Chokhmah
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CHOKHMAH
It is written in the Book of End Dome how Binah constructed an angel and poured a portion of his will into it, so it would seem to him that he physically moved to the vicinity of his parents Belial and Chokhmah, even though Binah's body, which is one of the innumerable suns, remained ever in place.
Also it is written that Chokhmah did not create an angel, because all the worlds revolving around him had already been visited by the angel of Belial. In time, Chokhmah did come to desire to have an angel, but he was not naturally crafty like Binah, nor did he have access to the lore of the elohim, which is how Belial learned to build an angel.
And in any event, the angels of Binah and Belial were taller than the trees of Gorpai, and could not move about on the surface of that world without burning everything in their path. Yet Chokhmah desired to experience Gorpai as though he were one of the nephilim, and this he told Binah.
Binah replied that he had already given this much thought, and had developed a procedure to attempt the thing, but it would work a grievous change in the subject nephilim that could never be undone, and might for lack of a better word be called possession. For the mind of the elohim would be joined to the mind of the nephilim, and in the joining there would emerge a new mind wrought from the twain, yet the greater portion, seven parts in ten, would reflect the elohim who possessed rather than the nephilim who was possessed.
And it would also be a physical change involving the same link that allowed the elohim to communicate with each other instantly across great distances, such that Chokhmah would be immediately aware of whatever was experienced by the nephilim who was possessed by him, and likewise, the body of that nephilim would instantly respond to the will of Chokhmah, yet Chokhmah could break this bond at any time.
Binah suggested that morally the change ought to be made only to a nephilim who was appraised of all these things, yet remained full willing. Chokhmah agreed to this, but it would require an additional effort on Binah's part, after making the change possible, to seek out a nephilim on Gorpai and propose the change.
This in turn Binah agreed to do, not only to honor the elohim Chokhmah who had been his mother, but out of simple curiosity to see if his plan would work at all. So it came to pass that the angel of Binah made the journey from the interior of Chokhmah to Gorpai and came down from the sky in the Middle Lands which were possessed entirely by family Gerash. The fire and smoke and noise of the descent was great, and all who witnessed it fled.
But there came back a young yin named Ariel, who proved to be more valiant than any of the yangs who ran away, for the curiosity of Ariel overcame her fear. The angel of Binah bade Ariel to draw near, and to remove her shoes, for she was standing on hallowed ground. Ariel did obey, but the ground was almost too hot to walk upon.
Then Binah obtained her name, and told Ariel it was the will of Chokhmah, who was co-eval with Belial, to join with a nephilim and live among the people, but the thing could not be a divine commandment, but only the free will choice of the person who received the call and answered, because once the joining had taken place, it could never be undone.
Because Ariel was female, Binah presented Chokhmah in female terms, just as Belial and El were understood to be warrior-kings. This was not truly a deception, because the temperament of Chokhmah was gentle and passive, like a nephilim female, even if Chokhmah's body had been transformed after motherhood into that of a male according to the way of the elohim.
Ariel asked, "If I accept this thing, what will become of me?"
Binah answered her: You will no longer be fully yourself, but neither will Chokhmah be fully herself. Instead, you will be a new person who is simultaneously both yourself and Chokhmah, and you both come to understand, as though you always knew it, everything that is known by the other.
Still Ariel hesitated, so Binah said: Also, even if your body dies, you will live on in Chokhmah, where she is, for so much longer than the span of nephilim life that I cannot express it using symbols that you would understand. Your culture doesn't have the mathematics.
Then Ariel knew the gap in her own knowledge, and did assent to the proposal, but not on account of the promise of long life, but that both she and Chokhmah would come to know many things.
In the great city of Belial on the shoulder of the holy mountain of Belial, in the center of the Middle Lands of Gorpai, it came to pass that the prophetess Ariel brought a new doctrine to the people, and the worship of Chokhmah began to take root in the land.
Ariel preached to the yin of the city who were her primary audience, but many yang came to listen also. All were astonished at her teachings, and she confirmed the divine origin of her doctrine by healing the sick with knowledge that the elohim themselves had obtained through long study. And this is what Ariel said to the people at sunset after a day of healing many:
"Be constantly absorbed in the thought of Chokhmah and you will be one with Chokhmah. Awakening to Chokhmah-consciousness brings liberation. Those who pretend to know Chokhmah remain ignorant. But those who acknowledge their ignorance clear the way to growing to know Chokhmah.
