Chapter
6 - 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. The truly wise, knowing the
nature of the Universe, use Law against laws; the higher against
the lower; and by the Art of Alchemy transmute that which is
undesirable into that which is worthy, and thus triumph. Mastery
consists not in abnormal dreams, visions and fantastic imaginings
or living, but in using the higher forces against the
lower-escaping the pains of the lower planes by vibrating on the
higher. 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.
While to THE INFINITE ALL, the Universe, its Laws, its Powers, its
Life, its Phenomena, are as things witnessed in the state of
Meditation or Dream; yet to all that is Finite, the Universe must
be treated as Real, and life, and action, and thought, must be
based thereupon, accordingly, although with an ever understanding
of the Higher Truth. Each according to its own Plane and
Laws.
Were
THE ALL to imagine that the Universe were indeed Reality, then woe
to the Universe, for there would be then no escape from lower to
higher, divineward-then would the Universe become a fixity and
progress would become impossible. And if Man, owing to half-wisdom,
acts and lives and thinks of the Universe as merely a dream (akin
to his own finite dreams) then indeed does it so become for him,
and like a sleep-walker he stumbles ever around and around in a
circle, making no progress, and being forced into an awakening at
last by his falling bruised and bleeding over the Natural Laws
which he ignored. Keep your mind ever on the Star, but let your
eyes watch over your footsteps, lest you fall into the mire by
reason of your upward gaze. Remember the Divine Paradox, that while
the Universe IS NOT, still IT IS. Remember ever the Two Poles of
Truth-the Absolute and the Relative. Beware of Half-Truths.
What Hermetists know as "the Law of Paradox" is an aspect of the
Principle of Polarity. The Hermetic writings are filled with
references to the appearance of the Paradox in the consideration of
the problems of Life and Being. The Teachers are constantly warning
their students against the error of omitting the "other side" of
any question. And their warnings are particularly directed to the
problems of the Absolute and the Relative, which perplex all
students of philosophy, and which cause so many to think and act
contrary to what is generally known as "common sense." And we
caution all students to be sure to grasp the Divine Paradox of the
Absolute and Relative, lest they become entangled in the mire of
the Half-Truth. With this in view this particular lesson has been
written. Read it carefully!
The first thought that comes to the thinking man after he realizes
the truth that the Universe is a Mental Creation of THE ALL, is
that the Universe and all that it contains is a mere illusion; an
unreality; against which idea his instincts revolt. But this, like
all other great truths, must be considered both from the Absolute
and the Relative points of view. From the Absolute viewpoint, of
course, the Universe is in the nature of an illusion, a dream, a
phantasmagoria, as compared to THE ALL in itself. We recognize this
even in our ordinary view, for we speak of the world as "a fleeting
show" that comes and goes, is born and dies-for the element of
impermanence and change, finiteness and unsubstantiality, must ever
be connected with the idea of a created Universe when it is
contrasted with the idea of THE ALL, no matter what may be our
beliefs concerning the nature of both. Philosopher, metaphysician,
scientist and theologian all agree upon this idea, and the thought
is found in all forms of philosophical thought and religious
conceptions, as well as in the theories of the respective schools
of metaphysics and theology.
So, the Hermetic Teachings do not preach the unsubstantiality of
the Universe in any stronger terms that those more familiar to you,
although their presentation of the subject may seem somewhat more
startling. Anything that has a beginning and an ending must be, in
a sense, unreal and untrue, and the Universe comes under the rule,
in all schools of thought. From the Absolute point of view, there
is nothing Real except THE ALL, no matter what terms we may use in
thinking of, or discussing the subject. Whether the Universe be
created of Matter, or whether it be a Mental Creation in the Mind
of THE ALL-it is unsubstantial, non-enduring, a thing of time,
space and change. We want you to realize this fact thoroughly,
before you pass judgement on the Hermetic conception of the Mental
nature of the Universe. Think over any and all of the other
conceptions, and see whether this be not true of them.
But the Absolute point of view shows merely one side of the
picture-the other side is the Relative one. Absolute Truth has been
defined as "Things as the mind of God knows them," while Relative
Truth is "Things as the highest reason of Man understands them."
And so while to THE ALL the Universe must be unreal and
illusionary, a mere dream or result of meditation-nevertheless, to
the finite minds forming a part of that Universe, and viewing it
through mortal faculties, the Universe is very real indeed, and
must be so considered. In recognizing the Absolute view, we must
not make the mistake of ignoring or denying the facts and phenomena
of the Universe as they present themselves to our mortal
faculties-we are not THE ALL, remember.
