An Occidental Exile

The Ancient and Ever-Present Tradition

2011-04-12T20:03:00.001-07:00

References to the Primordial Tradition may sometimes appear ambiguous, particularly if clarification is not made of the two forms or manifestations of primordiality, that which relates to temporal origination and that which relates to eternal presence. The latter especially pertains to the Primordial Tradition considered singularly and the former to multiple historical traditions sharing similar characteristics which William Stoddardt called forms of Hyperborean Shamanism.

The Primordial Tradition is the religion of Adam or of the Platonic Androgyne, the first man, considered not necessarily as an historical person, but rather as the archetype of the perfected human soul in relation to the Divine Reality. It exists symbolically at the center of the world in illo tempore, "at that time" or "in the beginning" to borrow the mythological expression of Mircea Eliade or again in the beautiful phraseology of Nasr, "in that 'now' which is the ever-present 'in the beginning.'" According to this perspective, the Primordial Tradition is like the eternal tree of the Katha Upanishad, with its roots in heaven, and its many branches, the various historical religions, reaching down to the earth.

Now, some of the historical religions are themselves often designated primordial in accordance with the first signification of the term mentioned above, chiefly due to their ancient establishment, a temporal origination sometimes lost to history. Within these traditions, often given the designation shamanistic, special emphasis is placed upon the theophanic quality of the natural world and this for two primary reasons related to the cosmological and anthropological qualities present within the world at the that time. As has been conveyed to us through traditional doctrines, the intellect was more externalized and accessible to primitive man than is the case in later ages where it is more internalized and inaccessible. Similarly the material world was less "dense" such that its theophanic qualities were more immediately visible and accessible. Within the Islamic Tradition, the allegory of Hayy Ibn Yaqzan provides us with something of a glimpse into this primordial anthroposcosmic vision while the vestiges of the Native American traditions continue to perpetuate it into the present day though in an essential and somewhat adaptive form.

By way of concluding comments it may be pertinent to identify the perspective of the Theosophists, with which Rene Guenon was once associated but against whom he revolted. They acknowledge the existence of the Primordial Tradition but give to it a temporal origination as the wisdom of the Lemurian civilization which subsequently went underground with the emergence of Atlantis. From within the Atlantean Mystery schools it was then perpetuated and preserved among the initiated throughout history. Religions, according to Theosophy, are aberrations and corruptions of the Atlantean mystery teachings espoused by their founders working in concert with a planetary intelligence rather than so many branches of the primordial tree wherein God has spoken in languages intelligible to the civilizations in which He reveals Himself.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Enigma of Sikhism

2010-10-15T00:21:00.001-07:00

Sikhism is, in my opinion, one of the aforementioned very notable exceptions. Like you I have sometimes wondered why is has not received more than a passing glance from traditionalists, especially given its unique characteristics. Indeed, the only thing that I have seen written by a traditionalist on the subject is the very brief comment by Schuon provided by Siraji. In this quote, although affirming its validity, Schuon does not identify it as a religion perpetuating a revelation but rather as an esoterism, or esoteric brotherhood. A closer examination would seem to corroborate this, the formal designation Sikh Religion rather than Brotherhood notwithstanding.

Sikhism is based a priori upon the teachings of Guru Nanak, a 15th century Indian sage. According to traditional records, he possessed an awakened faculty of intellectual intuition from an early age and at age twenty-eight undertook a spiritual ascent during which he received a dispensation from the Divine Presence. Immediately prior to this experience, Guru Nanak had entered into a river to bathe and meditate whereupon he disappeared for three days. According to a text called the Puratan Janam-Sakhi,

“At the Divine Command the devotee Nanak was ushered into the Presence. A cup full of Nectar was by Divine Pleasure offered to him. The Voice came: ‘Nanak, this is Amrita (Nectar), the cup of my Name. Drink this, it is offered to thee.’ At this Guru Nanak made obeisance and quaffed the cup of Amrita. The Lord’s grace fell upon him. ‘Nanak, I am ever by thy side. I have showered my blessing on thee. Whoever calls on thee, shall also receive my blessing. Go thou into the world and meditate on the Name, and make mankind also meditate on the Name. Be thou ever unpolluted by the lure of the world. Engage thyself in meditation on the Name, in charity, in self-purification, service, and in remembering thy Lord. I have conferred on thee the blessing of my name. Make the Name alone thy occupation.”

The Divine Presence then asked him to speak the greatness of His Name that had been bestowed upon him, whereupon Guru Nanak uttered the passages later recorded as the Japji Sahib, the first book within the Guru Granth Sahib, and others.

His first act when returning to the world was to give away all of his possessions to the poor. After a day and night of silence, his first teaching was the declaration: There is no Hindu, There is no Muslim. Guru Nanak had entered into the Divine Presence for whom there were no such distinctions, and he began to teach from a perspective situated within this realization. Throughout his life he made many travels always perpetuating a message of the oneness of God, universal equality, and the Naam Marga, a spiritual path based upon the remembrance of God through the repetition of His Name.

Morphologically, Sikhism is based upon the subjective revelation or intellectual intuition of Guru Nanak expressed as song, rather than an objective manifestation of the Logos as man or book. It sometimes expresses cosmological and psychological doctrines using Hindu terminology and clearly enshrines the fundamental Islamic doctrine of Tawhid but does not perpetuate itself within the religious framework of either of these traditions. Guru Nanak was seen as a Guru, rather than a prophet or avatar, and there are no formal rituals other than a rite of induction, their main forms of worship being invocation of the Name and kirtan or recitation of the Guru Granth Sahib. Aside from some formal practices (which are not absolute) concerning attire and dietary prohibitions, Sikhism is based upon the concept of intrinsic morality or the cultivation of the virtues. In principle, these elements differ in nature from those based upon objective revelation, but in practice they have assimilated their respective functions. For the Sikh devotee, Nanak as Guru is both prophet and avatar (of Vishnu), and his inspired utterances the manifestation of the Divine word. Sikhism possesses a lineage of 10 Gurus which bear similarity to the Shi’ite Imams and the Guru Granth Sahib is equally as revered by the Sikh as the Quran is to the Muslim.

In consideration of the absence of a discernable religious framework and in light of the teachings of the traditional school, Sikhism represents perhaps the closest approximation to what has sometimes been hypothesized as the independent practice of the religio perennis, a path based entirely upon the knowledge of the Absolute, intrinsic morality, and the invocation of the Divine Name. According to Schuon, this particular path is something of a final possibility following the advent of Islam as the concluding revelation of this cycle of humanity.

All justification and explanation aside, I also believe that it is impossible to stand within the Golden Temple of Amritsar amidst a gathering of the spiritual descendants of Guru Gobind Singh, listening to the beautiful and inspired recitations of the Guru Granth Sahib and for a single moment doubt that this is something valid and orthodox in the most important sense of the word.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Lovers

2010-03-10T23:21:00.000-08:00

The Lovers
will drink wine night and day.
They will drink until they can
tear away the veils of intellect and
melt away the layers of shame and modesty.
When in Love,
body, mind, heart and soul don't even exist.
Become this,
fall in Love,
and you will not be separated again

-Rumi

The Pillars of Islam

2010-01-17T18:13:00.000-08:00

This section will be used to occasionally collect and publish passages related to the pillars of Islam from various sources classical and contemporary.

"The pillars (arkān) of Islām are these: the double testimony of faith (the shahādatān), the canonical prayer repeated five times a day (the salāt), the fast of Ramadan (siyām, sawm), the tithe (zakāt), the pilgrimage (the hajj); to these is sometimes added the holy war (the jihād), which has a more or less accidental character since it depends on circumstances; as for the ablution (the wudhū or the ghusl according to circumstances), it is not mentioned separately for it is a condition of the prayer." (Frithjof Schuon, Understanding Islam)

The Two-Fold Testimony

"As we have already seen, the Shahādah indicates in the final analysis — and it is the most universal meaning which interests us here — discernment between the Real and the unreal and then, in the second part, the attaching of the world to God in respect both of its origin and of its end, for to look on things separately from God is already unbelief (nifāq, shirk or kufr, as the case may be)." (Frithjof Schuon, Understanding Islam)

" The two-fold Testimony is the first and the most important of the five “Pillars of the Religion” (arkan ad-Din). The others only have meaning in reference to it ... The esoterism of these practices resides not only in their obvious initiatic symbolism, it resides also in the fact that our practices are esoteric to the extent that we ourselves are, firstly by our understanding of the Doctrine and then by our assimilation of the Method; these two elements being contained, precisely, in the two-fold Testimony." (Frithjof Schuon, Sufism: Veil and Quintessence)

"No God but God: for the mind it is a formulation of truth; for the will it is an injunction with regard to truth; but for the Heart and its intuitive prolongations of certainty it is a single synthesis, a Name of Truth, belonging as such to the highest category of Divine Names ... Analogously, the essential meaning of the Shahadah is veiled by its outer meanings. One such veil ... is the meaning 'none is worshipable but God' ... To understand this deepest meaning it is necessary to bear in mind that each of the Names of the Divine Essence comprises in Itself, like Allah, the totality of Names and does not merely denote a particular Divine Aspect. The Names of the Essence are thus in a sense interchangeable with Allah, and one such name is al-Haqq, Truth, Reality. We can just as well say that there is no truth but the Truth, no reality but the Reality as that there is no god but God. The meaning of all these is identical ... The doctrine which is based on that conclusion is termed 'Oneness of Being,' for Reality is that which is, as opposed to that which is not; and if God alone is Real, God alone is, and there is no being but His Being." (Martin Lings, What is Sufism?, pp. 63-65)

"So far only the first part of the Shahadah has been considered. But this first Pillar of Islam is two-fold. The testifier must testify also that Muhammad is the Messenger of God - Muhammadan Rasulu 'Llah. The 'traveller' must learn to see in this also an epitome of the spiritual path, of the wave that can take him to the end of the journey. Both testifications end alike. But whereas la ilaha illa 'Llah begins with a negative, which signifies the turning of one's back on the world, Muhammadun Rasulu 'Llah begins with the state of human perfection as starting point for the realisation of all that lies beyond." (Martin Lings, What is Sufism?, pp. 75-76)

Canonical Prayer

"The prayer integrates man into the rhythm of universal adoration and — through the ritual orientation of the prayer towards the Kaaba — into its centripetal order; the ablution preceding the prayer virtually brings man back to the primordial state and in a certain manner to pure Being." (Frithjof Schuon, Understanding Islam)

