Mental Transmutation
IV. The All
V. The Mental Universe
VI. "The All" in All
VIII. Planes of Correspondence
IX. Vibration
X. Polarity
XI. Rhythm
XII. Gender
XIV. Mental Gender
XV. There is no portion of the occult teachings possessed by the world which
have been so closely guarded as the fragments of the Hermetic Teachings
which have come down to us over the tens of centuries which have elapsed
since the lifetime of its great founder, Hermes Trismegistus, the
"scribe of the gods," who dwelt in old Egypt in the days when the
present race of men was in its infancy. These men have never sought popular approval, nor numbers of followers. Crucify." THE THREE INITIATES. This man, if "man"
indeed he was, dwelt in Egypt in the earliest days. Its precepts have never been written down, or printed, so far
as we know. Our own work is
printed in the regular way, in the body of the work. --The Kybalion. "When the ears of the student are ready to hear, then cometh
the lips to fill them with Wisdom." --The Kybalion. Such is The Law. --The Kybalion. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 1. --The Kybalion. This
Principle, by establishing the Mental Nature of the Universe, easily
explains all of the varied mental and psychic phenomena that occupy such
a large portion of the public attention, and which, without such
explanation, are non-understandable and defy scientific treatment. This
Principle explains the true nature of "Energy," "Power," and "Matter,"
and why and how all these are subordinate to the Mastery of Mind. 2. --The Kybalion. Studying the monad, he
understands the archangel. 3. --The
Kybalion. Between these poles, there are millions upon millions of
varying degrees of vibration. 4. --The Kybalion. There is no such thing as "absolute heat" or "absolute cold"--the two
terms "heat" and "cold" simply indicate varying degrees of the same
thing, and that "same thing" which manifests as "heat" and "cold"
is merely a form, variety, and rate of Vibration. Where does
"darkness" leave off, and "light" begin? And all are simply
degrees of the same thing, as you will see if you will but think a
moment. 5. --The
Kybalion. This
is in the affairs of the Universe, suns, worlds, men, animals, mind,
energy, and matter. They apply the Mental Law of Neutralization. They have learned
how to USE it, instead of being USED BY it. In this and similar
methods, consist the Art of the Hermetists. 6. --The Kybalion. 7. --The Kybalion. This is
true not only of the Physical Plane, but of the Mental and even the
Spiritual Planes. To the pure, all things are pure; to the
base, all things are base. --The Kybalion. Transmutation,
Alchemy, or Chemistry on the Mental Plane is important enough in its
effects, to be sure, and if the art stopped there it would still be one
of the most important branches of study known to man. But this is only
the beginning. If the Universe is Mental in its nature, then Mental Transmutation must
be the art of CHANGING THE CONDITIONS OF THE UNIVERSE, along the lines
of Matter, Force and mind. As a matter of fact, none but advanced Mental Alchemists have been able
to attain the degree of power necessary to control the grosser physical
conditions, such as the control of the elements of Nature; the
production or cessation of tempests; the production and cessation of
earthquakes and other great physical phenomena. --The Kybalion. "Substantial"
means: "actually existing; being the essential element; being real," etc. This is the Law. This must be so, for naught by THE ALL itself can comprehend
its own nature and being. Such efforts have always failed and will
always fail, from the very nature of the task. Such ideas are not worthy of grown men and women, and are
rapidly being discarded. And to this inquiry we now invite
you. "THAT which is the Fundamental Truth--the Substantial
Reality--is beyond true naming, but the Wise Men call
it THE ALL." --The Kybalion. "In its Essence, THE ALL is UNKNOWABLE." --The Kybalion. "But, the report of Reason must be hospitably received,
and treated with respect." --The Kybalion. There can be
nothing existing outside of THE ALL, else THE ALL would
not be THE ALL. And as there is Nothing outside of THE ALL, in
Reality, then any and all such finite things must be as Nothing in
Reality. Be patient, we will reach it in time. Even
Material Science has abandoned the theory of Matter, and now rests on
the basis of "Energy." "Then," you ask, "do you mean to tell us
that THE ALL is LIFE and MIND?" is our answer. If you mean
