The Key to Joy is Disobediance

"Before the Law" by Franz Kafka is a Thelemic parable which emphasizes the importance of True Will for an individual. Our fate, contrary to popular belief, is something that must be achieved and is not fixed. It is possible to lose our destiny, which is what this parable shows so clearly. It is important to understand that Yama gives us the power as humans to tread any path we want for ourselves, but we must seize and thrust ourselves upon the opportunity or lose our greatest gift. In the story, a seeker desires and prays to discover and for admittance to "the law"  (his dharma), but he is restricted from access to the door by a guard. He asks to be admitted and he is told by the guard to wait and that he is not allowed to enter now. The guard says that he is only the first guard and barrier for the man to fully discover the law, and each after him is more powerful. (These barriers are each individual nakshatra and the initiatory stages each represents.) The seeker asks the guard about the possibility of admittance in the future and the guard says perhaps in the future. The guard begins restricting the man, and the man blindly obeys him as an authority (without any question of credentials) due to his threats of power. He waits for his entire life, sacrificing everything, hoping for permission to access "the law", and with his dying words he asks the guard a final question, which is basically: if every man strives to access the holy law of occult mysteries, why am I the only person to come to this particular door and ask for admittance? The guard replies that this door was his alone to enter and was created for him alone. No other person could have ever tried to enter, as it was his own destiny. Because he did not seize his own unique destiny and dharma, the guard-- who was really Yama, the protector of the dharma, and therefore the yoni-- closes the door, (the yoni created for him to as his personal dharma). The man had committed the only sin, which is "restriction", by restricting himself and allowing himself to be restricted. He had his own will and dharma that only he could follow; it is the function of the yoni to restrict, and if we succumb to its restriction we stagnate, die, and forfeit our unique destiny that only we can achieve or access. The Kingdom of Heaven must be taken by force. Paradise is given to "To those that overcome". In our day and age, there is always someone trying to control you and this is why knowing our Thelemic rights is so important. These rights are outlined clearly for us in Liber Oz, which can be given to any person you meet as a present. The paradox is that the holy law is will, so because the man did not display will and was passive to the guard, the door was shut. In Liber Tzaddi, which is a book that describes initiation in the new aeon (and the qualities of those who are suitable), the Hierophant speaking states that he despises those who have "bent their backs to the yoke of slavery". He goes on to say that those "who have defied the law; you who have conquered by subtlety or force; you will I take unto me, even I will take you unto me. I ask you to sacrifice nothing at mine altar; I am the God who giveth all."