First Open Source Gnostic Church

From Ecclesia Gnostica Universalis

The problem with True Will is that there is no such animal. The term "True Will" gives the impression that you can do something which does not have the Will as the underlying basis. You can't. It is not a matter of having to distinguish and select between "true will" and "false will."

By using the original terminology of the Book of the Law, pure will, there is no such difficulty. The underlying basis for our actions is always our pure will. However, we can supress or distort the working of that pure will. This can be due to fear, conditioning, or not understanding our own nature. We can choose not to do our pure will by either not acting on it at all, or we can interfere with its expression, an act sometimes called "Shortened Force."

Thus, for example, if one does not recognize that a basic underlying principle of our existence is to "Love as thou wilt", then one may not engage in loving other people that one is attracted to, but rather slink guiltily to a red light district. Still, the pure will behind the act is to love, no matter how distorted the outcome may seem. It is merely projected through the distorted mirror of the unenlightened mind.

When Liber AL says "For pure will, unassuaged of purpose, delivered from the lust of result, is every way perfect," it means that we are not to attempt to understand the will at all, but rather just do it. Otherwise, thinking we understand our will, we may interfere with it due to lust of result. But while the will is "infinite & unknown," reason is not, and therefore our ideas about what our will is will always be incomplete, and if we allow those ideas to color the expression of our will, we will distort the functioning and result of that will. This is why the term "True Will" is to be discarded, as it allows us to think that our reason can discover our will. Many Thelemites continue to try to "figure out" what their "True Will" is because of this insidious terminology, thereby violating the clear instruction in the Book of the Law.

Chapter II elaborates on this, with verses 30 & 31 telling us not to ask "Why," either of will or power, which latter is the process by which will expresses itself. We must not question either the will or the manifestation of its operation. Verse 32 tells us that even trying to understand it in operation without asking why will distort its operation.

So, a better pair of terms than "true will" and the implied opposite "false will" would be to use the term used in the Book of the Law, "pure will" with the implied opposite of "gross will." This then connects with AL II,50 - The gross must pass through fire. Of course, you will remember that "pure" comes from the Greek root "pyr," which means "fire". The gross will must be purified by passing through fire. We experience this fire as desire, so the will is purified by passing through our desire, by embracing it and coming out the other side, even though that may entail suffering. This is the same path advocated by Vajrayana Buddhism, the magickal and tantric form of Buddhism, and by left-handed Indian tantra as well.

Who worshipped Heru-pa-kraath have worshipped me; ill, for I am the worshipper.

HPK here is the identified with Hadit, the unextended and unexpressed will. We are not to worship our ability to remain silent or not to act. There is no value in asceticism.

Remember all ye that existence is pure joy; that all the sorrows are but as shadows; they pass & are done; but there is that which remains.

Note the use of the word "pure" again here. Pure will exists in pure joy. Though the process of purifying the gross will through following desire brings sorrows, these sorrows are temporary - they are the smoke of the dross which is being burned off. They pass, and any impurity once burned off will not return.

Begone! ye mockers...

He that is righteous shall be righteous still; he that is filthy shall be filthy still.

Those who mock this doctrine and do not apply it will never be able to purify their impurities. Righteousness is as much an impurity as filthiness. Neither one will be burned off without applying this method.

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