Life and Mind as we poor petty mortals know them, we say No! THE ALL is
not that! you ask. --The Kybalion. THE ALL is SPIRIT! Then if the Universe be not THE ALL, then it must be
Nothing--such is the inevitable conclusion of the mind at first thought. Then if the Universe is neither THE ALL, nor
Nothing, what Can it be? Let us examine this question. If the Universe exists at all, or seems to exist, it must proceed in
some way from THE ALL--it must be a creation of THE ALL. But as
something can never come from nothing, from what could THE ALL have
created it. This is the great question. Let us examine
it carefully. comes to our aid here. On his own plane of being, how does Man create? Well, first,
he may create by making something out of outside materials. Yes, there is--he CREATES MENTALLY! And, here is where the
report of Reason tallies precisely with the report of the Illumined, as
shown by their teachings and writings. Such are the teachings of the
Wise Men. Such was the Teaching of Hermes. There is no escape from this conclusion of the
Reason, which, as we have said, agrees with the highest teachings of the
Illumined. Just as you, student, may create a Universe of your own in
your mentality, so does THE ALL create Universes in its own Mentality. But your Universe is the mental creation of a Finite Mind, whereas that
of THE ALL is the creation of an Infinite. The two are similar in kind,
but infinitely different in degree. But this is the
point to fix in your minds at this stage: THE UNIVERSE, AND ALL IT
CONTAINS, IS A MENTAL CREATION OF THE ALL. Verily indeed, ALL IS MIND! --The Kybalion. --The
Kybalion. The true teaching is that THE ALL, in
itself, is above Gender, as it is above every other Law, including those
of Time and Space. It is the Law, from which the Laws proceed, and it is
not subject to them. It may help you to get the proper idea, if you will apply the Law of
Correspondence to yourself, and your own mind. "As above, so below,"
remember, and the phenomena of one plane may be employed to solve the
riddles of higher or lower planes. It is the MOTHER
MIND that you are pressing close up to, like a babe to the breast. You are dwelling in the Infinite Mind of THE ALL, and your
possibilities and opportunities are infinite, both in time and space. "Within the Father-Mother Mind, mortal children are at
home." --The Kybalion. "There is not one who is Fatherless, nor Motherless in the
Universe." --The Kybalion. CHAPTER VI
THE DIVINE PARADOX
"The half-wise, recognizing the comparative unreality of
the Universe, imagine that they may defy its Laws--such
are vain and presumptuous fools, and they are broken against
the rocks and torn asunder by the elements by reason of
their folly. Transmutation, not presumptuous denial, is the weapon of the
Master." --The Kybalion. This is the Paradox of the Universe, resulting from the Principle of
Polarity which manifests when THE ALL begins to Create--hearken to it
for it points the difference between half-wisdom and wisdom. Each according
to its own Plane and Laws. Think over any and all
of the other conceptions, and see whether this be not true of them. And, at
the best, if it were not by reason of our Mind, we would not know the
foot or stone at all. To know it otherwise, but actual experience, we must be
THE ALL itself. So, we need not dwell upon the feature of illusion. All, except THE ALL, are bound by them. There is no Power outside of THE ALL to affect us. So we may rest
calm and secure. In THE ALL, indeed, do "we
live and move and have our being." We overcome the lower laws, by applying
still higher ones--and in this way only. The above
quotations are from The Kybalion, and are worthy of being committed to
memory by the student. We are all on The Path--and
the road leads upward ever, with frequent resting places. CHAPTER VII
"THE ALL" IN ALL
"While All is in THE ALL, it is equally true that THE
ALL is in ALL. --The Kybalion. As the Kybalion says: "To him who truly
understands this truth, hath come great knowledge." And, this being so,
let us seek this truth, the understanding of which means so much. As the Kybalion says, in the passage quoted above: "All is
in THE ALL." But note also the co-related statement, that: "It is
equally true that THE ALL is in ALL." Consider this for a moment, until the idea is
grasped. Micawber is
both Micawber, and yet Dickens. And, again, while Micawber may be said
to be Dickens, yet Dickens is not identical with Micawber. THE ALL is in the earthworm, and yet the earth-worm is far
