Sacred texts Thelema
Water of Sun
---- ---- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---- ---- ---------- KO: Change; men doubt until their dullness sees the change wisdom can foretell with ease. At first; though art bound with strips of yellow hide. Wait then a little, time's a friend to thee. Haste may wreck all; discuss thy plans untried. First gain men's confidence; then saddle and ride! Swift as a tiger - with the Yi for a guide! Confirm thy change with firm sincerity.
Sun of Air
---------- ---- ---- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---- ---- TING: Cauldron; firm its auspice we may guess, realization, progress, and success. Upset the foul pots! thy whore earns mother fee. Before thou eat set guards about thy table! Frowns failure if thou be not equitable. Then shame on thee; thy case is pitiable. Gold ornaments men's firm sincerity. And rings of jade attest him honourable!
Fire of Fire
---- ---- ---- ---- ---------- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---------- CHEN: Fire! Beware, but smile with mein divine! Let nothing scare thee into spilling wine! Here's trouble; watch thy ways, but drink thy wine! Take lofty ground; the tide will ebb and flow. Distraught? May danger teach thee low to go! Fight fire with fire, or sink in mud supine! Troubles mean profits for the men who know. Caution! Foresee the action of the foe!
Earth of Earth
---------- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---------- ---- ---- ---- ---- KAN: Earth; keep silence like thy spine! See none about thee! Thus the silk of wisdom's spun. Plant firm thy feet; repose be now thy law. Thy legs - 'twere ill to advance them or withdraw. If loins move, the heart's liable to riot. Keep still thy body's fidgets, Johnny raw, and, for the love of heaven hold thy jaw! Fortune attends who persevere in quiet.
Air of Earth
---------- ---------- ---- ---- ---------- ---- ---- ---- ---- KIEN: Gradual progress: be thy right firm carriage suggestive of a lady's decent marriage. Wild geese approach the shore - with care they fly! They reach the rocks - and pasture joyfully. Dry plains they cross - it needs a vigorous wing! They reach the trees, and rest; but not too high. At last they gain the goal of traveling; See on broad heights their feathers glittering.
Fire of Water
---- ---- ---- ---- ---------- ---- ---- ---------- ---------- KWEI MEI: To give first younger daughters - ill course. Don't start with the carriage in front of the horse. Go to it, ye cripples! I'll hold your crutches. Blind of one eye? Be as chaste as a dutchess! Now, younger sisters there's scrubbing to do! Better postpone matrimonial clutches! Think of Ti-Yi and his sisters anew! No meat on the chops, and no beans in the stew.
Fire of Sun
---- ---- ---- ---- ---------- ---------- ---- ---- ---------- FANG: Large, abundant; now care's night is done. Shed forth thy glory as the noonday sun. First meet thy mate, then multiply thy force. Be humbly loyal in obscurity; Let not its accidents disturb thy course. Mated in darkness - men! 'Tis fortune's source. Then, call the clansmen of ability! But pride and insolence slay majesty.
Sun of Earth
---------- ---- ---- ---------- ---------- ---- ---- ---- ---- LU: Stranger, Firm right conduct may unravel most of the tangles incident to travel. Mean men by menial toil increase their woe; Well lodged, served, monied men more easy go. His house on fire, his servants fled, 'ware danger. Though rich, armed, rested, still set caution ranger! Good manners, self effacement with the throw; while arrogance and violence hurt the stranger.
Air of Air
---------- ---------- ---- ---- ---------- ---------- ---- ---- SUN: Wood, wind; mark their subtly suave persistance! Elastic ease, the line of least resistance. Infirm of purpose, learn the soldier's way. Ask humbly of the gods to guide thy course! Violent excess of struggle breeds remorse. Wide forethoughts and shrewd tactics pledge thee prey. With steady, easy strokes apply thy force. Fear, indecision, sap the last resource.
Water of Water
---- ---- ---------- ---------- ---- ---- ---------- ---------- TUI: Still waters may run deep and free; Mistake not slackness for philosophy! Appease thyself, harmonious in thy sphere! Single thy will, most utterly sincere! Turn not aside when siren pleasures woo! Search thyself well to make thy purpose clear. Too trustful customers may buy too dear. 'Tis pleasant to be captain of thy crew!
Air of Moon
---------- ---------- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---------- ---- ---- HWAN: Dissipation; in the world of fools. The kingly man stands firm, divides and rules. One needs a horse in this world's mob-mellay; One needs a refuge, a secure shrewd plan. We must have knocks, nor mind them, in the fray. Scatter the mob, then pick the choice array. Command the mob, and fill their bellies, man! Good end forgets how badly it began.
Moon of Water
---- ---- ---------- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---------- ---------- KIEH: Regulations: measured steps, but fear impermanent results if too severe! There is a time when wisdom urges rest. Another when the bird should leave his nest. Observe no rules? Lament; the blame's to thee. Attend them quietly - success flows free. Enact right laws - be tactful with decree, for men are vexed when harshly pressed. KIEH: Regulations. Who can do without them? But not too many, lest men come to flout them! Quit not thine house to meddle with the state; But set good order still within thy gate. Thou mayest lament if thou should'st disobey. But keep the law and go thy peaceful way. Enact thy laws - suave, tactful, moderate; But vex not men with harshness overweigh!
Air of Water
---------- ---------- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---------- ---------- KUNG FU: Supreme sincerity; thy wish fulfilled. For this moves even pigs and fish. Trust thou thyself, repose in thine own sphere. But welcome and reciprocate good cheer. A mate involves vicissitudes that vary; He travels fast who travels solitary! Men are most loyal to men most sincere; But failure's for sky-soaring chanticleer!
Fire of Earth
---- ---- ---- ---- ---------- ---------- ---- ---- ---- ---- HSIAO KWO: Exceeding in small things I've heard to soar too high is risky for the bird. The issue's evil when birds soar too high; The wisest course is humble loyalty. Without precautions, enemies assail; But adaptation and sound care prevail. Birds in a cave - sure marks for archer's eye! Ambition, in bad times, is lunacy. HSIAO KWO: Excessive trifles; but beware in great things not to trust thyself to air. Winged though thou be, soar not too rashly high! Let not self seeking out run loyalty! Men be incaution ask their foes to assail; Tact and adroitness helps one to prevail. At easiest mark, let thine arrows fly! Uncurbed ambition courts calamity.
Moon of Sun
---- ---- ---------- ---- ---- ---------- ---- ---- ---------- KI ZI: Perfected work. Perfection borders close to the frontiers of new disorders. Maintain success; be history's lessons heeded! Alarmed, be not distracted or unsteady; Put to each enterprise the full force needed! To stop the first leak, vigilant and ready. Small works wrought wisely are most surely speeded! Rash violence drowns in dark disaster's eddy.
Sun of Moon
---------- ---- ---- ---------- ---- ---- ---------- ---- ---- WEI ZI: Work ruined! Ah so nearly crossed the stream! Step slackly once, and all is lost! Is thy force equal to thy task? else try not! Retire in the face of overwhelming odds. To the world's mote thine own eye's beam apply not! War patient through persistent periods! So win to fortune, fame and flame that die not; masterful, modest, feast thou with the gods.