We take great pleasure in presenting to the attention of students and investigators of the Secret Doctrines1Secret Doctrines 비밀 교의들 — 헤르메스주의 비전 가르침의 총체 this little work based upon the world-old Hermetic Teachings. There has been so little written upon this subject, notwithstanding the countless references to the Teachings in the many works upon occultism2occultism 신비학, 오컬티즘 — 일반 대중에게 숨겨진 신비적·영적 지식 체계, that the many earnest searchers after the Arcane3Arcane 비의(秘義)의, 심오한 — 선택된 소수에게만 알려진 Truths will doubtless welcome the appearance of this present volume.

The purpose of this work is not the enunciation4enunciation 진술, 공식 선언 — 원리나 교의를 공식적으로 표명하는 행위 of any special philosophy or doctrine, but rather is to give to the students a statement of the Truth that will serve to reconcile the many bits of occult knowledge that they may have acquired, but which are apparently opposed to each other and which often serve to discourage and disgust the beginner in the study. Our intent is not to erect a new Temple of Knowledge, but rather to place in the hands of the student a Master-Key5Master-Key 만능 열쇠 — 모든 신비학 지식을 통합하는 핵심 원리의 비유 with which he may open the many inner doors in the Temple of Mystery through the main portals he has already entered.

There is no portion of the occult teachings possessed by the world which have been so closely guarded as the fragments of the Hermetic Teachings which have come down to us over the tens of centuries which have elapsed since the lifetime of its great founder, Hermes Trismegistus6Hermes Trismegistus 헤르메스 트리스메기스토스 — 고대 이집트의 전설적 현자, ‘세 번 위대한 헤르메스’라는 뜻, 헤르메스주의의 창시자로 전해짐, the “scribe of the gods,” who dwelt in old Egypt in the days when the present race of men was in its infancy. Contemporary with Abraham, and, if the legends be true, an instructor of that venerable7venerable 존경할 만한, 덕망 높은 sage, Hermes was, and is, the Great Central Sun of Occultism, whose rays have served to illumine the countless teachings which have been promulgated8promulgated 전파된, 공포된 since his time. All the fundamental and basic teachings embedded in the esoteric9esoteric 비전적(秘傳的)인, 심오한 — 소수의 입문자에게만 전해지는 teachings of every race may be traced back to Hermes. Even the most ancient teachings of India undoubtedly have their roots in the original Hermetic Teachings.

From the land of the Ganges many advanced occultists wandered to the land of Egypt, and sat at the feet of the Master. From him they obtained the Master-Key which explained and reconciled their divergent10divergent 상이한, 갈라지는 — 같은 근원에서 출발했으나 서로 다른 방향으로 갈라지는 views, and thus the Secret Doctrine was firmly established. From other lands also came the learned ones, all of whom regarded Hermes as the Master of Masters, and his influence was so great that in spite of the many wanderings from the path on the part of the centuries of teachers in these different lands, there may still be found a certain basic resemblance and correspondence which underlies the many and often quite divergent theories entertained and taught by the occultists of these different lands today. The student of Comparative Religions11Comparative Religions 비교종교학 — 여러 종교를 비교·분석하는 학문 분야 will be able to perceive the influence of the Hermetic Teachings in every religion worthy of the name, now known to man, whether it be a dead religion or one in full vigor in our own times. There is always certain correspondence in spite of the contradictory features, and the Hermetic Teachings act as the Great Reconciler.

The lifework of Hermes seems to have been in the direction of planting the great Seed-Truth which has grown and blossomed in so many strange forms, rather than to establish a school of philosophy which would dominate the world’s thought. But, nevertheless, the original truths taught by him have been kept intact in their original purity by a few men each age, who, refusing great numbers of half-developed students and followers, followed the Hermetic custom and reserved their truth for the few who were ready to comprehend and master it. From lip to ear the truth has been handed down among the few. There have always been a few Initiates12Initiates 입문자들 — 헤르메스 비전을 전수받은 자들 in each generation, in the various lands of the earth, who kept alive the sacred flame of the Hermetic Teachings, and such have always been willing to use their lamps to re-light the lesser lamps of the outside world, when the light of truth grew dim, and clouded by reason of neglect, and when the wicks became clogged with foreign matter. There were always a few to tend faithfully the altar of the Truth, upon which was kept alight the Perpetual13Perpetual 영원한, 끊임없는 — 시간의 흐름 속에서도 끊이지 않고 이어지는 Lamp of Wisdom. These men devoted their lives to the labor of love which the poet has so well stated in his lines:

These men have never sought popular approval, nor numbers of followers. They are indifferent to these things, for they know how few there are in each generation who are ready for the truth, or who would recognize it if it were presented to them. They reserve the “strong meat for men,” while others furnish the “milk for babes.” They reserve their pearls of wisdom for the few elect, who recognize their value and who wear them in their crowns, instead of casting them before the materialistic vulgar swine, who would trample them in the mud and mix them with their disgusting mental food. But still these men have never forgotten or overlooked the original teachings of Hermes, regarding the passing on of the words of truth to those ready to receive it, which teaching is stated in The Kybalion as follows:

And again:

But their customary attitude has always been strictly in accordance with the other Hermetic aphorism14aphorism 격언, 잠언 — 깊은 진리를 간결하게 압축한 짧은 경구, also in The Kybalion:

There are those who have criticized this attitude of the Hermetists, and who have claimed that they did not manifest the proper spirit in their policy of seclusion15seclusion 은둔, 격리 — 외부와의 단절, 세속의 시선에서 벗어나 홀로 물러나 있는 상태 and reticence16reticence 과묵함, 말을 삼감 — 알고 있는 것을 함부로 드러내지 않고 침묵으로 지키는 태도. But a moment’s glance back over the pages of history will show the wisdom of the Masters, who knew the folly of attempting to teach to the world that which it was neither ready or willing to receive. The Hermetists have never sought to be martyrs17martyrs 순교자들 — 자신이 믿는 진리나 신앙을 위해 목숨을 바친 자들, and have, instead, sat silently aside with a pitying smile on their closed lips, while the “heathen raged noisily about them” in their customary amusement of putting to death and torture the honest but misguided enthusiasts who imagined that they could force upon a race of barbarians the truth capable of being understood only by the elect who had advanced along The Path.

And the spirit of persecution has not as yet died out in the land. There are certain Hermetic Teachings, which, if publicly promulgated, would bring down upon the teachers a great cry of scorn and revilement18revilement 욕설, 비방 — 말로써 심하게 모욕하거나 비방하는 행위 from the multitude, who would again raise the cry of “Crucify! Crucify.”

In this little work we have endeavored to give you an idea of the fundamental teachings of The Kybalion, striving to give you the working Principles, leaving you to apply them yourselves, rather than attempting to work out the teaching in detail. If you are a true student, you will be able to work out and apply these Principles—if not, then you must develop yourself into one, for otherwise the Hermetic Teachings will be as “words, words, words” to you.

THE THREE INITIATES.