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Liber LXI Vel Causae
LIBER LXI VEL CAUSAE
A.'.A.'.
The Preliminay Lection Including The History Lection
THE PRELIMINARY LECTION
In the Name of the Initiator, Amen.
1. In the beginning was Initiation. The flesh profiteth nothing; the mind
profiteth nothing; that which is unknown to you and above these, while
firmly based upon their equilibrium, giveth life.
2. In all systems of religion is to be found a system of Initiation, which
may be defined as the process by which a man comes to learn that unknown
Crown.
3. Though none can communicate either the knowledge or the power to achieve
this, which we may call the Great Work, it is yet possible for initiates
to guide others.
4. Every man must overcome his own obstacles, expose his own illusions. Yet
others may assist him to do both, and they may enable him altogether to
avoid many of the false paths, leading no whither, which tempt the weary
feet of the uninitiated pilgrim. They can further insure that he is duly
tried and tested, for there are many who think themselves to be Masters
who have not even begun to tread the Way of Service that leads thereto.
5. Now the Great Work is one, and the Initiation is one, and the Reward is
one, however diverse are the symbols wherein the Unutterable is clothed.
6. Hear then the history of the system which this lection gives you the
opportunity of investigating.
Listen, we pray you, with attention: for once only does the Great
Order knock at any one door.
Whosoever knows any member of that Order as such, can never know
another, until he too has attained to mastery.
Here, therefore, we pause, that you may thoroughly search yourself,
and consider if you are yet fitted to take an irrevocable step.
For the reading of that which follows is Recorded.
THE HISTORY LECTION
7. Some years ago a number of cipher MSS. were discovered and deciphered by
certain students. They attracted much attention, as they purported to
derive from the Rosicrucians. You will readily understand that the
genuineness of the claim matters no whit, such literature being judged
by itself, not by its reputed sources.
8. Among the MSS. was one which gave the address of a certain person in
Germany, who is known to us as S.D.A. Those who discovered the ciphers
wrote to S.D.A., and in accordance with the instructions received, an
Order was founded which worked in a semi-secret manner.
9. After some time S.D.A. died: further requests for help were met with a
prompt refusal from the colleagues of S.D.A. It was written by one of
them that S.D.A.'s scheme had always been regarded with disapproval.
But since the absolute rule of the adepts is never to interfere with the
judgment of any other person whomsoeverhow much more, then, one of
themselves, and that one most highly revered!they had refrained from
active opposition. The adept who wrote this added that the Order had
already quite enough knowledge to enable it or its members to formulate
a magical link with the adepts.
10. Shortly after this, one called S.R.M.D. announced that he had formulated
such a link, and that himself and two others were to govern the Order.
New and revised rituals were issued, and fresh knowledge poured out in
streams.
11. We must pass over the unhappy juggleries which characterized the next
period. It has throughout proved impossible to elucidate the complex
facts.
We content ourselves, then, with observing that the death of one of his
two colleagues, and the weakness of the other, secured to S.R.M.D. the
sole authority. The rituals were elaborated, though scholarly enough,
into verbose and pretentious nonsense: the knowledge proved worthless,
even where it was correct: for it is in vain that pearls, be they never
so clear and precious, are given to the swine.
The ordeals were turned into contempt, it being impossible for any one
to fail therein. Unsuitable candidates were admitted for no better
reason than that of their worldly prosperity.
In short, the Order failed to initiate.
12. Scandal arose and with it schism.
13. In 1900 one P., a brother, instituted a rigorous test of S.R.M.D. on the
one side and the Order on the other.
14. He discovered that S.R.M.D., though a scholar of some ability and a
magician of remarkable powers, had never attained complete inititiation:
and further had fallen from his original place, he having imprudently
attracted to himself forces of evil too great and terrible for him to
withstand.
The claim of the Order that the true adepts were in charge of it was
definitely disproved.
15. In the Order, with two certain exceptions and two doubtful ones, he
found no persons prepared for initiation of any sort.
16. He thereupon by his subtle wisdom destroyed both the Order and its chief.
17. Being himself no perfect adept, he was driven of the Spirit into the
Wilderness, where he abode for six years, studying by the light of
reason the sacred books and secret systems of initiation of all
countries and ages.