from being THE ALL. And, upward and onward along this Scale of Life,
everything is moving. All are on the Path, whose end is THE ALL. All is Upward and Onward, in spite of all
seemingly contradictory appearances. In short, the entire process of Evolution, in all of its phases,
begins, and proceeds according to the established "Laws of the
Indrawing" process. And, yet:
"As Below, so Above." The question
is: "WHY does THE ALL create Universes" The question may be asked in
different forms, but the above is the gist of the inquiry. And, yet, THE ALL does
create and manifest, and seems to find some kind of satisfaction in so
doing. But, still, we prefer to think of THE ALL as
acting entirely FREE from any influence, internal as well as external. That is the problem which lies at the root of difficulty--and the
difficulty that lies at the root of the problem. So, you see, the matter is
Unthinkable, just as THE ALL is Unknowable. Back of that Aspect is "The Aspect of BEING" in which all
Laws are lost in LAW; all Principles merge into PRINCIPLE--and THE ALL;
PRINCIPLE; and BEING; are IDENTICAL, ONE AND THE SAME. Therefore,
Metaphysical speculation on this point is futile. But, remember, that whatever be the answer to this problem, if indeed
there be an answer the truth remains that: "While All is in THE ALL, it
is equally true that THE ALL is in All." CHAPTER VIII
PLANES OF CORRESPONDENCE
"As above, so below; as below, so above." --The Kybalion. 2. 3. In short, the Three Great Planes may be regarded as three great groups
of degrees of Life Manifestation. We answer: "No, not a
place, nor ordinary dimension of space; and yet more than a state or
condition. Somewhat paradoxical, is it not? But let us examine the
matter. Not only do they vibrate at different rates of motion, but as in
different directions and in a different manner. It includes all
forms of that which we call Matter, and all forms of that which we call
Energy or Force. Plants have life, mind and "souls," as
well as have the animals, man, and super-man. But, remember, that there have been races before us which
have passed through these degrees, and then on to higher planes. We can
speak only in the most general terms. They have
superimposed their knowledge and power upon the world, again and again,
all under the Law of THE ALL, of course. "As Above so Below; as Below, so Above." --The Kybalion. Between these two poles are
millions upon millions of different rates and modes of vibration. Then all particles of Matter are in circular movement, from corpuscle to
suns. The planets revolve around suns, and many of them turn on their
axes. Then as the rate is
increased the note rises one in the musical scale. Then, the motion
being still further increased, the next highest note is distinguished. As the rate increases, the red becomes brighter. Then as the
speed is increased, the red melts into an orange. This is the principle which
produces the phenomena of "telepathy"; mental influence, and other forms
of the action and power of mind over mind, with which the general public
is rapidly becoming acquainted, owing to the wide dissemination of
occult knowledge by the various schools, cults and teachers along these
lines at this time. In short, he may be able to produce on the Mental Plane that which
science produces on the Physical Plane--namely, "Vibrations at Will." --The Kybalion. They show
that THE ALL and The Many are the same, the difference being merely a
matter of degree of Mental Manifestation. Likewise, PRINCIPLE and Principles. Infinite Mind and finite minds. Between these two poles are many degrees of "heat" or "cold,"
call them either and you are equally correct. There is no
absolute standard-all is a matter of degree. There is no place on the
thermometer where heat ceases and cold begins. Travel far
enough North, and you will find yourself traveling South, or vice versa. Light and Darkness are poles of the same thing, with many degrees
between them. Positive and Negative are two poles of
the same thing, with countless degrees between them. "Love and. The two are merely terms applied to the
two poles of the same thing. Things belonging to
different classes cannot be transmuted into each other, but things of
the same class may be changed, that is, may have their polarity changed. Courage may be transmuted into Fear, and
the reverse. And so on, the transmutation always being
between things of the same kind of different degrees. For instance, borrowing an analogy from the Physical Plane,
it is impossible to change Heat into Sharpness, Loudness, Highness,
