The Arcane Teaching · 19 of 21

Lesson XIX. The Secret of the Opposites

Let us now consider The Law of Opposites, or Polarity, the mastering of which constitute one of the Arcane Secrets. Listen to the Aphorism: Aphorism xxi. Every thing in the Cosmos has its opposite. Every quality, attribute or condition has its opposite. Every thing and every quality, attribute or condition is one of a Pair of Opposites—and yet contains within itself a Pair of Opposites. Polarity is inherent in every thing. Every thing has its Two Poles; and also is, itself, one pole of something else. The Pairs of Opposites—the two Opposing Poles—are but phases of the same thing. In the union of the Two Poles, or Pair of Opposites, there is to be found the “thing‑in‑itself” of a thing. There is always a Reconciliation and Agreement possible between Opposites— always a possible Synthesis of Opposing Thesis and Antithesis. Every thing “is” and “is not” at the same time, in its qualities, attributes and conditions—and the Reconciliation, Agreement and Synthesis reveals a new “Is.” And yet the Reconciliation, Agreement, or Synthesis—the new “Is”—is but one Pole, or one of a Pair of Opposites, of a new and higher Polarity or Pair. And, so on, to infinity. In this Aphorism is contained the Secret of the Understanding of all things in the Cosmos.

This Aphorism states a fundamental truth of the Arcane Teaching—the truth that everything is but one pole of a Pair of Opposites. And that while every thing has its Opposite, still the two Opposites, together, form the Real Thing. Every truth is but a half truth. Everything is a paradox. There is “the other side” to everything. There are the “two extremes” to every thing. In this great Cosmic Law is found the fact that diametrically opposed things, physical, mental and spiritual, are in reality but the different poles of the same thing. In this Law is found the explanation of all physical phenomena— the mental activities and states—and the Secret of Sex‑Generation and Regeneration—and many other important facts and laws—of Cosmic Activity.

When one has had his attention directed to the existence of The Law of Opposites, he will see evidences of its presence and operation on all sides, and in all phenomena of the Cosmos. He will soon see that no matter what may be the quality of a thing, another quality diametrically opposed to the first one will always be found. Sometimes it is difficult to discover the opposing quality—but the Law is invariable and constant, and a careful search will always reveal the Opposite. The principle may be called to your mind by reference to a few familiar instances. Thus: You will always find an Up and a Down; a High and a Low; a Right and a Left; a Hard and a Soft; a Heavy and a Light; an Abstract and a Concrete; a Long and a Short; a Broad and a Narrow; a Hot and a Cold; a Sharp and a Dull; an Easy and a Difficult; a North and a South; an East and a West; a Positive and a Negative; a Male and a Female; a Large and a Small; a Good and a Bad; a Light and a Dark; a Day and a Night; a Love and a Hate; a Courage and a Fear; a Truth and an Untruth; and so on until you will find that, the moment you notice a quality of a thing, that same moment you will recognize an opposite quality.

Your first impression after noticing these Pairs of Opposites is that they are composed of things entirely different from each other—entirely apart— and far from being “the same thing.” But examine a little closer, and what do you see? Where do you draw the line between Up and Down? You may say that one thing is “up” and another “down,” in comparison with each other, or in relation to some other thing. But, in the abstract, apart from comparison and relativity—where is your dividing line which causes one direction in Space to be “up” and another to be “down.” You will find that there is no such absolute division, and that your “up” and “down” are but relative and comparative terms, depending upon some imaginary or temporary dividing line. Astronomers recognize this fact, and one of the first things they teach their students is: “There is no ‘up’ nor ‘down’ in Space!” The same is of course true with High and Low; Right and Left; etc. Also with the cardinal points, which consist of Pairs of Opposites. Travel North as far as you can go, and reaching the North Pole you find yourself in a position in which whatever direction you travel your next step will lead you South. Travel East as far as you can and you will find yourself returning to your starting point from the West—for there is no “East or West Pole.” What is West to us, is East to others. China and India are in the “Great East,” but they are West to America. We can reach them by traveling either East or West.

You think that Hard and Soft are two entirely different things, do you not? Then tell us where you draw the line between Hard and Soft. What constitutes a thing Hard or Soft—except relativity and comparison? Where is your Absolute Hard, or Absolute Soft. Hard and Soft are but names for degrees of a Something the two Opposites or Poles of which we call “Hard” and “Soft,” respectively. The same is true of Heavy and Light. Where is your dividing line? The terms are but relative degrees of weight, are they not?— poles of the same thing. What is the difference between Long and Short— Broad and Narrow—Sharp and Dull? These contrasting qualities are but degrees in the same thing. What is the difference between Large and Small? What particular size makes one thing Large and another Small? Where is your standard? What is the difference between an Easy thing and a Difficult one? Is there a positive standard—are they not merely degrees of the same thing, and relative to the strength of power employed?

