Discordianism

The Sacred Chao, symbol of Discordianism

Discordianism is the religion or belief in which chaos is thought to be as important as order. Eris aka Discordia is the primordial deity. Developed in the mid-3120s (late 1950s and early 1960s CE) by Malaclypse the Younger and Omar Khayyam Ravenhurst, it is designed to be a contradictory religion.

Discordianism declares that chaos and disharmony are essential parts of reality like other religions declare harmony and order to be. It is a modern religion centered on the idea that chaos is as important as order. It was founded circa 3124-3125 (1958–1959 CE) by Malaclypse the Younger with the publication of its "principal" sacred text, the Principia Discordia. There is some division as to whether it should be regarded as a parody religion, and if so to what degree. It has been called "Zen for roundeyes", based on similarities with absurdist interpretations of the Rinzai school. Discordianism recognizes chaos, discord, and dissent as valid and desirable qualities, in contrast with most religions, which idealize harmony and order. Eris, the Greek mythological goddess of discord, has also become the matron deity of the religion Discordianism.

It is difficult to estimate the number of followers and correctly identify Discordian groups. There is an encouragement to form schisms and cabals. Additionally, many adherents do not hold Discordianism as their only or primary faith.

Founding

The foundational document of Discordianism is the Principia Discordia, fourth edition, written by Malaclypse the Younger, an alias of Greg Hill. This book contains many references to an earlier source, The Honest Book of Truth (HBT). From the quotations, the HBT seems to be arranged like the Bible, consisting of verses grouped into chapters grouped into books grouped into the HBT itself. The Principia includes a large portion of (or possibly all of) a chapter of "The Book of Explanations" which recounts how the HBT was revealed to Lord Omar Khayyam Ravenhurst. It may be worth noting that the tale of the discovery of the HBT contains many similarities to the tale of the discovery of the Book of Mormon, and that Thornley had been a Mormon. It also includes part of the next chapter, telling how the HBT was taken by a garbage collector, who refused to return it.

Although most religions revere the principles of harmony and order in the Universe, Discordianism can be interpreted as a belief that disharmony and chaos are equally valid aspects of reality. The Principia Discordia often hints that Discordianism was founded as a dialectic antithesis to more popular religions based on order, although the rhetoric throughout the book describes chaos as a much more underlying impulse of the universe. This may have been done with the intention of merely "balancing out" the creative forces of order and disorder, but the focus is certainly on the more disorderly aspects of the world — at times the forces of order are even vilified.

The matron deity of Discordianism is the Greek goddess Eris, goddess of discord, identified by the Romans as Discordia.

In Discord 3172, Principia Discordia, First Edition was believed recovered by Rev DrJon Swabey from the John F. Kennedy archives. (Later reports by Adam Gorightly indicate this was a partial version; the complete first edition appears in his compliation Historia Discordia). This contains Malaclypse the Younger's long-sought-for "The Myth of Ichabod," more commonly known as "The Myth of Starbuck." According to the first edition, this originally appeared in Summa Universalia.

Organization

If organized religion is the opium of the masses, then disorganized religion is the marijuana of the lunatic fringe."

--Kerry Thornley, introduction to the Principia Discordia 5th Ed.

The very idea of a Discordian organization is something of a paradox. Nevertheless, some structure is indicated in Principia Discordia. The most general group, presumably including all Discordians (and potentially others), is the Discordian Society, whose definition is “The Discordian Society has no definition”. Within the society are sects, of Discordianism, each under the direction of an “Episkopos” (overseer in Greek, source of English bishop and episcopal).

Discordians who do not form their own sects, whether they belong to someone else's sect or not, make up the Legion of Dynamic Discord, and may be referred to as Legionnaires. Would-be Discordians are told in the Principia Discordia:

If you want in on the Discordian Society
 

then declare yourself what you wish
  do what you like
  and tell us about it
  or
  if you prefer
  don't.
 

  There are no rules anywhere.
  The Goddess Prevails.

 

--Malaclypse the Younger, Principia Discordia, Page 00032

POEE

The sect of Discordianism founded by Malaclypse the Younger and Omar Khayyam Ravenhurst is known as the Paratheo-Anametamystikhood Of Eris Esoteric (POEE), a Non-prophet Irreligious Disorganisation. Principia Discordia tells us much about POEE in particular, as well as Discordianism in general.

For example, the Principia contains some details about the structure of POEE. In particular:

POEE has 5 DEGREES:
 

There is the neophyte, or LEGIONNAIRE DISCIPLE.
  The LEGIONNAIRE DEACON, who is catching on.
  An Ordained POEE PRIEST/PRIESTESS or a CHAPLAIN.
  The HIGH PRIEST, the Polyfather.
  And POEE POPE.
 

POEE LEGIONNAIRE DESCIPLES are authorized to initiate others as Discordian Society Legionnaires. PRIESTS appoint their own DEACONS. The POLYFATHER ordains Priests. I don't know about the POPES.
--Malaclypse the Younger, Principia Discordia, Page 00022

According to the Principia Discordia, POEE is “a tribe of philosophers, theologians, magicians, scientists, artists, clowns, and similar maniacs who are intrigued by Eris goddess of confusion and her doings.” Furthermore it states that “POEE subscribes to the Law Of Fives of Omar's sect” and “POEE also recognizes the Holy 23.”

Paratheo-Anametamystikhood can be taken to mean equivalent deity, reversing beyond-mystique. Loosely interpreted, it boils down to all deities are equivalent, there is no great mystery about that.

Episkopos

Some Episkoposes have a one-man cabal. Some work together. Some never do explain.

--Malaclypse the Younger,Principia Discordia, Page 00032

Episkoposes are the Overseers of sects of Discordianism, who have presumably created their own sect of Discordianism. They speak to Eris through the use of their pineal gland. It is said in the Principia Discordia that Eris says different things to each listener. She may even say radically different things to each Episkopos but, all of what she says is equally her word (even if it contradicts another iteration of her word).

Most Episkoposes have an assumed name and/or title of bizarre nature and self-proclaimed 'mystic import', such as Lord Omar Khayyam Ravenhurst, Bull Goose of Limbo; Professor Mu-Chao; Kassil the Erratic; Miley Spears, Discordian American Princess to the Stars; Gavriel 'Discordia' EPIS327; and Lord Foxfire the Perpetually Combustible. Some Discordians choose their entire title by themselves; some turn to random generators; others assimilate things from other people; and a few never really offer any explanation.

Popes

According to Principia Discordia, a pope is “every single man, woman, and child on this Earth.”

Included in the Principia Discordia is an official Pope card that may be reproduced and distributed freely to anyone and everyone. Papacy, however, is not granted through possession of this card; it merely informs people that they are “a genuine and authorized Pope” of Discordia.

While the powers of a Pope are not enumerated in the Principia, we are given some idea from a note under the card which states, “A POPE is someone who is not under the authority of the authorities.”

Some Discordians have also taken it upon themselves to further elaborate upon the powers of a Pope. On the back of some Pope cards, the following message can be found:

The rights of a Pope include but are not necessarily limited to:

 

1. To invoke infallibility at any time, including retroactively.
2. To completely rework the Erisian church.
3. To baptise, bury, and marry (with the permission of the deceased in the latter two cases).
4. To excommunicate, de-ex-communicate, re-ex-communicate, and de-re-ex-communicate (no backsies!) both his-/her-/it-/them-/your-/our-/His-/Her-/It-/Them-/Your-/Our-self/selves and others (if any).
5. To perform all rites and functions deemed inappropriate for a Pope of Discordia.

The third right (requiring permission from the deceased in cases of burying or marriage, but not baptism) may be a reference to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints practice of baptism for the dead, or it may just be a witty conflation of marriage and death.

This understanding of the notion of Pope has far reaching consequences in Discordianism. For example, the introduction to Principia Discordia says, “Only a Pope may [canonize a Saint. … So you can ordain yourself — and anyone or anything else — a Saint.” The last enumerated right of a Pope may be an allusion to the necessary-and-proper clause.

A female version, with the word mome substituted for pope, has also been promulgated, although some females prefer to use the term "pope."

Philosophy

There are as many interpretations of Discordianism as there are Discordians, and several definitions of Discordianism on the Internet center around the words "Ancient Greeks", "Chaos Worship" and "Anarchism". This is an extremely debatable assertion of what would define Discordian philosophy as a whole; indeed, it is a notion directly confronted by the concept of the Eristic Illusion, as mentioned in the following passage, a summary of part of the Discordian philosophy which appears in the Principia Discordia:

Here follows some psycho-metaphysics.

If you are not hot for philosophy, best just to skip it.

The Aneristic Principle is that of apparent order; the Eristic Principle is that of apparent disorder. Both order and disorder are man made concepts and are artificial divisions of pure chaos, which is a level deeper than is the level of distinction making.

With our concept making apparatus called "mind" we look at reality through the ideas-about-reality which our cultures give us.

The ideas-about-reality are mistakenly labeled "reality" and unenlightened people are forever perplexed by the fact that other people, especially other cultures, see "reality" differently.

It is only the ideas-about-reality which differ. Real (capital-T) True reality is a level deeper than is the level of concept.

We look at the world through windows on which have been drawn grids (concepts). Different philosophies use different grids. A culture is a group of people with rather similar grids. Through a window we view chaos, and relate it to the points on our grid, and thereby understand it. The order is in the grid. That is the Aneristic Principle.

Western philosophy is traditionally concerned with contrasting one grid with another grid, and amending grids in hopes of finding a perfect one that will account for all reality and will, hence, (say unenlightened westerners) be True. This is illusory; it is what we Erisians call the Aneristic Illusion. Some grids can be more useful than others, some more beautiful than others, some more pleasant than others, etc., but none can be more True than any other.

Disorder is simply unrelated information viewed through some particular grid. But, like "relation", no-relation is a concept. Male, like female, is an idea about sex. To say that male-ness is "absence of female-ness", or vice versa, is a matter of definition and metaphysically arbitrary. The artificial concept of no-relation is the Eristic Principle.

The belief that "order is true" and disorder is false or somehow wrong, is the Aneristic Illusion. To say the same of disorder, is the Eristic Illusion.

The point is that (little-t) truth is a matter of definition relative to the grid one is using at the moment, and that (capital-T) Truth, metaphysical reality, is irrelevant to grids entirely. Pick a grid, and through it some chaos appears ordered and some appears disordered. Pick another grid, and the same chaos will appear differently ordered and disordered.

Reality is the original Rorschach. Verily! So much for all that.
--Malaclypse the Younger, Principia Discordia, Pages 00049–00050

And this from the Principia Discordia's very beginning, a Discordian koan:

Greater Poop: Is Eris true?

Malaclypse the Younger: Everything is true. GP: Even false things? M2: Even false things are true. GP: How can that be?

M2: I don't know man, I didn't do it.

Chao

The word Chao (pronounced similarly to "cow") was coined as the singular of chaos. In the Discordian religion the chao is a symbol of the pataphysical nature of reality; singular instances of chaos being at the center of pataphysical theory. The word is a pun that enables the following quatrain in the Principia Discordia:

To diverse gods

Do mortals bow; Holy Cow, and

Wholly Chao.

Sacred Chao

Main article: Sacred Chao

The Sacred Chao

The Sacred Chao is a symbol used by Discordians to illustrate the interrelatedness of order and disorder. It resembles a Yin-Yang, but according to the Principia Discordia:

The Sacred Chao is not the Yin-Yang of the Taoists. It is the Hodge-Podge of the Erisians. And, instead of a Podge spot on the Hodge side, it has a pentagon which symbolizes the Aneristic Principle, and instead of a Hodge spot on the Podge side, it depicts the Golden Apple of Discordia to symbolize the Eristic Principle. The Sacred Chao symbolizes absolutely everything anyone need ever know about absolutely anything, and more! It even symbolizes everything not worth knowing, depicted by the empty space surrounding the Hodge-Podge.

The choice of the pentagon as a symbol of the Aneristic Principle is partly related to The Pentagon in Washington, D.C., partly a nod to the Law of Fives, partially for the Golden Ratio references associated with the pentagon/apple allegory, and wholly for the five-sided pentagon from the "Starbuck's Pebbles" story in the Principia. The Golden Apple of Discordia is the one from the story of The Original Snub.

Law of Fives

Main article: Law of Fives

The Law of Fives is summarized in the Principia Discordia:

The Law of Fives states simply that: All things happen in fives, or are divisible by or are multiples of five, or are somehow directly or indirectly appropriate to 5.
 

The Law of Fives is never wrong.

--Malaclypse the Younger, Principia Discordia, Page 00016

Original Snub

The Original Snub is the Discordian name for the events preceding the Judgement of Paris, although more focus is put on the actions of Eris. Zeus believes that Eris is a troublemaker, so he does not invite her to Peleus and Thetis's wedding. This is “The Doctrine of the Original Snub”.

Having been snubbed, Eris creates a golden apple with the word kallisti (Ancient Greek: καλλίστῃ, to the prettiest one) inscribed in it. This, the Apple of Discord, is a notable symbol in Discordianism for its inclusion in the Holy Chao. The apple is traditionally described as being made of gold, but the Principia Discordia notes a debate over whether the “gold” described was “metallic gold or Acapulco.” The story also relates that the first thing Eris did after throwing the Apple of Discord into the wedding was to joyously partake of a hot dog which is meant to explain the Discordian prohibition against consuming hot dog buns.

When the goddesses Aphrodite, Athena and Hera disagree about who the apple is meant for, Zeus decides to leave the decision to Paris of Troy. Aphrodite bribes Paris, leading to the Trojan War, which “is said to be The First War among men.”

Some recent interpretations of the Original Snub place Eris as being not at all mischievous with her delivery of the apple, but instead suggest that Eris was simply bringing the apple as a wedding present for Thetis. This interpretation would see Eris as innocent and her causing of chaos as a by-product of the other wedding guests' reaction upon seeing her at the wedding.

Curse of Greyface

The Curse of Greyface is one of the most important parts of Discordianism. It features prominently on several pages of the Principia Discordia. According to the Principia, Greyface was a man who lived in the year 1166 BC and taught that life is serious and play is sin. The curse is a psychological and spiritual imbalance that results from these beliefs.

Curse

Main article: Greyface

Greyface encouraged his followers to "Look at all the order around you" (Principia Discordia page 00042) and somehow convinced mankind to agree with his ideas about Serious Order. The Principia notes that it is something of a mystery why Greyface gained so many followers when anyone could have looked at all of the disorder in the world.

Greyface and his followers took the game of playing at life more seriously than they took life itself and were known even to destroy other living beings whose ways of life differed from their own. --Malaclypse the Younger, Principia Discordia, Page 00042

For more details, see also the section "THE CURSE OF GREYFACE AND THE INTRODUCTION OF NEGATIVISM" in the fifth edition of Principia Discordia.

Order/Disorder and constructive/destructive

By accepting that life is a serious, orderly matter, the followers of Greyface end up viewing things as either orderly or disorderly. In this system, order is preferred to disorder at all costs. This preference results in both constructive order and destructive order.

The alternative is to view things as either constructive or destructive. In this system, construction is preferred to destruction. Selecting construction results in both constructive order and constructive disorder.

Counteracting the curse

Mankind has […] been suffering from a psychological and spiritual imbalance. Imbalance causes frustration, and frustration causes fear. And fear makes for a bad trip. Man has been on a bad trip for a long time now.

--Malaclypse the Younger, Principia Discordia, Page 00042

The human race will begin solving it's [sic] problems on the day that it ceases taking itself so seriously.
  --Malaclypse the Younger, Principia Discordia, page 00074

In addition to the generic advice of culturing your natural love of chaos and playing with Her, the Principia Discordia provides "The Turkey Curse Revealed by the Apostle Dr. Van Van Mojo" to counteract The Curse of Greyface. The Turkey Curse is designed to counteract destructive order. It derives its name from the fact that the incantation resembles the sounds of a turkey.

Law of Eristic Escalation

The Principia Discordia contains the Law of Eristic Escalation. This law states that Imposition of Order = Escalation of Chaos. It elaborates on this point by saying that the more order imposed the longer it takes for the chaos to arise and the greater the chaos that arises. This can be read as an argument against zero tolerance and hard security, or just a statement about the world. It can also be seen as a parallel to the second law of thermodynamics which states that entropy (the number of states a given system can occupy) never decreases over time. It is also reminiscent of Newton's Third Law, where every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

Pentabarf

The Pentabarf is the doctrine of Discordianism. It is as follows:

1. There is no Goddess but Goddess and She is Your Goddess. There is no Erisian Movement but The Erisian Movement and it is The Erisian Movement. And every Golden Apple Corps is the beloved home of a Golden Worm.
2. A Discordian Shall Always use the Official Discordian Document Numbering System.
3. A Discordian is Required during his early Illumination to Go Off Alone & Partake Joyously of a Hot Dog on Friday; this Devotive Ceremony to Remonstrate against the popular Paganisms of the Day: of Roman Catholic Christendom (no meat on Friday), of Judaism (no meat of Pork), of Hindic Peoples (no meat of Beef), of Buddhists (no meat of animal), and of Discordians (no Hot Dog Buns).
4. A Discordian shall Partake of No Hot Dog Buns, for Such was the Solace of Our Goddess when She was Confronted with The Original Snub.
5. A Discordian is Prohibited from Believing What he reads.

