The Principle of Rhythm [Karma]

This says 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.

This Principle* is closely connected with the Principle of Polarity.

Rhythm manifests between the two poles. 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

This 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 Brahm,” as the Brahmans word it.

Universes are created; reach their extreme low point of materiality; and then begin in 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.

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. Day follows 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. It is a universal law as applied to material things.

But the Hermetists carry the principle much further. They know that:

• its influence extends to the mental activities of Man
• 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 of 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.

How much have these swings of Rhythm affected your life? How much has a period of Enthusiasm been followed by a feeling of Depression?

Thus, 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 one the key to the Mastery of these rhythmic swings 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.

This Principle leads to the Law of Compensation.

“Compensate” can mean “to counterbalance”.

The Law of Compensation says that the swing in one direction determines the swing in the opposite direction. One balances or counterbalances the other.

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.
• 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. This Law is constant on the Physical Plane, as reference to the standard authorities will show you.

A man’s mental states are subject to the same Law. The man who enjoys keenly, is subject to keen suffering. 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.

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.

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.

Before one is able to enjoy pleasure, he must have swung as far, proportionately, toward the other pole of feeling.

The Negative is precedent to the Positive in this matter. To experience a certain degree of pleasure, it does not follow that we 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 chain of lives is continuous. It forms 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 our lives. 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 of the poor laborer who gets more pleasure from his plain food.

The Law of Compensation is ever in operation, striving to balance and counter-balance. It always succeeds eventually, even though several lives may be required for the return swing of the Pendulum of Rhythm.