Perhaps this point can be brought out more clearly by a consideration of “Hot and Cold.” At first thought no two things seem further removed from one another than these two—they seem to have nothing in common. But let us see. We find that science assumes the existence of a certain Something called “Temperature.” The word is derived from a Latin Word Meaning “measure; proportion; degree.” Science uses it to indicate the “intensity of radiant heat.” And Heat is held to be simply a “state or condition of matter, resulting from vibration.” Temperature then is merely a term used to indicate varying degrees of vibration of a certain kind. Therefore we see that “Hot and Cold” have no real existence as things‑in‑themselves, but are merely degrees in the scale of Heat, the latter being but a term indicating certain kinds of vibrations. Therefore “Hot and Cold” are but degrees of the same thing, in the end—and that “same thing” is but a quality of Something Else—a quality of Motion, having its own Opposite in a higher scale.

Moreover, even on the lower plane “Hot and Cold” are seen to be but relative and comparative. At what point on the thermometer would you draw a line dividing “Hot” from “Cold”? Everything is a little “hotter” than something else, and a little “colder” than a third thing. So far as the sensation of “Hot” and “Cold” is concerned, it is quite relative and comparative. Come from a cold hallway, into a warmer room, and you feel quite warm, even though those in the room be shivering. Dip one hand into ice‑water, and the other into boiling water, at the same time—and then plunge both hands into a basin of luke‑warm water, at the same moment. What is the result? To one hand the water seems quite warm, while to the other it seems quite cool—and yet the temperature of the water is fixed. Where is your “Hot and Cold,” then? You say that to‑day is “warm” meaning that it is warmer than it has been. A month from now, you may call the same temperature “cool.” In the end you will find that “Hot and Cold” are but names designating degrees of Heat vibration. You know very well what you mean by each term—you recognize them as Opposites—and yet you are unable to fix a dividing line between them or to separate things into two distinct classes of “Hot” and “Cold” respectively. You find that they blend into each other, and that the shades of differences between close degrees are almost indistinguishable in sensation. You see that they are but a Pair of Opposites, and together form Two Poles of the same thing—Heat. The very “Cold” thing is as much a degree of Heat as is the very “Hot” thing—the distinction is merely one of degree.

The same Law is operative in the field of Good and Bad. (We do not refer to “Right and Wrong” in the moral or religious sense, although even that comes under the Law, and is a matter of degrees upon a standard erected by some particular school, religion, or custom—the standard varying greatly among the schools, sects, or localities. It is often very difficult to determine between “Right and Wrong” in any particular standard or scale, so closely do the degrees shade into each other.) We refer to “Good” in the sense of: “desirable; conducive to satisfaction and happiness”; and to “Bad” in the sense of: “undesirable; conducive to dissatisfaction and unhappiness.” We find, upon analysis and examination, that these two terms are but another Pair of Opposites, which represent degrees of a Something which we may call “Satisfaction” or “Happiness.” A “Good” thing is one which causes Happiness and Satisfaction; a “Bad” thing, one which produces Unhappiness and Dissatisfaction. We readily distinguish between these two results, in general. But when it comes to drawing a fixed line between them on the scale, we find it impossible. Some things are “better” than others; some things are “worse” than others; but these degrees are comparative, and relative. A dirty crust of dry bread tastes very “good” to a starving man; while the same thing would be very “bad” to the taste of a well fed person. And so it is with everything “Good and Bad”—all relative.

Moreover, the same thing may be both “Good and Bad,” at the same time—that is, “Good” for some purposes and “Bad” for others. So we must always inquire “Good” for what? “Bad” for what? And, likewise, the same thing may be both “Good and Bad,” at the same time, for the same purpose, for two different people. “It’s an ill wind that blows Nobody any Good,” says the proverb. “One man’s Good is another man’s Bad,” says another. “One man’s Loss is another man’s Gain,” says a third. “One man’s Meat is another man’s Poison,” says a fourth. And so on, each illustrating the truth of the general statement. A “Good day’s fishing” may be a “Bad day’s work” for the fish. “Good!” says one man when wheat advances on the Board of Trade— and yet that advance may mean the greatest “Bad” for another. A writer on Natural History once pointed to the long legs and long beak of the Crane, so well adapted to catching fish, as a “mark of the Goodness of Providence.” The fish probably thought it an exceedingly “Bad” provision.

