between Buddhist and Thelemic compassion. As in Duty I guess.

The distress of another may be relieved; but always with the positive and noble idea of making manifest the perfection of the Universe.

AW

 

[Aeon418]

I guess I am just trying to work out the difference between Buddhist and Thelemic compassion.

Maybe it would help if you revisted the 2:21 study thread.
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=131083
I even quoted from a very controversial, unorthodox, alcoholic, womanizing Buddhist!

Liber Tzaddi verse 26: This also is compassion: an end to the sickness of earth. A rooting-out of the weeds: a watering of the flowers.

If you confuse sentimentality with compassion then the weeds will choke the flowers.

 

[Aeon418]

For the most part I agree with Crowley on this verse, so I will merely quote.

"The Indian". The religion of Hindustan, metaphysically and mystically comprehensive enough to assure itself the possession of much truth, is in practice almost as superstitious and false as Christianity, a faith of slaves, liars and dastards. The same remarks apply roughly to Buddhism.

"Mongol": presumably the reference is to Confucianism, whose metaphysical and ethical flawlessness has not saved its adherents from losing those ruder virtues which are proper to a Fighting Animal, and thus yielding at last a civilization coeval with history itself to the barbarous tribes of Europe.

"Din" — 'severity' or 'Judgment' may refer to the Jewish Law, rather than to the Faith (ad 'din') of Islam. Assuming this, the six religions whose flesh must be torn out cover the whole globe outside Islam and Christianity.

Why assault their flesh rather than their eyes, as in the other cases? Because the metaphysics, or point of view, is correct - I take Judaism as Qabalistic - but the practice imperfect.

On the last point it's interesting to note that the vast majority of attempts to bring Eastern religions to the West have met with mixed results and frustrations on both sides. Why? Because what is being imported is essentially soiled goods. Along with the central metaphysics comes a mountain of dogma, superstition, repressive sexual taboos and cultural baggage that is totally alien to Western people. In my opinion this is the "flesh" that R.H.K. tears at.

Oddly enough this verse contains 64 letters. 64 is the value of the Hebrew, DIN - Justice, which is a title of the sephirah Geburah. There does seem to be a Geburan flavour to this verse. Just right for weeding....

 

[Always Wondering]

Maybe it would help if you revisted the 2:21 study thread.
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=131083
I even quoted from a very controversial, unorthodox, alcoholic, womanizing Buddhist!


If you confuse sentimentality with compassion then the weeds will choke the flowers.

Well shoot. Guess I'm not happy unless I am complicating everything to $#!%.

And how did I miss Trungpa? I may be better off reading him for now.


AW

 

[Aeon418]

But I keep getting hung up on the compassion thing and dedicating merit.

Crowley included the Buddhist concept of "dedicating merit" in his A.'.A.'. system. Although, like with a lot of other Eastern doctrines, he tore the useless outer flesh away and kept the valuable inner teaching.

In the essay, One Star in Sight, Crowley makes it clear that members of the A.'.A.'. were not to claim their attainments for themselves, but must dedicate them to others as an act of service.

They are all, however, bound by the original and fundamental Oath of the Order, to devote their energy to assisting the Progress of their Inferiors in the Order. Those who accept the rewards of their emancipation for themselves are no longer within the Order.

He is furthermore trained to the one habit essential to Membership of the A.'.A.'.; he must regard all his attainments as primarily the property of those less advanced aspirants who are confided to his charge.

In each of the outer order A.'.A.'. oaths after Probationer there is the following clause:

Further, I promise to observe zeal in service to the [grade] under me, and to deny myself utterly on their behalf.

What is the point of all this? Well if you don't dedicate your attainment elsewhere your ego will gladly step in and claim it all for itself. This is why there are so many warnings about magick and the dangers of ego inflation. At lower levels you merely run the risk of turning into a bit of an ass-hole for a while until the universe, in her infinite Compassion, kicks you up the back side. Further up the Tree you can turn into a really big ass-hole called a Black Brother.

Here you might see the connection between the dedication of merit and the symbolism of pouring blood into the Cup of Babalon.

1. This is the secret of the Holy Graal, that is the sacred vessel of our Lady the Scarlet Woman, Babalon the Mother of Abominations, the bride of Chaos, that rideth upon our Lord the Beast.
2. Thou shalt drain out thy blood that is thy life into the golden cup of her fornication.
3. Thou shalt mingle thy life with the universal life. Thou shalt keep not back one drop.

The kick....

11. For if thou dost not this with thy will, then shall We do this despite thy will. So that thou attain to the Sacrament of the Graal in the Chapel of Abominations.

Of course these words are primarily aimed at the Adeptus Exemptus who is about to give up everything and leap into the Abyss. But the entire process begins at the very first step and Babalon will not refuse any offering, no matter how small, that is dedicated to her.

19. Wherefore I charge you that ye come unto me in the Beginning; for if ye take but one step in this Path, ye must arrive inevitably at the end thereof.

 

[Always Wondering]

This is helpful.

Crowley included the Buddhist concept of "dedicating merit" in his A.'.A.'. system. Although, like with a lot of other Eastern doctrines, he tore the useless outer flesh away and kept the valuable inner teaching.

I have been wondering about this but hadn't connected it to Dedicating Merit specificly. I guess I was getting hung up on the terms/labels.

In the essay, One Star in Sight, Crowley makes it clear that members of the A.'.A.'. were not to claim their attainments for themselves, but must dedicate them to others as an act of service.

I saw One Star in Sight at the back of the book but hadn't read it yet.

What is the point of all this? Well if you don't dedicate your attainment elsewhere your ego will gladly step in and claim it all for itself. This is why there are so many warnings about magick and the dangers of ego inflation. At lower levels you merely run the risk of turning into a bit of an ass-hole for a while until the universe, in her infinite Compassion, kicks you up the back side. Further up the Tree you can turn into a really big ass-hole called a Black Brother.

Oh well, this is great motivation to give it a try.

Here you might see the connection between the dedication of merit and the symbolism of pouring blood into the Cup of Babalon.

Now I can see it in the ATU XI and this helps much.


So do you think Crowley considered himself a Buddhist to the end?


AW

 

[Aeon418]

So do you think Crowley considered himself a Buddhist to the end?

No. Although, like with all other religions, he did think there were some important truths in Buddhism. (See AL I:56.)

In, The Equinox of the Gods (p.110), Crowley described himself as a "rationalist, Buddhist, agnostic, anti-clerical, anti-moral, Tory and Jacobite." This was Crowley's stance and world view just prior to the reception of Liber Legis. But on the 9th April 1904 he recieved the second chapter that directly confronted many of his Buddhist attitudes at that time. This is one reason why Aiwass, as Hadit, gives him a bit of a slap in the face in verses 10-13.

Existence is pure joy? According to Buddhism all is sorrow.

I am the flame that burns in every heart of man, and in the core of every star? According to Buddhism there is no central self.

Lust, enjoy all things of sense and rapture? According Buddhism the senses lead to craving and suffering.

 

[Always Wondering]

Eshelman's book has surprised me some. More Eastern stuff in the system than I imagained for one thing.

AW

 

[nemodomi]

According to Buddhism all is sorrow.

Ugh, no.

"We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves." -- The Buddha

Great read: Compassion as the Source of Happiness -- His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama