There have been a few articles written regarding "Rene Guenon and his sources", but few of them try to connect the fruits of this research with an understanding of the nature of reality itself, when it comes to foreign influences, benefic or malefic, making contact with and influencing a specific milieu. The purpose of this article is to point out, in brief, the resonant "imprint" within the cosmos, of the relationship between Purusha and Prakriti, following a bifurcation of Parabindu (Being) as a consequence of maya-shakti (negato-positivity, issuing forth from Supreme Shakti as part of her lower, creative aspect).
Maya makes Prakriti appear as an "independent principle" and makes Purusha appear as "isolated consciousness". Thus Purusha is foreign to Prakriti, yet through its influence, evolution (evolution meaning cyclic manifestation) occurs. There is absolutely nothing else that can "stir" Prakriti other than something that isn't a part of it. That last point is important since, within the ensuing manifested cosmos, from the spiritual states down to the infernal states, significant changes come when this dynamic is played out, for instance, when the psychic state influences the corporeal state, or the spiritual state does the same, etc. It is also due to this possibility that different groups manipulate the general, ordinary-humanity within a certain area at a certain time, with a certain end in mind.
The extent and efficacy of the action, of the one that would play a role analogous to Purusha, varies with one's will, expressive-power, intellect and so on. It also varies based on the receptivity of the one that would play a role analogous to Prakriti, the more receptive it is, the better the desired outcome maintains a fidelity to the plans of the one playing an analogous role to Purusha. Further, cyclic conditions also play a part in making this plan successful, since favourable cyclic conditions would bolster it and unfavourable ones would diminish it.
Two other things may also come into play: invisibility and "reverberation". Invisibility because, just as Purusha is "invisible" to Prakriti and yet stirs her, so the one playing the role of Purusha in the cosmos is "invisible" to the one that is being stirred. "Reverberation" since an initial strike, or near-invisible point of influence, of the analogous Purusha on the analogous Prakriti, has far-reaching effects, that flow in a more or less continuous fashion from the point of influence up to some demarcated limit, both in space and time. For example, a message or "belief-system" can appear to spring up out of nowhere, in a certain place and end up spreading throughout the lands up to a certain point and throughout time up to a certain era. In all this, as soon as something has manifested, it also begins to die, the extent of degeneration increasing as time ensues and also, as the influence of the original impulse grows to accommodate more space and more beings.
This, however, is not the only model that can resonate within the cosmos. There can be other dynamics too, for instance, those based on Parabindu itself, or on something much higher, such as ParamaShiwa. I will not get into those ones at this point, since the purpose here is to briefly look at how Agartha has interacted with the rest of humanity and how different esoteric brotherhoods have modeled their interactions based on this as well. The "counter-initiates" also operate on the same model.
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...But, on the other hand, I still do not see what bothers you to conceive the vibration in a medium not composed of elements; there is quite simply a disturbance of this homogeneous and continuous environment itself, and this disturbance is propagated step by step by reason of its continuity. Now it is understood that the initial shock must be provoked by a cause which is of another order; it goes without saying, moreover, if one notices that the environment in question plays here, in relation to the bodily manifestation, a role which is the (relative) analogue of that of Prakriti, that is to say say a purely “substantial” and passive role..."
[Rene Guenon, Letter to Louis Caudron, Cairo, January 20, 1936]
[Another thing Agarttha may reflect, is the first consequence of the action of Purusha on Prakriti: the AKATHA triangle. This inverted equilateral triangle consists of 51 matrika-arnas, 16 for each corner and 3 within each angle of the triangle. The lines are: left line (red rashmi/ray Wama), from A-Ah, base line(white or light yellow rashmi/ray Jyeshtha) from Ka-Ta and finally the right line (black rashmi/ray Roudri), from Tha-Sa. The matrika-arnas between the 3 angles: Ha, between red and white/light yellow, Ksha, between white/light yellow and black and finally, La (Rhha) at the apex, between the black and red. This inverted triangle, within which Prana "moves" in a non-specified, general and uniform way (a "motion" called samanya-spanda), producing the "sound" ONG (AUM) is the first manifested principle, from which the entirety of specified cosmic manifestation will arise. The representation of Agarttha is presently a subterranean Kingdom, symbolized by an inverted triangle, usually associated with a cave within a mountain. This also points to the Yoni, usually illustrated as "being within the earth", wherein lies the Serpent that is the source of all 50 matrika which create manifested reality. This Serpent is wrapped around a stone (Swayambhu Linga), with her mouth "devouring" it. The Yoni in this sense, is the reflection of AKATHA within the cosmos. Within the stone lies a pure-void, (chidakasha) and within the void is "fire", this fire vivifies all cosmic reality, by maintaining the flow of 2 main currents (Ha-Tha) which animate the embodied cosmic beings. Just as what is now "Agarttha" was once "Shamballah", an elevated Polar region, as a consequence of cyclic motion, so what was once the Polar abode of the Divine Serpent is now the subterranean residence, "deep within the earth". In his series of articles regarding the labyrinth, the cave, the mountain and the heart, R.G. references all this, albeit implicitly. A curious thing he points out, is that the entire mountain-cave symbolism is intrinsically connected to the symbolism of stones and consequently, to the symbolism of serpents and their relation to stones. It is not too difficult, for those with the eyes to see, to unravel the mystery of Agarttha with these few clues, but I will leave it at that for now. By one of those strange cases of cosmic humour, when people say that the overlords are "reptilian", they are not fully wrong about that!]
Agarttha is the analogue of Purusha and "outer-humanity" that exists on the surface, is the analogue of Prakriti, at least, based on the present bifurcated model of things.
For the rest of this article, I will refer to non-Agartthans as "outer-humanity".
Alexandre Saint-Yves d'Alveydre
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| Saint-Yves |
Though outer-humanity cannot see Agarttha, Agarttha can see outer-humanity (the same way Purusha can see Prakriti, even though she cannot see him). In its interactions with outer-humanity, Agarttha needs a series of emissaries to manifest its will. That means, an appraisal of sorts must be made, based on the tendencies that certain members of outer-humanity reveal. The mental tendencies reveal the type of being in question and how suitable it is to receive and act on a certain thing. (Already, the similarity to the "qualifications" for initiation are visible).
Some have said that it was following the publication of his books, that Saint-Yves gained the interest of one link in the chain of emissaries that connect outer-humanity to Agarttha. This link consisted of the enigmatic Hadji Sharif as well as an even more mysterious Indian, who has thus far remained unnamed and unidentified. There may have well been other people in this link that are thus far unknown. However, the identification of Saint-Yves was probably due to the examination of his subtle state, unbeknownst to him, by those endowed with the faculty of doing so. The publication of his books were merely part of the effects of his inner subtle state, which must have possessed certain characteristics that set him apart from other people. (In his novel, a young Rene Guenon described something similar happening to the protagonist). To say that it was only because of his books that Saint-Yves caught the attention of such beings is an extremely shallow conception.
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| One of the forms "Hadji Sharif" could assume at will? |
This contact was doubtless contingent upon certain cyclic conditions: the initial contact, the duration of the contact and the subsequent withdrawal of the contact were all pin-pointed in harmony with certain cyclic laws. It would be superfluous to believe that this was not the case. Interestingly, Hadji Sharif states that his date of birth is 25th December, 1838. 25th December referring of course, to the winter solstice, the point at which the "gate of gods" is open, connected to the sign of Capricorn, during which beings that have attained, at the very least, a supra-individual state, enter this particular world, or make some significant communication with it. [See "Symbols of Sacred Science", the chapters dealing with the symbolism of the forms of the cosmos, as well as those that deal with zodiacal symbolism].
Thus, as if guided by a cyclic, "cosmic-clock", Hadji set out on his mission to find a suitable candidate among outer-humanity, that would receive and transmit certain teachings to that portion of men that had the capability of assimilating them. He and the other links he worked with only had a certain amount of time, to take advantage of the prevailing cyclic-conditions that favoured their activity. (This reminds one of the "three wise men", as well as different types of "foreign sages"who played a similar role at different cyclic-eras, looking for beings that were born with certain possibilities).
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| Three unidentified eastern men, connected to the first proper contemporary revelations of Agartha. Is their arrangement in this photograph symbolic? |
In all this, there seems to be a certain type of error, since the candidate they found, Saint-Yves, though possessing certain aptitudes, nonetheless suffered from more than a few significant biases that ended up being problematic. (In this article, I pointed out that all sorts of errors can still persist, in spite of one's spiritual possibilities and developments). It's also curious as to whether their conclusions got the wrong person entirely, since it may have been Rene Guenon that they desired to contact initially, skipping Saint-Yves altogether. Are such errors to be ascribed to the dissonance suffered between the terrestrial and celestial realms, especially in a zodiacal sense, given the obfuscation in the Kali-Yuga?
In any case, a key-trait is the symbolism and science of letters, which is intrinsically connected to the science of numbers. The central element of the connection between Hadji and his companions and Saint Yves, is the alleged primordial language, "Wattan". This primordial language, the common root of all the sacred languages, from Sanskrit to Arabic and their corresponding numerical forms, seems to be what this communication was building up to. It was Saint-Yves' innate capacity and tendency to see into the inner significance of sacred languages and to also sense within them, something of the real origin of the human race. Even though he has been accused of borrowing from Fabre d'Olivet, the thing he seems to have been attracted to most, at least esoterically, is the notion that there is something significant within sacred languages, such as Hebrew. This fact remains unchanged. (The connection of sacred languages to the Serpent is once again manifest in this fact...)
That said, Saint-Yves was a somewhat worldly man, immensely attached to and influenced by his environment. Though a part of him had an air of transcendence, his mind was clouded by the composite influence of his European environment, both with its declining Christian heritage and its blooming modern tendencies. These ended up being impurities, clouding his judgement and interfering with the transmission that the Agartthans were directing towards him. Thus "L'Archeometre" and the quickly withdrawn "Mission de l’Inde en Europe; Mission de l’Europe en Asie" could not furnish universal truths in a technical sense without so many biases.
Before moving on to Rene Guenon, it is important to note this. That even the representatives of the Supreme Centre, in their dealings with outer-humanity, must pick from this humanity whatever it has to offer, with all the aptitudes and flaws it presents. Just as Saint-Yves had his own biases, so did Rene Guenon, as I have already pointed out elsewhere. The other thing to note is the presence of manipulation in a sense. Saint-Yves was not aware of how he was being put to use by his new found friends and other people, such as Ossendowski, were all the more deluded, as Guenon himself says:
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...When I saw Ossendowski , I had the distinct impression that, if he had been received so easily in certain places, it was because he had been made to play, quite unwittingly, the role of a sort of "liaison agent" ; but, of course, I did not want to write this in my article. There are other points on which I could give you additional explanations in a future letter; but it is very regrettable that we cannot see each other, because that would be much easier...
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[Rene Guenon, Letter to Arturo Reghini, Paris, November 16, 1924 ]
Saint Yves also had all sorts of connections, from France, to England and even into Russia. Thus there might have been a cascaded system of puppets, multiple hands, pulling multiple strings, many of which were ignorant of the rest:
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...The “Slavophilia” of the occultists, in fact, is still a rather curious thing; for Papus, I believe that the thing is explained above all by the subsidies which he received from the court of Russia, and to which the influence of Saint- Yves was not foreign; but it may still have been something else besides that. The case of Sédir and Poland seems very different, and I don't know how close the two things could be, especially since, basically, Russia and Poland have always been enemies. - Saint- Yves , moreover, also had English connections, as did Eliphas Lévi; this is all quite complicated...
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[Rene Guenon, Letter to Patrice Genty, Cairo, February 28, 1937]
The entire traditional outlook, as presented by Rene Guenon, is replete with puppets, manipulations, hidden hands and entities both from the initiatic and counter-initiatic sides. This manipulation bleeds into the outer-darkness of the world of occultists and ordinary men, all used to an end that they scarcely suspect...
Rene Guenon
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| Triple Tau, even in his older years... |
Saint-Yves, while possessing certain inner possibilities, nonetheless suffered from an attachment to his environment, the mark of an individuality that couldn't align itself properly with said inner possibilities. Rene Guenon however, was known for almost having no individuality (though in his private life, by some accounts at least, he was a kind, charming man, with a great deal of compassion for his friends and family). Further, he had an affinity for the exact and the structured, inasmuch as the structures involved reflected the inherent harmony, ordered by the Divine, in the cosmos. However, due to this rigorous rigidity, coupled with an aversion to the "external", he too had his own bias, which caused him to fail to appreciate the perspective connected to Power. This bias was so bad, that he spoke of Power in a purely pejorative sense. See more of that here. The error in Rene Guenon's work, whether it involves Tantric or Buddhist teaching for example, thus does not destroy his overall validity, nor can it in any way repudiate the teachings that originate from the Supreme Centre itself. This error was only due to his innate bias.
The transition from Saint-Yves to Rene Guenon was however largely successful and the nascent ideas within Saint-Yves' work received a better treatment, development and transmission to those with the aptitude of understanding and working on them. This shows the presence of a similar inspiration, only working through a better instrument. Many readers of R.G. seem to ignore that fact that not only did he reveal many esoteric concepts, he also pointed out, almost always, the presence of a "hidden hand" that has for a time, shaped human history. He also pointed out that most of history was falsified, though this last point is blatantly obvious even to the profane.
