Liber Four
The Book of Foundations

Parallel Figure

XIII







I
000] In order to reach true maturity: Let the aspirant remove himself from his people.
00] Let him build of himself a new man.
0] Then let him approach the world in all his glory. This is the first way of attainment:
1] Keeping in mind that no one man is exactly like another, let the aspirant seclude himself for no less than one year, no more than three.
2] Let him converse with none but his closest family members and one companion.
3] And let him spend no more than one quarter of the total of each of his days and nights, in the company of another.
4] In his solitude, let him find within himself the truest of friends.
5] Let him be alone and afraid. Let his heart be heavy with his own sorrow. And these things, let him be consumed therewith.
6] And let him be his deliverer, and deliver himself.
7] In these days of loathing, let him not seek God, but himself.
8] Let him seek true companionship with himself, and with himself only. Let him confide in only himself, also.
9] Let him seek out his strengths and try them in his heart, again and again. And let him glorify in only those which stand strong.
10] Let him seek out his weaknesses, and devise ingenuous ways to strengthen them, each and every one.
11] Let him sort out that which is good from that which is worthless.
12] To that which is good, let him expound it.
13] And to that which is worthless, if it be truly worthless, let him tear it out and trample it beneath his feet.
14] To that which is to be glorified, let him glorify it.
15] To that which is to be despised, let him despise it.
16] Let him learn of his interests, and expound these also.
17] Let him examine his own Will and determine it rooted in truth or folly.
18] With that which is true, let him fashion for himself terrible weapons of strength and virtue. With them, may he be as lightning in the heavens. Only truth to the wise.
19] With that which is a lie, let him no longer associate himself therewith accordingly. Folly unto the fool.
20] Let him find within himself the ravage of a wild beast and the still of a windless night.
21] Let him know himself. Verily, let the aspirant attempt to wake himself from the grave and embrace that corpse, and breathe into it the breath of life.
22] Now will his days of loathing begin to become those of rejoicing.

II
1] In order to break old bonds: Let the aspirant seek out that word which he dare not speak. Let him seek out that sin which he dare not commit.
2] But only by that which is unpardonable will he attain the desired effect. And this be the second way of attainment:
3] If it is the darkest of words which he hath stifled behind his lips, then let him speak it. And let him rejoice in it and loath it.
4] If it is an unthinkable deed, from which he hath avoided the temptation, then let him partake of that hideous crime. And let him rejoice in it and loath it.
5] And if it is a God that he feareth, then let him stand up and spit in the face of that God. And let him rejoice in it and loath it.
6] Yea, and loath what he hath done.
7] And by this rite, the aspirant should experience an all encompassing fear, that he knew not of before this time, and let him ignore it. And let him be filled with overwhelming remorse, and appease it not.
8] To him who restrainest his speech, let him utter that horrible word day and night, until it no longer hath power over him.
9] To him bound by temptation, let him partake in that abominable act again and again, until it no longer hath power over him.
10] And to him who is submissive to his God, let him curse and denounce that God, day and night, until he see that God fall to nothing before him. Then will that God no longer have power over him.
11] And also, if it is death which he fear most, and nothing else, then so be it. Let him also be a constant threat unto himself, until he is loosed from this needless pinion.
12] Now will the aspirant begin to see existence for what it is, as he should.
13] Fear nothing, and no one fear. This is his greatest task.

III
1] Let the aspirant watch closely his surroundings.
2] Let him discover and recognize how one thing relateth another thing, and how the two relate a third, and how the three relate a fourth and a fifth - even unto eternity.
3] Yea, even unto eternity.
4] Let him examine how his birth name, and the birth name of another man, effecteth the manner of that man and his life.
5] And also the number of his birth and name.
6] Let him discover and recognize how one thing effecteth another thing, and how the two effect a third, and how the three effect a fourth and a fifth - even unto eternity.
7] Yea, even unto eternity.
8] Let him also discover and recognize the cycle and current of all things great and small, past, present, and future - even unto eternity.
9] Yea, even unto eternity.
10] Let the aspirant discover the nature of all things, the Why and Because, negative and positive: And in this task, will the work of the Holy Chariot be his shield and his sword, his light in the darkness of illusion. And these three things be one, one path, one way of attainment.

IV
1] The way to attain the only useful knowledge is two fold:
2] First, thou must look closely at thy suffering and extract all that thou hast learned from it. This will be thy wisdom.
3] But this alone is worthless; therefore, thou must yield to thy suffering, and from this thou wilt gain much understanding.
4] When thou hast done these things, thou wilt have begun to walk on the path of the Magus.
5] Verily I say unto thee, if thou hast great wisdom and thou hast no understanding, then thou hast nothing.
6] Likewise, if thou hast great understanding and thou art not wise, then thou hast nothing still.

V
1] And in all these things, must the aspirant read and learn.
2] From many texts must he gain in wisdom.
3] And let him not be lead astray in any of those things which his eyes perceiveth.
4] Let him believe nothing, save, by him, it be tried and found true.
5] And let him fear no knowledge, lest he become like the fallen.
6] And let him learn of all things, even if one matter relate not another.
7] And let him listen to his heart in all these things.
8] And let him ever practice his arts Magick, and gain what he would gain thereby.
9] And let him not blaspheme as the whore and her children.
10] And let him not blaspheme the God of any other, for in his doing so will he err. Yea, for he will blaspheme the name of his God only.
11] And let him bring all things into one, that he may become a pillar in the temple of God, a receptacle in the Holy of Holies.
12] And in all these things is there perfection through holy meditation.
13] Yea, in all these things is there perfection through holy meditation.
14] And through these things will his angel smile on him and he will come to walk with God.