The Kybalion

Substance

Under and behind all outward appearances or manifestations, there must always be a Substantial reality. This is the Law. Man considering the Universe, of which he is a unit, sees nothing but change in matter, forces, and mental states. He sees that nothing really IS, but that everything is BECOMING and CHANGING. Nothing stands still — everything is being born, growing, dying. The very instant a thing reaches its height, it begins to decline; the law of rhythm is in constant operation; there is no enduring quality, fixity, or substantiality in anything; nothing is permanent but Change. He sees all things evolving from other things, and resolving into other things: a constant action and reaction; inflow and outflow; building up and tearing down; creation and destruction; birth, growth and death. Nothing endures but Change. And if he be a thinking man, he realises that all of these changing things must be but outward appearances or manifestations of some Underlying Power, some Substantial Reality.

All thinkers, in all lands and in all times, have assumed the necessity for postulating the existence of this Substantial Reality. All philosophies worthy of the name have been based upon this thought. Men have given to this Substantial Reality many names. Some have called it by the term of Deity (under many titles); others have called it "The Infinite and Eternal Energy"; others have tried to call it "Matter": but all have acknowledged its existence. It is self-evident; it needs no argument.

In these lessons we have followed the example of some of the world's greatest thinkers, both ancient and modern — the Hermetic Masters — and have called this Underlying Power, this Substantial Reality, by the Hermetic name of "THE ALL", which term we consider the most comprehensive of the many terms applied by Man to THAT which transcends names and terms.

The Unknowable

The Hermetists believe and teach that THE ALL, "in itself", is and must ever be UNKNOWABLE. They regard all the theories, guesses and speculations of the theologians and metaphysicians regarding the inner nature of THE ALL as but the childish efforts of mortal minds to grasp the secret of the Infinite. Such efforts have always failed and will always fail, from the very nature of the task. One pursuing such inquiries travels around and around in the labyrinth of thought until he is lost to all sane reasoning, action, or conduct, and is utterly unfitted for the work of life. He is like the squirrel which frantically runs around and around the circling treadmill wheel of his cage, travelling constantly and yet reaching nowhere, ever a prisoner and remaining just where he started.

Personalisation

(At this point it may be proper to state that we make a distinction between Religion and Theology — between Philosophy and Metaphysics. Religion, to us, means that intuitional realisation of the existence of THE ALL, and one's relationship to it. Theology, on the other hand, means the attempts of men to ascribe personality, qualities, and characteristics to it; their theories regarding its affairs, will, desires, plans, and designs; and their assumption of the office of "middle-men" between THE ALL and the rest of the people. Philosophy, to us, means the inquiry after knowledge of things knowable and thinkable; while Metaphysics means the attempt to carry the enquiry over and beyond the boundaries into regions unknowable and unthinkable, and with the same tendency as that of Theology. And consequently, both Religion and Philosophy mean to us things having roots in Reality, while Theology and Metaphysics seem like broken reeds, rooted in the quicksands of ignorance, and affording naught but the most insecure support for the mind or soul of Man. We do not insist upon our students accepting these definitions — we mention them merely to show our position. At any rate, you shall hear very little about Theology and Metaphysics in these lessons.)

But while the essential nature of THE ALL is Unknowable, there are certain truths connected with its existence which the human mind finds itself compelled to accept. And an examination of these reports forms a proper subject of inquiry, particularly as the reports agree with those of the Illumined on higher planes. And to this inquiry we now invite you.

Essential Truths

"In its Essence, THE ALL is UNKNOWABLE... But the report of Reason must be hospitably received and treated with respect" — The Kybalion.

The human reason, whose reports we must accept so long as we think at all, informs us as follows regarding THE ALL, and that without attempting to remove the veil of the Unknowable:

1. THE ALL must be ALL that REALLY IS. There can be nothing existing outside of THE ALL, else THE ALL would not be THE ALL.

2. THE ALL must be INFINITE, for there is nothing else to define, confine, bound, limit or restrict THE ALL. It must be Infinite in Time, or ETERNAL; it must always have continually existed, for there is nothing else to have ever created it, and something can never evolve from nothing, and if it had ever "not been", even for a moment, it would not "be" now. It must continually exist forever, for there is nothing to destroy it, and it can never "not-be", even for a moment, because something can never become nothing. It must be Infinite in Space. It must be Everywhere, for there is no place outside of THE ALL. It cannot be otherwise than continuous in Space, without break, cessation, separation, or interruption, for there is nothing to break, separate, or interrupt its continuity, and nothing with which to "fill in the gaps". It must be Infinite in Power, or Absolute, for there is nothing to limit, restrict, restrain, confine, disturb or condition it. It is subject to no other Power, for there is no other Power.

3. THE ALL must be IMMUTABLE, or not subject to change in its real nature, for there is nothing to work changes upon it; nothing into which it could change, nor from which it could have changed. It cannot be added to or subtracted from, increased or diminished, or become greater or lesser in any respect whatsoever. It must always have been, and must always remain, just what it is now — THE ALL — there has never been, there is not now, and there never will be, anything else into which it can change.

What THE ALL is NOT

We see around us that which is called "Matter", which forms the physical foundation for all forms. Is THE ALL merely matter? Not at all! Matter cannot manifest Life or Mind, and as Life and Mind are manifested in the Universe, THE ALL cannot be Matter, for nothing rises higher than its own source — nothing is ever manifested in an effect that is not in the cause and nothing is evolved as a consequent that is not involved as an antecedent. And then Modern Science informs us that there is really no such thing as Matter — that what we call Matter is merely "interrupted energy or force", that is, energy or force at a low rate of vibration. As a recent writer has said "Matter has melted into Mystery". Even Material Science has abandoned the theory of Matter, and now rests on the basis of "Energy".

Then is THE ALL mere Energy or Force? Not Energy or Force as the materialists use the terms, for their energy and force are blind, mechanical things, devoid of Life or Mind. Life and Mind can never evolve from blind Energy or Force, for the reason given a moment ago: "Nothing can rise higher than its source — nothing is evolved unless it is involved, and nothing manifests in the effect unless it is in the cause". And so THE ALL cannot be mere Energy or Force for, if it were, then there would be no such things as Life and Mind in existence, and we know better than that, for we are Alive and using Mind to consider this very question, and so are those who claim that Energy or Force is everything.

Life and Mind

"But what kind of Life and Mind do you mean?" you ask. The answer is "LIVING MIND, as far above that which we mortals know by those words as Life and Mind are higher than mechanical forces, or matter — INFINITE LIVING MIND as compared to finite Life and Mind". We mean that which the illumined souls mean when they reverently pronounce the word "SPIRIT".

"THE ALL" is Infinite Living Mind — the Illumined call it SPIRIT!