In connection to all this, one of the strangest accusations against Rene Guenon is that he was an "occultist", especially due to his book, "The Lord of the World". Another reason is his exposition on the actual structure of a tradition and its interaction with the world (a hidden group of men influencing the rest of their society). Those who level this accusation against him however perform an inversion: for it is the "occultists" who are a parody of genuine traditional structures and if there is a similarity between this parody and the concepts highlighted by Rene Guenon, it is the "occultists" who are the imitators. "Occultist", a term that R.G. says was coined by Eliphas Levi, is really just an ~18th-20th century westerner who had access to incomplete traditional data that had become accessible following the ruptures from a Catholic Church that had largely lost its way. The reformation and the revolution had legitimate (but truncated) esoteric orders as their inspiration, R.G. admits this himself:
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...In any case, it does not seem doubtful that there were hermetists who played a certain role at the origin of the Reformation, but then this one must have degenerated very quickly and even took a direction quite contrary to the one they would no doubt have wanted to give it, so that in the end the West did not gain anything...
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[Rene Guenon, letter to Patrice Genty, Cairo, February 6, 1950]
This reminds one of a similar role the HBL played towards the beginning of the 1900s, with the manipulation of a western environment that had at the time, hardened immensely under the influence of "materialism" and "anti-tradition". The consequences of that manipulation took an undesired turn too...[See the "Spiritist Fallacy"].
I cite all this to once again show that, for better or worse, manipulation has been a traditional-tool and R.G. himself made use of it. It must be remembered that, the overall intent and desired effect of such manipulations are to help develop whatever spiritual possibilities outer-humanity possesses. But as has been seen on multiple occasions, good intentions do not suffice in efficacy. A staggering point of manipulation is present in "The Lord of the World" concerning Joseph de Maistre. Those interested can read about that here.
The Joseph de Maistre hoax?
The article I linked to brings up the following facts:
1. At the end of the book, "The Lord of the World", Rene Guenon presents a quote that he attributes to Joseph de Maistre, but in truth, the words are those of a character in a fictitious story. Moreover, the words that R.G. uses aren't continuous, he took parts from multiple segments and strung them together to give the impression of a continuous statement. This is clearly intentional manipulation.
2. Joseph de Maistre himself was neither a properly orthodox Catholic, nor a Mason of high esoteric standing. Rather, he had certain heterodox views and his masonry, at least, given the accounts of those who knew him, as well as certain documents attributed to him, was of a very "phenomenal" nature.
3. It seems that R.G. was ignorant of de Maistre's work as a whole, since he presents him as something he is not. He simply took words he wrote out of context, mashed them together and put them at the end of his book, to support his particular outlook.
Moreover, the unity that de Masitre spoke of was not of multiple traditions, united under a single Primordial Tradition, rather, it was a unity of Christian churches overcoming their multiple schisms.
It is very difficult to overlook all this information. But is it really an instance isolated in the traditional stream of things? Or better yet, in the stream of things in general? Consider for instance, the case of the "Unknown Superiors", it demonstrates particular lies that lead to an ultimate truth.
It seems that R.G., like Saint-Yves, had more to tell about these affairs but was under a sort of restriction that barred him from divulging too much. He however wanted those capable of understanding to know about them:
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...In this book Ferdinand Ossendowski wrote of a thrilling journey made across central Asia in 1920 and 1921 , using descriptions that tally, especially in the latter part of the book, almost identically with those of Saint-Yves. The keen interest aroused by this book has provided a favourable opportunity at last to break the silence on the question of Agarttha...
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[Rene Guenon, The Lord of the World, Chapter 1, page 1.]
It is clear that R.G. was waiting for an external reason to break the silence on Agarttha, something it seems he had wanted to speak of for a while, but had neither the opportunity, nor the permission to do so. Some say that in writing this book, R.G. upset some of his "special contacts" and they in a way, reduced their interactions with him. [Jean Reyor alleges this, in some of his letters to Jean Saunier].
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| Triple Tau...was he really of low understanding? |
As already, stated, R.G. doing this is akin to the formation of a body: a being takes different pre-existing elements and infuses them with life to form a synthetic whole. Traditions themselves have done this, an example being Islam, which, barring specific interpretations, is full of inconsistencies (an example is Islam's allusion to Alexander the Great...), but within the confines of its form is perfectly valid. The synthetic exegesis presented in the "Lord of the World" therefore supersedes any particular error, however, the errors inherent to the book itself reveal once again manipulative tendencies.
