Franz Hartmann Quotes

“The beginning of all knowledge is the knowledge of self; the knowledge of the soul and not the vagaries of the brain.”

“The capacity of perceiving the truth depends on the tranquility of the soul.”

“Do not believe that there is anything higher in the universe than your own divine self, and know that you are exactly what you permit yourself to become.”

“The knowledge of God and the knowledge of man are ultimately identical, and he who knows himself knows God.”

“True religion and true science are ultimately one and the same thing.”

“Magic is a science which teaches the true nature of the inner man as well as the organization of his outward body.”

“Each one is bound to his own ideals; he whose ideal is mortal must die when his ideal dies, he whose ideal is immortal must become immortal himself to attain it.”

“God does not redeem the personal man by death. He redeems himself by freeing himself from the personality of man.”

“The truth never changes; but we ourselves change, and as we change so changes our aspect of the truth.”

“Man does not know the influences which cause him to think and to act, as long as he does not know his own nature. He is therefore not a responsible being, except to the extent of his wisdom and power to control his own nature. Wisdom and strength can only be attained in life by experience and by the exercise of the power of overcoming temptation.”

“Man, after having vainly sought for the light of the Truth in externals, and found nothing but darkness, at last discovers that the land of the sunrise exists within his own soul.”

“There is nothing more difficult to find than one’s own self.”

“Magic may be said to be that science which deals with the mental and moral powers of man, and shows what control he may exercise over himself and others.”

“Before one can become a magician he must learn to control his own mind; for mind is the substance with which the magician acts, and the power to control it is the beginning of magic.”

“The Truth teaches nothing else but its own existence.”

“Life, sensation, and consciousness are not the property of personal man, neither does he produce them.”

“Evil is necessary to afford experience, and experience leads to ultimate good.”

“A beautiful god is the most noble product of Man.”

“True religion is the realization of truth.”

“To all whom it may concern: LET IT BE KNOWN that there exists, unknown to the great crowd, a very ancient order of sages, whose object is the amelioration and spiritual elevation of mankind, by means of conquering error and aiding men and women in their efforts of attaining the power of recognizing the truth.”

“To those who look upon man as a rational being, it seems incomprehensible why civilized nations will suffer an evil in their midst that fills their jails, hospitals, lunatic asylums, and graveyards; and why men will 'put an enemy in their mouths' that destroys their health, their reason, and their life (Re: alcohol)”

“A person who is no more influenced by his sense of personality, and has attained spiritual knowledge, is a magician. Those who employ such a power for the purpose of evil have been called black magicians or Brothers of the Shadow, in the same sense as those who employ their spiritual powers for good purposes have been called Brothers of Light”