"For it is not from ignorance that Chokhmah is called 'Mystery' but from Chokhmah's own inexhaustible depths. Therefore Chokhmah is not unknowable; rather, there is no end to the knowing of Chokhmah.
"Let those who do not know Chokhmah come to know Chokhmah by knowing you. To know Chokhmah is to be awakened. Delusion is gone in the case of she who has been awakened.
"Knowledge becomes wisdom only when it is shared. Knowledge says, 'It's raining.' Wisdom says, 'In that case let's go indoors.' So the essence of embracing Chokhmah is knowing what to do with what you know. This is simplicity itself, it is merely the anticipation of consequences.
"Chokhmah is a lamp whose light is these words. The darker your thoughts, the further from Chokhmah you go. She who is far from Chokhmah is no better off than he who denies Chokhmah.
"He who denies Chokhmah is known by many and is called famous. She who embraces Chokhmah sets an example by her deeds and is called influential.
"He who denies Chokhmah is superior to the animals because he can control his own environment. She who embraces Chokhmah is superior to the Chokhmah-denier because she can control her own behavior.
"He who denies Chokhmah accumulates many riches but cannot keep all of them safe. She who embraces Chokhmah has few desires, and so holds on to all that she has.
"He who denies Chokhmah takes from those who do not have enough to supplement his own bounty. She who embraces Chokhmah diminishes the overflowing to enrich the impoverished.
"He who denies Chokhmah sits back in moral judgment of the causes of a tragedy. She who embraces Chokhmah is too busy to render judgment because she is mercifully addressing the needs at hand.
"He who denies Chokhmah appoints himself judge and demands to see good in others. She who embraces Chokhmah does good in this moment, and does not live for yesterday or for tomorrow.
"He who denies Chokhmah can do what he wills to do, but he cannot determine what he wills. She who embraces Chokhmah makes her own awareness of injustice the determinant of her actions.
"He who denies puts his riches and his knowledge on parade. She who embraces Chokhmah does not tell all that he has, nor all that she can do.
"He who denies Chokhmah would rather break in stiff pride than bend in pliable humility and admit error. She who embraces Chokhmah considers those who point out her faults as her most benevolent teachers.
"He who denies Chokhmah may refuse to grow, or he may be willing to grow, but either way he remains idle. She who embraces Chokhmah simply grows.
"He who denies Chokhmah would rather learn an old thing than cultivate a new thing. She who embraces Chokhmah finds that creativity is the coin to buy her way.
"He who denies Chokhmah examines who speaks rather than listens to what is said. She who embraces Chokhmah knows that half of a conversation is listening.
"He who denies Chokhmah emits chatter, which flows from his nature. She who embraces Chokhmah remains silent, which flows from her understanding.
"He who denies Chokhmah is blindly biased in who he loves and hates. She who embraces Chokhmah sees the bad points in the ones she loves and the good points in the ones she hates.
"He who denies Chokhmah retaliates for suffering an indignity by committing another indignity. She who embraces Chokhmah indulges in the noblest vengeance: forgiveness. For the greatest revenge is not to be like him who did the injury. The greatest conqueror is she who has conquered herself."
When Belial first heard tidings of the new prophetess Ariel (he did not yet know that Chokmah was walking among the nephilim in the body of Ariel), he appeared to his servant Zadkiel, a nobleman of Family Gerash, or the White Beards. To Zadkiel, Belial said: You alone have done all things according to my will. Therefore I name you the Mouth of Belial. Go first into all the small villages and towns of the Middle Lands, and preach to the House of Gerash what I will tell you.
So Zadkiel journeyed all over the third part of the habitable part of Gorpai that was settled by family Gerash, and this is what the Mouth of Belial preached to the people there:
"Thus says Belial, 'Chokmah! My daughter! This I have against you, that you have accepted all praise for your healings, and your followers do not recognize me as the power and ultimate source behind all healing. And you allow your followers to believe that you are like me, having no beginning, and also no ending. Because you permit your followers to believe you were not created by me I appoint a day when you will no longer exist. Behold, I make you mortal. For only the uncreated can never be unmade. Therefore I shall unmake you, that all Creation shall know it is I alone who is the uncreated Creator.'"
