Duty

1. Find yourself to be the centre of your own Universe

"I am the flame that burns in every heart of man, and in the core of every star."

2. Explore the Nature and Powers of your own Being.

This includes everything which is, or can be for you: and you must accept everything exactly as it is in itself, as one of the factors which go to make up your True Self. This True Self thus ultimately includes all things soever: its discovery is Initiation (the travelling inwards) and as its Nature is to move continually, it must be understood not as static, but as dynamic, not as a Noun but as a Verb.

3. Develop in due harmony and proportion every faculty which you possess.

"Wisdom says: be strong!"

"But exceed! exceed!"

"Be strong, o man, lust, enjoy all things of sense and rapture: fear not that any God shall deny thee for this"

4. Contemplate your own Nature.

Consider every element thereof both separately and in relation to all the rest as to judge accurately the true purpose of the totality of your Being.

5. Find the formula of this purpose, or "True Will", in an expression as simple as possible.

Learn to understand clearly how best to manipulate the energies which you control to obtain the results most favourable to it from its relations with the part of the Universe which you do not yet control.

6. Extend the dominion of your consciousness, and its control of all forces alien to it, to the utmost.

Do this by the ever stronger and more skilful application of your faculties to the finer, clearer, fuller, and more accurate perception, the better understanding, and the more wisely ordered government, of that external Universe.

7. Never permit the thought or will of any other Being to interfere with your own.

Be constantly vigilant to resent, and on the alert to resist, with unvanquishable ardour and vehemence of passion unquenchable, every attempt of any other Being to influence you otherwise than by contributing new facts to your experience of the Universe, or by assisting you to reach a higher synthesis of Truth by the mode of passionate fusion.

8. Do not repress or restrict any true instinct of your Nature; but devote all in perfection to the sole service of your one True Will.

"Be goodly therefore"

"The Word of Sin is Restriction. O man! refuse not thy wife if she will. O lover, if thou wilt, depart. There is no bond that can unite the divided but love: all else is a curse. Accursed! Accursed! be it to the aeons. Hell. So with thy all: thou hast no right but to do thy will. Do that and no other shall say nay. For pure will, unassuaged of purpose, delivered from the lust of result, is every way perfect."

"Ye shall gather goods and store of women and Spices; ye shall exceed the nations of the earth in Splendour & pride; but always in the love of me, and so shall ye come to my joy."

9. Rejoice!

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

"But ye, o my people, rise up and awake! Let the rituals be rightly performed with joy and beauty! ... A feast for fire and a feast for water; a feast for life and a greater feast for death! A feast every day in your hearts in the joy of my rapture. A feast every night unto Nuit, and the pleasure of uttermost delight. Aye! feast! rejoice! there is no dread hereafter. There is dissolution and eternal ecstasy in the kisses of Nu."

"Now rejoice! now come in our splendour and rapture! Come in our passionate peace, & write sweet words for the Kings!"

"Thrill with the joy of life & death! Ah! thy death shall be lovely: whoso seeth it shall be glad. Thy death shall be the seal of the promise of our agelong love. Come! lift up thy heart & rejoice!"

"Is God to live in a dog? No! but the highest are of us. They shall rejoice: who sorroweth is not of use. Beauty and strength, leaping laughter and delicious langour, force and fire, are of us."