Superphysics
Hermetic Axioms
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Table of contents
The possession of Knowledge, unless accompanied by a manifestation and expression in Action, is like the hoarding of precious metals. It is a vain and foolish thing.
Knowledge, like wealth, is intended for Use.
The Law of Use is Universal. He who violates it suffers by reason of his conflict with natural forces. The Kybalion
The Hermetic Teachings were always kept securely locked in the minds of its believers.
- But they were never intended to be stored away and kept secret.
The above quotation from The Kybalion states The Law of Use quite forcibly.
Knowledge without Use and Expression brings no good to its possessor, or to the human race.
- Beware of Mental Miserliness, and express into Action that which you have learned.
- Study the Axioms and Aphorisms, but practice them also.
Below are some of the more important Hermetic Axioms from The Kybalion:
To Change One’s Mood, Fix on a Better State of Mind
One may change his mental vibrations by an effort of Will, by deliberately fixing the Attention on a more desirable state.
- Will directs the Attention
- 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, use the principle of Polarity and concentrate on the opposite pole to that which you desire to suppress.
Kill out the undesirable by changing its polarity.
This is one of the most important of the Hermetic Formulas.
- It is based upon true scientific principles.
A mental state and its opposite were merely the 2 poles of one thing.
- The polarity might be reversed by Mental Transmutation.
This Principle is known to modern psychologists who apply it to the breaking up of undesirable habits by bidding their students concentrate on the opposite quality.
If you have Fear, do not waste time trying to “kill out” Fear. Instead cultivate Courage and the Fear will disappear.
For example, you are in a dark room. You do not have to sweep out the Darkness. Instead, open the shutters and let in the Light to make the Darkness disappear.
To kill out a Negative quality, concentrate upon the Positive Pole of that same quality. 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. You can also kill Positivity by vibrating too constantly on the Negative pole of things.
By changing your polarity you can:
- master your moods
- change your mental states
- remake your disposition
- 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.
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.
The Principle of Rhythm manifests on the Mental Plane and the Physical Plane.
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 Law of Neutralization enables one to overcome the operation of Rhythm in consciousness.
The Master rises mentally to the Higher Plane of Consciousness from the Lower Plane. This makes the swing of the mental pendulum to manifest on the Lower Plane. Since he is on his Higher Plane, he 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 Hermetist 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 attains more proficiency because he understands the law which he is overcoming by a higher law. His will helps him attain 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 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.
Through Polarization, the Hermetists 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, 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 effects 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 Hermetists 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. They rule and give orders on their own plane to the lower plane.
And so they form a part of the Principle instead of opposing it. The wise man falls in with the Law. By understanding its movements, he operates it instead of being its blind slave.
The skilled swimmer turns this way and that way as he wills instead of being like a log which is carried here and there. The wise man is like the swimmer. The ordinary man is like the log. "—The Kybalion.
The influencing of one’s environment is accomplished by Mental Power. The Universe being wholly mental, it follows that it may be ruled only by Mentality.
