. And
their warnings are particularly directed to the problems of the Absolute
and the Relative, which perplex all students of philosophy, and which
cause so many to think and act contrary to what is generally known as
"common sense." And we caution all students to be sure to grasp the
Divine Paradox of the Absolute and Relative, lest they become entangled
in the mire of the Half-Truth. With this in view this particular lesson
has been written. Read it carefully!

The first thought that comes to the thinking man after he realizes the
truth that the Universe is a Mental Creation of THE ALL, is that the
Universe and all that it contains is a mere illusion; an unreality;
against which idea his instincts revolt. But this, like all other great
truths, must be considered both from the Absolute and the Relative
points of view. From the Absolute viewpoint, of course, the Universe is
in the nature of an illusion, a dream, a phantasmagoria, as compared to
THE ALL in itself. We recognize this even in our ordinary view, for we
speak of the world as "a fleeting show" that comes and goes, is born and
dies--for the element of impermanence and change, finiteness and
unsubstantiality, must ever be connected with the idea of a created
Universe when it is contrasted with the idea of THE ALL, no matter what
may be our beliefs concerning the nature of both. Philosopher,
metaphysician, scientist and theologian all agree upon this idea, and
the thought is found in all forms of philosophical thought and religious
conceptions, as well as in the theories of the respective schools of
metaphysics and theology.

So, the Hermetic Teachings do not preach the unsubstantiality of the
Universe in any stronger terms than those more familiar to you, although
their presentation of the subject may seem somewhat more startling.
Anything that has a beginning and an ending must be, in a sense, unreal
and untrue, and the Universe comes under the rule, in all schools of
thought. From the Absolute point of view, there is nothing Real except
THE ALL, no matter what terms we may use in thinking of, or discussing
the subject. Whether the Universe be created of Matter, or whether it be
a Mental Creation in the Mind of THE ALL--it is unsubstantial,
non-enduring, a thing of time, space and change. We want you to realize
this fact thoroughly, before you pass judgment on the Hermetic
conception of the Mental nature of the Universe. Think over any and all
of the other c