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HERMETIC - ESOTERIC - MYSTICAL PHILOSOPHIES
THE KYBALION
CHAPTER VII.
" THE ALL " IN ALL
"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."—
How often have the majority of people heard repeated the statement that
their Deity (called by many names) was "All in All," and how little have
they suspected the inner occult truth concealed by these carelessly
uttered words? The commonly used expression is a survival of the ancient
Hermetic Maxim quoted above. As the Kybalion says: "To him who truly
understands this truth, hath come great knowledge. '' And, this being
so, let us seek this truth, the understanding of which means so much. In
this statement of truth—this Hermetic Maxim—is concealed one of the
greatest philosophical, scientific and religious truths.
We have given you the Hermetic Teaching regarding the Mental Nature of
the Universe—the truth that "the Universe is Mental—held in the Mind of
THE ALL." As the Kybalion says, in the passage quoted above: "All is in
THE ALL." But note also the co-related statement, that: "It is equally
true that THE ALL is in ALL." This apparently contradictory statement is
reconcilable under the Law of Paradox. It is, moreover, an exact
Hermetic statement of the relations existing between THE ALL and its
Mental Universe. We have seen how "All is in THE ALL"—now let us examine
the other aspect of the subject.
The Hermetic Teachings are to the effect that THE ALL is Imminent in
("remaining within; inherent; abiding within") its Universe, and in
every part, particle, unit, or combination, within the Universe. This
statement is usually illustrated by the Teachers by a reference to the
Principle of Correspondence. The Teacher instructs the student to form a
Mental Image of something, a person, an idea, something having a mental
form, the favorite example being that of the author or dramatist forming
an idea of his characters; or a painter or sculptor forming an image of
an ideal that he wishes to express by his art. In each case, the student
will find that while the image has its existence, and being, solely
within his own mind, yet he, the student, author, dramatist, painter, or
sculptor, is, in a sense, immanent in; remaining within; or abiding
within, the mental image also. In other words, the entire virtue, life,
spirit, of reality in the mental image is derived from the "immanent
mind" of the thinker. Consider this for a moment, until the idea is
grasped.
To take a modern example, let us say that Othello, Iago, Hamlet, Lear,
Richard III, existed merely in the mind of Shakespeare, at the time of
their conception or creation. And yet, Shakespeare also existed within
each of these characters, giving them their vitality, spirit, and
action. Whose is the "spirit" of the characters that we know as Micawber,
Oliver Twist, Uriah Heep—is it Dickens, or have each of these characters
a personal spirit, independent of their creator? Have the Venus of
Medici, the Sistine Madonna, the' Appollo Belvidere, spirits and reality
of their own, or do they represent the spiritual and mental power of
their creators? The Law of Paradox explains that both propositions are
true, viewed from the proper viewpoints. Micawber is both Micawber, and
yet Dickens. And, again, while Micawber may be said to be Dickens, yet
Dickens is not identical with Micawber. Man, like Micawber, may exclaim:
"The Spirit of my Creator is inherent within me —and yet I am not HE!''
How different this from the shocking half-truth so vociferously
announced by certain of the half-wise, who fill the air with their
raucous cries of: "I Am God!" Imagine poor Micawber, or the sneaky Uriah
Heep, crying: "I Am Dickens"; or some of the lowly clods in one of
Shakespeare's plays, grandiloquently announcing that: "I Am
Shakespeare!" THE ALL is in the earth-worm, and yet the earth-worm is
far from being THE ALL. And still the wonder remains, that though the
earthworm exists merely as a lowly thing, created and having its being
solely within the Mind of THE ALL—yet THE ALL is immanent in the
earth-worm, and in the particles that go to make up the earthworm. Can
there be any greater mystery than this of "All in THE ALL; and THE ALL
in All?"
The student will, of course, realize that the illustrations given above
are necessarily imperfect and inadequate, for they represent the
creation of mental images in finite minds, while the Universe is a
creation of Infinite Mind—and the difference between the two poles
separates them. And yet it is merely a matter of degree— the same
Principle is in operation—the Principle of Correspondence manifests in
each—"As above, so Below; as Below, so above.'' And, in the degree that
Man realizes the existence of the Indwelling Spirit immanent within his
being, so will he rise in the spiritual scale of life. This is what
spiritual development means—the recognition, realization, and
manifestation of the Spirit within us. Try to remember this last
definition—that of spiritual development. It contains the Truth of True
Religion.