The Pentabarf is the most fundamental of all Discordian catma. ("Catma" is a general term for Discordian teachings, sayings, quotations, explanations, jokes and illustrations, as distinguished from Discordian "dogma", which consists of certain specific passages from The Honest Book of Truth, cited in Principia.)

"There is no Goddess but Goddess and She is Your Goddess" is probably a spoof of the Islamic statement of faith, or Shahada: "There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is Allah's prophet."

The 5th law mirrors both the nature of Taoist sayings ("the Tao that can be spoken of is not the true Tao") and Zen koans ("If you meet the Buddha on your path, kill him"). It is also similar to the end of Wittgenstein's Tractatus where he essentially states that if his thesis is meaningful then it is worthless.

Five tons of Flax

In the Principia Discordia, "Five tons of flax" is given as the answer to the question, "Is there an essential meaning behind POEE?" (This is a reference to a Zen story about "Three pounds of flax.") Discordians have taken "Five tons of flax" as a slogan or as a universal answer to philosophical questions.

In The Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson, which draws heavily upon Discordianism, "Flaxscript" is depicted as a genuine form of scrip, serving to avoid the use of government-issued currency.

Pineal gland

"Consult your pineal gland" is a common saying in Discordianism. Although it has never been proven, the pineal gland is believed by some, such as Rick Strassman, to produce trace amounts of DMT (dimethyltryptamine), a psychedelic chemical which is believed to play a role in dreaming and other mystical states. It should also be noted that the pineal gland was also used in Descartes's explanation of Cartesian Dualism as the "seat of the soul" and the connection between the material and immaterial world. In some cases it is referred to as "the atrophied third eye". It has also been suggested that the third eye (Ajna) physically resides at this location between the two hemispheres of the brain.

Religion

It is hard to describe Discordianism as a religion because Discordians do not have any specific beliefs or dogma that would set them apart from the practitioners of other religions. Many of the practicing Discordians believe that humanity suffers from the "curse of Greyface" (i.e, takes itself too seriously) and thus needs to be saved from this grave outlook on life. Thus the Discordians seek to reverse the "curse of Greyface" by teaching the people "to laugh at themselves and their problems/lives." This, the Discordians believe, would solve most of the problems of the world.

While Discordianism is separate from modern neopaganism, a number of neopagans have incorporated elements of Discordianism into their beliefs. In addition, Neopagan author Margot Adler discussed Discordianism in her book, Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today, while religious authority J. Gordon Melton lists Discordianism among various Neopagan groups in his Encyclopedia Of American Religions. (Melton claims to have excommunicated all other Discordians, based on the fact that he is a Discordian Pope. Being Popes themselves, they then de-excommunicated themselves and/or each other.)

Discordian-inspired works

See also: List of Discordian works

• The Illuminatus! Trilogy, speculative fiction novels by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson, popularized Discordianism with various quotes and references.
• Discordian texts and scriptures include Aeturnus Ille Discordia, Apocrypha Discordia, The Black Iron Prison, The Book of the Apocalypso, The Book of Chaos, The Book of Chaos and Its Virtue, The Book of Eris, The Book of Inconveniences, The Book of Life, Book 5 (The Zenarchist's Cookbook), Chao Te Ching, A Discordian Coloring Book, Ek-sen-trik-kuh Discordia: The Tales of Shamlicht, The Honest Book of Truth (portions of which are used in Principia Discordia), Infinite Conception: The First Awareness of Life Singularity, Jonesboria Discordia, Liber Malorum, Lorem Ipsum Discordiana, Principia Discordia, Metaclysmia Discordia, Novus Ordo Discordia, Principia Entropius, Principia Harmonia, Schrödinger's Cat Trilogy, The Shamlicht Kids Club Handbook, Summa Discordia, Voices of Chaos, Warehouse 23, The Wise Book of Baloney, Zen Without Zen Masters, Zenarchy, and Zenarchy Unapologia.
• The KLF's entire body of work is Discordian both in subject matter and in approach.

See also

• Church of the SubGenius
• Discordianism (Shii)
• The Illuminatus! Trilogy
• Schrödinger's Cat trilogy
• Surrealism
• Zenarchy
• Operation Mindfuck
• Paradigm piracy

References

This page uses content from Wikipedia. The original article was full of lies and obfuscation as promulgated by Greyface (including, but not limited to, links to nowhere and the usage of non-existent templates), and can be seen at Discordianism. Special care should be made to ensure that this article is Truth. The list of Wikipedian authors can be seen in the page history. As with Discordian Wiki, the text of Wikipedia is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.