Therefore, R.G. was grasping at straws, eager to reveal this enigma to outer-humanity, of course, in line with metaphysical conception. He however needed external material to do so, from multiple sources, one of which was Joseph de Maistre.
Conclusion: the death of an old dynamic.
This brief article was written to highlight a few things: the present bifurcated model, based primarily on the Purusha-Prakriti dynamic, between Agarttha and outer-humanity and within outer-humanity itself, between esoteric-orders and everyone else. The reason I focused briefly on Saint-Yves and Rene Guenon is because, outside of these two, no one else has openly stated to have a direct connection either to Agarttha itself, or to a direct representative of Agarttha. Not the many Masons and Muslims(watasawuff) that came after them, nor anyone else has really demonstrated anything openly that would contest that fact. This is not to deny that in their own right, they have exposed certain things, but still, this connection is lacking. It is strange that there has been little to no incursion into Saint-Yves and his connection to Rene Guenon, but there are endless things written about people like Agueli!
In this bifurcated model, that began at some point in the Treta Yuga and witnessed its full development in the Kali Yuga, beings who are more "advanced" in this game of cosmic birth must aid in a certain way, the beings who are not yet as "advanced". It must not be concluded that there is some sort of modern/post-modern evolution being alluded to in that statement, rather, as Sri Aurobindo has explained here, it is about remembering the reason that beings with no limits willingly entered into a limited experience and upon entering this experience, "forget" their reason for doing so. This is their destiny, their reason for being born in the cosmos, whose origin is beyond the cosmos and therefore, whose conclusion must also be, beyond the cosmos. Some beings did not take the "plunge" (these would be, for example, "metaphysical principles" that then wish to make their name known to the cosmic beings that took the "plunge") into the cosmos, others did and among those who did, the "rate" of "remembering" their reason for doing so varies. Due to this discrepancy, there is the "turning of the cosmic wheel", wherein, pushed from one world to another, a being undergoes seemingly endless rebirths, at times closer to the wheel's center, at times further from it. The intervention of beings who have already concluded their journeys (descending realization) or who never took the "plunge" as other beings did, to aid, influence or even stall the beings that are still lost in the cosmic wheel, is based on different dynamic models. For our Manvantara, the model as has been stated, was based mainly on the Purusha-Prakriti bifurcation.
The law of inverse analogy is at play here, since the Satya Yuga of each Manvantara consists of beings that are "advanced" and have completed their journey fully (or, they never chose to be part of the cosmic-turning) and in that sense, they are "older" than beings who are born at the Kali Yuga, "younger" beings who are further from the wheel's center than their ancestors and are more or less at the start of their journey from the cosmos. Thus, the old is found at the start (Satya Yuga) and the new is found at the end (Kali Yuga),since Kali-Yuga man has a long way to go before exiting the cosmic wheel. Of course, throughout all the yugas, beings with the potential of realizing spiritual possibilities to some degree, or even to the full degree, are born as well, but the general outer-humanity experiences a marked degeneration.
The manipulations born of this model have given mixed results and at times, they can be harmful. If in any way these manipulations lead to the neglect of possibilities that could have benefited certain people, then they are harmful. The many webs and tangles that have arisen from the present bifurcated model, perpetuated by people such as R.G. have created a Gordian Knot that further limits and conditions those who have higher possibilities, albeit in a dormant state. I'll pose this question once more: if it is clear that manipulation is a "traditional tool" and R.G. manipulated many, what makes people think that he did not manipulate his readers through his writings, at least partially? The sword of Alexander is needed to destroy this knot, now more than ever, since it has become an almost purely malefic influence. This sword in a sense, prefigures the sword of the coming Solar King (it is curious that Alexander himself is presented as a solar figure, the son of Ammon...). The knot in question extends itself to those who still have an indiscriminate attachment to their environment, especially to their country. If you can understand these things, is there really anything left for you, in your immediate environment? What is the basis of its cohesion? "Globalist" governments and companies with a firm grip on the system you have become accustomed to? Institutions for the mutilation of the human mind, such as the many schools and universities, as well as a media-structure that does nothing but peddle lies all around you? A series of dead "traditions" that are nothing but empty shells, structures that demand your subservience in exchange for hollow, unfulfilled promises? A hopeless populace of sheep who, if they are not inundating themselves with decadence, are mindlessly bowing down to whatever it is they are told to bow down to, or participating in a resistance which, unguided by a transcendent principle ("transcendent principle": one of those beings that never took the "plunge"), is doomed to failure? If you have truly understood these things, then you must see that you are presently isolated and even suffocated by the imposing structures around you, that revel in the fact that they have reduced you to no more than an insect. How long must this nonsense go on? What will you do to awaken whatever possibilities lie within, unrestricted by this knot? If anything, given the grave circumstances, an autonomous existence, sanctioned by nothing but one's own cosmic expression is needed to counteract the stifling and invasive forces of so many systems that constitute this knot. As of now, I can only give clear hints as to how that can be achieved...