"Prayer marks the submission of Manifestation to the Principle ... Amongst the 'Pillars of the Religion,' that which the Prayer has in particular is that it has a precise form and comprises bodily positions which, being symbols, necessarily have meanings belonging to esoterism; but these meanings are simply explanatory, they do not enter consciously and operatively into the accomplishment of the rite, which only requires a sincere awareness of the formulas and a pious intention regarding the movements. The reason for the existence of the Canonical Prayer lies in the fact that man always remains an individual interlocutor before God and that he does not have to be anything else. When God wills that we speak to Him, He does not accept from us a metaphysical meditation. As regards the meaning of the movements of the Prayer, all that need be said here is that the vertical positions express our dignity as free and theomorphic vicar (khalifah), and that the prostrations on the contrary manifest our smallness as servant” (‘abd) and as dependant and limited creature; man must be aware of the two sides of his being, made as he is of clay and spirit." (Frithjof Schuon, Sufism: Veil and Quintessence)

"The second pillar of Islam ... is the ritual prayer together with the ablution which is an inseparable part of it ... the water must be considered as flowing into this finite world from the next; and according to the Qur'an, water is one of the symbols of Mercy (which includes purification), and of Life ... A drop of water as well as a lake symbolises the Infinite Beatitude into which Mercy reintegrates; and the water used in the ablution, when consecrated by the aspiration to return, is above all a vehicle of reintegration or, from another angle, of liberation, for water is likewise a symbol of the Living Substance of Reality set free from the ice of finite forms ... The same End, looked at from a different point of view is 'enacted' in the ritual prayer in which each cycle of movements leads to a prostration followed by a sitting posture. The Sufis interpret these in the light of the Quranic verse Everyone therein (in the worlds of creation) passeth away; and there remaineth the Face of thy Lord in Its Majesty and Bounty. The passing away corresponds to the prostration, and the remaining to the seatedness which is the most compact and stable posture of the whole prayer." (Martin Lings, What is Sufism?, pp. 77-78)

The Fast of Ramadan

"The fast cuts man off from the continual and devouring flux of carnal life, introducing into our flesh a kind of death and purification ..." (Frithjof Schuon, Understanding Islam

"... the Fast is detachment with regard to desires thus with regard to the ego ..." (Frithjof Schuon, Sufism: Veil and Quintessence)

Almsgiving

"... the alms vanquish egoism and avarice and actualize the solidarity of all creatures, for alms are a fasting of the soul, even as the fast proper is an almsgiving of the body." (Frithjof Schuon, Understanding Islam)

"... the Almsgiving is detachment with regard to things, thus with regard to the world ..." (Frithjof Schuon, Sufism: Veil and Quintessence)

The Pilgrimage to Mecca

"The pilgrimage is a prefiguration of the inward journey towards the kaaba of the heart and purifies the community, just as the circulation of the blood, passing through the heart, purifies the body ..." (Frithjof Schuon, Understanding Islam)

"... the Pilgrimage, finally, is the return to the Center, to the Heart: to the Self." (Frithjof Schuon, Sufism: Veil and Quintessence)

"... this voluntary rite, which the vast majority of Muslims are never able to perform, remains none the less a secret dimension of Islam, hidden from all those who have not actually explored it for themselves; and this dimension is the link between the present moment and the past. It is by no means only in virtue of the Pilgrimage that Islam is named 'the religion of Abraham' and 'the primordial religion'; but the Pilgrimage is an eloquent demonstration of what these names imply, for it is not only a journey in space to the center towards which one has always turned one's face in prayer, but also a journey in time far back beyond the missions of Muhammad, Jesus, and Moses. " (Abu Bakr Siraj al-Din, Pilgrimage to Mecca)

The Holy War

"... the holy war is — always from the point of view adopted here — an external and collective manifestation of discernment between truth and error; it is like the centrifugal and negative complement of the pilgrimage — complement, not opposite, because it remains attached to the center and is positive through its religious content." (Frithjof Schuon, Understanding Islam)

"A sixth pillar is sometimes added, the Holy War: this is the fight against the profane soul by means of the spiritual weapon; it is therefore not the Holy War that is outward and “lesser” (asghar), but the Holy War that is inward and “greater” (akbar), according to a hadith. The Islamic initiation is in fact a pact with God with a view to this “greater” Holy War; the battle is fought by means of the Dhikr and on the basis of Faqr, inward Poverty; whence the name of faqir given to the initiate." (Frithjof Schuon, Sufism: Veil and Quintessence)

Communicating Esoteric Knowledge

2009-12-05T02:16:00.000-08:00

... I tend to view the conceptions of "action" and "contemplation" as pathways of spirituality distinguished by their emphasis upon one of these vocations but not necessarily in a mutually exclusive manner. Whereas the path of contemplation tends to emphasize the existential or inward realization of divine qualities, the path of action tends to emphasize their outward manifestation, typically through such efforts as those of social and environmental welfare and concern. In either case, a path of contemplation does not necessarily mean withdrawing from the world and its concerns completely, just as a path of action is not necessarily void of contemplative depth, although both of these extremes are also possibilities. In the language of the Vedantists, the gnostic must cease to become attached to the "fruit" of his actions. This may mean that one must cease to become preoccupied with the concerns of the world in so far as they distract one from the remembrance of God, but not necessarily that one must forfeit one's occupation in doing so.

This is a consideration of the subject in general, however, whereas you have invited the consideration of a specific situation, that is, how can I contribute what I have learned of esoteric teachings to my exoteric community, a question that I have encountered frequently in different forms and from various angles of approach among those exposed to the writings of the traditionalists. There is a tendency to be so enthusiastic about these insights as to naturally want others to benefit from them also. I have found that it is useful to pose an introspective question in such instances, specifically what are your motivations? Are you genuinely motivated by the interests of others or is there a subtle self-serving motive involved? For myself, I have found that if my convictions are strong enough that they do not require the collective support of others as an external validation, I can stand alone in my convictions, conversing with people according to their own aptitudes. When I encounter those inclined toward the consideration of metaphysical knowledge, we may engage in many interesting and mutually beneficial conversations on these subjects. If I were to try to engage in such conversations with those who do not possess these inclinations, however, the result may be a burdensome if not intolerable exchange. According to Baba Afdal al-din Kashani in his Advice to Seekers of Wisdom, "They should not sit and converse with anyone in other than that person's manner and path, for, if they speak of knowledge with the ignorant or of serious matters with the shameless, they have tormented their sitting companion and boonfellow." Ultimately, our own ability to convey esoteric knowledge to those around us, if it is not to be limited to theoretical discourse open only to those with the necessary mental capability, is predicated upon our own level of realization of or existential participation in that knowledge. If it has transcended the merely theoretical and been assimilated into the existential, it is through our being that we may then communicate it. In the context of social relations, this consists essentially of the outward expression of the virtues which are the the subjective manifestations of objective divine qualities and the means by which we come to embody esoteric knowledge. To reply to your question, then, "Can I, as a seeker, contribute to the community that housed me allowing me to discover the traditionalist sages, even though they may not understand or agree with the perspectives?", we may answer yes, if conveying your knowledge you do so in the "manner and path" that is common to all people, specifically, through practice of spiritual chivalry.

About the Title

2009-10-07T17:59:00.000-07:00

The title of this weblog is taken from the visionary treatise al-Qissat al-ghurbat al-gharbiyyah ("The Story of the Occidental Exile") written by the great Persian Ishraqi philosopher Shihab al-din Suhrawardi. It presents a development of the universal theme of the alienation of the human being from his spiritual home represented by the Orient as the source of the rising light of dawn. According to Seyyed Hossein Nasr commenting on this work, "the universe becomes a crypt through which the seeker after truth must journey, beginning with this world of matter and darkness into which he has fallen and ending in the Orient of lights, the original home of the soul, which symbolizes illumination and spiritual realization." The themes of exile and imprisonment have long held particular fascination for me due to their reflection of my nostalgia for the luminous realm of paradise in the presence of my Creator prior to entering into this world. They represent the paradoxical nature of the human state wherein God is veiled from us only through the corrugations of the soul and the opacity of the ego. This veil of separateness and illusion causes Him to appear distant when in reality "We are nearer to him than his jugular vein." (50:16)

Evolution: Framing the Debate

2009-10-07T00:34:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, I did not share your sentiments as I read the article (Man vs. God). Instead of experiencing a serious and balanced discussion, I instead bore witness to an otherwise seemingly serious scholar descend into the realm of vulgar journalism and debate. One of the primary problems that I perceived deterring from the establishment of a preliminary balance of positions is the centrality of the theory of evolution. Rather than basing a discussion on such a subject as cosmogenesis or anthropogenesis and then presenting the contrary viewpoints of religion and modern science, the center stage is given to evolution with Dawkins eulogizing it and Armstrong taking a "reactionary" position which as you stated makes too many concessions. Regarding the nature of the reactionary position according to Guenon, ... [see Social Action and Reaction]

In the field of academic religious studies of which Armstrong is a scholar, the reactionary position is represented by the emphasis placed upon what is referred to as "the hermeneutics of suspicion". It consists of placing great value upon the criticisms of religion made by its greatest opponents, people such as Nietzsche, Marx, and Freud. The rationale for such an emphasis is that it serves as a counterpoint to many of the uncritically accepted beliefs of popular religion and for the non-secular scholar that it may serve as a gauge to strengthen weaknesses in apologetics.

From the beginning of her discussion, Armstrong establishes very clearly that she employs the hermeneutics of suspicion eliciting the aid of Darwin and Dawkins to clarify the traditional understanding of God. In doing so, her efforts have proved to be both inadequate and even counterproductive as her perspective degenerates into the position characterized by Karl Marx who described religion as an opiate of the masses. In turns, she portrays various elements of religion as a psychology, a therapy, a kind of art form, an attitude, and ultimately a convenient fiction useful for achieving peace of mind in a tumultuous world removed from direct access to spiritual realities of a transcendent nature.

I hesitate even to mention the performance of Richard Dawkins, but will do so only to take note of the prime example that it affords of the usurpation of religious sentiments. Karen Armstrong began by stating that "Richard Dawkins has been right all along ... Evolution has indeed dealt a death blow to the idea of a benign creator, literally conceived." On the contrary, what it has done is not to deal a death blow, so much as give it a new name. To quote Dawkins, "Evolution is the universe's greatest work. Evolution is the creator of life, and life is arguable the most surprising and most beautiful production that the laws of physics have ever generated ... Never once are the laws of physics violated, yet life emerges into uncharted territory. And how is the trick done? The answer is a process that, although variable in its wondrous detail, is sufficiently uniform to deserve one single name: Darwinian evolution, the non-random survival of randomly varying coded information." Dawkin's seems to be continually singing the same refrain, "there is no god but evolution, and Darwin is his prophet."

