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The Kybalion: A Study of the Hermetic Philosophy of Ancient Egypt and Greece

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Along with the Tao Teh Ching, this little book first published by the Yogi Publication Society in 1912, is one of the most complete and concise spiritual texts ever written. Many critics have criticized the Kybalion's lack of "authenticity." The teachings are allegedly taken from an ancient Egpytian teacher or demi-god named Hermes Trismegistus. Scholars, on the other hand, mainly believe that the Hermetic movement was really born in the Greek era. None of this in any way detracts from the value of this work. The true Hermes has always been a trickster god who blurs the distinction between history and mythology, so if you want real knowledge it's far preferable to leave the dry scholarship to the scholars and focus on the principles. Another criticism posed by those who don't understand such matters is that the material contained in the Kybalion is really from other traditions, such as Far Eastern. The true understanding of Hermetic philosophy is that truth is truth and it all comes from the same basic source. It follows from this that beliefs from one part of the world will be duplicated elsewhere. Debates concerning origins are very important in the fields of history, anthropology and archeology. To those on a quest for spiritual knowledge they are meaningless. I won't go through the list of seven principles contained in the Kybalion, but the primary ideas are quite simple, yet at the same time paradoxical. The universe is ultimately One, but that oneness manifests itself in duality. This is identical in essence to the Chinese idea that the Tao expresses itself through Yin and Yang. This duality creates a world where things are always moving from one extreme to the other, or Polarity as the Kybalion describes it. Perhaps the most important principle to keep in mind is that all opposites are really one. Apply this rather abstract notion to worldly matters such as politics and war and you will see the wisdom of it. This is a book worth reading many times.

While the title of his review might sound self-contradicting reading this book will convince you otherwise.
With its roots several 1000s of years ago (possibly in Egypt) hermetic philosophy continues (and will continue) to be as pivotal in human understanding of the All as ever.
The Hermetists do not believe in "chance" nor do they believe in matter (the way modern science sees it). They also dont believe in the separation of things allthough that would need be further explained and that's not my intent here.
The Kyballion is basically an introduction to the 7 basic hermetic principles (they are subdivided in many other levels) and a rather brief explanation for each of those seven.

It doesn't matter whether you ultimately embrace this philosophy or not. Unless for some bizzare reason you happen to be negatively biased, you'll find that hermetics apply (or will apply) to your understanding regradless of which philosophy seems to have made sense to you up until this point.
Hermetic philosophy has this aura about it where things seem to be making automatic sense within you, as if these are truths or part of a larger truth that you innerly possess anyway but which need to be "ignited" sort of speak.

You'll find that the 7 principles explained and analysed in it can be applied in mostly everything and whether your reading up to now has been of depth in science or the (so-called) "paranormal" certain aspects will begin to take a clearer form.

What's also quite certain is that you'll feel intrigued to go deeper after reading this book.
Another thing that's striking about the Kyballion is that very often the reader feels he's reading a "scientific" book than rather a philosophical one. Hermetists did not look at their philosophy in the sense of simply trying to analyse human nature at its core and only slightly bothering with the surroundings but instead looked at the bigger scheme of things realising that this is the only sound way to attempt to define anything.

At the very worst the Kyballion will prove to be precious mental gymnastics for your mind. At best, it will be the key to several doors you never thought existed.

This book, the Kybalion is of the most excellent of words, for it is the very teachings of the Ancient Kemetic(egyptian) God Djehuti, later called Hermes Trismegistus and Thoth by the Greeks. It embodies the Universal laws of Polarity, Causation, The ALL, Mental Gender, etc. These teachings can also be found in other Ancient Kemetic wisdom texts. A very simply written commentary by the authors and it takes years of application and understanding to fully grasp these powerful axioms. A recommended reading for all those who travel along the path to SELF. AB RKH Em AB "Man, know thyself" -Ancient Kemetic axiom.

A number of other books has been written about these seven principles, using somewhat more modern language, but this book is the classic. This is not just a theory or a philosophy - the principles, being universal, are down-to-earth practical. If you apply them consciously in your life, your life will change.

While in times long gone by, these may have seemed to be only arbitrary spiritual principles, they are in accord with the view of quantum physics. Kybalion states that universe is mind-like in nature; quantum physics states that the universe is composed out of intelligent energy. The rest of the book describes how to manifest anything with one's thoughts - the process of manifestation, and it reminds me of the book "Dimensional Structure of Consciousness" by Samuel Avery.

The most important part of this book - other than pointing out these principles is that they are UNIVERSAL - they allways work, they express throughout nature and if you use them and apply the consciously, you can create whatever you can possibly desire in your life. You will know then that there is a law and that it works with mathematical precision, and that you can ALWAYS count on it.

The moment you grasp this truth, you will never ever again wish or hope for something to happen, you will know that you have the power to create it and you will be certain of it. And when you use this principles consciously and experience the truth of them - no one in the entire world will ever be able to talk you out of fulfilling your heart's desires. Even if the entire world doubts and laughs at you, you will not care because you'll KNOW that you CAN. You will have the "key".

This book is a wonderful place to begin your search for the truth about the micro and macrocosm. Contained in the pages of this book is the universal law. This is the key to true understanding. This key will provide the means to find the truth in every future study on which one should choose to embark.

This is a MASTER work in the field. If you have an interest in this area, this is the book to read, and read again. I'm a professional astrologer and I teach Tarot and recommend this work often to more serious students who are ready to go beyond the basics and at the same time, more deeply into the fundamentals.

Know now that this is the study of Hermetics in as pure a form as can be found anywhere in the literary world. This book should be read in portions and digested accordingly. This book deals with some of the more abstract form of occult philosophy. This book attempts to explain Hermetics to the layman and does a wonderful job. Anyone who can claim a first read understanding of the principles discussed in this book without having studies philosophy or Hermetics before might be fooling himself. This is a VERY DEEP book for being so small. I found it enlightening and a pleasure to read. Even if this book was a forgery, it still conveys the same principals as would an origional manuscript. This book is believable. I enjoyed it.

Adkins/Ramacharaka's works are all brilliant! Yogi Ramacharaka has such profund insight into the deepest spiritual truths. This book may be the best book ever written (for those of us who are devoted to understanding the laws of reality in this life and beyond). Thank you Ramacharaka for leaving such beautiful pathways for the devoted students to follow. I also suggest his Raja Yoga and Gnani Yoga and Mystic Christianity books.

Let this be it! This is perhaps the finest book on occult spirituality. This may not be all you need to transmute lead into gold, but on the mental and spiritual planes of occultic thought; this is your book! There is also another copy that contains the Emerald Tablets (of Thoth or Hermes) and although the tablet is small; it is very mighty.

This book must be read by any serious student of the esoteric. The way in which the author describes nature and mind, laying out the hermetic ideas in a way that is concise, makes this work an absolute classic of Hermetic literature. Anyone who intends to practice the arts of alchemy, theurgy, high magic, sorcery or even an eastern path of meditation or yoga should read this book a few times. While I don't agree with everything in this book (I never agree with everything in any book), and I have no idea where or from whom it came, I think they were observant of the truths of nature. This is the single greatest contemporary book of hermetic theory/philosophy, and I think it will stand the tests of time where other books will fall by the wayside.