etc., but Heat may readily be transmuted into Cold, simply by lowering
the vibrations. But Fear cannot be transformed into Love, nor
can Courage be transmuted into Hate. For instance, a person is "blue," melancholy and full of fear. Thus it is with all
living things; they are born, grow, and die--and then are reborn. Night follows day; and day night. The pendulum swings from Summer to
Winter, and then back again. The corpuscles, atoms, molecules, and all
masses of matter, swing around the circle of their nature. There is no
such thing as absolute rest, or cessation from movement, and all
movement partakes of rhythm. The
Universal Pendulum is ever in motion. The Tides of Life flow in and out,
according to Law. Likewise, your moods and periods of Courage have been succeeded by equal
moods of Fear. We may
escape its effects, but the Principle operates, nevertheless. The pendulum of the clock swings a certain
distance to the right, and then an equal distance to the left. The
seasons balance each other in the same way. The tides follow the same
Law. This Law is constant on the
Physical Plane, as reference to the standard authorities will show you. The pig suffers but little mentally, and
enjoys but little--he is compensated. The rule is that the capacity for pain and pleasure, in each
individual, are balanced. If he has one thing, he lacks
another--the balance is struck. The rich possess much that the poor lack, while the poor
often possess things that are beyond the reach of the rich. And so
it is through life. --The Kybalion. We can imagine nothing outside
of THE ALL being outside of the Law, and that only because THE ALL is
the LAW in itself. There is no room in the universe for a something
outside of and independent of Law. But when the matter is closely examined, it is seen
that there is no chance whatsoever about the fall of the dice. Back
of the fall of the die are causes, or chains of causes, running back
further than the mind can follow. Toss a penny in
the air, and it may come down either "heads" or "tails"; but make a
sufficient number of tosses, and the heads and tails will about even up. This is the operation of the law of average. Given the same causes, the
same results will follow. Nothing ever "happens" without a cause, or rather a chain
of causes. As a matter of fact, no "thing" ever causes or "creates" another
"thing." An "event" is
"that which comes, arrives or happens, as a result or consequent of some
preceding event." And if, perhaps, the same couple had
failed to meet, we who now write these lines would not now be here. They manifest no Mastery, worthy
of the name. While they
Serve on the Higher Planes, they Rule on the Material Plane. But, on higher and on lower, the Law is always in operation. There is no
such thing as Chance. --The Kybalion. There is nothing
"negative" about it. When the Feminine corpuscle unites
with a Masculine corpuscle, a certain process is begun. The result is the birth of a new
atom. In some of the forms of life, the two
principles are combined in one organism. This is the "Me" of a man. But we have proceeded too hastily. The two are similar in kind, although
vastly different in degree. "As above, so below; as below, so above." The actor who makes people weep or cry as he wills, is employing this
principle. But, still more is a
knowledge of Vibration and Mental Gender necessary for the student of
Suggestion. "As above, so below; as below, so above." That is the
purpose of this book. Knowledge, like wealth, is intended for Use. --The Kybalion. Study the Axioms
and Aphorisms, but practice them also. Make these your own, and
practice and use them, for they are not really your own until you have
Used them. --The Kybalion. Will directs the Attention, and Attention changes the Vibration. --The Kybalion. --The Kybalion. --The Kybalion. --The Kybalion. They use
the Principle of Cause and Effect, instead of being used by
it. They obey the laws coming from above them, But on their
own plane, and those below them they rule and give orders. And, yet, in so doing, they form a part of the Principle,
instead of opposing it. --The Kybalion. --The Kybalion. The
Universe being wholly mental, it follows that it may be ruled only by
Mentality. If the Universe be Mental in its substantial nature,
then it follows that Mental Transmutation must change the conditions and
phenomena of the Universe. If the Universe is Mental, then Mind must be
the highest power affecting its phenomena. "THE ALL is MIND; The Universe is Mental." --The Kybalion.