From the book
The Kybalion
Three Initiates · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordAxioms, maxims, precepts, and aphorisms are compact statements presented as authoritative within the teaching.
- In The KybalionI describes an inherited collection whose meaning becomes clear through instruction.
- In this editionThe reading edition sets short attributed sayings in italics, recording that the electronic source did not consistently preserve the promised distinction.
- A place to readI.9: … “ear, on and on throughout the centuries. Its precepts have never been written down, or printed,” …
Meaning
Axioms, maxims, precepts, and aphorisms are compact statements presented as authoritative within the teaching. The surrounding prose interprets them and proposes applications.
Use in the book
I describes an inherited collection whose meaning becomes clear through instruction. It distinguishes the quoted maxims from the present authors' commentary and announces an italic typographical treatment. II uses one maxim to introduce each principle.
XV gathers further sayings and adds comments on use, attention, polarization, rhythm, and causation. Some repeat or adapt formulas already introduced, so the final chapter works partly as a recapitulation.
Places to read
- I The Hermetic Philosophy · Block 9… “ear, on and on throughout the centuries. Its precepts have never been written down, or printed, so far as we know. It was merely a collection of maxims, axioms, and precepts,” …
- I The Hermetic Philosophy · Block 10… “Master. We herein give you many of the maxims, axioms and precepts of THE KYBALION, accompanied by explanations and illustrations which we deem likely to render the teachings more easily comprehended” …
- I The Hermetic Philosophy · Block 11“The original maxims, axioms, and precepts of THE KYBALION are printed herein, in italics, the proper credit being given. Our own work is printed in the regular way, in the body” …
- II The Seven Hermetic Principles · Block 1“"The Principles of Truth are Seven; he who knows these, understandingly, possesses the Magic Key before whose touch all the Doors of the Temple fly open."—The Kybalion.”
- XV Hermetic Axioms · Block 3… “give below some of the more important Hermetic Axioms, from The Kybalion, with a few comments added to each. Make these your own, and practice and use them, for they are” …
In this edition
The reading edition sets short attributed sayings in italics, recording that the electronic source did not consistently preserve the promised distinction. The lexicon checks quotations against the source text.
Reading the argument
An attribution to The Kybalion inside The Kybalion is a literary attribution, not an independent bibliographical witness. No ancient manuscript or original language is supplied for the supposed earlier collection. Its authority within the book and its historical authentication are different matters.
Axiom
“Axiom” — 8 occurrences in 8 text blocks: II.10; III.6; V.5; VII.19; VIII.32; XV.7, 16, 18.
Axioms
“Axioms” — 7 occurrences in 6 text blocks: I.9–11; II.16; XV.2–3.
maxims
“maxims” — 6 occurrences in 5 text blocks: I.6, 9–11; X.2.
precepts
“precepts” — 5 occurrences in 3 text blocks: I.9–11.
aphorisms
“aphorisms” — 2 occurrences in 2 text blocks: X.2; XV.2.