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CHAPTER XV HERMETIC
AXIOMS
"The possession of
Knowledge, unless accompanied by a manifestation and
expression in Action, is like the hoarding of precious
metals--a vain and foolish thing. Knowledge, like
Wealth, is intended for Use. The Law of Use is
Universal, and he who violates it suffers by reason of
his conflict with natural forces."--The Kybalion.
The Hermetic Teachings, while always
having been kept securely locked up in the minds of
the fortunate possessors thereof, for reasons which we
have already stated, were never intended to be merely
stored away and secreted. The Law of Use is dwelt upon
in the Teachings, as you may see by reference to the
above quotation from The Kybalion, which states it
forcibly. Knowledge without Use and Expression is a
vain thing, bringing no good to its possessor, or to
the race. Beware of Mental Miserliness, and express
into Action that which you have learned. Study the
Axioms and Aphorisms, but practice them also.
We give below some of the more important
Hermetic Axioms, from The Kybalion, with a few
comments added to each. Make these your own, and
practice and use them, for they are not really your
own until you have Used them.
"To change your mood or mental
state--change your vibration".--The Kybalion.
One may change his mental vibrations by
an effort of Will, in the direction of deliberately
fixing the Attention upon a more desirable state. Will
directs the Attention, and Attention changes the
Vibration. Cultivate the Art of Attention, by means of
the Will, and you have solved the secret of the
Mastery of Moods and Mental States.
"To destroy an undesirable rate of
mental vibration, put into operation the Principle of
Polarity and concentrate upon the opposite pole to
that which you desire to suppress. Kill out the
undesirable by changing its polarity".--The Kybalion.
This is one of the most important of the
Hermetic Formulas. It is based upon true scientific
principles. We have shown you that a mental state and
its opposite were merely the two poles of one thing,
and that by Mental Transmutation the polarity might be
reversed.
This principle is known to modern
psychologists, who apply it to the breaking up of
undesirable habits by bidding their students
concentrate upon the opposite quality. If you are
possessed of Fear, do not waste time trying to "kill
out€ Fear, but instead cultivate the quality of
Courage, and the Fear will disappear. Some writers
have expressed this idea most forcibly by using the
illustration of the dark room. You do not have to
shovel out or sweep out the Darkness, but by merely
opening the shutters and letting in the Light the
Darkness has disappeared. To kill out a Negative
quality, concentrate upon the Positive Pole of that
same quality, and the vibrations will gradually change
from Negative to Positive, until finally you will
become polarized on the Positive pole instead of the
Negative. The reverse is also true, as many have found
out to their sorrow, when they have allowed themselves
to vibrate too constantly on the Negative pole of
things. By changing your polarity you may master your
moods, change your mental states, remake your
disposition, and build up character. Much of the
Mental Mastery of the advanced Hermetics is due to
this application of Polarity, which is one of the
important aspects of Mental Transmutation. Remember
the Hermetic Axiom (quoted previously), which says:
"Mind (as well as metals and elements)
may be transmuted from state to state; degree to
degree; condition to condition; pole to pole;
vibration to vibration".--The Kybalion.
The mastery of Polarization is the
mastery of the fundamental principles of Mental
Transmutation or Mental Alchemy, for unless one
acquires the art of changing his own polarity, he will
be unable to affect his environment. An understanding
of this principle will enable one to change his own
Polarity, as well as that of others, if he will but
devote the time, care, study and practice necessary to
master the art. The principle is true, but the results
obtained depend upon the persistent patience and
practice of the student.
"Rhythm may be neutralized by an
application of the Art of Polarization".--The
Kybalion.
As we have explained in previous
chapters, the Hermetics hold that the Principle of
Rhythm manifests on the Mental Plane as well as on the
Physical Plane, and that the bewildering succession of
moods, feelings, emotions, and other mental states,
are due to the backward and forward swing of the
mental pendulum, which carries us from one extreme of
feeling to the other.
