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La Gran Triada
Rene Guenon
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R512
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Traduccion de la celebre Conferencia que Guenon pronuncio en la
Sorbona en 1925 a proposito de la metafisica oriental. Un libro
fundamental para comprender el pensamiento guenoniano.
One of Ren Gunon's lifelong quests was to discover, or revive, the
esoteric, initiatory dimension of the Christian tradition. In the
present volume, along with its companion volume The Esoterism of
Dante, Gunon undertakes to establish that the three parts of The
Divine Comedy represent the stages of initiatic realization,
exploring the parallels between the symbolism of the Commedia and
that of Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism, and Christian Hermeticism, and
illustrating Dante's knowledge of traditional sciences unknown to
the moderns: the sciences of numbers, of cosmic cycles, and of
sacred astrology. In these works Gunon also touches on the
all-important question of medieval esoterism and discusses the role
of sacred languages and the principle of initiation in the
Christian tradition, as well as such esoteric Christian themes and
organizations as the Holy Grail, the Guardians of the Holy Land,
the Sacred Heart, the Fedeli d'Amore and the 'Courts of Love', and
the Secret Language of Dante. One chapter in the present volume,
'Christianity and Initiation', is of special interest with regard
to the history of the Traditionalist School. When first published
as an article, it gave rise to some controversy because Gunon here
reaffirmed his denial of the efficacy of the Christian sacraments
as rites of initiation, a point of divergence between the teachings
of Gunon and those of other key perennialist thinkers. Both The
Esoterism of Dante and Insights into Christian Esoterism will be of
inestimable value to all who are struggling to come to terms with
the fullness of the Christian tradition.
This small volume brings together a number of Guenon's early
articles relating to Sufism (tasawwuf), or Islamic esoterism. A
later article, 'Islamic Esoterism', has also been included, since
it articulates so well the particularities of initiation in Islam
by defining the fundamental elements of tasawwuf: shari'ah,
tariqah, haqiqah. The first constitutes the necessary fundamental
exoteric basis; the second, the Way and its means; the third, the
goal or final result. In the other chapters, Guenon expresses with
his usual synthetic clarity what tawhid and faqr are, and gives
examples of traditional sciences, relating angelology to the Arabic
alphabet, and chirology to the science of letters ('ilm al-huruf).
A number of book and article reviews give further insights into
Islamic cosmology. Some may feel that the essay 'Taoism and
Confucianism' here included has little relevance to Sufism and
Islam. However, such writers as Toshihiko Izutsu and Sachiko Murata
have drawn many parallels between the two traditions. kind of
shari'ah in the context of Chinese religion, while Taoism, like
Sufism, is precisely the esoteric Way.
The Reign of Quantity gives a concise but comprehensive view of the
present state of affairs in the world, as it appears from the point
of view of the 'ancient wisdom', formerly common both to the East
and to the West, but now almost entirely lost sight of. The author
indicates with his fabled clarity and directness the precise nature
of the modern deviation, and devotes special attention to the
development of modern philosophy and science, and to the part
played by them, with their accompanying notions of progress and
evolution, in the formation of the industrial and democratic
society which we now regard as 'normal'. Guenon sees history as a
descent from Form (or Quality) toward Matter (or Quantity); but
after the Reign of Quantity-modern materialism and the 'rise of the
masses'-Guenon predicts a reign of 'inverted quality' just before
the end of the age: the triumph of the 'counter-initiation', the
kingdom of Antichrist. This text is considered the magnum opus
among Guenon's texts of civilizational criticism, as is Symbols of
Sacred Science among his studies on symbols and cosmology, and Man
and His Becoming according to the Vedanta among his more purely
metaphysical works.
