The Mahdi Times The Mahdi Times Issue #26 January 2015 | Page 83

weapon of the Master." - The
Kybalion.
This is the Paradox of the
Universe, resulting from the
Principle of Polarity which
manifests when THE ALL
begins to Create - hearken to it
for it points the difference
between half-wisdom and
wisdom. While to THE INFINITE
ALL, the Universe, its Laws, its
Powers, its life, its
Phenomena, are as things
witnessed in the state of
Meditation or Dream; yet to all
that is Finite, the Universe
must be treated as Real and
life and action and thought
must be based thereupon,
accordingly, although with an
ever understanding of the
Higher Truth. Each according
to its own Plane and Laws.
Were THE ALL to imagine that
the Universe were indeed
Reality, then woe to the
Universe, for there would be
then no escape from lower to
higher, divineward - then
would the Universe become a
fixity and progress would
become impossible. And if
Man, owing to half-wisdom,
acts and lives and thinks of
the Universe as merely a
dream (akin to his own finite

dreams) then indeed does it so
become for him and like a
sleep-walker he stumbles ever
around and around in a circle,
making no progress and being
forced into an awakening at
last by his falling bruised and
bleeding over the Natural Laws
which he ignored. Keep your
mind ever on the Star, but let
your eyes watch over your
footsteps, lest you fall into the
mire by reason of your upward
gaze. Remember the Divine
Paradox, that while the
Universe IS NOT, still IT IS.
Remember ever the Two Poles
of Truth the Absolute and the
Relative. Beware of HalfTruths.
What Hermetists know as "the
Law of Paradox" is an aspect of
the Principle of Polarity. The
Hermetic writings are filled
with references to the
appearance of the Paradox in
the consideration of the
problems of Life and Being.
The Teachers are constantly
warning their students against
the error of omitting the
"other side" of any question.
And their warnings are
particularly directed to the
problems of the Absolute and
the Relative, which perplex all