I am not I ; I am but an hollow tube to bring down Fire from Heaven.
Mighty and marvellous is this Weakness, this Heaven which draweth me into Her Womb, this Dome which hideth, which absorbeth, Me.
This is The Night wherein I am lost, the Love through which I am no longer I.
ΚΕΦΑΛΗ ΙΣ
THE STAG-BEETLE
Death implies change and individuality if thou be THAT which hath no person, which is beyond the changing, even beyond changelessness, what hast thou to do with death?
The bird of individuality is ecstasy ; so also is its death.
In love the individuality is slain ; who loves not love?
Love death therefore, and long eagerly for it.
Die Daily.
ΚΕΦΑΛΗ ΙΖ
THE SWAN11
There is a Swan whose name is Ecstasy : it wingeth from the Deserts of the North ; it wingeth through the blue ; it wingeth over the fields of rice ; at its coming they push forth the green.
In all the Universe this Swan alone is motionless ; it seems to move, as the Sun seems to move ; such is the weakness of our sight.
O fool! criest thou?
Amen. Motion is relative : there is Nothing that is still.
Against this Swan I shot an arrow ; the white breast poured forth blood. Men smote me ; then, perceiving that I was but a Pure Fool, they let me pass.
Thus and not otherwise I came to the Temple of the Graal.
ΚΕΦΑΛΗ ΙΗ
DEWDROPS
Verily, love is death, and death is life to come.
Man returneth not again ; the stream floweth not uphill ; the old life is no more ; there is a new life that is not his.
Yet that life is of his very essence ; it is more He than all that he calls He.
In the silence of a dewdrop is every tendency of his soul, and of his mind, and of his body ; it is the Quintessence and the Elixir of his being. Therein are the forces that made him and his father and his father’s father before him.
This is the Dew of Immortality.
Let this go free, even as It will ; thou art not its master, but the vehicle of It.
ΚΕΦΑΛΗ ΙΘ
THE LEOPARD AND THE DEER
The spots of the leopard are the sunlight in the glade ; pursue thou the deer stealthily at thy pleasure.
The dappling of the deer is the sunlight in the glade ; concealed from the leopard do thou feed at thy pleasure.
Resemble all that surroundeth thee ; yet be Thyself—and take thy pleasure among the living.
This is that which is written—Lurk !—in The Book of The Law.
ΚΕΦΑΛΗ Κ
SAMSON
The Universe is in equilibrium ; therefore He that is without it, though his force be but a feather, can overturn the Universe.
Be not caught within that web, O child of Freedom ! Be not entangled in the universal lie, O child of Truth !
ΚΕΦΑΛΗ ΚΑ
THE BLIND WEBSTER
It is not necessary to understand : it is enough to adore.
The god may be of clay : adore him ; he becomes GOD.
We ignore what created us ; we adore what we create. Let us create nothing but GOD !
That which causes us to create is our true father and mother ; we create in our own image, which is theirs.
Let us create therefore without fear ; for we can create nothing that is not GOD.
ΚΕΦΑΛΗ ΚΒ
THE DESPOT
The waiters of the best eating-houses mock the whole world ; they estimate every client at his proper value.
This I know certainly, because they always treat me with profound respect. Thus they have flattered me into praising them thus publicly.
Yet it is true ; and they have this insight because they serve, and because they can have no personal interest in the affairs of those whom they serve.
An absolute monarch would be absolutely wise and good.
But no man is strong enough to have no interest. Therefore the best king would be Pure Chance.
It is Pure Chance that rules the Universe ; therefore, and only therefore, life is good.
ΚΕΦΑΛΗ ΚΓ (23)
SKIDOO
What man is at ease in his Inn?
Get out.
Wide is the world and cold.
Get out.
Thou hast become an in-itiate.
Get out.
But thou canst not get out by the way thou camest in. The Way out is THE WAY.
Get out.
For OUT is Love and Wisdom and Power.12
Get OUT.
If thou hast T already, first get UT.13
Then get O.
And so at last get OUT.
ΚΕΦΑΛΗ ΚΔ
THE HAWK AND THE BLINDWORM
This book would translate Beyond-Reason into the words of Reason.
Explain thou snow to them of Andaman.
The slaves of reason call this book Abuse-of-Language : they are right.
Language was