Secret #2: You have the power to Create.
Posted on | November 15, 2008 | No Comments
Secret #2: You have the power to Create.
First published for public audiences in 1912, The Kybalion is the most powerful (yet one of the shortest and most accessible – see my book recommendation widget at the right of this page) book of creative principles and esoteric knowledge I’ve ever read. And, I’ve read hundreds esoteric books. Citing an ancient, very secret book or oral tradition, The Kybalion is dedicated to Hermes Trismegistus, thought to be the greatest teacher of ancient Egypt and the founder of secret, “occult” (which simply means “secret”) teachings.
Why does this book stand out? First, because it is very short and doesn’t take long to digest. It’s kind of like the Tao Te Ching in that it takes only a little time to read, but will take a lifetime to master. Second, because it boils things down into only seven key principles. Our short-term memory can hold between 5 and 9 items. Seven seems to be my maximum. I can recall a principle from this short list in an instant when a situation comes up in my life, so having just seven items on the list makes the list very memorable and useable to me.
Two of my favorite sayings from the book are “When the ears of the student are ready to hear, then cometh the lips to fill them with wisdom.” And, “The lips of Wisdom are closed, except to the ears of the Understanding.”
These rules have certainly been true in my life. Whenever I’ve needed a teacher or a mentor, that person has shown up in my life, and I’m honest enough to realize that many times I would not have even liked the person, much less been in a place to learn from the person if she would have shown up a moment earlier. The same is true in my law practice. In the early stages of a lawyer-client relationship, I am usually in the role of the “teacher.” Often I have the pleasure of reversing, or at least balancing this relationship over time, but I can tell right away when a new client has the “ears of Understanding.” By the time most people come to a lawyer, except in the case of receiving notice of a lawsuit, they are in a place of actively seeking counsel and so I’m happy to give that counsel. Other times, people are obviously not in a place to listen to what I (or anyone else) will say, so in those cases, I just keep quiet and listen. When the time is right, and they are ready to hear and understand, I’ll communicate my thoughts on the matter.
The core of the book explains “The Principles of Truth are Seven; he who knows these, understandingly, possesses the Magic Key before whose touch all Doors of the Temple fly open.” As a Freemason, I’m familiar with the concept of the “Doors of the Temple” being another way of saying “the path to wisdom.” We are all seeking “truth” and the “Doors of the Temple” are nothing less than a happy and successful life, consciously lived.
The Principles are:
1. The Principle of Mentalism
2. The Principle of Correspondence
3. The Principle of Vibration
4. The Principle of Polarity
5. The Principle of Rhythm
6. The Principle of Cause and Effect
7. The Principle of Gender
I’ll not reprint the book, but each of these principles deserves some attention now, so that you will have a foundation upon which to base the references made to these principles throughout the remainder of the book.
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About Kevin
Kevin E. Houchin is an attorney, artist, teacher, author, and principal of
Houchin Consulting, PLLC, a copyright, trademark, arts & entertainment,
business development, and branding firm located in Scottsdale, Arizona.
To schedule Kevin for keynote speeches, workshops, or seminars, call 970.231.2426
or email
kevin@kevinhouchin.com.