About Saint Yves, some say that he was chosen because he was both worldly and spiritual. He had connections to the aristocracy and papacy through his wife and also his friends. Thus perhaps they saw in him, someone that could connect the two worlds? The Agartthans could connect with and influence Europe by first using Saint Yves as a go-between and that would eventually restore the old traditional order. I think this is true, especially because of his vision of the law of synarchy.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. Saint Yves is indeed an interesting character, perhaps even someone who has been underestimated and misunderstood. Reading his book on Agartha provides clues to certain things R.G. stated, for instance, regarding the fate of the Bohemians and the strange discomfort displayed towards Buddhism. However, Saint Yves conflated so many things and here, a question must be asked: to what degree was this intentional and to what degree was it as a consequence of his own biases and hence, accidental? In any case, more articles will be published that delve into these neglected issues in the future, if circumstances allow. It is all very structural in a literal and symbolic sense, the flow from the outer-world on the surface, deep into Agartha and perhaps what you say is true, but trust me when I tell you, there is a great deal of obfuscation in all these affairs!
ReplyDeleteRegards.
I don't know if you noticed it but "Marquis" is a noble title belonging to a person that governs a frontier or border territory. It's interesting because Saint Yves in the role he would play would be acting as a liaison between the outer world and the inner Agarttha! So he would have been at the border between the two. What a coincidence right?
ReplyDeleteThank you for pointing that out! It is indeed an interesting coincidence, maybe more of it will come to light some day.
ReplyDelete"The reformation and the revolution had legitimate (but truncated) esoteric orders as their inspiration, R.G. admits this himself:
ReplyDelete"...In any case, it does not seem doubtful that there were hermetists who played a certain role at the origin of the Reformation, but then this one must have degenerated very quickly and even took a direction quite contrary to the one they would no doubt have wanted to give it, so that in the end the West did not gain anything...""
I just wanted to comment on this issue. One of Guenon's biases was that he held Protestantism in utter contempt, and did not see any spiritual validity in it at all. He occasionally makes derisive comments about religious "reformers" and their ignorance of tradition, which are clearly aimed at the Protestant Reformers. This, of course, leaves anyone with a Protestant family and cultural heritage who wants to achieve spiritual realization with no choice but to renounce their faith and adopt Roman Catholicism, or some other allegedly valid traditional form such as Islam.
I think Guenon is mistaken about this. All Protestant sects have a world-rejecting Gnostic element within them, especially the more radical sects such as the Anabaptists. While this can lead in the direction of fundamentalism, it can also lead in the direction of a mystical awareness that can be positive. An obvious example, for all his flaws, is Jakob Boehme. Another example is Jane Leade. The theology of Caspar Schwenckfeld should also be mentioned. Much Protestant eschatology, even from fundamentalists, contains a lot of useful information about the coming reign of the Antichrist and the counter-tradition; it's just that they are blind to the role that Protestantism will actually play within that scheme.
Guenon's antipathy towards Protestantism, I think, is largely a reflection of a bigoted Catholicism which prevailed from his upbringing. Of course, he also saw that Protestantism had strong modern influences, but the same thing is true of Roman Catholicism since even before the Reformation. I think there has to be a way for Protestants to achieve spiritual realization without having to convert to some other tradition. In some ways, I think Protestantism has better options than Roman Catholicism these days, but obviously either is possible.
Thanks for your comment. Regarding the tract you just quoted, I believe there may have been a misunderstanding. The entire point was to show the presence of a reflected instance of the Purusha-Prakriti dynamic within the cosmos, whereby certain esoteric groups, as the analogue of Purusha, had influence on a milieu that was both receptive to and ignorant of their existence, as the analogue of Prakriti.