To take familiar illustrations, we all recognize the fact that
Matter "exists" to our senses-we will fare badly if we do not. And
yet, even our finite minds understand the scientific dictum that
there is no such thing as Matter from a scientific point of
view-that which we call Matter is held to be merely an aggregation
of atoms, which atoms themselves are merely a grouping of units of
force, called electrons or ''ions,'' vibrating and in constant
circular motion. We kick a stone and we feel the impact-it seems to
be real, notwithstanding that we know it to be merely what we have
stated above. But remember that our foot, which feels the impact by
means of our brains, is likewise Matter, so constituted of
electrons, and for that matter so are our brains. And, at the best,
if it were not by reason of our Mind, we would not know the foot or
stone at all.
Then again, the ideal of the artist or sculptor, which he is
endeavoring to reproduce in stone or on canvas, seems very real to
him. So do the characters in the mind of the author, or dramatist,
which he seeks to express so that others may recognize them. And if
this be true in the case of our finite mind, what must be the
degree of Reality in the Mental Images created in the Mind of the
Infinite? Oh, friends, to mortals this Universe of Mentality is
very real indeed-it is the only one we can ever know, though we
rise from plane to plane, higher and higher in it. To know it
otherwise, by actual experience, we must be THE ALL itself. It is
true that the higher we rise in the scale-the nearer to "the mind
of the Father" we reach-the more apparent becomes the illusory
nature of finite things, but not until THE ALL finally withdraws us
into itself does the vision actually vanish.
So, we need not dwell upon the feature of illusion. Rather let us,
recognizing the real nature of the Universe, seek to understand its
mental laws, and endeavor to use them to the best effect in our
upward progress through life, as we travel from plane to plane of
being. The Laws of the Universe are none the less "Iron Laws"
because of the mental nature. All, except THE ALL, are bound by
them. What is IN THE INFINITE MIND OF THE ALL is REAL in a degree
second only to that Reality itself which is vested in the nature of
THE ALL.
So, do not feel insecure or afraid-we are all HELD FIRMLY IN THE
INFINITE MIND OF THE ALL, and there is naught to hurt us or for us
to fear. There is no Power outside of THE ALL to affect us. So we
may rest calm and secure. There is a world of comfort and security
in this realization when once attained. Then "calm and peaceful do
we sleep, rocked in the Cradle of the Deep"-resting safely on the
bosom of the Ocean of Infinite Mind, which is THE ALL. In THE ALL,
indeed, do "we live and move and have our being."
Matter is none the less Matter to us, while we dwell on the plane
of Matter, although we know it to be merely an aggregation of
"electrons," or particles of Force, vibrating rapidly and gyrating
around each other in the formations of atoms; the atoms in turn
vibrating and gyrating, forming molecules, which latter in turn
form larger masses of Matter. Nor does Matter become less Matter,
when we follow the inquiry still further, and learn from the
Hermetic Teachings, that the "Force" of which the electrons are but
units is merely a manifestation of the Mind of THE ALL, and like
all else in the Universe is purely Mental in its nature. While on
the Plane of Matter, we must recognize its phenomena-we may control
Matter (as all Masters of higher or lesser degree do), but we do so
by applying the higher forces. We commit a folly when we attempt to
deny the existence of Matter in the relative aspect. We may deny
its mastery over us-and rightly so-but we should not attempt to
ignore it in its relative aspect, at least so long as we dwell upon
its plane.
Nor do the Laws of Nature become less constant or effective, when
we know them, likewise, to be merely mental creations. They are in
full effect on the various planes. We overcome the lower laws, by
applying still higher ones-and in this way only. But we cannot
escape Law or rise above it entirely. Nothing but THE ALL can
escape Law-and that because THE ALL is LAW itself, from which all
Laws emerge. The most advanced Masters may acquire the powers
usually attributed to the gods of men; and there are countless
ranks of being, in the great hierarchy of life, whose being and
power transcends even that of the highest Masters among men to a
degree unthinkable by mortals, but even the highest Master, and the
highest Being, must bow to the Law, and be as Nothing in the eye of
THE ALL. So that if even these highest Beings, whose powers exceed
even those attributed by men to their gods-if even these are bound
by and are subservient to Law, then imagine the presumption of
mortal man, of our race and grade, when he dares to consider the
Laws of Nature as "unreal," visionary and illusory, because he
happens to be able to grasp the truth that the Laws are Mental in
nature, and simply Mental Creations of THE ALL. Those Laws which
THE ALL intends to be governing Laws are not to be defied or argued
away. So long as the Universe endures, will they endure-for the
Universe exists by virtue of these Laws which form its framework
and which hold it together.
