大自然驅使著我們每一個人在人生的旅途中不斷前行，無論我們多想停留在原地，都不可能如願以償。
每一個思想端正的人，絕對不希望自己的一生只像一株「會發出聲音、能四處移動的植物」般漫無目的地度過，而是渴望能不斷發展與進步，直到生命結束的那一刻，都能持續在心靈與精神上成長。
這種成長，唯有透過提升我們個人思想的品質，以及隨之而來的理想、行動與生活條件才能實現。
因此，學習思想的創造過程並懂得如何應用它，對我們每個人來說都至關重要。
這份知識正是加速並提升人類在地球上進化過程的關鍵。
人類一直都在熱切地尋求「真理」，並探索通往真理的每一條道路。
在這個過程中，人類創造了豐富的文獻，涵蓋了從瑣碎到崇高的各種思想觀念——從占卜，到各種哲學派別，最終來到了《萬能鑰匙》所揭示的終極且崇高的真理。
《萬能鑰匙》在此呈獻給世人，作為一種連結偉大宇宙智慧的工具，並幫助每位讀者從中吸引與自己抱負和渴望相符的事物。
環顧四周，所有由人類創造的制度與事物，最初都必須先存在於某個人的思想之中。
因此，思想是具有建設性的。
人類的思想，其實就是宇宙精神力量透過人類在運作的展現。
《萬能鑰匙》將教導讀者如何運用這股力量，並且是建設性與創造性地去使用它。
我們渴望成為現實的事物，必須首先在我們的思想中被創造出來，《萬能鑰匙》正是為這個過程提供了詳盡的解釋與指引。
一直以來，《萬能鑰匙》的教學內容都是以「24週函授課程」的形式出版，每週只發給學生一課。
對於現在能夠一次取得完整24個章節的讀者，我們在此提出警告：千萬不要把它當作一般的小說來快速翻閱，而是必須將其視為一門嚴謹的進修課程。
請認真吸收每一個部分的含義——嚴格遵守「每週只反覆閱讀一個部分」的原則，然後再進入下一個章節。
如果不這麼做，您將很容易誤解後面的內容，最終只會白白浪費自己的時間與金錢。
只要按照上述的指示正確閱讀與使用，《萬能鑰匙》將會把讀者塑造成一個更偉大、更好的人，並賦予您全新的力量去達成任何有價值的個人目標，以及全新的能力去享受生命中的美麗與奇蹟。
—— F.H. 伯吉斯 (F.H. BURGESS)
【INTRODUCTION】
Nature compels us all to move through life.
We could not remain stationary however much we wished.
Every right-thinking person wants not merely to move through life like a sound-producing, perambulating plant, but to develop – to improve – and to continue the development mentally to the close of physical life.
This development can occur only through the improvement of the quality of individual thought and the ideals, actions and conditions that arise as a consequence.
Hence a study of the creative processes of thought and how to apply them is of supreme importance to each one of us.
This knowledge is the means whereby the volution of human life on earth may be hastened and uplifted in the process.
Humanity ardently seeks “The Truth” and explores every avenue to it.
In this process it has produced a special literature, which ranges the whole gamut of thought from the trivial to the sublime – up from Divination, through all the Philosophies, to the final lofty Truth of “The Master Key”.
The “Master Key” is here given to the world as a means of tapping the great cosmic intelligence and attracting from it that which corresponds to the ambitions, and aspirations of each reader.
Every thing and institution we see around us, created by human agency, had first to exist as a thought in some human mind.
Thought therefore is constructive.
Human thought is the spiritual power of the cosmos operating through its creature man.
“The Master Key” instructs the reader how to use that power, and use it both constructively and creatively.
The things and conditions we desire to become realities we must first create in thought.
“The Master Key” explains and guides the process.........
“The Master Key” teaching has hitherto been published in the form of a Correspondence Course of 24 lessons, delivered to students one per week for 24 weeks.
The reader, who now receives the whole 24 parts at one times, is warned not to attempt to read the book like a novel, but to treat it as a course of study and conscientiously to imbibe the meaning of each part – reading and re-reading one part only per week before proceeding to the next.
Otherwise the later parts will tend to be misunderstood and the reader’s time and money will be wasted.
Used as thus instructed “The Master Key” will make of the reader a greater, better personality, and equipped with a new power to achieve any worthy personal purpose and a new ability to enjoy life’s beauty and wonder.
F.H. BURGESS
