'The Kybalion: Hermetic Philosophy' is a book that was authored by three individuals calling themselves 'The Three Initiates'. The content of this book, according to the authors, is believed to be the essence of the teachings of
Hermes Trismegistus.
General Description
The Kybalion was first published in December of 1908 and is now in the
public domain; thus it can be downloaded freely from the internet without concern about copyright infringement. The book purports to be based upon ancient
Hermeticism, though many of its ideas are relatively modern concepts arising from the
New Thought movement.
Mental Transmutation
Mental Transmutation (also known as Mental Alchemy, the Art of Mental Chemistry, and the Art of Polarization) means the art of changing and transforming one's own mental states and conditions, as well as influencing the states and conditions of others. It can also be considered a form of Mystic Psychology(chaper 2, page 35).
The Seven Principles
The seven principles, or axioms as defined in the book are as follows:
Principle of Mentalism
The 'Principle of Mentalism' embodies the truth that "All is Mind."
Principle of Correspondence
The 'Principle of Correspondence' embodies the idea that there is always a correspondence between the laws of phenomena of the various planes of being and life.
[1] As above, so below; as below, so above. This principle states that there is a harmony, agreement and correspondence between the aforementioned "planes". The planes are as follows:
★ The Great Physical Plane
★ The Great Mental Plane
★ The Great Spiritual Plane
Principle of Vibration
The 'Principle of Vibration' embodies the idea that motion is manifest in everything in the Universe, that nothing rests, and everything moves, vibrates, and circles (page 137). This principle explains that the differences between different manifestations of Matter, Energy, Mind, and even Spirit, are the result of only different "vibrations".
[2] The higher you are on the scale, the higher your rate of vibration will be. Here,
The All is purported to be at an infinite level of vibration, almost to the point of being at rest. There are said to be millions upon millions of varying degrees between The All, and the objects of the lowest vibration.
[3]
Mental Transmutation is thought to be the practical application of this principle. To change your mental state-change your vibration. One may do this by an effort of Will, in the direction of deliberately fixing the "attention" upon a more desirable state.
[4]
Principle of Polarity
The 'Principle of Polarity' embodies the idea that everything is dual, everything has two poles, and everything has its pair of opposites.
[5] Some of the many ways to explain this principle are as follows:
All manifested things have two sides, two aspects, or two poles.
[6] Everything is and isn't at the same time; all truths are but half truths and every truth is half false; there are two sides to everything; opposites are identical in nature, yet different in degree; extremes meet; all paradoxes may be reconciled.
[7]
Principle of Rhythm
The 'Principle of Rhythm' embodies the idea that in everything there is manifested a measured motion, a to and fro; a flow and inflow; a swing backward and forward, in short, a pendulum-like movement.
[8] This principle explains that there is rhythm between every pair of opposites, or poles, and is closely related to the Principle of Polarity.
[9] It can be seen that this Principle is how you get from one pole to the other, and not necessarily poles of extremity (extreme opposites).
Principle of Cause and Effect
The 'Principle of Cause and Effect' explains that there is a cause for every effect, and an effect for every cause.
[10] It also states that there is no such thing as chance, that chance is merely a term indicating cause existing but not recognized or perceived.
[11] The principle is clarified in the chapter Causation.
Principle of Gender
The 'Principle of Gender' embodies the idea that there is gender manifested in everything.
[12] It is stated the view of the authors does not relate to "sex", but to "beget; to procreate, to generate, to create, or to produce" in this respect.
[13] Here, gender is manifested as the Masculine and Feminine Principles, and manifests itself on all planes.
'Mental Gender' is a
Hermetic concept which relates to the masculine and feminine principles. It does not refer to the
physical gender of someone, nor does it suggest that someone of a certain physical gender necessarily has a certain mental gender. Ideally, one wants to have a balanced mental gender.
[14]
The concept and principle of gender, put forth in the Kybalion states that gender exists on all planes of existence (Physical, Mental, and Spiritual), and represents different aspects on different planes. It is also stated that everything and everyone contains these two Elements of Principles.
[15]
The Masculine Principle is always in the direction of giving out or expressing, and contents itself with the "Will" in its varied phases.
[16]
The Feminine Principle is always in the direction of receiving impressions, and has a much more varied field of operation than the Masculine. The Feminine conducts the work of generating new thoughts , concepts, and ideas, including the work of the imagination.
[17]
It is said that there must be a balance in these two forces. The Masculine is apt to act without restraint, order, or reason, resulting in chaos, without the Feminine. The Feminine, on the other hand, is apt to constantly reflect and fail to actually do anything, resulting in stagnation, if the masculine is not present. With both the masculine and feminine working in conjunction, you get thoughtful action that breeds success.
[18]
Who Wrote The Kybalion?