There are many planes of Being—many sub-planes of Life—many degrees of
existence in the Universe. And all depend upon the advancement of beings
in the scale, of which scale the lowest point is the grossest matter,
the highest being separated only by the thinnest division from the
SPIRIT of THE ALL. And, upward and onward along this Scale of Life,
everything is moving. All are on the Path, whose end is THE ALL. All
progress is a Returning Home. All is Upward and Onward, in spite of all
seemingly contradictory appearances. Such is the Message of the
Illumined.
The Hermetic Teachings concerning the process of the Mental Creation of
the Universe, are that at the beginning of the Creative Cycle, THE ALL,
in its aspect of "Being," projects its Will toward its aspect of
"Becoming," and the process of creation begins. It is taught that the
process consists of the lowering of Vibration until a very low degree of
vibratory energy is reached, at which point the grossest possible form
of Matter is manifested. This process is called the stage of Involution,
in which THE ALL becomes "involved," or "wrapped up," in its creation.
This process is believed by the Hermetists to have a Correspondence to
the mental process of an artist, writer, or inventor, who becomes so
wrapped up in his mental creation as to almost forget his own existence
and who, for the time being, almost "lives in his creation." If instead
of "wrapped" we use the word "rapt," perhaps we will give a better idea
of what is meant.
This Involuntary stage of Creation is sometimes called the "Outpouring"
of the Divine Energy, just as the Evolutionary state is called the
"Indrawing." The extreme pole of the Creative process is considered to
be the furthest removed from THE ALL, while the beginning of the
Evolutionary stage is regarded as the beginning of the return swing of
the pendulum of Rhythm—a '' coining home'' idea being held in all of the
Hermetic Teachings.
The Teachings are that during the '' Outpouring, '' the vibrations
become lower and lower until finally the urge ceases, and the return
swing begins. But there is this difference, that while in the "
Outpouring'' the creative forces manifest compactly and as a whole, yet
from the beginning of the Evolutionary or "Indrawing" stage, there is
manifested the Law of Individualization —that is, the tendency to
separate into Units of Force, so that finally that which left THE ALL as
unindividualized energy returns to its source as countless highly
developed Units of Life, having risen higher and higher in the scale by
means of Physical, Mental and Spiritual Evolution.
The ancient Hermetists use the word "Meditation," in describing the
process of the mental creation of the Universe in the Mind of THE ALL,
the word "Contemplation" also being frequently employed. But the idea
intended seems to be that of the employment of the Divine Attention.
"Attention" is a word derived from the Latin root, meaning "to reach
out; to stretch out," and so the act of Attention is really a mental
"reaching out; extension" of mental energy, so that the underlying idea
is readily understood when we examine into the real meaning of
"Attention."
The Hermetic Teachings regarding the process of Evolution are that, THE
ALL, having meditated upon the beginning of the Creation—having thus
established the material foundations of the Universe — having thought it
into existence — then gradually awakens or rouses from its Meditation
and in so doing starts into manifestation the process of Evolution, on
the material, mental and spiritual planes, successively and in order.
Thus the upward movement begins — and all begins to move Spiritward.
Matter becomes less gross; the Units spring into being; the combinations
begin to form; Life appears and manifests in higher and higher forms;
and Mind becomes more and more in evidence — the vibrations constantly
becoming higher. In short, the entire process of Evolution, in all of
its phases, begins, and proceeds according to the established Laws of
the "Indrawing" process. All of this occupies æons upon æons of Man's
time, each æon containing countless millions of years, but yet the
Illumined inform us that the entire creation, including Involution and
Evolution, of an Universe, is but ''as the twinkle of the eye" to THE
ALL. At the end of countless cycles of æons of time: THE ALL withdraws
its Attention — its Contemplation and Meditation — of the Universe, for
the Great Work is finished — and All is withdrawn into THE ALL from
which it emerged. But Mystery of Mysteries — the Spirit of each soul is
not annihilated, but is infinitely expanded — the Created and the
Creator are merged. Such is the report of the Illumined!
The above illustration of the "meditation," and subsequent "awakening
from meditation," of THE ALL, is of course but an attempt of the
Teachers to describe the Infinite process by a finite example. And, yet:
"As Below, so Above." The difference is merely in degree. And just as
THE ALL arouses itself from the meditation upon the Universe, so does
Man (in time) cease from manifesting upon the Material Plane, and
withdraws himself more and more into the Indwelling Spirit, which is
indeed "The Divine Ego."