Then Belial commanded the Mouth of Belial to go into all the lesser cities of Gorpai. There the Mouth of Belial preached to the people:
"Thus says Belial, 'Chokmah! My daughter! For your inheritance I created all things, land and sea, beasts and people and growing things. But this I have against you, that you have accepted all praise for your healings, and your followers do not recognize me as the powerand ultimate source behind all healing. And you allow your followers to believe that you are like me, having no beginning, and also no ending. Because you permit your followers to believe you were not created by me I appoint a day when you will no longer exist. Behold, I make you mortal. For only the uncreated can never be unmade. Therefore I shall unmake you, that all Creation shall know it is I alone who is the uncreated Creator.'"
Then Belial commanded the Mouth of Belial to go into all the larger cities of Gorpai. There the Mouth of Belial preached to the people:
"'Thus says Belial, 'Chokmah! My daughter! For your inheritance I created all things, land and space, time and energy. But this I have against you: That you wished your father dead, so you might come into your inheritance before the time of my choosing. Therefore yin and yang shall no longer call you a goddess, for you also are now mortal, and you shall die like yin and the sons of yin, in pain and fear.'"
And Belial commanded Zadkiel to journey at last to the great city of Belial. Then did the Mouth of Belial preach in the city plaza on the day of his entry:
"Thus says Belial, 'Chokmah! My daughter! This your father has against you, that you have permitted your followers to believe that the prophet Ariel, falsely so called, carries your blood. Because you do not affirm that Ariel is a commoner who carries only nephilim blood, behold! I make you nephilim yourself. This day you are no longer a goddess, and are doomed to die, for perpetrating the lie that Ariel is a demigod. To the people of Rumbek no judgment rests on you, unless you hold Ariel to be a prophetess and continue to worship Chokmah as a goddess; for I, Belial, am the only God. There is no other.'"
Then Zadkiel preached the Law of Belial, and for the first time the people of Rumbek heard the divine Law which would thereafter govern family Gerash in the Middle Land.
"If any yin or yang professes that there is another God than Belial, they shall be put to death. Unceasing warfare you must pledge against all who do not profess that Belial is the one true God.
"You shall not cease to expand the borders of the Empire of Belial across the Middle Land, even unto the uttermost parts of the West Land and East Land, until all of Gorpai owes allegience to Belial alone.
"A yin is not permitted to speak to a yang in public, nor to own anything; she is property herself.
"Five days are appointed, with names after the names of the Five Families. They are Larunday, Anteroday, Bellonday, Saladay, and Gerashday.
"Three days you shall eat, on Larunday, Anteroday, and Bellonday, and on the fourth day, or Saladay, you shall eat a double portion. But on the fifth day, or Gerashday you shall eat nothing, and drink only water. For this is the fast appointed by Belial. Only soldiers on campaign are exempted from the Fast of Belial on Gerashday.
"Three days you shall work, and the income thereof shall be for your own use. Saladay you shall work also, but the income thereof shall be for the temple.
"But Gerashday is the day of worship, you shall not work on that day, neither you nor your whole household. On that day you shall enter the Temple of Belial if you dwell nigh to the Mountain of Belial in the Middle Kingdom, or you shall enter the local shrine of Belial if you dwell in the settlements in the Westlands and Eastlands, or far away from the Mountain of Belial in the Middle Kingdom.
"There on Gerashday you shall worship Belial. None shall be exempted. The elderly or infirm shall be transported to worship Belial by their families. Only soldiers on campaign shall be waived from worshipping Belial on the fifth day.
"And this is the essence of worship: You shall give one-fourth of your income to Belial. A holy priest of Belial shall receive your worship on behalf of Belial.
"And the procedure for worshiping Belial shall be to present to the priest your worship card made of crackerwood sealed in a leather pouch, together with the money you have earned on Saladay.
"The priest shall inspect the seal, unwrap the worship card, and inspect the pattern of recent punches. If the money and the punches are in order, the priest shall make a new punch using one of five different punches drawn by lots, a star, a square, a triangle, a circle, or a rectangle.
"Then he shall store the worship card back in the leather pouch, add a seal, and return it to the worshiper, but the money he will put in the temple treasury.
"Yin, however, shall not worship, nor shall a yin be found in the Temple of Belial nor any shrine of Belial, upon pain of death. Neither shall a yin or a doll be permitted to earn income. The head of a household shall count a dirk's income as his own for worship purposes.