18. Finally, there was given unto him a certain exalted grade whereby a man
becomes master of knowledge and intelligence, and no more their slave.
He perceived the inadequacy of science, philosophy, and religion; and
exposed the self-contradictory nature of the thinking faculty.
19. Returning to England, he laid his achievements humbly at the feet of a
certain adept D.D.S., who welcomed him brotherly and admitted his title
to the grade which he had so hardly won.
20. Thereupon these two adepts conferred together, saying: May it not be
written that the tribulations shall be shortened? Wherefore they
resolved to establish a new Order which should be free from the errors
and deceits of the former one.
21. Without Authority they could not do this, exalted as their rank was
among adepts. They resolved to prepare all things, great and small,
against that day when such Authority should be received by them, since
they knew not where to seek for higher adepts than themselves, but knew
that the true way to attract the notice of such was to equilibrate the
symbols. The temple must be builded before the God can indwell it.
22. Therefore by the order of D.D.S. did P. prepare all things by his arcane
science and wisdom, choosing only those symbols which were common to all
systems, and rigorously rejecting all names and words which might be
supposed to imply any religious or metaphysical theory. To do this
utterly was found impossible, since all language has a history, and the
use (for example) of the word <<spirit>> implies the Scholastic
Philosophy and the Hindu and Taoist theories concerning the breath of
man. So was it difficult to avoid implication of some undesirable bias
by using the words <<order,>> << circle,>> <<chapter,>> <<society,>>
<<brotherhood,>> or any other to designate the body of initiates.
23. Deliberately, therefore, did he take refuge in vagueness. Not to veil
the truth to the Neophyte, but to warn him against valuing non-
essentials. Should therefore the candidate hear the name of any God,
let him not rashly assume that it refers to any known God, save only the
God known to himself. Or should the ritual speak in terms (however
vague) which seem to imply Egyptian, Taoist, Buddhist, Indian, Persian,
Greek, Judaic, Christian, or Moslem philosophy, let him reflect that
this is a defect of language; the literary limitation and not the
spiritual prejudice of the man P.
24. Especially let him guard against the finding of definite sectarian
symbols in the teaching of his master, and the reasoning from the known
to the unknown which assuredly will tempt him.
We labour earnestly, dear brother, that you may never be led away to
perish upon this point; for thereon have many holy and just men been
wrecked. By this have all the visible systems lost the essence of
wisdom.
We have sought to reveal the Arcanum; we have only profaned it.
25. Now when P. had thus with bitter toil prepared all things under the
guidance of D.D.S. (even as the hand writes, while the conscious brain,
though ignorant of the detailed movements, applauds or disapproves the
finished work) there was a certain time of repose, as the earth lieth
fallow.
26. Meanwhile these adepts busied themselves intently with the Great Work.
27. In the fullness of time, even as a blossoming tree that beareth fruit in
its season, all these pains were ended, and these adepts and their
companions obtained the reward which they had soughtthey were to be
admitted to the Eternal and Invisible Order that hath no name among men.
28. They therefore who had with smiling faces abandoned their homes, their
possessions, their wives, their children, in order to perform the Great
Work, could with steady calm and firm correctness abandon the Great Work
itself: for this is the last and greatest projection of the alchemist.
29. Also one V.V.V.V.V. arose, an exalted adept of the rank of Master of the
Temple (or this much He disclosed to the Exempt Adepts) and His
utterance is enshrined in the Sacred Writings.
30. Such are Liber Legis, Liber Cordis Cincti Serpente, Liber Liberi vel
Lapidis Lazuli and such others whose existence may one day be divulged
unto you. Beware lest you interpret them either in the Light or in the
darkness, for only in L.V.X. may they be understood.
31. Also He conferred upon D.D.S., O.M., and another, the Authority of the
Triad, who in turn have delegated it unto others, and they yet again, so
that the Body of Initiates may be perfect, even from the Crown unto the
Kingdom and beyond.
32. For Perfection abideth not in the Pinnacles, or in the Foundations, but
in the ordered Harmony of one with all.
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