DeleteIn terms of this specific instance of that action, predicated on that dynamic, the outcome was not successful and the esoteric groups that were behind it eventually rescinded, leaving the milieu they were trying to influence to its own devices. This then lead to all sorts of deviations that had no traditional or technical foundation.
A consequence of this, is the possession by the unworthy of things they could not understand; the "protestants" inasmuch as they consisted of ordinary people then owe everything they came to possess to not only diminished esoteric orders, but also, to exoteric orders that were regular, such as the Catholic church. The very existence of the bible for example, is as a consequence of the Catholic church, without which, the protestants would not even know of its existence. It's as though the protestants walked into a room full of instruments they do not understand and started playing with them fruitlessly. These would be like the "charcoal puffers" the authentic alchemists ridiculed.
Practically, there is nothing Protestantism has to offer. It does not even have a proper doctrine that is consistent with the nature of Man and of reality itself. It has no connection to Agarttha. Not only does it lack a doctrine, it lacks a method that would allow one to realize said doctrine. Protestantism is really an instance of anti-traditional action that precedes counter-traditional action, similar to many bizarre groups like the "spiritists" of France, Britain and America.
If you feel this is incorrect, it would be interesting if you could direct us to a legitimate doctrine that could rival the teachings of authentic traditional forms and techniques, with a proper practice that would lead to genuine spiritual realization. I will also add that the articles published here do not really view the Abrahamic traditions and their derivatives in high esteem, as they are secondary and subordinate to things of a genuine Polar nature, such as the Tantra.
Thanks for your reply. I guess I'd make a few brief comments in response. With any of the Abrahamic religions, spiritual realization is not going to be accessible in a straightforward manner, because it involves viewing orthodox dogma through a specific lens - recognizing the underlying symbolism of the dogma, if you like. I am not as convinced as you seem to be that esoteric orders actually existed on a continuous basis within any of the Abrahamic religions; I don't think that is historically credible. Furthermore, any time the hierarchy of the Abrahamic religions became aware of any kind of deviant beliefs, including esoteric ones, they made every effort to exterminate them. This began very early, with the Gnostics of the 2nd-3rd century CE, and continued after attaining state power.
ReplyDeleteYour statement that the Bible was a product of the Catholic Church is true only if you mean the selection of the New Testament canon at the end of the 4th century CE. However, the books that make up the New Testament canon are themselves a mixture of writings not all of them proto-orthodox, some are proto-Gnostic (e.g. the Gospel of John). Catholic orthodoxy only developed very slowly and did not come into definitive form until the 4th century when Catholicism achieved political hegemony in the Roman Empire. In other words, what you say about the Protestants (that they didn't understand the Bible) could equally be said about the 4th century Catholics. In any case, Protestants regard themselves as the true heir of the early Catholic Church. That is why the movement is called the "Reformation" - it was attempting to get rid of alleged deviations that had crept in during the medieval era. That is, the Reformed churches consider themselves Catholic in the original sense. I think it is clear that the Reformation was an organic outworking of late medieval Catholicism, that it was an accident waiting to happen, so to speak. That is, I don't think Catholics can disown the Reformation, though they might want to.
As regards Protestant doctrine, obviously if interpreted literally there is nothing very helpful, but that is equally true of all the Abrahamic religions. If, however, we interpret it as pointing to a deeper truth, then I think it certainly can be helpful. For example, sola Christus can have esoteric significance, if the Christ is identified with the atman. Sola fide can have esoteric significance, if understood as saying the same thing as Bhagavad Gita 3:27, that the one who is deluded by egoism thinks, "I am the doer". The Protestant doctrine of penal substitutionary atonement, though barbaric if taken literally, is rich in esoteric symbolism. And so forth. Personally, I think achieving this kind of understanding ultimately requires a Gnostic rejection of Yahweh, but Protestantism because it has a more negative stance than Catholicism towards the world in general can facilitate this rejection in those who are more spiritually aware. Certainly, Protestantism has produced mystics as significant as Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, or Islam.
A practical problem with your view is that it means that people who are born into Protestant communities cannot achieve any spiritual progress unless they reject their heritage, family and culture. In doing so they will do moral damage to themselves by failing to fulfill their duties and social obligations - their dharma. In addition, they are most likely to turn to exactly the kind of group you call "bizarre", in the New Age Movement. Not everybody is able to migrate to India and learn a new language and religion. It is better if they can achieve enlightenment in the context which has defined them as a person. Tantra is fine, but it is not the only means to achieving spiritual realization.