Ren Gunon (1886-1951) is undoubtedly one of the luminaries of the
twentieth century, whose critique of the modern world has stood
fast against the shifting sands of recent philosophies. His oeuvre
of 26 volumes is providential for the modern seeker: pointing
ceaselessly to the perennial wisdom found in past cultures ranging
from the Shamanistic to the Indian and Chinese, the Hellenic and
Judaic, the Christian and Islamic, and including also Alchemy,
Hermeticism, and other esoteric currents, at the same time it
directs the reader to the deepest level of religious praxis,
emphasizing the need for affiliation with a revealed tradition even
while acknowledging the final identity of all spiritual paths as
they approach the summit of spiritual realization. Many readers of
Gunon's doctrinal works have hoped for translations of his detailed
exposs of Theosophy and Spiritism. Sophia Perennis is pleased now
to make available both these important titles as part of the
Collected Works of Ren Gunon. Whereas Theosophy: History of a
Pseudo-Religion centers primarily on historical details, The
Spiritist Fallacy, though also packed with arcane facts, is unique
in revealing how one of the greatest metaphysicians of our age
interprets the phenomena, real or alleged, of Spiritism. The
doctrinal expositions that accompany his astonishing account of
Spiritism offer extraordinarily prescient insight into many
deviations and 'psychological' afflictions of the modern mind, and
should be as valuable to psychiatrists and spiritual counselors as
to historians of esoteric history. And it also offers a profound
corrective to the many brands of New Age 'therapy' that all too
unwittingly invoke many of the same elements whose nefarious
origins Gunon so clearly pointed out many years ago.
Many readers of Guenon's later doctrinal works have longed to hear
the tale of his earlier entanglement, and disentanglement, from the
luxuriant undergrowth of so-called esoteric societies in late
nineteenth-century Paris and elsewhere. The present work documents
in excoriating detail Guenon's findings on what did, and did not,
lie behind the Theosophical Society founded by Madame Blavatsky and
Colonel Olcott in 1875. Much further information has of course come
to light during the 80 years since this book was written, but it
has never been superseded as a fascinating record of the path of a
master metaphysician through this maze. A sampling of chapter
titles will convey a sense of the depth of this remarkable work:
'Madame Blavatsky's Antecedents', 'The Theosophical Society and
Rosicrucianism', 'The Question of the Mahatmas', 'The Society for
Psychical Research', 'Esoteric Buddhism', 'Esoteric Christianity',
'The Future Messiah', 'The Trials of Alcyone', 'The Anthroposophy
of Rudolf Steiner', 'The Order of the Star of the East', 'Theosophy
and Freemasonry', 'The Political Role of the Theosophical Society'.
Brotherhood of Luxor, which has recently attracted the attention of
scholars of the occult. The Collected Works of Rene Guenon brings
together the writings of one of the greatest prophets of our time,
whose voice is even more important today than when he was alive.
Huston Smith, author of The World's Religions, etc.
Critique of modern Western civilization from the point of view of
traditional metaphysics
Examination of legends of the subterranean kingdom of Agarttha and
The King of the World in the light of traditional metaphysics.
Incidental subjects include Luz: The above of immortality; The Holy
Grail, Melkizedek, The Omphalos and Sacred Stones, and general
considerations on the sites of spiritual centers
Deals with the normal relationship between the spiritual and the
temporal powers implied in a healthy traditional civilization, that
is, the supremacy of knowledge over action, of the sacerdotal over
the royal caste. Touching first on India and the medieval West,
Guenon then illustrates his point by citing quarrels over
investiture and disputes of certain French kingswith the papacy as
evidence of a deviation in Christianity.
The present volume is a companion volume to Guenon Perspectives on
Initiation, in which Guenon carefully defined the nature of
initiation and of the organizations qualified to transmit it. In
Initiation and Spiritual Realization he adds many details on
related subjects, including various inner and outer obstacles the
aspirant may face, the need for attachment to a traditional
exoterism, the role of the spiritual master, and a closer
examination of the degrees of spiritual realization.
Critique of the modern world from the point of view of traditional
metaphysics, with special reference to the Oriental doctrine of
cosmic cycles.