Ultimately, I cannot but feel that in entering into a perspective determined by the framework of this debate in her forthcomming book, The Case for God that Armstrong's scholarship is taking a turn for the worst.

Now, this article does raise a few interesting observations and questions ... First, I do not believe that it is possible to effectively enter into a debate on evolution from a reactionary perspective alone. In order to be effective, the entire framework must be changed and the centrality of the evolutionary position must be exchanged for a subject of mutual consideration as for example, cosmology or the emergence of species. Furthermore, it is not sufficient merely to deconstruct the evolutionist hypothesis as a means of discrediting it because it is not only the hypothesis that is in question but its function as a modern worldview accepted to explain the origins of the universe and of life. It is relatively simple to provide the main arguments against it (as summarized by Nasr, Stoddart, and others) but what also must be done is to provide a viable alternative as in the form of a (or the) traditional perspective. As a worldview, however convoluted, the theory of evolution provides a focus for the derivation of a sense of meaning such that it will prove impossible to remove it without first positing a more suitable foundation.

* *

I would like to share some further considerations from the work of Frithjof Schuon concerning the ideas that were introduced in this discussion. The present article demonstrates the "framing" of the evolution debate, to borrow a term of George Lakoff, within which the opposing critic and representative of religion must take a reactionary stance vis-a-vis the evolutionary propositions rather than expressing in a positive manner the traditional perspective. In his article "In the Wake of the Fall" Schuon describes the negative ramifications of this form of debate as follows:

"One of the effects of modern science has been to give religion a mortal wound, by posing in concrete terms problems which only esoterism can resolve; but these problems remain unresolved, because esoterism is not listened to, and is listened to less now than ever. Faced by these new problems, religion is disarmed, and it borrows clumsily and gropingly the arguments of the enemy; it is thus compelled to falsify by imperceptible degrees its own perspective, and more and more to disavow itself ... The absence of metaphysical or esoteric knowledge on the one hand, and the suggestive force emanating from scientific discoveries as well as from collective psychoses on the other, make religion an almost defenseless victim, a victim that even refuses more often than not to make use of the arguments at its disposal."

According to Schuon, the corresponding perspective of the cosmologia perennis, an appeal to which may explain the phenomena misinterpreted by the evolutionist hypothesis, is based upon the traditional teachings concerning ontological hierarchy. In "The Five Divine Presences", he wrote,

... all the philosophic and scientific errors of the modern world can be said to proceed essentially from the denial of the [traditional concepts relating to the cosmogonic emanations]. In other words, what invalidates modern interpretations of the world and of man at their very root and robs them of every possibility of being valid, is their monotonous and besetting ignorance of the supra-sensible degrees of Reality, or of the ‘five Divine Presences’. This is an observation which cannot escape anyone who is more than a simple logician of sensory experience.

In a discussion of the process of anthropogenesis wherein the ontological hierarchy is taken as the framework of explanation or debate, the traditional perspective may be expressed as in the following words of Titus Burckhardt from "Traditional Cosmology and the Modern World":

"Fundamentally, the evolutionist thesis is an attempt to replace, not simply the ‘miracle of creation’, but the cosmogonic process—largely suprasensory—of which the Biblical narrative is a Scriptural symbol; evolutionism, by absurdly making the greater derive from the lesser, is the opposite of this process, or this ‘emanation’ ... In a word, evolutionism results from an incapacity--peculiar to modern science—to conceive ‘dimensions’ of reality other than purely physical ones; to understand the ‘vertical’ genesis of species, it is worth recalling what Guénon said about the progressive solidification of the corporeal state through the various terrestrial ages. This solidification must obviously not be taken to imply that the stones of the earliest ages were soft, for this would be tantamount to saying that certain physical qualities—and in particular hardness and density—were then wanting; what has hardened and become fixed with time is the corporeal state taken as a whole, with the result that it no longer receives directly the imprint of subtle forms. Assuredly, it cannot become detached from the subtle state, which is its ontological root and which dominates it entirely, but the relationship between the two states of existence no longer has the creative character that it possessed at the origin; it is as when a fruit, having reached maturity, becomes surrounded by an ever harder husk and ceases to absorb the sap of the tree. In a cyclic phase in which corporeal existence had not yet reached this degree of solidification, a new specific form could manifest itself directly from the starting-point of its first ‘condensation’ in the subtle or animic state; this means that the different types of animals pre-existed at the level immediately superior to the corporeal world as non-spatial forms, but nevertheless clothed in a certain ‘matter’, namely that of the subtle world. From there these forms ‘descended’ into the corporeal state each time the latter was ready to receive them; this ‘descent’ had the nature of a sudden coagulation and hence also the nature of a limitation and fragmentation of the original animic form ... the process of materialization, from the supra-sensory to the sensory, had to be reflected within the material or corporeal state itself, so that one can say without risk of error, that the first generations of a new species did not leave a mark in the great book of earthly layers; it is therefore vain to seek in sensible matter the ancestors of a species, and especially that of man ... let it be recalled once more that the bodies of the most ancient men did not necessarily leave solid traces, either because their bodies were not yet at that point materialized or ‘solidified’, or because the spiritual state of these men, along with the cosmic conditions of their time, rendered possible a resorption of the physical body into the subtle ‘body’ at the moment of death."

It is only natural that an explanation as sophisticated as this and relying as it does upon esoteric theses cannot successfully enter into the realm of popular debate wherein effective communication is limited to the least common denominator of understanding and experience, namely, physical matter. Ultimately, it seems best to remember that the position of the simple believer in a literal interpretation of scriptural symbols but who nonetheless retains a sense of the sacred and of dependence upon God is much better than the alternative of the scientific-materialist who denies the reality of the spirit in the pursuit of concrete facts. According to Schuon again,

"From the point of view of total truth— let it be said once more—it is a thousand times better to believe that God created this world in six days and that the world beyond lies beneath the flat surface of the earth or in the spinning heavens, than it is to know the distance from one nebula to another without knowing that phenomena merely serve to manifest a transcendent Reality which determines us in every respect and gives to our human condition its whole meaning and its whole content."

Social Action and Reaction

2009-10-07T00:26:00.000-07:00

Your first question presupposes that Rene Guenon desired either to return society to a previous state or otherwise cause a radical change within its present structure but this is incompatible with the traditional teachings concerning cyclic laws. In the context of these laws the decadence of humanity as with their social institutions is an inevitable outcome of the progression of the ages leading from a Golden Age or Satya Yuga to the present Iron Age or Kali Yuga. This process can be represented as that of a winding-down or solidification of the world prior to a renewal.

Although the majority of the writings in these books deal with what may be called synthetic assessment rather than analysis with an accompanying remedy, he does speak about the practical considerations to which these ideas give rise, generally toward the end of the volumes. Although I do not have the time to discuss all of the considerations that I have encountered in these pages, there are a few comments pertinent to your questions that I would like to share.

The first is the subject of “reaction” that he treats in Chapter 31 of The Reign of Quantity. Guenon discusses the tendency of those who become privy to the deficiencies of our present situation to take up a direct “reactive” opposition to them. In addition to posing as a diversion to the pursuit of authentic traditional knowledge, such preoccupations, determined indirectly by the perverted institution in question and limited to its field operation, merely add to the existing disorder and in the end contribute toward the chaos and dissolution which they were intended to neutralize. In the words of Guenon, “their reciprocal enmity [i.e. between the individual and what he is reacting against] is therefore no more than an enmity between the various and apparently opposed productions of one and the same modern deviation; thus the final result can only be a fresh increase in disorder and confusion, and that simply amounts to one more step towards final dissolution.”

The paragraph that follows is explicit on his determination of what is the position for one to take on such matters. He wrote, “As between all the more or less incoherent things that are today in constant agitation and mutual collision, as between all external ‘movements’ of whatever kind they may be, there is no occasion to ‘take sides’, to use the common expression, whether from a traditional or from a merely ‘traditionalist’ point of view, for to do so is to be a dupe. Since the same influences are really operating behind all these things, it is really playing their game to join in the struggles promoted and directed by them; therefore the mere fact of ‘taking sides’ under such conditions is necessarily to adopt, however, unwittingly, a truly anti-traditional attitude. No particular applications need be specified here, but it must at least be made clear in a general way that in all this agitation principles are always and everywhere lacking”.

To address the second part of your question, there is definitely an emphasis on contemplation over action. However, this does not necessarily imply the adoption of a posture of passivity or an attitude of aloofness and indifference. Rather than reacting impulsively to modernism and emphasizing its destruction or reform, Guenon suggests rather the affirmation and preservation of those elements of tradition that remain, wherever they may be found. Just as the majority of the deficiencies of the modern world can be accounted for in the gradual decline and eclipse of essential knowledge and genuine intellectuality, so are these the two things that are most in need of preservation. Both East and West and Crisis of the Modern World emphasize this point as well as the catalyzing force that eastern doctrines may (and have) had on the re-establishment of western intellectuality.

It is inevitable in the context of cyclic conditions that the world established upon the principles of modernism will inevitably decline and collapse, but according to traditional teachings, this is only in anticipation of a return to the Golden Age and a renewal of the cosmic process. The preservation of tradition is accomplished not in the aim of overthrowing the established order, but in preparing the seeds for the new one. Guenon’s message, far from the pessimism that is sometimes associated with it, is actually one of hope. “There is therefore no cause for despair,” he writes in the concluding remarks to Crisis of the Modern World, “and, even were there no hope of achieving any visible result before the modern world collapses under some catastrophe, this would still be no valid reason for not understanding a work whose scope extends far beyond the present time. Those who might be tempted to give away to despair should realize that nothing accomplished in this order can ever be lost, that confusion, error and darkness can win the day only apparently and in a purely ephemeral way, that all partial and transitory disequilibrium must perforce contribute towards the great equilibrium of the whole, and that nothing can ultimately prevail against the power of truth; their device should be that used formerly by certain initiatory organizations of the West: Vincit Omnia Veritas (Truth Conquers All).”

Contemporary Challenges to Islam

2009-09-12T14:28:00.000-07:00

I am reminded of my response to a recent inquiry about the best point of departure for contemplating God in our present age. In this instance I will be quick to state that Islam does not need to be made relevant in America, for it already is so. As with other religions, Islam is fully capable of anticipating and fulfilling the fundamental spiritual needs of human nature, needs that the modern world does not provide for and in the absence of which man is left morally bankrupt, spiritually destitute, and a danger to both himself and his environment.