The Hermetists also teach that the Law
of Neutralization enables one, to a great extent, to
overcome the operation of Rhythm in consciousness. As
we have explained, there is a Higher Plane of
Consciousness, as well as the ordinary Lower Plane,
and the Master by rising mentally to the Higher Plane
causes the swing of the mental pendulum to manifest on
the Lower Plane, and he, dwelling on his Higher Plane,
escapes the consciousness of the swing backward. This
is effected by polarizing on the Higher Self, and thus
raising the mental vibrations of the Ego above those
of the ordinary plane of consciousness. It is akin to
rising above a thing, and allowing it to pass beneath
you. The advanced Hermetic polarizes himself at the
Positive Pole of his Being--the "I Am€ pole rather
than the pole of personality, and by "refusing€ and
"denying€ the operation of Rhythm, raises himself
above its plane of consciousness, and standing firm in
his Statement of Being he allows the pendulum to swing
back on the Lower Plane without changing his Polarity.
This is accomplished by all individuals who have
attained any degree of self-mastery, whether they
understand the law or not. Such persons simply
"refuse€ to allow themselves to be swung back by the
pendulum of mood and emotion, and by steadfastly
affirming the superiority, they remain polarized on
the Positive pole. The Master, of course, attains a
far greater degree of proficiency, because he
understands the law which he is overcoming by a higher
law, and by the use of his Will he attains a degree of
Poise and Mental Steadfastness almost impossible of
belief on the part of those who allow themselves to be
swung backward and forward by the mental pendulum of
moods and feelings.
Remember, always, however, that you do
not really destroy the Principle of Rhythm, for that
is indestructible. You simply overcome one law by
counter-balancing it with another, and thus maintain
an equilibrium. The laws of balance and
counter-balance are in operation on the mental as well
as on the physical planes, and an understanding of
these laws enables one to seem to overthrow laws,
whereas he is merely exerting a counterbalance.
"Nothing escapes the Principle of Cause
and Effect, but there are many Planes of Causation,
and one may use the laws of the higher to overcome the
laws of the lower."--The Kybalion.
By an understanding of the practice of
Polarization, the Hermetics rise to a higher plane of
Causation and thus counter-balance the laws of the
lower planes of Causation. By rising above the plane
of ordinary Causes they become themselves, in a
degree, Causes instead of being merely Caused. By
being able to master their own moods and feelings, and
by being able to neutralize Rhythm, as we have already
explained, they are able to escape a great part of the
operations of Cause and Effect on the ordinary plane.
The masses of people are carried along, obedient to
their environment; the wills and desires of others
stronger than themselves; the effect of inherited
tendencies; the suggestions of those about them; and
other outward causes; which tend to move them about on
the chess-board of life like mere pawns. By rising
above these influencing causes, the advanced Hermetics
seek a higher plane of mental action, and by
dominating their moods, emotions, impulses and
feelings, they create for themselves new characters,
qualities and powers, by which they overcome their
ordinary environment, and thus become practically
players instead of mere Pawns. Such people help to
play the game of life understandingly, instead of
being moved about this way and that way by stronger
influences and powers and wills. They use the
Principle of Cause and Effect, instead of being used
by it. Of course, even the highest are subject to the
Principle as it manifests on the higher planes, but on
the lower planes of activity, they are Masters instead
of Slaves. As The Kybalion says:
"The wise ones serve on the higher, but
rule on the lower. They obey the laws coming from
above them, but en 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 wise man falls in with the Law, and
by understanding its movements he operates it instead
of being its blind slave. Just as does the skilled
swimmer turn this way and that way, going and coming
as he will, instead of being as the log which is
carried here and there--so is the wise man as compared
to the ordinary man--and yet both swimmer and log;
wise man and fool, are subject to Law. He who
understands this is well on the road to Mastery."--The
Kybalion.
In conclusion let us again call your
attention to the Hermetic Axiom:
"True Hermetic Transmutation is a Mental
Art".--The Kybalion.
In the above axiom, the Hermetics teach
that the great work of influencing one's environment
is accomplished by Mental Power. The Universe being
wholly mental, it follows that it may be ruled only by
Mentality. And in this truth is to be found an
explanation of all the phenomena and manifestations of
the various mental powers which are attracting so much
attention and study in these earlier years of the
Twentieth Century. Back of and under the teachings of
the various cults and schools, remains ever constant
the principle of the Mental Substance of the Universe.
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. If this be understood
then all the so-called "miracles€ and "wonder-workings
are seen plainly for what they are.
"THE ALL is MIND; The Universe is
Mental".--The Kybalion.
The Human
Mind
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