Rene Guenon (1886-1951) was one of the great luminaries of the
twentieth century, whose critique of the modern world has stood
fast against the shifting sands of intellectual fashion. His
extensive writings, now finally available in English, are a
providential treasure-trove for the modern seeker: while pointing
ceaselessly to the perennial wisdom found in past cultures ranging
from the Shamanistic to the Indian and Chinese, the Hellenic and
Judaic, the Christian and Islamic, and including also Alchemy,
Hermeticism, and other esoteric currents, they direct the reader
also to the deepest level of religious praxis, emphasizing the need
for affiliation with a revealed tradition even while acknowledging
the final identity of all spiritual paths as they approach the
summit of spiritual realization. Studies in Freemasonry and the
Compagnonnage is both an attempt to rediscover the lost roots of
Masonry and a fascinating look into the many controversies swirling
around the subject of Masonry in serious intellectual circles
during the first half of the twentieth century. It must also be
classed, along with Symbols of Sacred Science, Spiritual Authority
and Temporal Power, Traditional Forms and Cosmic Cycles, The
Esoterism of Dante, Insights into Christian Esoterism and Insights
into Islamic Esoterism and Taoism-not to mention related sections
in many of his other books-as one of Rene Guenon's masterful
excursions into esoteric myth, symbolism, and secret history.
Freemasonry may indeed be, as Guenon ultimately concluded, a
largely degenerated and thus no longer strictly 'operative'
offshoot of a true initiatory lineage; yet its symbolism, like that
of the original Rosicrucians, remains profound, traditional, and
therefore ultimately legitimate. And given that the 'Spirit bloweth
where it listeth', it is always possible that symbolism of this
order may awaken in a receptive soul intimations of the Truth and
the Way, which can be of inestimable of value in 'the path to the
Path', the quest for a living initiatory spirituality.
Ren Gunon (1886-1951) was one of the great luminaries of the
twentieth century, whose critique of the modern world has stood
fast against the shifting sands of intellectual fashion. His
extensive writings, now finally available in English, are a
providential treasure-trove for the modern seeker: while pointing
ceaselessly to the perennial wisdom found in past cultures ranging
from the Shamanistic to the Indian and Chinese, the Hellenic and
Judaic, the Christian and Islamic, and including also Alchemy,
Hermeticism, and other esoteric currents, they direct the reader
also to the deepest level of religious praxis, emphasizing the need
for affiliation with a revealed tradition even while acknowledging
the final identity of all spiritual paths as they approach the
summit of spiritual realization. Studies in Freemasonry and the
Compagnonnage is both an attempt to rediscover the lost roots of
Masonry and a fascinating look into the many controversies swirling
around the subject of Masonry in serious intellectual circles
during the first half of the twentieth century. It must also be
classed, along with Symbols of Sacred Science, Spiritual Authority
and Temporal Power, Traditional Forms and Cosmic Cycles, The
Esoterism of Dante, Insights into Christian Esoterism and Insights
into Islamic Esoterism and Taoism-not to mention related sections
in many of his other books-as one of Ren Gunon's masterful
excursions into esoteric myth, symbolism, and secret history.
Freemasonry may indeed be, as Gunon ultimately concluded, a largely
degenerated and thus no longer strictly 'operative' offshoot of a
true initiatory lineage; yet its symbolism, like that of the
original Rosicrucians, remains profound, traditional, and therefore
ultimately legitimate. And given that the 'Spirit bloweth where it
listeth', it is always possible that symbolism of this order may
awaken in a receptive soul intimations of the Truth and the Way,
which can be of inestimable of value in 'the path to the Path', the
quest for a living initiatory spirituality.
Especially since the Renaissance, some in Western Christendom have
suspected that the deeper dimension of their tradition has somehow
been lost, and have therefore sought to discover, or create, an
'esoteric' or 'initiatic' Christianity. In the middle of the
nineteenth century two scholars, Gabriele Rossetti and Eugne Aroux,
pointed to certain esoteric meanings in the work of Dante
Alighieri, notably The Divine Comedy. Partly based on their
scholarship, Gunon in 1925 published The Esoterism of Dante. From
the theses of Rosetti and Aroux, Gunon retains only those elements
that prove the existence of such hidden meanings; but he also makes
clear that esoterism is not 'heresy' and that a doctrine reserved
for an elite can be superimposed on the teaching given the faithful
without standing in opposition to it. One of Ren Gunon's lifelong
quests was to discover, or revive, the esoteric, initiatory
dimension of the Christian tradition. In the present volume, along
with its companion volume Insights into Christian Esoterism (which
includes the separate study Saint Bernard), Gunon undertakes to
establish that the three parts of The Divine Comedy represent the
stages of initiatic realization, exploring the parallels between
the symbolism of the Commedia and that of Freemasonry,
Rosicrucianism, and Christian Hermeticism, and illustrating Dante's
knowledge of traditional sciences unknown to the moderns: the
sciences of numbers, of cosmic cycles, and of sacred astrology. In
these works Gunon also touches on the all-important question of
medieval esoterism and discusses the role of sacred languages and
the principle of initiation in the Christian tradition, as well as
such esoteric Christian themes and organizations as the Holy Grail,
the Guardians of the Holy Land, the Sacred Heart, the Fedeli
d'Amore and the 'Courts of Love', and the Secret Language of Dante.
