THE SWORD OF SONG 
28
You know for me the soul is nought36 
Save a mere phantom in the thought, 
That thought itself impermanent, 
Save as a casual element 
With such another may combine 
To form now water and now wine ; 
The element itself may be 
Changeless to all eternity,  
But compounds ever fluctuate 
With time or space or various state. 
(Ask chemists else !)  So I must claim 
Spirit and matter are the same37 
Or else the prey of putrefaction. 
This matters to the present action 
Little or nothing.  Here’s your theories ! 
Think if you like : I find it wearies ! 
It matters little whether we 
With Fichte and the Brahmins preach 
That Ego-Atman sole must be ; 
With Schelling and the Buddha own 
No-Ego-Skandhas are alone ; 
With Hegel and the—Christian ? teach 
That which compels, includes, absorbs 
Both mighty unrevolving orbs 
In one informing masterless 
Master-idea of consciousness— 
All differences as these indeed 
Are chess play, conjuring.  “Proceed !” 
Nay !  I’ll go back.  The exposition 
Above, has points.  But simple fission 
Has reproduced a different bliss, 
At last a heterogenesis ! 
The metaphysics of these verses 
Is perfectly absurd.  My curse is  
No sooner in an iron word 
I formulate my thought than I  
Perceive the same to be absurd  
(Tannhäuser).  So for this, Sir, why ! 
Your metaphysics in your teeth ! 
Confer A. Crowley, “Berashith.” 
But hear !  The Christian is a Dualist ; 
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265
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Recapitulation 
of principal cos-
mic theories. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bard check-
mates himself.  
Consciousness 
and Christi-
anity.   
Dhyana and 
Hinduism. 
Sammasa- 
madhi and 
Buddhism.