"If a man's worship card is falsely punched, and it is proven that he did not worship by consulting the temple accounting books, that yang shall be put to death. If any yang loses his worship card and no audit is pending, then there is no guilt; the man's worship card shall be replaced.
"But if a priest of Belial suspects wrongdoing and requests to examine a man's worship card, and the yang claims it is lost, then his guilt shall be assumed; he shall be put to death.
"Sixty-four punches shall fill the worship card. In the five festival days of New Card Week the priests of Belial shall issue new worship cards. New Card Week shall be a time of re-dedication to Belial, and the new year shall be met with fresh hearts.
"Employers shall send to the Temple or to the local shrines of Belial information on the wages of every yang in their employ. The priests of Belial shall use this information to ensure that each yang is worshiping Belial in the correct amount.
"For Belial knows that yang are weak and do not always seek to conform with the will of Belial in all things. That is why the Eyes of Belial must always keep watch. They are the sentries of the priesthood of Belial."
"When a dirk reaches the Age of Initiation, he shall enter the Rites of the Cupel system of testing. He shall wager his sister in a ritual fight to the death with another dirk. The dirk who survives the ritual battle shall take the sister of his opponent, and his own sister, to be his wives.
"Thereafter he shall be responsible to Belial for worship, being then a yang. And he shall be a private in the lower echelon of the Army of Belial, and may advance to corporal and sergeant based on his valor in combat.
"If a sergeant desires to attain to the middle echelon of the Army of Belial he must wager his two wives against the wives of another sergeant in the second ritual killing of the Cupel system of testing. The yang who survives this ritual battle shall take the two wives of his opponent, and retain his own two wives. And he shall be a lieutenant in the middle echelon of the Army of Belial, and he may advance to captain and major based on his valor in combat.
"If a Major desires to attain to the upper echelon of the Army of Belial he must wager his own four wives against the four wives of another Major in the third ritual killing of the Cupel system of testing. The yang who survives the ritual battle shall take the wives of his opponent, and shall retain his own wives, and have eight wives. And he shall be a colonel in the upper echelon of the Army of Belial, or a commodore in the Navy of Belial, and may advance to general and field marshal based on his valor in army combat, or admiral and fleet commander based on his valor in naval combat.
"The yang who dies on the battlefield serving Belial shall be adopted by Belial as his very son. For in the instant the holy warrior falls in battle, Belial receives his spirit in Anabas, the diamond palace of Belial above the clouds. In Anabas, Belial shall give him the gift of immortality.
"Remember this promise, and do not shrink back from battle, for it is Belial who rewards and punishes."
The Law of Belial went forth from the Holy Mountain to the uttermost parts of the holdings of family Gerash, until the greater part of the yang of the whole Middle Land owed fealty to Belial.
And the prophet Zadkiel was taken close into the confidence of Kirodiel, the patriarch of family Gerash, and became his chief counselor. But the city of Aramel in the far west of the Middle Lands was ruled by King Turel, who had returned from the other world where he had served as prophet to Abraham and Isaac. Turel was given the city by Kirodiel himself, but Turel resisted the new Law of Belial.
Zadkiel counseled the Patriarch to remove Turel's kingship, but the giving of the scepter is without repentance, and an errant king could only be held to account to the Patriarch by war.
The teachings of the prophetess Ariel remained popular among many of the yin throughout the Middle Lands and even some of the yang outside of Aramel. So Ariel continued to preach even when Kirodiel issued an edict banning her from speaking, and threatened to punish those who listened to her.
Zadkiel counseled that Kirodiel move against Ariel and put her under arrest, but Kirodiel was reluctant to agree on account of the popularity of Ariel among many.
Zadkiel said to him, "Consider the alternative, sir: Yin-centered rituals and devotions! Ariel is cutting at the very heart of accepted god theory."
But Kirodiel was a more practical yang, and he asked Zadkiel to lay out the real danger.
Zadkiel said, "The danger is two-fold. First is the city's over-reliance on income from pilgrims to the temple of Belial. We, that is Belial (Peace Be Upon Him), could lose a third of the tax base overnight. The second and scary part is the long-term danger of actually destroying the entire sacrifice-atonement system. Our entire religious structure is based on the proven fact that Belial's aim is not too good. As long as 'someone' is punished, never mind who, Belial is happy. But now Ariel comes along saying even the gods are to be judged according to a scale of good and evil."
