THE KYBALION --- 01 CHAPTER 1. THE HERMETIC PHILOSOPHY

CHAPTER 1. THE HERMETIC PHILOSOPHY

"The lips of wisdom are closed, except to the ears of Understanding"--The Kybalion.

From old Egypt have come the fundamental esoteric and occult teachings which have so strongly influenced the philosophies of all races, nations and peoples, for several thousand years.

Egypt, the home of the Pyramids and the Sphinx, was the birthplace of the Hidden Wisdom and Mystic Teachings.

From her Secret Doctrine all nations have borrowed.

India, Persia, Chaldea, Medea, China, Japan, Assyria, ancient Greece and Rome, and other ancient countries partook liberally at the feast of knowledge which the Hierophants and Masters of the Land of Isis so freely provided for those who came prepared to partake of the great store of Mystic and Occult Lore which the masterminds of that ancient land had gathered together.

In ancient Egypt dwelt the great Adepts and Masters who have never been surpassed, and who seldom have been equaled, during the centuries that have taken their processional flight since the days of the Great Hermes. In Egypt was located the Great Lodge of Lodges of the Mystics.

At the doors of her Temples entered the Neophytes who
afterward, as Hierophants, Adepts, and Masters, traveled to the four
corners of the earth, carrying with them the precious knowledge which
they were ready, anxious, and willing to pass on to those who were ready
to receive the same. All students of the Occult recognize the debt that
they owe to these venerable Masters of that ancient land.
But among these great Masters of Ancient Egypt there once dwelt one of
whom Masters hailed as "The Master of Masters." This man, if "man"
indeed he was, dwelt in Egypt in the earliest days. He was known as
Hermes Trismegistus. He was the father of the Occult Wisdom; the
founder of Astrology; the discoverer of Alchemy. The details of his life
story are lost to history, owing to the lapse of the years, though several of
the ancient countries disputed with each other in their claims to the
honor of having furnished his birthplace--and this thousands of years
ago. The date of his sojourn in Egypt, in that his last incarnation on this
planet, is not now known, but it has been fixed at the early days of the oldest dynasties of Egypt--long before the days of Moses.