In addition to Dante, various other paths toward a possible
Christian esoterism have been explored by many investigators-the
legend of the Holy Grail, the Knights Templars, the tradition of
Courtly Love, Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism, and Christian
Hermeticism-and Gunon deals with all of these in the present volume
as well as his Insights into Christian Esoterism. In the latter,
one chapter in particular, 'Christianity and Initiation', will be
of special interest with regard to the history of the
Traditionalist School. When first published as an article, it gave
rise to some controversy because Gunon here reaffirmed his denial
of the efficacy of the Christian sacraments as rites of initiation,
a point of divergence between the teachings of Gunon and those of
other key perennialist thinkers. Both The Esoterism of Dante and
Insights into Christian Esoterism will be of inestimable value to
all who are struggling to come to terms with the fullness of the
Christian tradition.
Gunon published his fundamental doctrinal work, Man and His
Becoming according to the Vedanta, in 1925. After asserting that
the Vedanta represents the purest metaphysics in Hindu doctrine, he
acknowledges the impossibility of ever expounding it exhaustively
and states that the specific object of his study will be the nature
and constitution of the human being. Nonetheless, taking the human
being as point of departure, he goes on to outline the fundamental
principles of all traditional metaphysics. He leads the reader
gradually to the doctrine of the Supreme Identity and its logical
corollary-the possibility that the being in the human state might
in this very life attain liberation, the unconditioned state where
all separateness and risk of reversion to manifested existence
ceases. Although Gunon chose the doctrine of the Advaita school
(and in particular that of Shankara) as his basis, Man and His
Becoming should not be considered exclusively an exposition of this
school and of this master. It is, rather, a synthetic account
drawing not only upon other orthodox branches of Hinduism, but not
infrequently also upon the teachings of other traditional forms.
Neither is it a work of erudition in the sense of the orientalists
and historians of religion who study doctrines from the 'outside',
but represents knowledge of the traditionally transmitted and
effective 'sacred science'. Gunon treats other aspects of Hinduism
in his Introduction to the Study of the Hindu Doctrines and Studies
in Hinduism.
In East and West Guenon diagnoses the fundamental 'abnormality' of
Western civilization vis-a-vis the traditional civilizations of the
East, suggests avenues by which the West might be 're-oriented'
toward the fundamental metaphysical principles it has largely
abandoned, and outlines the possible role of a restoration of true
intellectuality in this task. Of course, East and West are no
longer what they were in Guenon's time. The aggressive rationalism
and materialism of post-Christian Western culture has become a
worldwide phenomenon, and no longer corrodes the philosophical and
cultural underpinnings of the West only: it has infiltrated
distorted forms of Eastern spirituality and metaphysics, incited
fundamentalist reactions the world over, and, thanks to the
pervasive internet, wields previously unheard of influence. And so
today we have an East largely inflamed with a desire to surpass the
West in materialism, and a West sodden with moral and spiritual
degeneracy. Nonetheless, fruitful exchanges between traditional
Christianity and Eastern religions have also taken place on an
unprecedented scale, though marred by an ongoing temptation to
ill-informed syncretism. In such a milieu, Guenon's East and West,
read with an eye to events of recent decades, delivers a stunning
intellectual punch. But the East is always the East: the place
where the sun rises, the point of recollection and return to the
Source. And the West is always the West: the place of the full
manifestation of possibilities (including the most degenerate), of
the tendency to dissipation and dissolution; the point where the
sun sets. In postmodern, global culture, we are all more or less
forced to be 'Westerners' outwardly; our only recourse under these
circumstances may be to become 'Easterners' within.