Despite its persisting relevance, however, there are a number of obstacles that prevent Islam from being accepted by non-Muslims and which deter both its practice and appreciation by existing Muslims. Fundamentally, this situation can be attributed to the degenerate Anthropocosmic Vision predicated by the developments of modern, chiefly western thought, which have affected not only the perspective, but also the organization, administration, and lifestyle of western civilization. The primary characteristics of the modern deviation have been adequately diagnosed by the traditionalists, especially by Rene Guenon in his books The Crisis of the Modern World and The Reign of Quantity and the Signs of the Times. I believe that everything "essential" concerning this subject has been covered in their books such that any future issues or challenges brought about by changing conditions do not necessarily consist of something entirely new but rather of modifications or intensification of existing trends. As an example, although the increasing sophistication and dependence upon complex technologies has produced rapidly changing life-patterns and social relations and conditions, the fundamental nature of the deviation and hence the proper response to it have remained unchanged.

In my opinion, what is much more important than acquainting yourself with various representative selections of western literature so as to formulate an appropriate response and "reaction" to them a posteriori, is to formulate and solidify your position a priori with regard to their analogue within the Islamic Tradition. To clarify, perhaps the greatest challenge facing Islam in America is not the pressures infringing upon it from without rooted in perspectives that may easily be refuted by recourse to the proper arguments, but rather an obstacle emerging from within the consciousness of the Muslim community at large which is characterized by a persisting sense of intellectual inferiority vis-a-vis the west. To address your second question then, as an intellectual, I believe that the subjects that an 'Alim will need to effectively overcome the challenges and obstacles with which Islam is faced in America include the traditional elements of the educational curriculum that are especially neglected in many of the modern madrasah systems, but which are distinctly Islamic. I would emphasize specifically, the intellectual heritage including for example Islamic Philosophy, Theosophy, Sufism, Theoretical Gnosis, poetry, and visionary literature, and the artistic heritage including such pursuits as calligraphy, architecture, crafts, music, vestment, and decor.

The following are some comments by William Chittick that are relevant to all of the foregoing considerations. He wrote,

"...Islamic thought is indeed far more than an historical curiosity. It is a valuable repository of profound teachings about the human predicament. Not only is it relevant to contemporary concerns, it is far more relevant than any of the sciences, technologies, and ideologies that occupy the minds of most contemporary thinkers, Muslim or otherwise. In fact, traditional Islamic thought is so relevant to Muslim attempts to deal with contemporary issues that, if it is not recovered and rehabilitated, authentic Islamic thinking will cease to exist. In other words, there will be no escape from what dominates most contemporary Islamic thought already, which is warmed over ideology disguised by a veneer of Islamic rhetoric ... If genuine Islamic thought ceases to exist, the religion of Islam will lose touch with its living roots and no longer function as an alternative to modernity ... To think in Islamic terms one needs to reconnect one's thought to the transcendent truths from which Islamic draws sustenance. This needs to be done not only by having recourse to the guidelines set down in the Quran and Hadith, but also by seeking help from the great Muslim intellectuals of the past, those who employed the Quran and Hadith to clarify the proper role of thought in human affairs."

As with the Western Tradition, the Islamic Tradition is too vast to adequately provide a list of essential works on these subjects. Unfortunately, there is not yet an equivalent of the Great Books to provide at least a representative selection. Nevertheless, if I was to choose books that I felt every 'Alim taking up residence in America should read, I would hand them two, Islam and the Plight of Modern Man by Seyyed Hossein Nasr and Science of Cosmos, Science of Soul: The Pertinence of Islamic Cosmology in the Modern World by William Chittick (from which the above quotation was taken). I feel that these books clearly identify and explain the most pertinent issues facing the contemporary Islamic community and contribute to an understanding of how best to deal with them. Other works relevant to the contemporary rehabilitation of the Islamic intellectual tradition include, and may be identified by exploring, other books by these authors.

Occidental Exile by Seyyed Hossein Nasr

2009-09-08T18:48:00.000-07:00

I live in exile, exiled from my land of birth,
From her exalted peaks and vast deserts,
From the vivid colors of all that grows from her soil,
From her azure bright skies,
Exiled in the occident of this world.
But is not this domain of transience,
This world of birth and death,
Of shadows cast upon the cascades of light
Itself the occident, whether it be in East or West,
Of that Orient which is light pure,
Unadulterated by the imperfections of earthly life?
It is from that world that we are all exiled,
It is that world from which we all hail
And to that world that we must return,
Return after our earthly journey's end.
That Orient we carry in our hearts
At that center which is the seat of the All-Merciful,
Our very core, yet beyond our daily reach
Until we turn inward the wayward soul
And break the shell of our hearts
Hardened by the march of forgetfulness through time.
Our return from exile is return to that Center,
To our real land of birth.
I live in exile but in joy of being exiled from the world,
For did not the Blessed Prophet utter
'Happy are those who are in exile in this world?'*
Sensing as they do the home to which they belong,
The luminous Orient of all existence is ours,
joyous in the thought of their homecoming.

-Seyyed Hossein Nasr
State Park, Pennsylvania and Bethesda, Maryland
September 1997

*"Islam began in exile and shall become as it began, and happy are those who are in exile." A hadith of the Prophet.

Obstacles to Understanding

2009-08-27T00:08:00.000-07:00

Greetings of Peace. Your reason for being removed from the forum was not due to censorship, as contrary to many of the other participants I welcome the discussion of challenging and controversial subjects. It was due rather to a lack of tact and sensitivity to other members who are predominantly of a religious persuasion. One manner in which this might have been avoided would have been to state something to the effect of, how do Muslims and others sympathetic to Islam view and/or justify the marriage of the Prophet Muhammad to his wife Aisha, when her age at the time of the consummation of the marriage is commonly held to be as young as nine years old, an age difference that severely contradicts contemporary western social mores.

It is important when seeking an audience with Muslims to take into consideration the fundamental perspective concerning Muhammad -Peace be upon Him, that he is a prophet, a sacred figure, and by virtue of this fact that the various elements of his life take on a sacred quality that is a priori not subject to serious question. In most cases, the possibility of the Prophet performing an action out of vice or some other serious human limitation simply does not arise owing to the acceptance of his magnanimity and superior character as exemplified in the numerous testimonies to this fact concerning his life before and after taking on the prophetic function. Due to the fact that you are a materialist and atheist, if you do acknowledge the reality of the sacred, your conception of it is far different from that of tradition based upon revelation, precluding thereby the acknowledgment of the reality of things such as prophecy.

It is because you have not demonstrated an effort to think about the differences of these perspectives and attempted to be sensitive to the very people that you are trying to dialogue with that it seems you may not have been very serious about achieving some kind of understanding, whether of your own ideas or of the traditional perspective concerning Islam and other religions.

I can empathize to a degree with the ideological persecution that you have suffered while living in a Muslim country, though of course certainly not the same degree. I appreciate the intellectual freedom provided by the fact of living in the west, but Islam is by no mean a luxury for me and others like me. Rather it is a matter of the utmost seriousness and sacredness. We are not without our own sometimes severe persecution particularly due to the undue emphasis upon Islamic fundamentalism and extremism following the events of 9/11. Generally speaking, the prevailing scientific ideologies of many academic institutions oftentimes make it difficult to communicate reasonably many of our ideas and many Muslims suffer religious persecution, alienation, even physical abuse in many parts of the United States at the hands of Christian fundamentalists and secular people.

It is owing to many of these attitudes that I tend to be somewhat reserved when discussing my religion at work and at school, instead seeking out the occasional sympathetic ear, or otherwise dialoguing with those who are capable of mutual respect despite serious disagreements.

Ramadan and Remembrance

2009-08-23T20:48:00.000-07:00

"Therefore remember Me, I will remember you. Give thanks to Me, and reject not Me." -The Holy Quran, 2:152

I feel as though the fast is emptying me of myself, of all individual and self-concerned volition, replacing it with the perpetual remembrance of God. He is in the pangs of thirst and hunger that I feel. He sits as judge over every thought that enters my mind. And he repeatedly leads me back to the remembrance of His Name.

Ramadan Reflections

2009-08-23T08:08:00.000-07:00

"The Month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the Criterion of right and wrong. And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, let him fast the same number of other days. Allah desireth for you ease; He desireth not hardship for you, and He desireth that ye should complete the period, and that ye should magnify Allah for having guided you and that peradventure ye may be thankful." - The Holy Quran, 2:185

This month marks the third passage of Ramadan since I entered into Islam and once again I feel the shroud of holy poverty descend upon my heart, protecting it from base thoughts, just as I protect my body from the food and water forbidden it during this time and guard my tongue from unnecessary and ignoble speech. I say that it is me who does these things but in reality it is through God that they are made possible for the month of Ramadan, although outwardly a trial, carries inwardly the mercy of "Allah desireth for you ease." That which formerly was difficult, has been made easy by Divine Aid. I am grateful to God for first commanding and then allowing me to fast during this month and I pray for peace and blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad, my family, friends, companions, and myself.

Reconsidering My Limitations

2009-03-17T00:03:00.000-07:00

In my previous reflections I had reached a satisfactory resolution concerning a suitable career path in psychotherapy. Since then I have put forth a a significant amount of time and energy researching the field of psychology, the efforts needed to secure this career, the various methods of research and primary schools of psychotherapy. I would need to complete undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate study and additional training. The field of psychology including its application in psychotherapy is considered an empirical science and its studies are principally research oriented, involving the collection of quantifiable biological and behavioral data, their statistical assessment, and publication or presentation. Even at the level of applied psychotherapy, the methods used and perspective held in each school are firmly grounded in statistical research guided by a central principle or "philosophy of life" essentially determined by the philosophical outlook of the founder of the school. Among the schools of Psychoanalysis, Individual Psychology, Analytical Psychology, Gestalt Therapy, Logotherapy, Existential Psychotherapy, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Therapy, Transactional Analysis, Psychosynthesis and Client-Centered Therapy, it was only the last founded by Carl Rogers and based upon a positive view of the inherent goodness and dignity of the individual that carried even a modicum of appeal.

While reading through a recently obtained book called Psychology as a Major: Is it right for me and what can I do with it? I obtained a significant breakthrough which I hope to be my final word on the subejct. In the third chapter were several assessment methods used by vocational counselors to determine our natural inclinations and apptitudes. Most of these did not provide me with information superior to what I obtained in my own reflections. However, there were two questions of great significance. The first was to reflect upon my previous educational and vocational experiences to determine those aspects which I most enjoyed or that I excelled at. The second was to recall at what point in my life I felt that I was at my best. Within my college career nearly ten years ago, it was in the field of comparative religion that I excelled and which I enjoyed the most. The period of my life during which I was at my best was when I was working at the Dharma Center Bookstore, and with the abundance of leisure available to me, pursuing self-directed studies of the world's religions.

