Chapter
11 - Rhythm
"Everything
flows out and in; everything has its tides; all things rise and
fall; the pendulum-swing manifests in everything; the measure of
the swing to the right, is the measure of the swing to the left;
rhythm compensates." -The Kybalion.
The great Fifth Hermetic Principle-the Principle of Rhythm-embodies
the truth that in everything there is manifested a measured motion;
a to-and-from movement; a flow and inflow; a swing forward and
backward; a pendulum-like movement; a tide-like ebb and flow; a
high-tide and a low-tide; between the two-poles manifest on the
physical, mental or spiritual planes. The Principle of Rhythm is
closely connected with the Principle of Polarity described in the
preceding chapter. Rhythm manifests between the two poles
established by the Principle of Polarity. This does not mean,
however, that the pendulum of Rhythm swings to the extreme poles,
for this rarely happens; in fact, it is difficult to establish the
extreme polar opposites in the majority of cases. But the swing is
ever "toward" first one pole and then the other.
There is always an action and reaction; an advance and a retreat; a
rising and a sinking; manifested in all of the airs and phenomena
of the Universe. Suns, worlds, men, animals, plants, minerals,
forces, energy, mind and matter, yes, even Spirit, manifests this
Principle. The Principle manifests in the creation and destruction
of worlds; in the rise and fall of nations; in the life history of
all things; and finally in the mental states of Man.
Beginning with the manifestations of Spirit-of THE ALL-it will be
noticed that there is ever the Outpouring and the Indrawing; the
"Outbreathing and Inbreathing of Braham," as the Brahmans word it.
Universes are created; reach their extreme low point of materially;
and then begin their upward swing. Suns spring into being, and then
their height of power being reached, the process of retrogression
begins, and after aeons they become dead masses of matter, awaiting
another impulse which starts again their inner energies into
activity and a new solar life cycle is
begun.
And
thus it is with all the worlds; they are born, grow and die; only
to be reborn. And thus it is with all the things of shape and form;
they swing from action to reaction; from birth to death; from
activity to inactivity-and then back again. Thus it is with all
living things; they are born, grow and die-and then are reborn. So
it is with all great movements, philosophies, creeds, fashions,
governments, nations and all else-birth, growth, maturity,
decadence, death-and then new birth. The swing of the pendulum is
ever in evidence.
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 principle is of
universal application. It may be applied to any question, or
phenomena of any of the many planes of life. It may be applied to
all phases of human activity. There is always the Rhythmic swing
from one pole to the other. The Universal Pendulum is ever in
motion. The Tides of Life flow in and out, according to Law.
The Principle of Rhythm is well understood by modern science, and
is considered a universal law as applied to material things. But
the Hermetists carry the principle much further, and know that its
manifestations and influence extend to the mental activities of
Man, and that it accounts for the bewildering succession of moods,
feelings and other annoying and perplexing changes that we notice
in ourselves. But the Hermetists by studying the operations of this
Principle have learned to escape some of its activities by
Transmutation.
The Hermetic Masters long since discovered that while the Principle
of Rhythm was invariable, and ever in evidence in mental phenomena,
still there were two planes of its manifestation so far as mental
phenomena are concerned. They discovered that there were two
general planes of Consciousness, the Lower and the Higher, the
understanding of which fact enabled them to rise to the higher
plane and thus escape the swing of the Rhythmic pendulum which
manifested on the lower plane. In other words, the swing of the
pendulum occurred on the Unconscious Plane, and the Consciousness
was not affected. This they call the Law of Neutralization. Its
operations consist in the raising of the Ego above the vibrations
of the Unconscious Plane of mental activity, so that the
negative-swing of the pendulum is not manifested in consciousness,
and therefore they are not affected. It is akin to rising above a
thing and letting it pass beneath you.
The
Hermetic Master, or advanced student, polarizes himself at the
desired pole, and by a process akin to "refusing" to participate in
the backward swing, or, if you prefer, a "denial" of its influence
over him, he stands firm in his polarized position, and allows the
mental pendulum to swing back along the unconscious plane. All
individuals who have attained any degree of self-mastery,
accomplish this, more or less unknowingly, and by refusing to allow
their moods and negative mental states to affect them, they apply
the Law of Neutralization. The Master, however, carries this to a
much higher degree of proficiency, and by the use of his Will he
attains a degree of Poise and Mental Firmness almost impossible for
belief on the part of those who allow themselves to be swung
backward and forward by the mental pendulum of moods and
feelings.
