The Arcane Teachings (Complete Collection). William Walker Atkinson
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members of the order.
The exception to the rule regarding written or printed Teaching, is to be found in what the Arcanes know as "The Arcane Scroll," which contains many Arcane Aphorisms, or statements of Teaching, and which are written and renewed from time to time. The authorized copies are in the hands of special persons, high in the Arcane councils, who are known as "The Custodians of The Scroll," and who are to be found in every country of the globe, unknown and working silently. These persons belong to all walks of life, and society, and carefully avoid notoriety or public attention, in order to escape the sensational exploitation of the press, and the idle curiosity of the "wonder-seekers" who are to be found everywhere. While many of these Arcane Aphorisms have to do with the special branches of the Teachings, and are not allowed to be printed and distributed generally, still the Custodians have always been willing that the fundamental Aphorisms be quoted from in writings and books on the subject. Accordingly we shall embody a number of the Arcane Aphorisms in this series of lessons, always quoting them as such, and printing them in darker type, that they may be distinguished from our own comments and explanations and personal interpretations. These Aphorisms contain the highest occult truths, and principles, and we are very glad to have been accorded the privilege of presenting them to our students.
The Arcane Teaching is based upon the fundamental principle of the existence of an Absolute Supreme Power, which is the Cause and Reason of the Cosmos and all the manifestations contained therein—all that men call "the universe." This Absolute Supreme Power is known in the Arcane Teaching as "THE LAW," and is represented in the symbols by the word "Lex."
The Law is regarded as an Abstract Principle of Power, impossible of being represented by words or even by symbols. It is not a Pantheistic Deity, or Being—It is an Absolute Principle, beyond definition or description. It does not manifest Itself in a universe of shapes and forms, by separating Itself into the Many as the Pantheistic Being is held to do in certain philosophies. Instead of this It causes Universal Being to proceed from Infinite Not-Being— causes the Cosmos to arise from Chaos—causes Manifestation to arise from the Unmanifest—causes Everything to arise from Infinite Nothing. The Law is not Being—but the Cause of Being. It cannot be said to "Be," in the ordinary sense—It causes the verb "To Be" to have a meaning.
The Arcane Teaching is not Pantheism, either expressed or implied— either frankly stated, or subtly concealed behind words. The Absolute can never become the Relative. The Law can never separate Itself into bits of "You and I." Nor is the Cosmos to be regarded as a nightmare dream; meditation; illusion; delusion; or imagination; of the Absolute, as some of the philosophical schools of India, and the pessimistic schools of the West, would have men believe, against all the natural intuition of the race. The Law does not dream, meditate, imagine, or "think"—neither is it deluded, or subject to illusion, delusion or "ignorance," as some have taught. These are but qualities belonging to beings—the Law is above beings, and even above Being. To hold otherwise is to degrade It, and to deny Its Absoluteness.
The Arcane Teaching holds that other than The Law there is but Infinity, which is Nothingness. The Teaching distinguishes between the Absolute Law and Infinity, in which it differs from the majority of other philosophies which holds them to be identical. But this daring conception is defended and proven to be logical by the Arcane Teachers, and in this teaching is to be found the only rational explanation of the Cause and Manifestation of the Cosmos. The Nothingness of Infinity, is not a condition of "Not-ness," but a condition or state of "No-Thingness." Infinity is an Infinite No-Thing, in which, however, sleeps the latency, possibility, potency, and promise, of Everything, past, present, and future. In its Infinite Nothingness, no thing is in actuality, but every thing is in latency and possibility, under The Law. The Arcane Teaching on the subject of the Infinity of Nothingness, is a startling revelation to those who have been searching for the Truth in other philosophies, but who have found themselves wandering ’round and ’round in a mental circle—never arriving anywhere. The Infinity of Nothingness is capable of logical and rational proof. This doctrine flies squarely in the face of the current philosophical dogmas of "From Nothing, no thing comes," or "Ex Nihilo, nihil fit." On the contrary it boldly asserts "From Nothing, Everything comes," or "Ex Nihilo, Omnis fit." But, it must be remembered, that this Nothing contains within itself the possibility, latency, and promise of Everything. It is a No-Thing, instead of a "Not."