After encountering these two questions and pondering my answer, I then began to think about my present situation. I have adequately overcome my resistance to returning to academia and already begun taking the steps necessary for my re-entry, albeit into a field of monotonous quantitative statistical research and necessary boredom. I immediately began to reconsider my self-imposed limitations to see if there was some way in which this situation can be avoided.

One of my primary limitations was that of the desire for freedom in my religious studies. If I was to accept the path leading to a career in psychotherapy, most of my time would be devoted to the study of psychology with only a minimum of time and energy left for my private study of religion. I accepted this as a matter of course and mentally prepared myself for it. If I was to study religion academically, however, I would be applying myself to the field of my greatest interest and although the sources would not necessarily be those chosen by myself, the subject itself is one which I enjoy the most and if given the opportunity would most likely excel at. There is also the possibility of directing research toward sources and topics that are more suitable to my personal preferences. I was also concerned with recieving financial remuneration for what I hold to be sacred knowledge. My thoughts concerning this are presently that the teaching profession is not necessarily that of the spiritual guide. In academia particularly, the teacher is the guide through the world of thoughts and ideas and the director of research. As a teacher, my principle role would be a to transmit my enthusiasm for the subject and the bestow upon others a perspective that is suitable to the apprehension of religion in the fullest possible manner within the domain of theory. As long as I do not cross over into the domain of practical spiritual direction, there is no necessary conflict between my self-imposed limitations and a career in the reasearch and teaching of comparative religion.

Perhaps it is possible for our work to be both financially supportive and personally fulfilling. I have decided to try and find out for myself. I am changing my career goal from psychotherapy to the academic research and teaching of religious studies.

Psychotherapy and Tradition

2009-03-12T11:20:00.000-07:00

Thank you for providing with the helpful video by Rama Coomaraswamy and also for your inquires which happen to coincide with my own present line of thought concerning psychotherapy. Our society is not founded upon traditional principles including a knowledge of the reality of God and the orientation of life toward the achievement of salvation. As such, all occupations that are provided within it, excluding work for religious organizations and certain teaching professions which I have excluded as a self-imposed limitation, are subject to a secularized world-view and aims that are primarily psychological, material, and social in nature. I have accepted this situation as the condition in which I would be carrying out any activity if I am to live and work within our society.

As far as my chosen profession is concerned, I am interested in entering into the field of counseling psychology with the particular occupation of psychotherapy which essentially involves sitting down with people on an individual basis and helping them to give full consideration to their problems and undertake suitable steps to solve those problems. Most of these will be of a psychological, physical, and social nature and can be dealt with using the variety of techniques and internal and external resources at my disposal.

In this work I will encounter a variety of different clients, some who are religious and some who are not. For those who possess faith in God and are concerned with immortality, therapy can be based upon a mutual understanding of the full condition of the human being as Spirit, Soul, and Body. For those who are not, their receptivity to this perspective will be limited and it will be my job to communicate with them in such a fashion that they will not be resistant to the therapeutic process, even if it means limiting the explicit communication of certain ideas that may be valuable under other circumstances. As an individual, my knowledge of the human condition, my method and its intended effect will always be informed by traditional principles, regardless of whether or not I am actually giving voice to them. I believe that this the best that can be done under existing circumstances. In short, the process will always be rooted in tradition, whether or not the client is aware of it. It is impossible in any case to directly cause faith to blossom in someone's heart. That is ultimately a choice that rests with them. All we can do, in a profession such as this, is to set up the the best conditions possible for that to happen and provide the best guidance and direction that we possible can.

By not wanting to infringe upon the domain of tradition I was concerned specifically with not usurping the role of the shaykh. Traditional psychotherapy is not necessarily something that is practiced as an isolated science like modern psychotherapy, but a process that occurs organically through one's relations with the shaykh, his teachings and methods. If I encounter a person who is spiritually inclined and who desires guidance on the spiritual path, I feel equipped to assist them in obtaining such guidance while overcoming psychological obstacles to its achievement, but not in administering such guidance myself. In this as in all problems, you can only lead someone to the door. It is they who must make the decision ultimately to take it or not.

Just to give you an example of basing therapy on traditional principles without talking directly about them, consider my own problem of deciding upon a career. If someone asks me how they can determine what kind of work they should pursue, I can provide them with the three criteria that I worked out and that Schumacher teaches. These are essentially based upon the biblical injunction, "Whichever gift each of you may have received, use it in service to one another, like good stewards dispensing the grace of God in its varied forms." (1 Peter 4:10) These criterion of good work are firmly rooted in the perspective of tradition but, without necessarily drawing attention to this for those who are at present resistant to tradition, it is possible for them to apply and benefit from them.

I realize, like Coomaraswamy said, that most people will be entering into therapy to solve practical problems pertaining to the psychological, physical, and social domains. By resolving these problems, they will be in a better position from which to consider their most important spiritual needs. At that point I can only offer to introduce them to that domain by continuing therapy with the discussion of the fundamental considerations of human life, meaning, and purpose. It is up to them to accept that offer and consider these needs, and their frequent refusal to do so is one of the limitations of the profession that I am willing to accept.

Resolution

2009-03-11T02:49:00.001-07:00

(Continued from Refinement of the Questions)

My previous arrangement of questions has ultimately proved to be unnecessary. All of the foregoing considerations have demonstrated that I desire above all, conditions wherein which I may maintain what E.F. Schumacher referred to as a "conscious culture of poverty", in which little emphasis is given to ephemeral or transitory goods, and greater emphasis is given to eternal goods and basic necessities. A conscious culture of poverty, as well as an orientation toward the sacred may be supported and maintained within any location and environment. The needs that I have determined to be fundamental may also be supported by virtually any existing career. Access to nature may be granted from virtually any situation provided that transportation is available and my ideal little house on the outskirts of the city may be reserved for retirement. It only remains for me to determine what kind of work I desire for myself and to carry out its attainment.

Schumacher and I agree on three fundamental principles. I derived my understanding of them through introspection while he obtained them through traditional doctrines. These principles state that human work should provide society with the goods and services that are useful to it, enable every one of us to use and thereby perfect our gifts like good stewards, and to do so in service to and cooperation with others so as to liberate ourselves from our in-born egocentricity.

Fundamentally useful goods and services involve those occupations which provide for our basic spiritual, psychological, physical, and social needs. I should therefore, select an occupation that is supportive of one of these domains rather than one which arises out of the complications of increasing size and technological advancement. It should enable me to use and perfect my gifts, the primary one of which is thought and reflection which I tend to direct toward the solution of problems arising in my own life or those of others. These are oftentimes psychological problems of perspective or knowledge, but I have also demonstrated to my own satisfaction through this exercise that I can apply myself equally well to the solution of problems pertaining to the practical domain. This work should also be done as a service to others rather than for selfish reasons alone.

My primary self-imposed limitation concerns my spiritual life. I desire to retain freedom of inquiry and a degree of privacy. Neither do I wish my study and practice of religion and the knowledge and understanding that I share with others to be involved in any kind of pecuniary compensation. This rules out all spiritual occupations and academic involvement in religious studies.

Based upon these considerations, it appears that the ideal activity for the application of my innate talents in accordance with my self-imposed limitations is the practice of psychotherapy. Psychotherapy means literally the cure or healing of the soul, and it traditionally occurs within the context of the spiritual path. In this context the spiritual teachings and method provided by the master proceed to integrate the spirit, soul, and body of the initiate in accordance with a divine pattern and norm established by tradition. Modern psychotherapy on the other hand concerns primarily the establishment of functional equilibrium within the emotional and physical states. It is based upon a world view that is necessarily limited, but because it is primarily practical and individual, I believe that I can use the basis of my own worldview toward the accomplishment of these aims in accordance with my own values, drawing upon modern practices in a utilitarian fashion. This is essentially to take the good and leave the bad.

Modern man is beset with various ailments derived from the distorted conditions of the present social order. Without infringing upon the domain that is reserved for tradition alone, I believe that it is possible, within the framework of limitations that the modern practice presents, to instill within others values that may assist them in overcoming these ailments and thereby to establish an opening to the saving grace that tradition alone provides.

For the present moment, I feel resolved that I am capable and suited to this profession, that is ideals are noble albeit limited, and that I should endeavor to secure it as my career.

It remains now to find out precisely what area of psychotherapy I will specialize in and the steps necessary to get there.

Refinement of the Questions

2009-03-10T12:17:00.001-07:00

(Continued from Where, What, How, and When?)

Where?

I must determine which areas in or near California, New York, or Virginia are most suitable to my desired lifestyle and conditions.

I must determine quantitatively the financial burden of living in those areas.

What?

I must determine the activities that are available to me within those areas.

I must select one that has the capability of providing for my financial needs.

My selection will additionally be based upon my innate aptitudes, self-imposed limitations, sustainability during a period of economic decline, and an examination and comparison between the amount of time and resources that must be invested in obtaining appropriate training.

(Continued in Resolution)

Where, What, How, and When?

2009-03-10T02:54:00.001-07:00

(Continued from In the Sweat of Thy Face Shalt Thou Eat Bread)

Where?

Continuing my reflections, the first step is to ascertain where and under what conditions I would like to live and act. I believe that I would be ideally situated in close proximity to my family and religious community but because this is not possible, one or the other would be satisfactory. I have therefore three primary options, to live in or near the states of California, New York, or Virginia. The possibilities are indeed far vaster, but for the moment I will accept these self-imposed limitations as ideal. I would also be situated in close proximity to the natural environment, therefore preferring rural areas to urbanized ones, small towns over large cities. As for conditions, I must consider the specific manner in which I want to live. My spiritual and psychological needs being presently fulfilled to my satisfaction and generally susceptible to fulfillment under all conditions, my primary concern is with my physical needs.

Food

My ideal diet is vegetarian and centered around the staples of rice and legumes, supplemented with various vegetables, and augmented with herbs and spices. The traditional African diet approximates this ideal. I would like to grow some of my own food to the degree possible, but in order to obtain the staples I will require additional financial resources.

Medicine

Self-medication and treatment is for the most part impractical. As such I must rely upon a subscription to medical and dental insurance services requiring suitable financial resources.

Clothing

I desire to dress as simply and inexpensively as possible. Ideally, simple traditional garments can be assembled with little difficulty and other clothing may be purchased second hand. Depending on the nature of my activities, additional expenses for clothing may be necessary to suit my needs. This will require suitable financial resources.

