Aleister_Crowley,_Frater_Perdurabo_and_Soror_Virakam-Book_4-Gordon_Press(1974).pdf

BOOK 4

by FRATER PERDURABO (Aleister Crowley)

and SOROR VIRAKAM (Mary d’Este Sturges)

Based on the Sangreal edition of 1969 e.v., with the

“Interlude” restored (absent from the Sangreal edition).

A NOTE

THIS book is intentionally “not” the work of Frater Perdurabo. Experience shows that his writing is too

concentrated, too abstruse, too occult, for ordinary minds to apprehend. It is thought that this record of

disjointed fragments of his casual conversation may prove alike more intelligible and more convincing, and at

least provide a preliminary study which will enable the student to attack his real work from a standpoint of

some little general knowledge and understanding of his ideas, and of the form in which he figures them.

Part II, “Magick,” is more advanced in style than Part I; the student is expected to know a little of the

literature of the subject, and to be able to take an intelligent view of it. This part is, however, really explana-

tory of Part I, which is a crude outline sketch only.

If both parts are thoroughly studied and understood, the pupil will have obtained a real grasp of all the funda-

mentals and essentials of both Magick and Mysticism.

I wrote this book down from Frater Perdurabo’s dictation at the Villa Caldarazzo, Posilippo, Naples, where I

was studying under him, a villa actually prophesied to us long before we reached Naples by that Brother of the

A.’.A.’. who appeared to me in Zurich. Any point which was obscure to me was cleared up in some new

discourse (the discourses have consequently been re-arranged). Before printing, the whole work was read by

several persons of rather less than average intelligence, and any point not quite clear even to them has been

elucidated.

May the whole Path now be plain to all!

Frater Perdurabo is the most honest of all the great religious teachers. Others have said: “Believe me!” He

says:” Don’t believe me!” He does not ask for followers; would despise and refuse them. He wants an indepen-

dent and self-reliant body of students to follow out their own methods of research. If he can save them time

and trouble by giving a few useful “tips,” his work will have been done to his own satisfaction.

Those who have wished men to believe in them were absurd. A persuasive tongue or pen, or an efficient

sword, with rack and stake, produced this “belief,” which is contrary to, and destructive of, all real religious

experience.

The whole life of Frater Perdurabo is now devoted to seeing that you obtain this living experience of Truth

for, by, and in yourselves!

SOROR VIRAKAM (Mary d’Este Sturges).

Book Four

by Frater Perdurabo and Soror Virakam

PART I

MEDITATION

THE WAY OF ATTAINMENT OF GENIUS OR GODHEAD

CONSIDERED AS A DEVELOPMENT OF THE HUMAN BRAIN

Issued by order of

the GREAT WHITE

BROTHERHOOD

known as the A.’.A.’.

Witness our Seal,

N.’.’

Praemonstrator-General.

PRELIMINARY REMARKS

EXISTENCE, as we know it, is full of sorrow. To mention only one minor point: every man is a condemned

criminal, only he does not know the date of his execution. This is unpleasant for every man. Consequently

every man does everything possible to postpone the date, and would sacrifice anything that he has if he could

reverse the sentence.

Practically all religions and all philosophies have started thus crudely, by promising their adherents some such

reward as immortality.

No religion has failed hitherto by not promising enough; the present breaking up of all religions is due to the

fact that people have asked to see the securities. Men have even renounced the important material advantages

which a well-organized religion may confer upon a State, rather than acquiesce in fraud or falsehood, or even

in any system which, if not proved guilty, is at least unable to demonstrate its innocence.

Being more or less bankrupt, the best thing that we can do is to attack the problem afresh without precon-

ceived ideas. Let us begin by doubting every statement. Let us find a way of subjecting every statement to the

test of experiment. Is there any truth at all in the claims of various religions? Let us examine the question.

Our original difficulty will be due to the enormous wealth of our material. To enter into a critical examination

of all systems would be an unending task; the cloud of witnesses is too great. Now each religion is equally

positive; and each demands faith. This we refuse in the absence of positive proof. But we may usefully inquire

whether there is not any one thing upon which all religions have agreed: for, if so, it seems possible that it may

be worthy of really thorough consideration.

It is certainly not to be found in dogma. Even so simple an idea as that of a supreme and eternal being is denied

by a third of the human race. Legends of miracle are perhaps universal, but these, in the absence of demonstra-

tive proof, are repugnant to common sense.

But what of the origin of religions? How is it that unproved assertion has so frequently compelled the assent of

all classes of mankind? Is not this a miracle?

There is, however, one form of miracle which certainly happens, the influence of the genius. There is no

known analogy in Nature. One cannot even think of a “super-dog” transforming the world of dogs, whereas

in the history of mankind this happens with regularity and frequency. Now here are three “super-men,” all at

loggerheads. What is there in common between Christ, Buddha, and Mohammed? Is there any one point

upon which all three are in accord?

No point of doctrine, no point of ethics, no theory of a “hereafter” do they share, and yet in the history of their

lives we find one identity amid many diversities.

Buddha was born a Prince, and died a beggar.

Mohammed was born a beggar, and died a Prince.

Christ remained obscure until many years after his death.

Elaborate lives of each have been written by devotees, and there is one thing common to all three — an

omission. We hear nothing of Christ between the ages of twelve and thirty. Mohammed disappeared into a

cave. Buddha left his palace, and went for a long while into the desert.

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