I encourage you, if you are interested, to first go through these articles before making certain claims and assumptions. If you do so, you will see that certain things remain immutable, such as basing everything here on R.G.'s exposition in harmony with Agarttha's will. You'd first have to be properly acquainted with what he wrote, then, with the articles here to fully get a clear picture of what is being said. If you fundamentally disagree with all of it, then there is nothing more to say and I wish you the best with your future endeavours.
DeleteWhat you say of Protestantism is ridiculous to say the least. It would be the equivalent of thinking that by going to the caricature of yoga in western places such as California, one is sure to get anything of worth. The same way the authentic metaphysical doctrines of yoga have fallen into the hands of such people, the many authentic spiritual teachings of Medieval Christendom fell into the hands of the protestants, whereby their degeneration became complete. This is a process that happens with anything, whenever the unqualified bulk of the masses get their hands on anything, whatever it is, it eventually becomes distorted.
You also seem to be unaware of the process by which a tradition is formed, it being an expression from the Supreme Centre itself, Agarttha. It seems to me that you think these are all individual meanderings and not adaptations of the Primordial Tradition to a specific time and place, based on the prevailing cyclic conditions and for a specific people. "Official" academic history is a useless thing in light of all this, since it remains perfectly ignorant of not only this process, but of the entirety of esotericism in general.
Lastly, there are no individual views here, there is no speculation, there is the possession of an authentic teaching that can aid those capable of assimilating it and putting it into practice. For this, one doesn't have to migrate to India. I do not know how it is "my view" that the protestant teachings offer nothing practical; even if I didn't say it, it would remain a matter of fact. There is really not much more that can be said other than to refer you to what has already been written, which you do not even have to go through if you feel it is fundamentally incorrect. Just do what makes you comfortable...I however wonder if it will give you any genuine results in a timely fashion.
All the best.
OK thanks I'll leave aside further comments. There isn't space here to discuss all these issues anyway. I would only note that I have read Rene Guenon extensively, the difference is not that I don't understand him, it's that I don't agree with him. Obviously we disagree about that. I won't address all the other issues about Protestantism. I will say, though, that in terms of a guide, Guenon is vastly inferior to Plotinus - ten thousand words by Guenon are not worth ten words by Plotinus in my opinion. But, again, we will have to just disagree about that I think.
ReplyDeleteAlright, sorry to have taken up your time, there must have been a misunderstanding in the beginning. This is a place for those that see R.G. as indispensable, but find themselves unable to do anything practically. Here, the only disagreement with him is that on the doctrine of Power. I hope that you find contentment in a place that's more in tune with your disposition.
DeleteKind regards.
It's truly amusing that according to certain people, there is pride in ignorance and inability. That one is "good" because one does not know and that one is "bad" because one knows. That if one claims to know he is a liar and if one claims not to know, then he is honest. It's also ironic to accuse others of "narcissism and arrogance", since to do so would be to place oneself above the rest, which would be a narcissistic and arrogant thing to do. Ah yes, the egalitarianism of the Kali Yuga takes no prisoners, does it? If there is no truth, then all this is pointless. If there is truth but it cannot be known, then it is also pointless. If you wish to play the endless game of dialectics, then you are possessed by a boring demon. The doctrine alone is pure and man (or more aptly put, some men are) is endowed with the faculty of knowing it and putting it into practice. This doctrine of course, is the Agartthan teaching that these articles are step by step further revealing to those who can grasp them, without any concern for the inevitable misunderstanding of the rest. In all these decades, no other place has even attempted to do such a thing.
ReplyDeleteFirst know, then dare, then, keep silent. You will only find a merciless interdiction if you cannot abide by something so simple here. As for those with a "scholarly" background who think there is any value in their endless profane meandres, R.G. was masterfully astute when he said:
"
...On the one hand, the central and principial unity illuminates and dominates all; on the other, if this unity is absent or, better, hidden from the sight of the profane 'scholar', he can do no more than grope in the ‘outer darkness’, vainly busying himself amid a chaos that can be put to order only by the initiatic Fiat Lux, which, failing the necessary 'qualification', will never be uttered for him...
"
[R.G. Perspectives on Initiation, chapter 6, Synthesis and Syncretism, page 42.]
This "unity", is of course, that which comes from the Supreme Centre itself, something which many, moreso these profane 'scholars', are ill-equipped to see and who further wish to enforce their pitiful blindness on the entirety of humanity. By an interesting coincidence, the next article will go deeper into all these subjects.