“The Universe is the Practical Joke of the Generalat the expense of the Particular, quoth FRATERPERDURABO, and laughed.But those disciples nearest to him wept, seeing theUniversal Sorrow.Those next to them laughed, seeing the Universal Joke.Below these certain disciples wept,Then certain laughed.Others next wept.Others next laughed.Next others wept.Next others laughed.Last came those that wept because they could notsee the Joke, and those that laughed lest theyshould be thought not to see the Joke, and thoughtit safe to act like FRATER PERDURABO.But though FRATER PERDURABO laughedopenly, He also at the same time wept secretly;and in Himself He neither laughed nor wept.Nor did He mean what He said.”

“All this talk about 'suffering humanity' is principally drivel based on the error of transferring one's own psychology to one's neighbour. The Golden Rule is silly. If Lord Alfred Douglas (for example) did to others what he would like them to do to him, many would resent his action.”

“I have often said, and oftener think, that this world is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel – a solution of why Democritus laughed and Heraclitus wept.”

“In this book it is spoken of the Sephiroth and the Paths; of Spirits and Conjurations; of Gods, Spheres, Planes, and many other things which may or may not exist. It is immaterial whether these exist or not. By doing certain things certain results will follow; students are most earnestly warned against attributing objective reality or philosophic validity to any of them.”

“I can imagine myself on my death-bed, spent utterly with lust to touch the next world, like a boy asking for his first kiss from a woman.”

“There are certain queer times and occasions in this strange mixed affair we call life when a man takes this whole universe for a vast practical joke, though the wit thereof he but dimly discerns, and more than suspects that the joke is at nobody's expense but his own.”

“He shall fall down into a pit called Because, and there he shall perish with the dogs of reason.”