The Kybalion

The Kybalion is a book originally published in 1908 by "Three Initiates" (often identified as the New Thought pioneer William Walker Atkinson, 1862–1932). It purports to convey the teachings of Hermes Trismegistus.

The Kybalion

Quotes

• "The lips of wisdom are closed, except to the ears of Understanding."
  • Chapter 1: The Hermetic Philosophy

• "Mind (as well as metals and elements) may be transmuted, from state to state; degree to degree; condition to condition; pole to pole; vibration to vibration. True Hermetic Transmutation is a Mental Art."
  • Chapter 3: Mental Transmutation

• "Under, and back of, the Universe of Time, Space and Change, is ever to be found The Substantial Reality—the Fundamental Truth."
  • Chapter 4: The All

• "The Universe is Mental—held in the Mind of "The All"."
  • Chapter 5: The Mental Universe

• "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."
  • Chapter 6: The Divine Paradox

• "The possession of Knowledge, unless accompanied by a manifestation and expression in Action, is like the hoarding of precious metals—a vain and foolish thing. Knowledge, like Wealth, is intended for Use. The Law of Use is Universal, and he who violates it suffers by reason of his conflict with natural forces."
  • Chapter 15: Hermetic Axioms

Hermetic Principles

• 1. "While All is in "The All", it is equally true that "The All" is in All. To him who truly understands this truth hath come great knowledge."
  • Chapter 7: "The All" in All

• 2. "As above, so below; as below, so above."
  • Chapter 8: Planes of Correspondence

• 3. "Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates."
  • Chapter 9: Vibration

• 4. "Everything is dual; everything has poles; everything has its pair of opposites; like and unlike are the same; opposites are identical in nature, but different in degree; extremes meet; all truths are but half-truths; all paradoxes may be reconciled."
  • Chapter 10: Polarity

• 5. "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."
  • Chapter 11: Rhythm

• 6. "Every Cause has its Effect; every Effect has its Cause; everything happens according to Law; Chance is but a name for Law not recognized; there are many planes of causation, but nothing escapes the Law."
  • Chapter 12: Causation

• 7. "Gender is in everything; everything has its Masculine and Feminine Principles; Gender manifests on all planes."
  • Chapter 13: Gender

See also

• Hermes Trismegistus

External links

• Encyclopedic article on The Kybalion on Wikipedia
• Works related to The Kybalion on Wikisource

• Hermeticism
• The Emerald Tablet