Kirodiel said, "I see where you are going. Instead of merely atoning for our crimes, we're going to have to actually start being nice to one another."
So Lord Kirodiel finally agreed to move against Ariel. After she made the Sunset Discourse and summarized all her teachings before a large crowd, the Eyes of Belial were sent out to pick her her up.
Ariel was put on public trial and allowed to incriminate herself by her own confession so there would be no doubt among the people that her teachings blasphemed Belial.
Zadkiel served as the prosecutor, while Ariel's dearest friend, a young yin named Kandiel, served in her defense. And on the last day of the trial, Zadkiel turned to the words of her preaching. He said, "I find it interesting that you say, 'He who denies Chokhmah', meaning yangs, and you also say, 'She who embraces Chokhmah' meaning yins. Do you imply that all women are your disciples?"
Ariel replied, "Sadly, no, the patriarchal mind-set is not confined to your gender. By these things you shall know a woman is not my disciple: She is caught up in every fad and does not affirm her uniqueness. She grows annoyed at situations she cannot help, and so she is perpetually angry. Controversies that divide yin and stir up the disciples attract her. Assuredly, no woman who does these things can call herself my disciple."
Zadkiel said, "And yet, contrary to the laws of Belial and the Gerash patriarch, you employ your disciples, and call them Amazons, which some say is an army."
Ariel said, "A patriarch gathers the wealth and scatters the people. The Amazons scatter the wealth and gather the people."
Zadkiel asked, "So you espouse redistributionism?"
Ariel replied, "I espouse only giving yin work that draws them together in service of their sisters."
Zadkiel said, "Yin, yin, yin! Where do yang fit into your schemes, Ariel?"
Ariel said, "Just as humans were called out of the animals and given free will, and just as nephilim were called out of the humans to have a closer relationship to the gods here in this world, I call the Amazons out of the nephilim that they may unite and nourish one another."
Zadkiel asked, "Do you mean lesbian separatism? I point out that such a thing is unnatural by all the laws of Belial and our ancient tradition."
Ariel replied, "It is natural to stink. It is our frequent bathing and use of perfumes that are unnatural. Do you suggest turning back the clock on personal hygiene? To the Amazons, the word 'unnatural' simply means 'not on the level of animals.'"
Then Zadkiel told the the judge he had no further questions.
Judge Xanthiel said, "The defense may question the defendant."
And Kandiel, who was Ariel's closest friend and the leader of the Amazons, said, "Thank you, your Honor. Ariel, despite all the evidence we have heard for the charge of impiety toward Belial, you still maintain your innocence. How can this be?"
Ariel said, "For most wives it is not a powerful decision to stay married, because her only alternative is to starve. In the same way, it cannot be a powerful decision to worship Belial, because the alternative is a mock trial and execution."
Kandiel said, "So you contend that any 'piety' which is compelled by law is invalid."
Ariel answered, "Exactly. Such 'piety' is as phony as the 'love' in most patriarchal marriages. How much more vital is the love of two who are utterly free to stay or part, yet who still choose to stay together!"
Kandiel said, "That sounds risky. What if one chooses to respond to the love that is offered with rejection, or even hate?"
Ariel said, "Living dangerously is the very thing that lends excitement and significance to our lives. Only with conflict can we flare with incentive to create a new destiny."
Kandiel asked, "New destiny? Doesn't that go against everything we have been taught about the laws of fate?"
Ariel said, "Belial once told me that to take fate into one's hands was to rise beyond good and evil. Well, a rock and a tree are beyond good and evil, and so is everyone who submits to the laws of cause and chance. Rocks, trees, and people who don't choose are amoral. The entire field of ethics simply doesn't apply to them."
Kandiel asked, "So you don't think High Lord Patriarch Kirodiel Gerash ought to legislate morality?"
Ariel said, "Not that he ought not to but he literally can not. Its a logical impossibility."
Kandiel said, "But he has laws against stealing or murder. Shall with dispense with those?"
Ariel replied, "Not at all. I'm just saying the state cannot compel love for Belial and still call it love. That's why I'm not guilty."
And Kandiel said, "The defense rests."