The Arcane Teachings hold that at the expiration of the great cycle of time—after æons of Cosmic Night, or Period of Infinite Nothingness, The Law moves over the emptiness of Infinity, and the first activities of a new Cosmic Day, or Manifest Cosmos, begin to show themselves. The first manifestation is the Cosmic Will, or Life Principle.
This Cosmic Will is the One Life of the Cosmos, which many philosophies mistakenly claim to be the Absolute Itself. It is the Universal Being, but it is under The Law, and relative to It, and is not absolute. From this Cosmic Will, Logos, Demiurge, World-Spirit, or Universal Life Principle, is manifested the Cosmos or Manifested Universe of life, shape and form. The Cosmos is alive in every part, and its real nature vests in the Cosmic Will, which is ever behind, under, and in, all manifestations of the universal activities, from lowest to highest. Here is the World Spirit, or Pantheistic One-All—but it is under The Law!
In the Cosmos is contained "The Three Principles"—of Substance, Motion, and Consciousness; respectively. From the Three Principles arise all the infinite variety of combinations of mind, energy and matter, which go to make up the varieties of manifestation in the universe. The Arcane Teaching includes the doctrine of Perpetual Evolution of Substance, Energy, and Consciousness, respectively, on all the various planes of activity. The Teaching is that there are infinite planes of evolution, in groups of seven, which are sub-divided in seven, and so on.
The Arcane Teaching holds that the Cosmos is regulated by "The Seven Laws," which are superimposed by The Law upon the Cosmic Will, and thus upon all that is manifested. These Seven Cosmic Laws are as follows:
I. The Law of Orderly Trend. Under this law there is always manifested law and order in the Cosmos, from suns to atoms; from highest to lowest; matter, energy, and mind. There is no Disorder, Inharmony, or Chance in the Cosmos.
II. The Law of Analogy. Under this law, there is found a correspondence and agreement between all of the various forms of manifestation. What is true of the atom, is true of the sun. What is true of the amœba is true of man, and beings above man. What is true of matter, is true of energy and mind. To know one is to know all. "As above, so below," as the Hermetists express it. "Ex Uno disce Omnes"—"From One know All," as the Arcane axiom says. This law is applied in studying the higher planes—they may be known by the lower, just as solar systems may be known by studying the atoms and molecules.
III. The Law of Sequence. Under this Law, there is included the activities of what is generally known as "Cause and Effect." Nothing happens by chance. Nothing happens without a precedent manifestation, and a subsequent manifestation. Everything has its "before and after" things. Nothing stands alone, and independent of what has gone before, nor can it escape from acting upon that which comes after. Everything proceeds from something, and is succeeded by something.
IV. The Law of Rhythm. Under this law falls a variety of phenomena, among which is the important phenomenon of Vibration. Everything is in constant vibration—everything material, mental or of energy. Upon this fact depends the variety, degrees, states and conditions of the manifestations of the Cosmos. All is in vibration—physical, mental and spiritual. Vibration is the key of relative power, and relative activities. To control Vibration is to control all forces in the universe. The control of Vibrations forms an important part of the Arcane formulas.
V. The Law of Balance. Under this law there is to be found an explanation for the universal equilibrium, compensation and balance, observed in all of the manifestations of the Cosmos. One thing balances another, in the physical, mental and spiritual. Everything has something set opposite it, to balance it. Everything has its compensation. Everything has its Cosmic price. In an understanding of the Law of Balance, there is to be found the Secret of Power and Poise. The Arcane Teaching contain formulas for Balance.
VI. The Law of Cyclicity. Under this law is found the cyclic,