The best authorities regard him as a contemporary of Abraham, and some of the
Jewish traditions go so far as to claim that Abraham acquired a portion
of his mystic knowledge from Hermes himself.
As the years rolled by after his passing from this plane of life (tradition
recording that he lived three hundred years in the flesh), the Egyptians
deified Hermes, and made him one of their gods, under the name of
Thoth. Years after, the people of Ancient Greece also made him one of
their many gods--calling him "Hermes, the god of Wisdom." The
Egyptians revered his memory for many centuries-yes, tens of centuries-
- calling him "the Scribe of the Gods," and bestowing upon him,
distinctively, his ancient title, "Trismegistus," which means "the thricegreat"; "the great-great"; "the greatest-great"; etc. In all the ancient
lands, the name of Hermes Trismegistus was revered, the name being
synonymous with the "Fount of Wisdom."
Even to this day, we use the term "hermetic" in the sense of "secret";
"sealed so that nothing can escape"; etc., and this by reason of the fact
that the followers of Hermes always observed the principle of secrecy in
their teachings. They did not believe in "casting pearls before swine," but
rather held to the teaching "milk for babes"; "meat for strong men," both
of which maxims are familiar to readers of the Christian scriptures, but
both of which had been used by the Egyptians for centuries before the
Christian era.
And this policy of careful dissemination of the truth has always
characterized the Hermetics, even unto the present day. The Hermetic
Teachings are to be found in all lands, among all religions, but never
identified with any particular country, nor with any particular religious
sect. This because of the warning of the ancient teachers against allowing
the Secret Doctrine to become crystallized into a creed. The wisdom of
this caution is apparent to all students of history. The ancient occultism
of India and Persia degenerated, and was largely lost, owing to the fact
that the teachers became priests, and so mixed theology with the
philosophy, the result being that the occultism of India and Persia has
been gradually lost amidst the mass of religious superstition, cults,
creeds and "gods." So it was with Ancient Greece and Rome. So it was
with the Hermetic Teachings of the Gnostics and Early Christians, which were lost at the time of Constantine, whose iron hand smothered
philosophy with the blanket of theology, losing to the Christian Church
that which was its very essence and spirit, and causing it to grope
throughout several centuries before it found the way back to its ancient
faith, the indications apparent to all careful observers in this Twentieth
Century being that the Church is now struggling to get back to its ancient
mystic teachings.
But there were always a few faithful souls who kept alive the Flame,
tending it carefully, and not allowing its light to become extinguished.
And thanks to these staunch hearts, and fearless minds, we have the
truth still with us. But it is not found in books, to any great extent. It has
been passed along from Master to Student; from Initiate to Hierophant;
from lip to ear. When it was written down at all, its meaning was veiled
in terms of alchemy and astrology so that only those possessing the key
could read it aright. This was made necessary in order to avoid the
persecutions of the theologians of the Middle Ages, who fought the
Secret Doctrine with fire and sword; stake, gibbet and cross. Even to this
day there will be found but few reliable books on the Hermetic
Philosophy, although there are countless references to it in many books
written on various phases of Occultism. And yet, the Hermetic
Philosophy is the only Master Key which will open all the doors of the
Occult Teachings!
In the early days, there was a compilation of certain Basic Hermetic
Doctrines, passed on from teacher to student, which was known as "THE
KYBALION," the exact significance and meaning of the term having been
lost for several centuries. This teaching, however, is known to many to
whom it has descended, from mouth to ear, on and on throughout the
centuries. Its precepts have never been written down, or printed, so far
as we know. It was merely a collection of maxims, axioms, and precepts,
which were non-understandable to outsiders, but which were readily
understood by students, after the axioms, maxims, and precepts had
been explained and exemplified by the Hermetic Initiates to their
Neophytes. These teachings really constituted the basic principles of
"The Art of Hermetic Alchemy," which, contrary to the general belief,
dealt in the mastery of Mental Forces, rather than Material Elements-the
Transmutation of one kind of Mental Vibrations into others, instead of
the changing of one kind of metal into another. The legends of the "Philosopher's Stone" which would turn base metal into Gold, was an
allegory relating to Hermetic Philosophy, readily understood by all
students of true Hermeticism.
In this little book, of which this is the First Lesson, we invite our
students to examine into the Hermetic Teachings, as set forth in THE
KYBALION, and as explained by ourselves, humble students of the
Teachings, who, while bearing the title of Initiates, are still students at
the feet of HERMES, the Master. We herein give you many of the
maxims, axioms and precepts of THE KYBALION, accompanied by
explanations and illustrations which we deem likely to render the
teachings more easily comprehended by the modern student,
particularly as the original text is purposely veiled in obscure terms.
The original maxims, axioms, and precepts of THE KYBALION are
printed herein, in italics, the proper credit being given. Our own work is
printed in the regular way, in the body of the work. We trust that the
many students to whom we now offer this little work will derive as much
benefit from the study of its pages as have the many who have gone on
before, treading the same Path to Mastery throughout the centuries that
have passed since the times of HERMES TRISMEGISTUS--the Master of
Masters--the Great-Great. In the words of "THE KYBALION":
"Where fall the footsteps of the Master, the ears of those
ready for his Teaching open wide."--The Kybalion.
"When the ears of the student are ready to hear, then cometh
the lips to fill them with Wisdom."--The Kybalion.
So that according to the Teachings, the passage of this book to those
ready for the instruction will attract the attention of such as are prepared
to receive the Teaching.

And, likewise, when the pupil is ready to receive the truth, then will this little book come to him, or her.

Such is The Law.

The Hermetic Principle of Cause and Effect, in its aspect of The Law of Attraction, will bring lips and ear together--pupil and book in company.

So mote it be!