Shelter

Building my own home is impractical. It is therefore incumbent upon me to purchase one that has already assembled. A simple two-bedroom house, sparsely furnished, with the necessary utilities and appliances is the ideal. This will require additional financial resources.

Transportation

I will require a vehicle of some kind, the nature of which will ultimately be determined by my sphere of activity. Living vehicles such as horses and camels have become impractical for general use as transportation such that a motor vehicle is necessary. An ideal motor vehicle would be the smallest, most fuel efficient, and most inexpensive to purchase and maintain but which is also suitable to the circumstances. This will require suitable financial resources.

Miscellaneous Conditions

Additional requirements may include a surplus of financial resources for retirement and emergency savings, travel, and miscellaneous expenses.

Based upon these considerations, I may conclude that I desire to live as simply as possible in the fulfillment of my basic needs in a small sparsely furnished house with a spacious yard for growing at the outskirts of the city in close proximity to nature.

It remains for me to determine which areas are in or near the states that I hold as ideal, to determine the cost of living in accordance with my established conditions, identify which types of activities are both available in those locations and capable of providing me financial resources with which to fulfill the above conditions.

What?

Every community contains various activities suitable to fulfilling the basic needs of its inhabitants. Based upon my Hierarchy of Needs, these include the following:

Spiritual Needs

Religious Occupations

Psychological Needs

Thinking, Teaching, Artistic, and Therapeutic Occupations

Physical Needs

Growing, Medical, Tailoring, and Building Occupations

Social Needs

Government and Legal Occupations

In small communities, these activities are relatively simple and direct. As communities become larger, the activities become encumbered by elaborate and complicated administrative machinery. The larger the community and sphere of influence, the farther removed does the activity become from its initial state of simplicity. Thus, in extremely large communities with very broad spheres of influence, these primary activities are transformed into industries wherein the entire process is fragmented and distributed over a broad range of individuals or teams, each responsible for some minute dimension of the activity.

Larger societies also develop additional fields of activity based upon interaction with other communities, distraction from boredom caused by excessive fragmentation, the preservation of nature made necessary by the abuse of its resources, and improvement of existing industries. In the first category are such fields as communication, transportation, and warfare. The second pertains to entertainment media. The third concerns natural and wildlife preservation. The fourth is concerned primarily with technology, in which artificial machines are introduced with the intention of augmenting both the speed and quantity of production in the various industries. Thus, in larger societies each industry becomes subject to three primary dimensions each with occupational possibilities, the activity itself, the development and construction of more efficient technologies that augment the activity, and the administrative dimensions of managing and directing the various tasks into which the activity has been fragmented.

On a small scale, the value of each of these activities in terms of monetary compensation is proportionate to its desirability within the community. On a large scale, the value of any given occupation is proportionate not only to the desirability of the industry, but also to the situation of the occupant within the administrative hierarchy. Those participating in the activity itself receive the least amount of compensation. Those involved in development of new technologies receive a greater amount and those involved in administration the greatest.

Based upon these considerations, I find that it is ideally desirable to participate in an activity within a small community such that it is subject to the least degree of fragmentation possible and in which I may participate more directly in it without the complication of elaborate administrative machinery.

In principle, I believe that I am capable of participating effectively in any of these fundamental activities. Further consideration determining my ultimate choice of activity will include the possibilities that are available in the particular locations in which I want to live and any self-imposed limitations based upon my inclinations or disinclinations and present existential situation. I must also conduct research to consider in more detail the occupational opportunities that society provides in all the minutiae of the various fields. Additional factors for the consideration of suitable activity include the values and trends of society and what is most accessible and sustainable in times of economic decline.

How?

This will be determined once a specific field of activity is selected. It will primarily be concerned with obtaining the necessary occupational training and education.

When?

I propose the reasonable goal of reaching my desired state within ten years time.

(Continued in Refinement of the Questions)

In the Sweat of Thy Face Shalt Thou Eat Bread

2009-03-09T02:38:00.000-07:00

(Continued from My Ideal Partner)

Now it is time to turn to my primary practical consideration, that of work. As I have established from my hierarchy of needs and in the consideration of my existential situation, it is possible in principle to fulfill nearly all of my basic spiritual and psychological needs in the absence of the fulfillment of my physical needs. As I stated before, however, it is not possible to do so in practice as the neglect of my physical needs serves as a serious deterrent to the others. It is absolutely necessary, therefore, for me to meet these needs adequately and fully and my primary means of doing so is through work.

Work consists of those activities which we engage in of necessity, to fulfill our basic physical needs of securing adequate food, medicine, clothing, and shelter. Virgin nature is uniquely suited to providing us with the means of fulfilling all of our needs, including those which are spiritual and psychological. It is only primordial man, however, who is capable of making such a full use of nature. Concerning my physical needs specifically, I am capable in principle of growing my own food, caring for my medical needs with herbs and traditional medicine, making my own clothes, and constructing my own home. Situated between myself and this ideal of nature, however, is the social structure in which I live and in which the knowledge necessary to accomplish these tasks is compartmentalized and relegated to specialization. I am, therefore, bound to the framework of possibilities and limitations that the present social structure provides me with to meet my various needs.

In keeping with my ideal of simplicity, I must endeavor to provide for my own needs to the degree possible within this framework. I must grow my own food, take medicine through herbs, make my own clothes, and build and maintain my own home. To the degree in which I am unable to do this, I must engage in a specific activity that will enable me to trade my goods and services in exchange for those provided by others in compensation for my deficiency. Within our society, the medium for exchange of goods and services is currency, and the value in currency of any good or service is proportionate to its desirability by others within our society.

I must first determine where and under what conditions I would like to engage in my specific activity. Then I must determine which activities are available to me in the location that will meet my desired conditions. Then I must ascertain the steps necessary to arrive at that goal. Finally, I must choose a reasonable time frame in which to accomplish it. In all of the above considerations I must be as specific as possible.

(Continued in Where, What, How, and When?)

My Ideal Partner

2009-03-09T00:38:00.000-07:00

(Continued from Simplicity and Perfection)

In my previous reflections I came to realize that the needs toward which I must devote the most attention are work and the consideration of a suitable marriage partner. Although I am perfectly capable of fulfilling all of my needs satisfactorily on my own, I consider the marriage partnership to be a great blessing that God has provided to us as a possibility. It affords spiritual, psychological, and physical opportunities that are not available to us otherwise and because of this I feel that it is necessary for me to embrace this union if it becomes available to me. Unlike work, one cannot simply select a partner, as there is necessarily an element of destiny or providence that enables us to come into contact with such a person and because this can happen at any time or place in our lives, I feel that it is important to give consideration to it first so that I can be prepared when that moment comes.

I believe that an ideal partner for me is someone who is in harmony with my spiritual needs, a complement to my psychological needs, capable and willing to join me in mutual support of our physical needs, and amiable to my social needs.

Spiritual Needs (Harmony)

In an ideal situation, my partner would be in an identical spiritual situation to me. She would be a Muslim woman possessing faith in God, who is committed to Islam, and has embarked upon the spiritual path. However, I do not believe that such an identity is absolutely necessary, the most important qualities being faith in God, a sense of the sacred, and sincere adherence to an orthodox religion such Hinduism, Buddhism or Christianity. Of course, if such is the case she must also be endowed with a great respect for Islam just as I possess a great love and respect for all orthodox religions. Together we should be able to support each other's spiritual endeavors while also sharing the beautiful elements of our respective traditions while being united through our shared faith in and pursuit of God and the sacred.

Psychological Needs (Complementarity)

I believe that my ideal partner would be someone who complements the particular manner in which I express my psychological needs. For instance, granted that I possess a propensity for thoughts and ideas and their written and oral expression, I believe that my ideal complement would be someone endowed with a propensity for imagination and creativity expressed through art, music, or narrative.

Our emotional needs must necessarily be harmonious rather than complementary as I have long held that friendship, love, trust, and the abilitiy to communicate are the essential conditions or cornerstones of any healthy relationship. Pendant to these emotional needs is the ability simply to enjoy one another and I believe that my ideal partner, because of who she is and how we relate to one another should be able to fill me with joy and that I should be able to do the same for her.

Leisure activities do not seem to hold the greatest significance in principle, but are endowed with a greater significance in practice. Both complementarity and harmony are necessary. The first endows the relationship with a degree of spontaneity through the willingness to try and introduce each other to new activities while the latter allows us to participate in them together. Concerning one of my specific leisure activies, I should like a partner that would be willing to at least to learn what the game of go is about for the mere reason that it is one of my favorite hobbies, though it is not necessary for her to take it up herself. Concerning travel, I believe that all people are naturally endowed with the desire to travel and see the world.

Physical Needs (Union)

Everyone possesses the same physical needs. With regard to their fulfillment, I believe that I would be happiest with the person similarly desrious of fulfilling these needs as simply as possible without ostentation or luxury. There is also the consideration of physical attraction and at least in the early stages of the relationship, I believe that it is necessary for there to be mutual physical attraction between myself and my partner.

Social Needs (Amiability)

A respect for the family is essential. The extended family or circle of friends is likely to be very harmonious if we have proved to be suitable with regard to all of the previous considerations. The religious community, depending on its nature may pose some difficulties if we are from different religions. As for myself, I am generally able to see the best in and amiably engage people from all religious denominations who are genuinely pious, good-natured, and well-intentioned. Perhaps my ideal partner is someone who possesses a similar attitude toward others.

(Continued in In the Sweat of Thy Face Shalt Thou Eat Bread)

Simplicity and Perfection

2009-03-08T01:34:00.000-08:00

(Continued from My Hierarchy of Needs)

The next step in this process is to ascertain which of my needs are being met and which are deficient. I consider it ideal that each of my needs be fulfilled in the simplest and most direct but also perfect manner possible.

Spiritual Needs

From an early age, I have been providentially endowed with faith in God. After over a decade of struggle and consideration, I entered into Islam and I also presently possess the guidance necessary for undertaking the inward journey on the spiritual path.

Psychological Needs

I regularly study the scriptures and their traditional commentaries of both Islam and other religions. Among the category of commentaries I also include such works as those of the traditionalist authors who elucidate the esoteric and universal content of the scriptures. I regularly communicate these ideas orally and through writing to my own satisfaction. I would, however, like to learn quranic Arabic to further my understanding and appreciation of the Quran.

I regularly listen to sacred music, observe sacred art, occasionally practice a sacred dance, and read sacred literature including poetry, myths and legends, and certain special narratives. I am satisfied with a passive appreciation, but my needs can be more fully engaged by actively practicing one of these arts.