Ren Gunon (1886-1951) is undoubtedly one of the luminaries of the
twentieth century, whose critique of the modern world has stood
fast against the shifting sands of recent philosophies. His oeuvre
of 26 volumes is providential for the modern seeker: pointing
ceaselessly to the perennial wisdom found in past cultures ranging
from the Shamanistic to the Indian and Chinese, the Hellenic and
Judaic, the Christian and Islamic, and including also Alchemy,
Hermeticism, and other esoteric currents, at the same time it
directs the reader to the deepest level of religious praxis,
emphasizing the need for affiliation with a revealed tradition even
while acknowledging the final identity of all spiritual paths as
they approach the summit of spiritual realization. In The Esoterism
of Dante, Gunon undertakes to establish that the three parts of The
Divine Comedy represent a recital of the process of initiatic
realization, and testify to Dante's knowledge of traditional
sciences that are unknown to the moderns: the science of numbers,
that of cosmic cycles, and sacred astrology. In this work Gunon
also touches on the all important question of medieval esoterism.
In his work Insights into Christian Esoterism, Gunon discusses the
role of sacred languages and the principle of initiation in the
Christian tradition as well as such esoteric Christian themes and
organizations as the Holy Grail, the Guardians of the Holy Land,
the Sacred Heart, the Fedeli d'Amore and the 'Courts of Love', and
the Secret Language of Dante. The present book focuses more closely
on the latter, drawing parallels with Hermetic, Rosicrucian, and
Masonic symbolism. The Collected Works of Ren Gunon brings together
the writings of one of the greatest prophets of our time, whose
voice is even more important today than when he was alive. Huston
Smith, author of The World's Religions, etc.
In Symbols of Sacred Science, Guenon, a master of precise, even
'mathematical' metaphysical exposition, reveals himself as a
consummate exegete of myth and symbolism as well, superior in many
ways to Mircea Eliade, and comparable perhaps only to his respected
friend Ananda K. Coomaraswamy. This extraordinary text unveils the
cosmological meanings of root symbols organized under such general
headings as: The Center of the World, Cyclic Manifestation, Symboic
Weapons, Axial Symbolism and the Symbolsim of Passage, The
Symbolism of Building, and The Symbolism of the Heart. Far more
than a simple catalogue of myths and symbols from many traditions,
Symbols of the Sacred Science lays the foundation for a universal
esoteric symbology. In this work, Guenon demonstrates the
fundamental unity-across all cultures and ages-of the images with
which the Absolute clothes itself in its cosmic self-revelation.
This remarkable book grew out of a conference headed by Ren Gunon,
the sinologist Ren Grousset, and the neo-Thomist Jacques Maritain
on questions raised by Ferdinand Ossendowski's thrilling account in
his Men, Beast and Gods of an escape through Central Asia, during
which he foils enemies and encounters shamans and Mongolian lamas,
whose marvels he describes. The book caused a great sensation,
especially the closing chapters, where Ossendowski recounts legends
allegedly entrusted to him concerning the 'King of the World' and
his subterranean kingdom Agarttha. The present book, one of Gunon's
most controversial, was written in response to this conference and
develops the theme of the King of the World from the point of view
of traditional metaphysics. Chapters include: Western Ideas about
Agarttha; Shekinah and Metatron; The Three Supreme Functions;
Symbolism of the Grail; Melki-Tsedeq; Luz: Abode of Immortality;
The Supreme Center concealed during the Kali-Yuga; and The Omphalos
and Sacred Stones .
Studies in Hinduism consists of articles published posthumously, to
which has been added Ren Gunon's separate study, Eastern
Metaphysics, the text of a lecture delivered at the Sorbonne. In
this work Gunon completes his presentation of Hindu metaphysics,
which he considered the most primordial and comprehensive body of
spiritual teaching possessed by the human race, one capable of
throwing light upon and illuminating the essence of every other
Tradition. Of special interest are three chapters on various
aspects of tantra-a doctrine profoundly misunderstood in the
contemporary West-which Hindu authorities consider the spirituality
most appropriate to the Kali Yuga, as well as a chapter on the
sanatana dharma, the Hindu concept closest to the ancient and
medieval Christian idea of the philosophia perennis, which led St
Augustine to declare that Christianity has always existed, but only
came to be so called after the coming of Christ. Included are
extensive reviews of books on Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Ramana Maharshi,
Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo Ghose, Rabindranath Tagore, Mircea
Eliade, Paul Brunton, and others, as well as 40 pages of reviews of
books and articles by Ananda K. Coomaraswamy. Leading Indian
thinkers have called Gunon the most authentic expositor of Hindu
metaphysics in any Western language.