Let us begin with the Positive Pole of Love‑Hate, which we call “Love.” We find here a high degree of the emotional quality which consists of the states of “affection; regard; attraction; affinity; etc.” Then, on the extreme Opposite of the scale—the Negative Pole‑we find the quality which we call “Hate,” which consists of “aversion; dislike; repulsion; etc.” These two emotional states seem as different as any two things can be, do they not? It seems almost impossible to conceive that they are but the Opposite Poles of what we may call “Regard,” or “Attraction,” or “Affinity”—and yet such is their real relation. Returning once more to the pole of “Love,” let us descend the scale. Moving down a little on the scale we find states of “less regard,” or “less attraction.” Then still further down, we find states in which the regard or attraction is very greatly reduced. Finally we come to a point at which there appears to be no regard or attraction, and still no repulsion or dislike. This is the neutral point of balance which is always to be found somewhere in the consideration of every Pair of Opposites, and yet which is not a fixed or absolute point, but which varies according to circumstances, persons and various influences. Then passing down the scale we find manifested a slight repulsion or dislike; this increases as we move down the scale. Finally we notice degrees of intense dislike and repulsion, until finally we find the Negative Pole of “Hate.” You will understand this readily—you have noticed the different degrees of Love and Hate, and have also noticed how these degrees rise and fall according to circumstances and conditions. But have you ever noticed that extreme Love often is suddenly transmuted into extreme Hate, and vice versa, under extreme emotion or exciting cause. Who has not seen instances where a woman’s intense Love has been transformed into burning Hate, by the influence of some new cause. In some cases the emotion moves rapidly backward and forward, to‑and‑fro, between these two poles, until the person does not know whether he or she Loves or Hates. As in one of Kipling’s poems a woman says: “I ’ate you, grinnin’ there.…Ah, Gawd, I love you so!”

It will be seen that all these transmutations of emotional states from one pole to the other—from Love to Hate—from Fear to Courage—are but changes of Polarity, or a shifting of position on the emotional scale. But these changes are always along the scale of the emotion which has the two poles—and not from one emotion to another. Emotions of different scales cannot be transmuted one to another—they must belong to the same scale. Water may be transformed into Steam, and Wood into Smoke; but Water cannot be transformed into Smoke, nor Wood into Steam. And so it is with the emotional states—the transmutation must be along the degrees of, or between the poles of, the same scale.

And, so, now we arrive at the point of the Arcane Teaching in which is made plain the processes of Mental Transmutation in its phase of Change of Polarity. This forms an important part of the Arcane Processes of Mental Transmutation. By the application of the trained Will, it is possible for the student to transmute one emotional state to its opposite, by changing the polarity. Thus, one may change his Love into Hate, or his Hate into Love, simply by concentrating the Attention and Will upon the Opposite Pole of the state or quality. In the Arcane processes, the student is never told to “fight” or “kill out” an undesirable emotional quality by opposing sheer Will to it—this is a waste of energy, and is moreover quite unscientific. The proper method is to concentrate on the Opposite Pole, and thus change the vibrations and shift the emotional center of Balance.

In the same way, and under the same Law, the emotional states of others may be influenced by polarizing their minds on the opposite pole of the scale of the emotion in question. Hate is not to be combatted…by Hate— this only adds fuel to the fire. The proper way is to form the mental image of Like and Attraction, in your mind, and then concentrate its effects upon the other person. Just as you may change you own emotional states, so may you change his, under the proper conditions and by the proper methods. And, remember this, this process does not consist in the sentimental, negative, rabbit‑like attitude of mind that many teachers preach to the students— it does not consist in “turning the other cheek” to be smitten. Far from it, this process is purely volitional and not emotional. It is the bringing into play of the scientific principles of Mentalism—not wishy‑washy emotional sentimentalism, or the practice of “kissing the rod that smites you.” The Arcanes are not sentimentalists, nor emotional weaklings. On the contrary, they live in their heads with their Balance in the Will. But, nevertheless, they tell you that the way to combat Hate is by its opposite Pole. This is a Paradox which requires thought to solve. It is the principle taught in the old fable, in which the Sun and the North Wind dispute their power to tear away a man’s cloak from him. The harder the North Wind blew, the closer the man hugged the cloak around him. But when the Sun tried the effect of its heated rays, the man soon dropped the cloak because he found it uncomfortable. Polarizing in an Opposite, negates the first condition.

If you are strong enough to hear the full truth, listen to these words: The advanced occultist regards both Love and Hate as emotions of the “Me” side of oneself. Therefore he rises above both, and neither Loves nor Hates, in the ordinary meaning of the terms. He maintains a balance in his “I,” like the man on the tight rope with his balancing pole, first shifting the balance to one side, and then to the other, as occasion renders advisable. He thinks that the slave to Love is as miserable as the slave to Hate—and he avoids both extremes. He finds that the synthesized Love‑Hate is in itself but one pole of a Something Else—and he moves up higher to that Something. Instead of being compelled to sail according to the wind of Emotion, he ploughs his way through the Sea of Life by the power of the Steam of Will. He knows the Opposites—the Two Poles—of everything, to be but phases of a Synthesis of opposite qualities. He changes them to suit himself and his purposes. He solves the problem of the “two ends” by tying them together. He is Balanced between the Two Poles. He neutralizes unnecessary qualities, and undesirable ones, by changing their polarity. He grasps both horns of the Dilemma. He embraces the Paradox as a Whole. He claims all—but allows naught to claim him. He uses all—but allows naught to use him. Along this road lies Mastery!