I possess a great love of God and of others and my meditations and activities provide me with ample opportunity to participate in the expression of the virtues. The feeling of security is lacking, however, because of the realization that I do not meet all of my basic needs.

I practice the game of go which I have demonstrated to my own satisfaction to be a noble and worthwhile leisure activity (see The Way of Go). I have little interest in sports, but the martial arts hold great appeal for me and I may wish to take up their practice. I do not at present possess the resources to travel.

Physical Needs

The only physical need that I am presently fulfilling in a satisfactory manner is physical culture, through diet and exercise. I do not possess work or knowledge to apply the crafts to fulfill these needs. I am interested in such crafts as agriculture, building, and sewing and may to learn these in the future to assist in meeting my physical needs.

Social Needs

I possess a family, including the extended family of my circle of friends, and a religious community. I do not possess a marriage partnership.

Although the fulfillment of all of my needs may be improved to achieve perfection, those which require primary consideration are my physical and social needs of work and a marriage partner. Those which require only secondary consideration are my psychological needs which may be augmented by learning quranic Arabic, taking up the practice of one or more arts, achieving the feeling of security by fulfilling all of my needs (which this process ultimately aims to achieve), and taking up the practice of a martial art.

(Continued in My Ideal Partner)

My Hierarchy of Needs

2009-03-07T00:10:00.000-08:00

(Continued from Sit Down and Think)

Persistently continuing my reflections on how to solve the practical problems of living in the world, I have sought the answers to the following questions:

Who am I?
What are my needs and how may they be fulfilled?
Which of my needs are not being met? and
How can I overcome this deficiency?

Beginning with the understanding that I am a composite being possessing a spirit, soul, and body, living in society, I have come to formulate the following hierarchy of basic needs through the consideration of my existential situation.

Spiritual Needs (Union):

Knowledge of God and the Self, the practice of prayer, and cultivation of the virtues
through faith, religion (tradition), and spiritual guidance

Psychological Needs (Equilibrium):

Noble thoughts and Ideas and their communication
through the study of the scriptures and traditional commentaries and their expression in oral or written language.

Beautiful forms of the imagination and their expression
through the appreciation and creation of sacred art, music, dance, and literature

Feelings of love, security, and satisfaction, and their cultivation
through the love of God and the neighbor, the fulfillment of needs, and accomplishment of the virtues.

Leisure and repose from all of the foregoing activities
through the practice of sports, games, and travel

Physical Needs (Health):

Satisfactory and sufficient food, medicine, shelter, clothing, and exercise
through work, physical culture, and the crafts

Social Needs (Intimacy):

Reciprocal support in the fulfillment of all of the foregoing needs
through the family, religious community, and marriage partnership.

In principle, my needs may be considered hierarchically with spiritual needs being most important and social needs least important. In practice, however, each proves to be inextricably intertwined with the others such that any of my basic needs is neglected to the detriment of all.

(Continued in Simplicity and Perfection)

Sit Down and Think

2009-03-05T22:55:00.001-08:00

I once asked a wise man how I should decide what to do with my life. He essentially told me to sit down and think, about who I am, what I can do, what possibilities are available to me, and then to choose. For many years such a decision has evaded me and seemed to propose an insurmountable obstacle. Lately, however, I have come to see the wisdom in his advice. If I can use the intelligence that God has given me to solve difficult metaphysical problems, certainly I can apply it equally well to practical affairs and thereby come to solve many of the problems that life in this world presents. I have decided to use the time that is presently available to me in the consideration of my life as a whole in an effort to examine more thoroughly the answers to those fundamental questions: Who am I? Where have I come from? and Where am I going?

(Continued in My Hierarchy of Needs)

Go and the Arts

2009-03-05T20:19:00.000-08:00

My essay is necessarily limited in that I took as my model the essay on Chess by Titus Burckhardt in Mirror of the Intellect and the appendix by HRH Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad in his book on sports and culture. For those who have not yet read it, my essay includes a brief introduction to the game, a discussion of its sacred origins, the symbolism implicit and explicit in the physical properties of the playing board and pieces, and my own observations concerning the experience of gameplay and how this experience readily lends itself as a support to the spiritual life.

In an set of rules for behavior in a Japanese Buddhist monastery dating from the year 701, one Abbot proscribed that "For monks and nuns who indulge in music and gambling, one hundred days of hard labor. The koto and go are not restricted." Overall, I sought to answer the question of why this particular game might not be subject to the same restrictions as other pastimes and also why it received such attention and refinement within the monastic communities of the far east. In terms of its essentials, I think that I was largely successful in presenting some significant and suggestive ideas that provide the foundation for such an answer. I did not take into consideration many of the peripheral subjects that, although important, do not contribute directly the substance of my thesis.

I do not think that Go bears a direct association with any of the subjects that you mentioned such as painting, calligraphy, music, tea ceremony, meditation, and the martial arts, in the sense that they are distinct activities, each of which possesses properties that are unique to itself without being synthesized with any of the others. However, there is also the sense in which they can and generally are used in conjunction with the others, each contributing a similar support to the spiritual life, but in a different and idiosyncratic way. Thus you may have a master of the martial arts who practices the tea ceremony and calligraphy while also enjoying the game of go. In Chinese culture, it was common to speak of the 'four accomplishments' which implies that in fact at least four endeavors, music, painting, calligraphy, and go, were practiced in conjunction. To speak in terms of dimensions, we might say that whereas there are outward differences in terms of formal endeavor, each possess an inner dimension which endows it with a position of similarity and complementarity to the other arts.

Two parallels seem to serve as the basis of all such similarity, the practice of ritualized action and the effort of contemplative concentration. The tea ceremony exemplifies the former and archery the latter. Within the tea ceremony, in addition to the symbolic properties inherent in the gestures and materials, the precise ritualized actions serve to embody in a ceremonial fashion the ideal of perfect behavior combined with the principles of chivalry and the contemplative element of awareness. Consciousness is fully present in and aware of every movement as it is made. In this manner, the regular practice of the tea ceremony allows one to periodically enter into the attitude and experience of the disposition of perfect "adab". The rhythm resulting therefrom then has the capacity to carry that disposition into life as a permanent reality that is continually refreshed and renewed by the practice of the ceremony. Parallels to the spiritual retreat and the rhythm of Muslim prayer are evident.

The practice of archery is different in that it does not emphasize awareness of bodily movement, instead positing a single pointed concentration on the target. Such a concentration involves a loss of awareness of the ego as of the body such that perfection in archery is sometimes referred to as effortless perfection. One does not perform the act. Instead it performs itself through you. I have not considered deeply enough the experiences of painting and calligraphy, despite my greater degree of practical familiarity with them. It is evident however, that both provide an added dimension of metaphysical knowledge, participation in which is necessary in order to produce a representation and manifestation of such knowledge within the concrete image that results from its practice.

Go necessarily partakes of both qualities of ritualized action and contemplative concentration but with an emphasis on the latter. Like the tea ceremony, it traditionally takes place within a room specifically designated for that purpose which bears the distinctive insignia of the traditional ambiance. Within China and Japan they are generally adorned with calligraphy depicting the cardinal virtues, Li or prioriety, Chih or wisdom, and Jen, human-heartedness or compassion. Although all are necessary and important to the game, Li is sometimes given emphasis through the outward postures and attitudes of the players, while Jen generally pertains to the inward attitude in relation to the opponent. There are elements of ceremonial behavior in traditional gameplay that include for example, traditional dress, the delicacy of physical posture and a gracefulness and reverence expressed through the placement of the stones. Opponents generally give each other a respectful greeting and wish upon the other a good game. Traditionally a weaker player approaching a stronger player will request a game by asking to "please teach me."

Ambiance and disposition aside, the emphasis in Go is clearly upon contemplative concentration for the game involves total concentration even at intermediate levels of skill. Like archery, it does not involve a deliberate act of will, but rather arises naturally out of the necessity of play. Fully engaging the memory in the recognition of common patterns, discerning the direction of play, and reading possible sequences of moves involves a complete absorption into field of gameplay. Unlike archery, however, it induces the effort of concentration through analysis rather than synthesis. Instead of being absorbed into the unitive point of the target, one is instead absorbed through the proliferation of oftentimes dozens of local situations which must all be taken into consideration within the overall context of the board. Likewise, although all virtues are contained implicitly within the singular state of absorbtion in archery, they are given a manifold expression within the Go game. In accordance with the text of I Ching which I have symbolically associated with the game, "Thus the superior man of devoted character heaps up small things in order to achieve something high and great." Whereas the symbolism of the arrow involves its pointing directly to the goal of the Absolute, the symbolism of the stones involves movement toward the Absolute through the theophanies of its manifold reflections within manifestation, hence the emphasis on a cosmological symbolism.

I suspect that you may enjoy the following writings on Japanese Prints and the Game of Go by William Picknard. The following statement concerning traditional motifs in images depicting the game is particularly pertinent:

"Faithful to ancient Chinese tradition and legends that portrayed go as integral to myths of beginnings and a contemplative pastime worthy of Sages and Immortals, artists situated players at the farthest reaches of remoteness, on the towering peaks of cloud-wreathed mountains emblematic of Taoist concepts of spiritual ascent and transcendence. In such surroundings the board was shown to inhere in nature itself -- incised in the rock's surface -- with the course of play possessing the power to dissolve all boundaries of time and space. Depicted is a way of being lost in thought, transported `out of this world,' and a means by which religious adepts could contemplate the infinite."

I recently added a section on recommended reading to the bottom of my essay that you may find useful in your endeavor to learn the game. Learning Go is a lengthy process requiring a considerable amount of effort. It begins by playing on a small 9x9 board to become familiar with the rules and patterns before progressing to a 13x13 board and eventually to the full-sized board. It is common to experience an initial sense of difficulty or foreignness in the game which comes from the need to develop skill at what is sometimes called 'lateral thinking', a thought process that is generally more intuitive than logical.

Considerations of Islamic Law

2009-03-05T20:10:00.000-08:00

The two primary sources of Islamic law are the Quran, the revealed teachings themselves, and the Hadith, or the records of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad - may peace be upon him. Islamic Law is contained in principle in the Quran, which is to say that generally speaking it is implicit rather than explicit. The interpreter of Islamic law for the original Muslim community was the Prophet himself and direct access to his teachings and actions enabled a degree of homogeneity to prevail over the community during his lifetime. As Islam spread to other lands and a temporal distance was created between the existing Islamic communities and the original Islamic community following the passing of the Prophet, it became necessary to codify Islamic Law such that the degradation that naturally follows upon a distancing from the source might be guarded against. Islamic law gradually became codified into several distinct schools with different emphases and interpretations based on the same primary sources. This diversity of interpretations and applications of Islamic law is seen in Islam as an unfoldment of the possibilities of the Islamic revelation as sanctioned by the Quran which refers to it as a blessing to us and an expression of the Divine Mercy. Therefore each of these schools of law is considered to be orthodox, and together they have enabled Islam to be suitably adapted to the different cultural and racial types of humanity in the various lands in which it spread.