The importance of this will be appreciated by any thinking person
who realizes what creatures of moods, feelings and emotion the
majority of people are, and how little mastery of themselves they
manifest. If you will stop and consider a moment, you will realize
how much these swings of Rhythm have affected you in your life-how
a period of Enthusiasm has been invariably followed by an opposite
feeling and mood of Depression. Likewise, your moods and periods of
Courage have been succeeded by equal moods of Fear. And so it has
ever been with the majority of persons-tides of feeling have ever
risen and fallen with them, but they have never suspected the cause
or reason of the mental phenomena. An understanding of the workings
of this Principle will give on the key to the Mastery of these
rhythmic swing of feeling, and will enable him to know himself
better and to avoid being carried away by these inflows and
outflows. The Will is superior to the conscious manifestation of
this Principle, although the Principle itself can never be
destroyed. We may escape its effects, but the Principle operates,
nevertheless. The pendulum ever swings, although we may escape
being carried along with it.
There are other features of the operation of this Principle of
Rhythm of which we wish to speak at this point. There comes into
its operations that which is known as the Law of Compensation. One
of the definitions or meanings of the word "Compensate" is, "to
counterbalance," which is the sense in which the Hermetists use the
term. It is this Law of Compensation to which the Kybalion refers
when it says: "The measure of the swing to the right is the measure
of the swing to the left; rhythm compensates."
The Law of Compensation is that the swing in one direction
determines the swing in the opposite direction, or to the opposite
pole-the one balances, or counterbalances, the other. On the
Physical Plane we see many examples of this Law. The pendulum of
the clock swings a certain distance to the right, and then a equal
distance to the left. The seasons balance each other in the same
way. The tides follow the same Law. And the same Law is manifested
in all the phenomena of Rhythm. The pendulum, with a short swing in
one direction, has but a short swing in the other; while the long
swing to the right invariably means the long swing to the left. An
object hurled upward to a certain height has an equal distance to
traverse on its return. The force with which a projectile is sent
upward a mile is reproduced when the projectile returns to the
earth on its return journey. The Law is constant on the Physical
Plane, as reference to the standard authorities will show
you.
But the Hermetists carry it still further. They teach that a man's
mental states are subject to the same Law. The man who enjoys
keenly, is subject to keen suffering; while he who feels but little
pain is capable of feeling but little joy. The pig suffers but
little mentally, and enjoys but little-he is compensated. And on
the other hand, there are other animals who enjoy keenly, but whose
nervous organism and temperament cause them to suffer exquisite
degrees of pain. And so it is with Man. There are temperaments
which permit of but low degrees of enjoyment, and equally low
degrees of suffering; while there are others which permit the most
intense enjoyment, but also the most intense suffering. The rule is
that the capacity for pain and pleasure, in each individual, are
balanced. The Law of Compensation is in full operation here.
But the Hermetists go still further in this matter. They teach that
before one is able to enjoy a certain degree of pleasure, he must
have swung as far, proportionately, toward the other pole of
feeling. They hold, however, that the Negative is precedent to the
Positive in this matter, that is to say that in experiencing a
certain degree of pleasure it does not follow that he will have to
"pay up for it" with a corresponding degree of pain; on the
contrary, the pleasure is the Rhythmic swing, according to the Law
of Compensation, for a degree of pain previously experienced either
in the present life, or in a previous incarnation. This throws a
new light on the Problem of Pain.
The Hermetists regard the chain of lives as continuous, and as
forming a part of one life of the individual, so that in
consequence the rhythmic swing is understood in this way, while it
would be without meaning unless the truth of reincarnation is
admitted.
But the Hermetists claim that the Master or advanced student is
able, to a great degree, to escape the swing toward Pain, by the
Process of Neutralization before mentioned. By rising on to the
higher plane of the Ego, much of the experience that comes to those
dwelling on the lower plane is avoided and escaped.
The Law of Compensation plays an important part in the lives of men
and women. It will be noticed that one generally "pays the price"
of anything he possesses or lacks. If he has one thing, he lacks
another-the balance is struck. No one can "keep his penny and have
the bit of cake" at the same time. Everything has its pleasant and
unpleasant sides. The things that one gains are always paid for by
the things that one loses. The rich possess much that the poor
lack, while the poor often possess things that are beyond the reach
of the rich. The millionaire may have the inclination toward
feasting, and the wealth wherewith to secure all the dainties and
luxuries of the table, while he lacks the appetite to enjoy the
same; he envies the appetite and digestion of the laborer who lacks
the wealth and inclinations of the millionaire, and who gets more
pleasure from his plain food than the millionaire could obtain even
if his appetite were not jaded, not his digestion ruined, for the
wants, habits and inclinations differ. And so it is through life.
The Law of Compensation is ever in operation, striving to balance
and counter-balance, and always succeeding in time, even though
several lives may be required for the return swing of the Pendulum
of Rhythm.