In both my occult studies, fictional writing, and personal pondering, I’ve found a a word that is constantly brought up; Desire. Why? Because what isolates the human individual from the mechanical universe? What motivates men and women to not only survive but to grow? What causes both great good and great evil? What creates motion in the universe that wasn’t there before? Desire. Desire is a constant theme I tend to find in both the right and the left hand path. In fact, we see two different (opposing) perspectives on the subject of human desire.
The fact is life’s hard. We struggle and toil through it. This concept of human struggle and the experience of hardship is perhaps the number 1 issue in human spirituality. The reason why has been the subject to spiritual and philosophical debate for centuries.
From the right hand path perspective, there is an inherent righteousness in the universe. Either some sort of system such as karma or a deity like the Abrahamic God. And this righteousness can, and supposedly, wants us to live easy and happy lives.
From this perspective, the reason why life is hard is because of the human element, particularly human desire. If the ideology believes in a god, or pantheon of gods, then that god must be satisfied. And this is done through worship and adherence to divine law or commandments. If it’s a system as opposed to an anthropomorphized God, then there’s still this adherence to some sort of law, taking out religious worship. However, not devoting yourself to worship, or adhering to divine mandate is supposed to mean that one angers this god or invites the attention of some evil force. So man is caught in a cosmic tug of war.
The right hand path has a rather demeaning view on man kind in that it believes we are predisposed to destructive tendencies due to our desires. Man is like an animal that must be tamed or a child that must be disciplined. Above all, man must be controlled “for his own sake.” The way the right hand path does this is by demonizing human desire into the concept of Sin. In ways of Orthodoxy, The only desire that is acceptable is the desire to serve God. To hold any worldly desire is a sin. However, from the softer side, the teachings state that the desires to give to “do good for thy fellow human being” is good while desires that are about the fulfillment of the ego are evil. We can see the seven deadly sins are but extreme and exaggerated desires, while the seven holy virtues are basically the absence of those same desires.
The right hand path, in summary, is about turning attention outward from the self, and directing energy to some external focus. The individual seeks to align with or conform to some outside force, whether it be society or divinity. Thus the individual loses the sense of self and becomes a vessel, which is considered a holy state.
The left hand path, in summary, is about turning attention inward into the self, and directing energy to an internal focus. The individual seeks to not only discover the self, but exercise the elements that makes them who they are. Thus the individual becomes a greater version of themselves, evolving past their current state and position.
The left hand path’s take on why life sucks is because life just does. There is no inherent divine righteousness in the universe that cares about you. In fact, the universe is a chaotic and merciless place with plenty of forces out there that can kill you. Not because they’re evil, but because that’s just what life is like. Survival of the fittest. There is no savior for man, and anyone who claims such is just another predator waiting to pounce.
However, there is a silver lining. Man has the freedom to create or destroy as he pleases, provided he has the power to do so and the will to obtain it. This is where human desire comes into play. It is simply the driving force of human action. There is no discernment between good or evil desires. Nor is there divine punishment or reward. All there is is desire, choice, and the consequences of one’s actions. However, Like early man weilding fire, desire can bring harm to those who wield it. So desire must be tempered with wisdom; the awareness of one’s position in one’s environment and how they impact that environment.
The left hand path has a very prideful view of man. Man is another god or godlike being, able to shape his own destiny in a void universe. The limit to his ability is his will, and the limit to his potential is his imagination. However, it is also sobering in that it warns man that his life and dreams are his responsibility and that, though he can do as he pleases, he isn’t free of consequences, so he needs to be smart.
The right hand path believes man can’t take care of itself and must be controlled. Desire is the basic anti-thesis to all that is good and must be stomped out. The Rhp seeks to eliminate human struggle, but it can only do so by imposing itself upon others. However, this has only been proven by history to start wars and conflicts. With human desire turned to God and scripture, or to conforming to what’s considered socially acceptable, as opposed to the self, this gives way to prejudice, fear, tyranny, and even murder. The very problems it sought to end, it only causes or recreates.
The left hand path believes man has the power to take care of himself and take responsibility for his actions. However, he occasionally needs to be reminded of either what power he has or how to use it. Desire is energy to fuel his evolution, but as any energy, it can be destructive when not properly focused or contained. The individual has to learn and understand both himself and his environment. Though at the end of the day, it is up to him to decide his own liberties and restrictions. The Lhp doesn’t seek to eliminate problems, but understand them better as to work around them. There will be challenges ahead, but that is only the natural way. The individual will be tested upon both his will and his intelligence. But there will always be rewards.