There is one more matter of which we desire to speak in this lesson, and
that comes very near to an invasion of the Metaphysical field of
speculation, although our purpose is merely to show the futility of such
speculation. We allude to the question which inevitably comes to the
mind of all thinkers who have ventured to seek the Truth. The question
is: "WHY does THE ALL create Universes?" The question may be asked in
different forms, but the above is the gist of the inquiry.
Men have striven hard to answer this question, but still there is no
answer worthy of the name. Some have imagined that THE ALL had something
to gain by it, but this is absurd, for what could THE ALL gain that it
did not already possess. Others have sought the answer in the idea that
THE ALL "wished something to love;'' and others that it created for
pleasure, or amusement; or because it "was lonely"; or to manifest its
power — all puerile explanations and ideas, belonging to the childish
period of thought.
Others have sought to explain the mystery by assuming that THE ALL found
itself "compelled" to create, by reason of its own "internal nature" —
its "creative instinct." This idea is in advance of the others, but its
weak point lies in the idea of THE ALL being "compelled" by anything,
internal or external. If its "internal nature," or "creative instinct,"
compelled it to do anything, then the "internal nature" or "creative
instinct" would be the Absolute, instead of THE ALL, and so accordingly
that part of the proposition falls. And, yet, THE ALL does create and
manifest, and seems to find some kind of satisfaction in so doing. And
it is difficult to escape the conclusion that in some infinite degree it
must have what would correspond to an "inner nature," or "creative
instinct," in man, with correspondingly infinite Desire and Will. It
could not act unless it Willed to Act; and it would not Will to Act,
unless it Desired to Act; and it would not Desire to Act unless it
obtained some Satisfaction thereby. And all of these things would belong
to an "Inner Nature," and might be postulated as existing according to
the Law of Correspondence. Bat, still, we prefer to think of THE ALL as
acting entirely FREE from any influence, internal as well as external.
That is the problem which lies at the root of difficulty —and the
difficulty that lies at the root of the problem.
Strictly speaking, there cannot be said to be any "Reason" whatsoever
for THE ALL to act, for a "reason" implies a "cause," and THE ALL is
above Cause and Effect, except when it Wills to become a Cause, at which
time the Principle is set into motion. So, you see, the matter is
Unthinkable, just as THE ALL is Unknowable. Just as we say THE ALL
merely "IS"— so we are compelled to say that "THE ALL ACTS BECAUSE IT
ACTS." At the last, THE ALL is All Reason in Itself; All Law in Itself;
All Action in Itself — and it may be said, truthfully, that THE ALL is
Its Own Reason; its own Law; its own Act — or still further, that THE
ALL; Its Reason; Its Act; is Law; are ONE, all being names for the same
thing. In the opinion of those who are giving you these present lessons,
the answer is locked up in INNER SELF of THE ALL, along with its Secret
of Being. The Law of Correspondence, in our opinion, reaches only to
that aspect of THE ALL, which may be spoken of as "The Aspect of
BECOMING." Back of that Aspect is "The Aspect of BEING," in which all
Laws are lost in LAW; all Principles merge into PRINCIPLE — and THE ALL;
PRINCIPLE; and BEING; are IDENTICAL, ONE AND THE SAME. Therefore,
Metaphysical speculation on this point is futile. We go into the matter
here, merely to show that we recognize the question, and also the
absurdity of the ordinary answers of metaphysics and theology.
In conclusion, it may be of interest to
our students to learn that while some of the ancient, and modern,
Hermetic Teachers have rather inclined in the direction of applying the
Principle of Correspondence to the question, with the result of the
"Inner Nature" conclusion,— still the legends have it that HERMES, the
Great, when asked this question by his advanced students, answered them
by PRESSING HIS LIPS TIGHTLY TOGETHER and saying not a word, indicating
that there WAS NO ANSWER. But, then, he may have intended to apply the
axiom of his philosophy, that: "The lips of Wisdom are closed, except to
the ears of Understanding," believing that even his advanced students
did not possess the Understanding which entitled them to the Teaching.
At any rate, if Hermes possessed the Secret, he failed to impart it, and
so far as the world is concerned THE LIPS OF HERMES ARE CLOSED regarding
it. And where the Great Hermes hesitated to speak, what mortal may dare
to teach?
But, remember, that whatever be the answer to this problem, if indeed
there be an answer — the truth remains that: "While All is in THE ALL,
it is equally true that THE ALL is in All." The Teaching on this point
is emphatic. And, we may add the concluding words of the quotation: "To
him who truly understands this truth, hath come great knowledge."
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