The Hermetic Principle of Mentalism, while explaining the true
nature of the Universe upon the principle that all is Mental, does
not change the scientific conceptions of the Universe, Life, or
Evolution. In fact, science merely corroborates the Hermetic
Teachings. The latter merely teaches that the nature of the
Universe is "Mental," while modern science has taught that it is
"Material''; or (of late) that it is ''Energy'' at the last
analysis. The Hermetic Teachings have no fault to find with Herbert
Spencer's basic principle which postulates the existence of an
"Infinite and Eternal Energy, from which all things proceed." In
face, the Hermetics recognize in Spencer's philosophy the highest
outside statement of the workings of the Natural Laws that have
ever been promulgated, and they believe Spencer to have been a
reincarnation of an ancient philosopher who dwelt in ancient Egypt
thousands of years ago, and who later incarnated as Heraclitus, the
Grecian philosopher who lived B.C. 500. And they regard his
statement of the "Infinite and Eternal Energy" as directly in the
line of the Hermetic Teachings, always with the addition of their
own doctrine that his "Energy" is the Energy of the Mind of THE
ALL. With the Master-Key of the Hermetic Philosophy, the student of
Spencer will be able to unlock many doors of the inner
philosophical conceptions of the great English philosopher, whose
work shows the results of the preparation of his previous
incarnations.
His
teachings regarding Evolution and Rhythm are in almost perfect
agreement with the Hermetic Teachings regarding the Principle of
Rhythm.
So,
the student of Hermetics need not lay aside any of his cherished
scientific views regarding the Universe, All he is asked to do is
to grasp the underlying principle of "THE ALL is Mind; the Universe
is Mental-held in the Mind of THE ALL." He will find that the other
six of the Seven Principles will "fit into" his scientific
knowledge, and will serve to bring out obscure points and to throw
light in dark corners. This is not to be wondered at, when we
realize the influence of the Hermetic thought on the early
philosophers of Greece, upon whose foundations of thought the
theories of modern science largely rest. The acceptance of the
First Hermetic Principle (Mentalism) is the only great point of
difference between Modern Science and Hermetic students, and
Science is gradually moving toward the Hermetic position in its
groping in the dark for a way out of the Labyrinth into which it
has wandered in its search for Reality.
The purpose of this lesson is to impress upon the minds of our
students the fact that, to all intents and purposes, the Universe
and its laws, and its phenomena, are just as REAL, so far as Man is
concerned, as they would be under the hypotheses of Materialism or
Energism. Under any hypothesis the Universe in its outer aspect is
changing, ever-flowing, and transitory-and therefore devoid of
substantiality and reality. But (note the other pole of the truth)
under any of the same hypotheses, we are compelled to ACT AND LIVE
as if the fleeting things were real and substantial. With this
difference, always, between the various hypotheses-that under the
old views Mental Power was ignored as a Natural Force, while under
Mentalism it becomes the Greatest Natural Force. And this one
difference revolutionizes Life, to those who understand the
Principle and its resulting laws and practice.
So, finally, students all, grasp the advantage of Mentalism, and
learn to know, use and apply the laws resulting therefrom. But do
not yield to the temptation which, as The Kybalion states,
overcomes the half-wise and which causes them to be hypnotized by
the apparent unreality of things, the consequence being that they
wander about like dream-people dwelling in a world of dreams,
ignoring the practical work and life of man, the end being that
"they are broken against the rocks and torn asunder by the elements
by reason of their folly." Rather follow the example of the wise,
which the same authority states, ''use Law against Laws; the higher
against the lower; and by the Art of Alchemy transmute that which
is undesirable into that which is worthy, and thus triumph."
Following the authority, let us avoid the half-wisdom (which is
folly) which ignores the truth that: "Mastery consists not in
abnormal dreams, visions, and fantastic imaginings or living, but
in using the higher forces against the lower-escaping the pains of
the lower planes by vibrating on the higher." Remember always,
student, that "Transmutation, not presumptuous denial, is the
weapon of the Master." The above quotations are from The Kybalion,
and are worthy of being committed to memory by the student.
We do not live in a world of dreams, but in a Universe which, while
relative is real so far as our lives and actions are concerned. Our
business in the Universe is not to deny its existence, but to LIVE,
using the Laws to rise from lower to higher-living on, doing the
best that we can under the circumstances arising each day, and
living, so far as is possible, to our highest ideas and ideals. The
true Meaning of Life is not known to men on this plane-if indeed,
to any-but the highest authorities, and our own intuitions, teach
us that we will make no mistake in living up to the best that is in
us, so far as is possible, and realizing the Universal tendency in
the same direction in spite of apparent evidences to the contrary.
We are all on The Path-and the road leads upward ever, with
frequent resting places.
Read the Message of The Kybalion-and follow the example of ''the
wise" -avoiding the mistake of "the half-wise" who perish by reason
of their folly.