Initiation and Spiritual Realization is the closest thing to a work
on 'spiritual direction' Ren Gunon ever wrote, touching as it does
upon such vital topics as the transmission of initiatic grace, the
various types and functions of the spiritual master, obstacles the
aspirant is likely to encounter, different modes of contemplation,
and the degrees of spiritual realization. A companion volume to
Perspectives on Initiation, where Gunon had defined the nature of
initiation and of the organizations qualified to transmit it,
Initiation and Spiritual Realization was the first thematic
collection of Gunon's articles to appear after his death. And one
doctrine expressed in this book stands out as particularly timely:
that esoterism is not and cannot be a religion in itself, since to
take it as such is to reduce it to an 'alternative' exoterism, and
a heterodox one at that. Initiatic esoterism can only be
legitimately and effectively practiced within the context of one of
the established, revealed religions.
Ren Gunon's Introduction to the Study of Hindu Doctrines can serve
as an introduction to all his later works-especially those which,
like Man and His Becoming according to the Vedanta, The Symbolism
of the Cross, The Multiple States of the Being, and Studies in
Hinduism, expound the more profound aspects of metaphysical
doctrines in greater detail. In Part I Guenon clears away certain
ingrained prejudices inherited from the 'Renaissance', with its
adulation of the Greco-Roman culture and its compensating
depreciation-both deliberate and instinctive-of other
civilizations. In Part II he establishes the fundamental
distinctions between various modes of thought and brings out the
real nature of metaphysical or universal knowledge-an understanding
of which is the first condition for the personal realization of
that 'Knowledge' which partakes of the Absolute. Words like
'religion', 'philosophy', 'symbolism', 'mysticism', and
'superstition', are here given a precise meaning. Part III presents
a more detailed examination of the Hindu doctrine and its
applications at different levels, leading up to the Vedanta, which
constitutes its metaphysical essence. Lastly, Part IV resumes the
task of clearing away current misconceptions, but is this time
concerned not with the West itself, but with distortions of the
Hindu doctrines that have arisen as a result of attempts to read
into them, or to graft onto them, modern Western conceptions. The
concluding chapter lays down the essential conditions for any
genuine understanding between East and West, which can only come
through the work of those who have attained, at least in some
degree, to the realization of 'wisdom uncreate'-that intellective,
suprarational knowledge called in the East jana, and in the West
gnosis.
The present volume, first published at the close of World War II,
and based on a series of articles on initiation originally written
between 1932 and 1938 for Le Voile d'Isis (later renamed Etudes
Traditionnelles), is unique in giving a comprehensive account both
of the conditions of initiation and of the characteristics of
organizations qualified to transmit it. Guenon's distinction
between the initiatic and the mystical paths-the first requiring a
formal relationship with a master, a set of specific contemplative
techniques, and a chain-of-transmission stretching back to the
origin of the tradition in question, the second generally lacking
these elements-led to some controversy between those who accept
this distinction and others who believe that initiatory and
mystical spirituality are one and the same. The book presents such
central principles as the dangers and barrenness of syncretism, the
often dire consequences of fostering 'psychic powers', and the
superiority of sacerdotal initiation (into the Greater Mysteries)
over 'royal' initiation (into the Lesser Mysteries), though both
are necessary parts of the initiatic path. whose elevation of royal
initiation over sacerdotal must be seen, according to Guenon's
criteria, as a modern-day echo of the ancient revolt of the warrior
caste against the priestly one. Whoever follows Guenon's argument
will realize that a romantic warrior mysticism held no fascination
for him, and is in fact explicitly contrary to his principles. But
pre-eminently, Perspectives on Initiation provides indispensable
points of reference for anyone attempting to distinguish between
'initiatic', 'pseudo-initiatic', and 'countert-initiatic'
spiritualities in these profoundly uncertain times.
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