TRUE WILL vs. DESTINY "Nothing resists the will of man, when he knows the truth, and wills the good." Eliphas Levi *** The best way to explain the difference between these two concepts is to illustrate the way in which they affect our lives. It is important to define these two terms, as the difference between them will reveal one of the many differences between Christianity and Gnosis. True Will is congruent with what most people refer to as Destiny, but there is one difference which goes far beyond the literary sense of both words. Destiny implies a predetermined course which one must travel, wherein there is no control of the outcome. It is yours, like it or not. Man has become a pawn in a game called "life". She or He prays diligently to his or her God that they may be a worthy candidate for heaven, knowing all along (according to Christian thought) that God has already decided the outcome, and to make matters worse; God wont say! Destiny is also a convenient tool for blaming ones problems on Life, the Universe, and even to the God to which he prays. It is people's way of getting even with God for being so silent. True Will on the other hand, implies choice and purpose. It is for those few who choose a more responsible approach in their role as co-creator with the Universe. These people do not plead nor beg for their God's acceptance, they are what their God has made them and for that they make no apologies. It could be said that True Will is Destiny transmuted into a form which allows one an active roll in their creation. Once one finds their True Will they begin to see the deity which dwells within them. It then becomes unavoidable that they also recognize the deity dwelling in all other Stars. And there is a great penalty incurred by this power: That which you wish upon some other you also invoke upon yourself. Every Word, Deed, and Thought must be pure in Nature, so that it will lead you to the unity of all things. *** TRANSMUTING DESTINY INTO TRUE WILL "The will of the just man is the Will of God himself, and the law of Nature." Eliphas Levi *** The Magician's first task is to find his Destiny by studying the chain of events that have led him to his present Physical, Emotional, Spiritual, and Mental states. By reviewing specific events, and spending considerable time meditating on them he will eventually come to the Understanding of himself, and where he is going, thus he will discover his Destiny. "KNOW THYSELF" has always been the Foundation of our Work. Write your life story and review it often. It will have to be rewritten many times. This simple exercise will illustrate that every conclusion we come up with at any given time is an illusion which is very convenient, but tentative at best. The next step is to Magically turn the tables around and get control of a seemingly uncontrollable force. Here the Magician plays an unsurpassable game of "if you can't beat `em join `em". He attaches himself to his destiny through an act of Love. Once this has been successfully accomplished the Magician experiences a series of phenomenon that changes Destiny into True Will. One comes to the realization that there is no other path they would rather travel. Because you are one with it you can now play an active part in fulfilling it. You are no longer a prisoner to that which used to lead you by the tail. Instead, you are an agent in your own creation. Because you are now going with the current of the Universe, you have the inertia of the Universe behind you. Destiny has been transmuted into True Will. *** THE PHILOSOPHY OF TRUE WILL "To find the central clue to our moral being which unites us to the universal order, that indeed is the highest human attainment. For a long time people have seldom been capable of it." Confucius *** As I have mentioned previously; doing your True Will means following the course which the Universe has chosen for you, and staying on it. Staying on course is very easy once you know what your Will is, but perhaps the hardest part of all is not allowing others to interfere, and simultaneously being vigilant not to interfere with that of another. "EVERY MAN AND EVERY WOMAN IS A STAR". This is to say that everyone has a course of their own which is unique to them. No matter how insignificant it may seem to you, your Will plays an important role within the Divine Plan. Just as the stars in the heavens spend millenniums traveling through the cosmos in perfect Harmony; if one should veer off of its course and collide against another the whole Universe would be affected. It is equally chaotic if we interfere with another. Try to imagine a world where everyone followed their Wills and encouraged their fellow stars to do the same! Let's study the opening phrase of this book, it's an important factor in this philosophy, no, more than that, it is our Law. "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law." I have often greeted people with this sentence, and it has always been received cheerfully by all. The exception to the rule is those who know their intentions, motivations, and desires to be anything but pure. Firstly, let me say again that this does not imply "do what you want", as most of the things which we desire only gratify the Ego and have no real value. Will may be related to, happen to be, or may be the complete opposite of want. The word "THOU" is taken from the Hebrew "ATEH", which was used by the ancients when referring to God. This sentence gives every human the right to carry out his Will, allowing that they have united with it and are truly following the course chosen for them by their God. It is a lawful and noble task. One must constantly keep in mind the rules set forth above, and never interfere with the life of another, IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. We are referring to the Divine Will, which is yours when you have unselfishly given yourself to it and to the service of mankind. As you have noticed, "Love is the law, love under will" is the second half of our formula. This philosophy has no beginning and no end. "Do what thou wilt" leads you to do as you love, but keeps it in check with your will. We all do what we want, but what we want should be what we, in good consciousness, Will. Of course, this has been simplified in order to illustrate some of its many implications. This concept implies that Love & Will are congruent, and that the only way to unite with Will is through Love. Doing one's Will is an act of Love for humanity, the Universe, and God. Who but a person in Love would sacrifice so much of their life to aid and participate in the Divine Plan? Our goal is to evolve, to be "more than human", but before we can start we must possess a super-human ability to Love. *** ORDEALS "The more obstacles the will surmounts, the stronger it is. It is for this reason that Christ glorified poverty and sorrow." Eliphas Levi *** When one strays from their course they can expect to encounter opposition. This is not to say that if you have discovered your True Will you will not suffer. After all, movement creates friction. Those of us who are going to live our lives on our own terms will have to be willing to take a few punches from time to time. All one has to do is read about the ailments associated with inactivity in order to agree that it is better to experience the ordeals that life offers us than to restrict movement and growth. It doesn't take much imagination to speculate the Spiritual disorders caused by inertia. The Universe has many lessons to teach, and some come in the form of Ordeals. Sometimes knowing "what is to be" is saddening enough, just as I'm sure it must have been for both Jesus and Judas in the Christian legend. Balance is the basis of the Work of the Macrocosm; as the Microcosm we must assist by keeping harmony within ourselves. We do this by following and staying on our Path. When we stray the scale tips and the Universe has to compensate. This compensation, more often that not, manifests itself in an unpleasant form. "Karma" and the Ordeals I am referring to here, are the same thing. When there is an imbalance the Universe will present you with the situation best suited to correct the imbalance you have created as quickly and effectively as possible. No matter how painful the Ordeal may be, it must be treated as an adventure. Keep in mind that up until this point every ordeal's purpose has been to prepare you for the kind of life you are now living. See where current circumstances are leading you, and how they are changing your life, and use that information to find out where you are going. It is an honor to know that one has been worthy of instruction. Remember that you placed yourself where you are now. Remember the ancient dictum: "I will interpret every phenomena as a particular dealing with God and my Soul". --END--