The "Three Initiates" who authored The Kybalion chose to remain anonymous. As a result, a great deal of speculation has been made about who actually wrote the book. Various schools of thought regarding its authorship exist. The most popular theory is that
Paul Foster Case, Michael Whitty, and
William Walker Atkinson (a.k.a.,
Yogi Ramacharaka, Swami Panchedasi, Magus Incognito, Theodore Sheldon, and probably many other psuedonyms known and unknown) were the actual "Three Initiates" who authored this book. This theory is often related by individual members of
Builders of the Adytum, the Mystery School later founded by Case, though the group doesn't publicly make this claim itself; in fact, this story appears to have originated with a B.O.T.A. splinter group, the Fraternity of Hidden Light. See http://www.lvx.org/Archive/biblio.pdf for more information.
Along these lines, much has been made about the fact that Paul Foster Case was a Freemason, and that The Kybalion's publisher, Yogi Publication Society, gave its address as 'Masonic Temple, Chicago IL' in the book's frontispiece. However, many people who present this as 'evidence' of Case's authorship are probably unaware that Chicago's "Masonic Temple" was actually the city's first skyscraper, housing dozens of stores and small businesses without any Masonic affiliations. The building was named for the Masonic lodge which financed much of its construction and actually met in its top few floors. (For more information about Chicago's Masonic Temple, see http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=masonictemple-chicago-il-usa ).
Other names frequently mentioned in connection with The Kybalion are Harriet Case (Paul Foster Case's wife at the time),
Ann Davies (who succeeded Paul Foster Case as head of B.O.T.A.),
Mabel Collins (a prominent Theosophical writer), and Claude Brogdon (a well-known stage magician).
The most probable theory is that The Kybalion was authored by William Walker Atkinson, either with or without the help of others. One of Atkinson's first published works may have been a series entitled ''The Arcane Teachings'', which bears many superficial similarities to The Kybalion: The Kybalion explores seven 'Hermetic Principles,' while ''The Arcane Teachings'' explores seven 'Arcane Laws;' The Kybalion claims to be an elucidation of an ancient, unpublished Hermetic text by the same name, while ''The Arcane Teachings'' claims to explore the wisdom of an ancient, unpublished scroll of occult aphorisms; both books describe three 'Great Planes' of reality which are further subdivided into seven lesser planes. Both books describe three of the lesser planes as "astral black keys," analogous to the black keys on a piano, and inhabited by elementary spirits; and both books describe the process of 'Mental alchemy' in great detail -- and in nearly complete agreement with each other. There are other similarities, leading naturally to the question of whether 'The Arcane Teachings' might have been Atkinson's "first draft" of material which later became The Kybalion.
Derivative Works
Doreen Virtue, Ph.D, authored "Divine Magic: The Seven Sacred Secrets of Manifestation (A New Interpretation of the Classic Hermetic Manual The Kybalion" in 2006. She presents a modern, clear version of the Kybalion which includes a companion meditative CD. She states that one can learn to master one's moods, release negativity, manifest higher levels of abundance, and attract new opportunities into one's life with the aid of the teachings of the Kybalion.
One loose
derivative work has emerged from an esoteric organization by the name of
Summum which, considering The Kybalion to be antiquated and incomplete, rewrote the text and incorporated a "grand" principle, ''The Principle of Creation'', that Summum claims is the foundation underlying the existence of
The All and the source from which the seven principles emanate. However a textual analysis of this "eighth principle" shows that it is a modern creation as the language is sharply different from and more contemporary than that of the original seven principles; it's authenticity is therefore unproven to those outside the Summum movement and should not be taken as an authority on the Kybalion.
Languages
A few organizations consider The Kybalion as the essential foundation of their beliefs and have translated the original text into many languages. Ultimately, The Kybalion itself claims to have influenced all major religions and philosophies ancient and modern alike.
See also
★
Alchemy
★
Astrology
★
Emerald Tablet
★
Herbert Silberer
★
Hermes Trismegistus
★
Hermetica
★
Hermeticism
★
Occultism
★
Summum
★
The All
★
Gnosticism
★
Magic
Notes
1. Kybalion page 28
2. Kybalion page 30
3. Kybalion page 31
4. Kybalion page 214
5. Kybalion page 32
6. Kybalion page 149
7. Kybalion pages 149-150
8. Kybalion page 36
9. Kybalion page 159
10. Kybalion page 38
11. Kybalion page 171
12. Kybalion pages 39-40
13. Kybalion page 183
14. Three Initiates pp. 193-211
15. (Three Initiates page 40)
16. (Three Initiates page 203)
17. (Three Initiates p. 203)
18. (Three Initiates pp. 203-4)
References
★ http://www.gnostic.org/kybalionhtm/kybalion.htm
External links
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★
The Kybalion Online Text
★
The Kybalion PDF Download
★
The Kybalion Resource Page
★
Summum and The Kybalion
★
A derivative work of the Kybalion entitled The Master Key System
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