the kybalion

TheKybalionPage1THEKYBALIONASTUDYOFTHEHERMETICPHILOSOPHYOFANCIENTEGYPTANDGREECEBYTHREEINITIATES“THELIPSOFWISDOMARECLOSED,EXCEPTTOTHEEARSOFUNDERSTANDING”THEYOGIPUBLICATIONSOCIETYMASONICTEMPLECHICAGO,ILLTheKybalionPage2TOHERMESTRISMEGISTUSKNOWNBYTHEANCIENTEGYPTIANSAS“THEGREATGREAT”AND“MASTEROFMASTERS”THISLITTLEVOLUMEOFHERMETICTEACHINGSISREVERENTLYDEDICATEDTheKybalionPage3CONTENTSCHAPTER.PAGE.INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................4CHAPTERI...............................................................................................................6CHAPTERII..............................................................................................................9CHAPTERIII...........................................................................................................14CHAPTERIV...........................................................................................................16CHAPTERV............................................................................................................19CHAPTERVI...........................................................................................................22CHAPTERVII..........................................................................................................26CHAPTERVIII.........................................................................................................30CHAPTERIX...........................................................................................................36CHAPTERX............................................................................................................39CHAPTERXI...........................................................................................................42CHAPTERXII..........................................................................................................45CHAPTERXIII.........................................................................................................48CHAPTERXIV.........................................................................................................51CHAPTERXV..........................................................................................................56TheKybalionPage4INTRODUCTION.WetakegreatpleasureinpresentingtotheattentionofstudentsandinvestigatorsoftheSecretDoctrinesthislittleworkbasedupontheworld-oldHermeticTeachings.Therehasbeensolittlewrittenuponthissubject,notwithstandingthecountlessreferencestotheTeachingsinthemanyworksuponoccultism,thatthemanyearnestsearchersaftertheArcaneTruthswilldoubtlesswelcometheappearanceofthepresentvolume.Thepurposeofthisworkisnottheenunciationofanyspecialphilosophyordoctrine,butratheristogivetothestudentsastatementoftheTruththatwillservetoreconcilethemanybitsofoccultknowledgethattheymayhaveacquired,butwhichareapparentlyopposedtoeachotherandwhichoftenservetodiscourageanddisgustthebeginnerinthestudy.OurintentisnottoerectanewTempleofKnowledge,butrathertoplaceinthehandsofthestudentaMaster-KeywithwhichhemayopenthemanyinnerdoorsintheTempleofMysterythroughthemainportalshehasalreadyentered.ThereisnoportionoftheoccultteachingspossessedbytheworldwhichhavebeensocloselyguardedasthefragmentsoftheHermeticTeachingswhichhavecomedowntousoverthetensofcenturieswhichhaveelapsedsincethelifetimeofitsgreatfounder,HermesTrismegistus,the“scribeofthegods,”whodweltinoldEgyptinthedayswhenthepresentraceofmenwasinitsinfancy.ContemporarywithAbraham,and,ifthelegendsbetrue,aninstructorofthatvenerablesage,Hermeswas,andis,theGreatCentralSunofOccultism,whoserayshaveservedtoilluminethecountlessteachingswhichhavebeenpromulgatedsincehistime.AllthefundamentalandbasicteachingsembeddedintheesotericteachingsofeveryracemaybetracedbacktoHermes.EventhemostancientteachingsofIndiaundoubtedlyhavetheirrootsintheoriginalHermeticTeachings.FromthelandoftheGangesmanyadvancedoccultistswanderedtothelandofEgypt,andsatatthefeetoftheMaster.FromhimtheyobtainedtheMaster-Keywhichexplainedandreconciledtheirdivergentviews,andthustheSecretDoctrinewasfirmlyestablished.Fromotherlandsalsocamethelearnedones,allofwhomregardedHermesastheMasterofMasters,andhisinfluencewassogreatthatinspiteofthemanywanderingsfromthepathonthepartofthecenturiesofteachersinthesedifferentlands,theremaystillbefoundacertainbasicresemblanceandcorrespondencewhichunderliesthemanyandoftenquitedivergenttheoriesentertainedandtaughtbytheoccultistsofthesedifferentlandstoday.ThestudentofComparativeReligionswillbeabletoperceivetheinfluenceoftheHermeticTeachingsineveryreligionworthyofthename,nowknowntoman,whetheritbeadeadreligionoroneinfullvigorinourowntimes.Thereisalwaysacertaincorrespondenceinspiteofthecontradictoryfeatures,andtheHermeticTeachingsactastheGreatReconciler.ThelifeworkofHermesseemstohavebeeninthedirectionofplantingthegreatSeed-Truthwhichhasgrownandblossomedinsomanystrangeforms,ratherthantoestablishaschoolofphilosophywhichwoulddominatetheworld'sthought.But,nevertheless,theor