In the category of "wildly misinterpreted aphorisms", there are a few sources who could be considered masters of the craft ambiguous. Wittgenstein, Nietzsche, Hassan i-Sabbah; the list goes on. But today, I would like to discuss Aleister Crowley's most-quoted maxim:
"Do as Thou Wilt shall be all of the Law... Love is the Law, Love under Will"
These words, taken as the foundational principle of the religion/ethical system/weird sex cult of Thelema, are taken from Crowley's Liber AL vel Legis, better known as "The Book of the Law". Supposedly dictated to him over the course of the days in April 1904 by a discarnate being of uncertain nature named Aiwass, this provides the underpinnings of Crowley's entire system of thought.
This phrase is often misinterpreted by detractors as meaning "do whatever you want", which is ironically just about the polar opposite of its generally-accepted meaning. To quote Crowley, in a rare moment of (relatively) plain speaking: "It
is the apotheosis of Freedom; but it is also the strictest possible bond."
There is a certain extent to which a definitive answer to the meaning of this aphorism is going to be impossible. Thelema is a religion of contradictions and paradoxes, in which there are frequently no right answers - the position that it requires one to take is that of the mystic, accepting that the most profound truths are impossible to articulate. To misuse Lao Tze and Wittgenstein: "the Tao that can be spoken of is not the true Tao"; "On that of which we cannot speak, we must remain silent".
There's also the matter that, within Thelema, there has historically been something of a taboo around discussing interpretations of the Book of the Law; indeed, the "Tunis Comment" can be read as an injunction against any attempt to analyse it. This being said, I tend to interpret the Tunis Comment as being more of a warning not to force one's own interpretation onto others in a dogmatic fashion - everyone should, ultimately, be free to read the text and come to their own conclusions. These, therefore, are my current thoughts on the matter - they are not authoritative, and will likely change and evolve as my philosophical paradigm does.
So, what is the Law? It is, at once, an ethical guide and a metaphysical statement. In the former aspect, it is positioned as being the sole authority by which any action may be judged; actions are neither a priori moral or immoral based on their intent or consequences, but are ethically contingent on the Will of the actor.
As a metaphysical statement, the Law is harder to define. Whether it is a fundamental of absolute reality, or merely an abstraction of that is in practice of little consequence, though it is worth noting that Thelema essentially advocates a form of "Qabalistic Realism" in this matter.
The Thelemic concept of Will must be understood not in the sense of "what one wishes to do", but as something far more fundamental. Often the phrase "True Will" is used to attempt to elucidate this fact, though attempts to explain exactly what this means frequently get lost in a mire of confusion.
It is not a simple case of there being a binary between doing one's Will and not; indeed, the idea that Will can be boiled down to a single action or drive is deeply flawed. Rather, it is perhaps better to think of Will as being an expansive term, which indicates a kind of authenticity to one's self. It is not, however, simply a matter of the ego, unrestrained by the chains of morality and the animal desires of the id - though this is undoubtedly part of it.
In some cases, True Will is compared to the Divine Will, and - without getting too far down the rabbit hole of the Thelemic attitude towards gods and divinity in general - this has a great deal going for it. One might consider all individuals as having a certain unique place in the great tapestry of the cosmos, a certain role in which they will naturally fall towards, and ultimately excel within. The achievement of such a state of harmony with the universe can be considered the ultimate manifestation of True Will, and of the Authentic Self.
It should perhaps be obvious that the majority of people do not have an intuitive grasp of their True Will. Even those who do are unlikely to be able to express it in words - for it is a fundamental orientation towards the universe that stretches deeper than the conscious mind. To understand this is a core part of the "Great Work" of Thelema, and is the basis of much of the ritual and mysticism associated with it.
In the context of Thelema, "Love" specifically refers to the Greek word "agape"; numerologically this word is equivalent to the number 93, which is also the value of "Thelema", meaning "will". As per the Greek, this can be interpreted as a "universal" form of love; in its Christian usage it generally describes the love of God for His creation. This places it as a self-sacrificing, selfless love that transcends the human condition. In another way, it can be compared to the concept of "chesed" in Judaism - a form of compassionate "loving-kindness".
More specifically Thelemic is the second meaning of "Love" in this context, which shares the transcendental basis of the former; it can be thought of as the uniting of the particular with the universal, the microcosm with the macrocosm. In general it is the union and subsequent synthesis of opposites that is indicated here, rather than any sentimental concept.
Putting it all Together:
Will = manifest destiny, purpose
Law = ethical source, metaphysical law
Love = transcendant love, union
Thus:
The only ethical source is the striving for one's manifest destiny; in all things this is to be taken with an ultimately selfless stance, but this selflessness being subservient to the aforementioned will.
And:
The most fundamental metaphysical truth is that all things have their purpose; otherwise and aside from this fundamental purpose, things tend to union.
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