Although the differences between the schools are minor, there are differences nonetheless, a situation which has given rise to two distinct perspectives. There are some people who believe that it is necessary to adhere to the prescriptions of one school exclusively and without consideration for the others. There are also some who, more explicitly acknowledging the orthodoxy of all schools, believe that in addition to the school that one is primarily identified with, particularly through the form of prayer that one uses, it is permissible to consider the various rulings of the other schools and to draw upon them where it is deemed necessary according to individual circumstances. Farasha has made it explicit that she accepts this latter possibility for herself, calling it "Intra-religious Syncretism", and emphasizes the various manifestations of Islamic law within the Shi'ite tradition and its subsidiaries. In this case, it is not a matter of rejecting divine laws or otherwise creating one's own laws, but rather of choosing between the various orthodox manifestations of Islamic law according to individual circumstances.

I would also like to comment upon the idea that you expressed as "following Islamic law completely rather than piecemeal." Islamic jurisprudence as a whole generally adheres to the consideration of five types of acts, those which are obligatory and therefore incumbent upon all Muslims, those which are recommended and therefore superogatory, those toward which the law is neutral, those which are discouraged, and those which are forbidden. The first and last classifications comprise the essential elements of Islamic law while the second and fourth classifications pertain to the domain of voluntaristic piety. Within the perspective of Islamic esoterism, there is an emphasis on sanctity and from the standpoint of the law this is not determined a priori by the quantity of outward acts as with the perspective of voluntaristic piety, but rather with the quality of the inward state obtained and expressed in conjunction with essential acts. Exoteric piety and esoteric sanctity are both salutary expressions of the spiritual life, and although by no means mutually exclusive, the one tends to emphasize the horizontal dimension while the other tends to emphasize the vertical dimension. In this sense, an understanding of what it means to follow Islamic law completely may be broadened to include the dimension of depth in addition to that of breadth. From the esoteric standpoint, the first is generally given precedence over the second.

* * *

Due to the multitude of different perspectives represented by the various divisions of the 'Spectrum of Islam' (see Nasr's Heart of Islam for details on this), it is only natural that disagreements should occasionally arise in the discussion of something as fundamental as Islamic Law. Each of the divisions of Islam contain scholars and gnostics who possess different criteria concerning the judgment of the authenticity of individual hadith from which juridical rulings are derived as well as unique perspectives concerning the manner in which Islamic Law should be emphasized, whether in the proliferation of its details or the perfection of its essential elements. It is precisely because of this spectrum of possibilities that I believe Islam is capable of being followed by all people, in all locations and conditions, at all times.

It is also due to this diversity and dynamism that Islam allows for a significant degree of individual initiative and personal creativity in the discernment and application of the Sharia. This is not to say that the law can be changed with regard to its fundamental principles, but rather that it is capable of being adapted according to individual needs and unique circumstances. Seyyed Hossein Nasr made some pertinent remarks on this subject in Ideals and Realities of Islam. He wrote,

Some may object that accepting the Shari'ah totally destroys human initiative. Such a criticism, however, fails to understand the inner workings of the Divine Law. The Law places before man many paths according to his nature and needs within a universal pattern which pertains to everyone. Human initiative comes in selecting what is in conformity with one's veritable needs and at the same time living according to the Divine norm as indicated by the Shari'ah. Initiative does not come only in rebelling against the Truth which is an easy task since stones fall by nature; initiative and creativity come most of all in seeking to live in conformity with the Truth and in applying its principles to the conditions which destiny has placed before man. To integrate all of one's tendencies and activities within a divinely ordained pattern requires all the initiative and creative energy which man is capable of giving.

Although I would not go so far as to say that the Sunnah has very little meaning in my daily life, especially as pertains to its essentials, I too have tended to focus more on the teachings of the gnostics than on those of the jurists. However, considering that many if not most of the gnostics were learned in Islamic jurisprudence and even considered masterful jurists themselves, I have gained much additional exposure to the Sunnah through their writings. Overall, I tend to follow the approach to Islamic law described by Al-Ghazali, as explained by Sachiko Murta and William Chittick in The Vision of Islam, one of the first books through which I learned about my religion. They wrote,

Because the existence of five categories instead of three, Islamic law goes into all sorts of details about everyday life that would not otherwise be discussed. It has many branches and subfields, expertise in which can require years of study. Many Muslims accord so much importance to the Shariah that it seems to become for them the whole of their religion, at least in practice. Nevertheless, many of the greatest Muslim authorities have warned against spending too much time studying the Shariah, since this can blind people to the other dimensions of the religion which are also essential to Islam.

Al-Ghazali, one of the most famous of the great authorities, held that each Muslim must have enough knowledge of the Shariah to put it into practice in his or her own life. But if Muslims do not need a given injunction in their circumstances, they have no need to know about it. There will be, in any case, people who devote their lives to the study of the Shariah, and they can be consulted when the need arises. This explains the basic function of the jurists in society; to explain the details of the Shariah to those who need to observe it in any given circumstance.

With regard to my own personal emphasis, I have derived my knowledge of the essentials from the Hadith of Gabriel of which the entirety of The Vision of Islam comprises a commentary, and the teachings of Mulla Sadra in The Elixir of the Gnostics. According to Mulla Sadra in the chapter "On the Knowledge which is individually incumbent upon man and must be learned for his subsistent existence",

This is certain knowledge of the encounter with God, of His unity, His attributes, and His acts, then knowledge of the human world and the manner of its first and second configurations. Anyone ignorant of these two sciences will fall short in the establishment of his existence and the perfection of his reality, even if he is proficient in the other sciences. He is like an infant, or like a sleeper who sees diverse forms in his sleeping and then, waking up from his sleep, finds no trace of them. So also is the property of the forms that man sees with his outward senses in this world or that he imagines with his inward senses. All these are unreal affairs and vanishing properties and dreams that have no subsistence in the wakefulness of the world of the afterworld - except for the true sciences, which are afterworldly forms and have entities fixed at God. And what is with God is better for the pious. [3:198]

Spiritual Significance and Symbolism of the Hijab

2009-02-26T01:26:00.000-08:00

... I have previously given little thought to the subject of the hijab for the mere fact that, as a man, it has not been made incumbent upon me and so I have not been in the situation of giving necessary consideration toward adopting it. Nevertheless, it is an important subject and one which may have a significance beyond that which has been addressed above. Thus far, the discussion of the hijab has centered around its association with the attitude of modesty. While this is certainly true, and constitutes an inward attitude both independent of and reflected within the outer garment, I do not believe that it exhausts the significance of the symbolic reality of the veil within the context of Islam. As an element of the sharia which derives from the Islamic revelation, the veil undoubtedly possesses a dimension of significance extending beyond the outward social domain.

Considered as a symbol, the veil (hijab) is an image of the metaphysical phenomenon of "Relativity", both divine and cosmic, the same phenomenon that is expressed in Vedantic terms as "Maya" or cosmic and metacosmic "illusion". Of the primary hypostases of the Divine Principle which qualify it as Absolute, Infinite Perfection, Maya results from the quality of Infinitude. This implies the tendency toward radiation of the Principle in the actualization of its possibilities including that of its own negation. Maya is the field of illusion within which these possibilities are realized and through which the Principle unfolds in the direction of its negation thereby giving rise to the ontological hierarchy of manifestation.

Maya possesses a dual nature and function owing to the complimentary qualities of transcendence and immanence of the Divine Reality. Maya both veils the Principle through its diminutive capacity and unveils it through its theophanic quality. According to Frithjof Schuon,

"The Hindu notion of 'Illusion', Maya, coincides in fact with the Islamic symbolism of the 'Veil', Hijab: the universal Illusion is a power which on the one hand hides and on the other hand reveals; it is the Veil before the Face of Allah or, according to a multiplying extension of the symbolism, the series of sixty-six thousand veils of light and darkness which either through clemency or rigour screen the fulgurating radiance of the Divinity."

The principial duality prefigured in the Divine Hypostases is reflected on all levels of reality giving rise also to the complementarity of the sexes which serve as their symbol on the human plane. According to Islam, God is both al-Jalal (the Majestic) in his quality of Absoluteness and al-Jamal (the Beautiful) in his quality of Infinitude. The beauty of woman is the summit of perfection of God's beauty within the terrestrial realm. Embodying the expression of His Infinitude, her beauty takes upon itself the dual qualities of the cosmic veil of illusion, or hijab, which in its physical form serves as her outward distinction and ensign, and of which she constitutes, in a manner of speaking, an incarnation. According to Schuon, "Woman, incarnating Maya, is dynamic in a double sense: either in the sense of an exteriorizing and alienating radiation, or in that of an interiorizing and reintegrating attraction." Concerning her feminine beauty we may say that, woman contains an element of physical seductiveness as well as contemplative interiority. Like music, she possesses the capacity to bestow either sensual inebriation or spiritual intoxication.

According to a hadith, the Prophet Muhammad - may peace be upon him - declared that "Three things in your world were made for me worthy of love, women, perfume, and prayer" a statement that in itself testifies to the great spiritual significance of women in Islam. Ibn Arabi elaborated upon this hadith in his Bezels of Wisdom, wherein, as Seyyed Hossein Nasr has stated, he "goes to the point of describing the contemplation of God in Woman as the highest form of contemplation possible." In the chapter on the Wisdom of the Singularity in the Word of Muhammad, Ibn Arabi wrote,

"When man contemplates God in woman, his contemplation rests on that which is passive; if he contemplates Him in himself, seeing that woman comes from man, he contemplates Him in that which is active; and when he contemplates Him alone, without the presence of any form whatsoever issued from him, his contemplation corresponds to a state of passivity with regard to God, without intermediary. Consequently his contemplation of God in woman is the most perfect, for it is then God, in so far as He is at once active and passive that he contemplates, whereas in the purely interior contemplation, he contemplates Him only in a passive way. So the Prophet - Benediction and Peace be upon him - was to love women because of the perfect contemplation of God in them. One would never be able to contemplate God directly in absence of all (sensible or spiritual) support, for God, in His Absolute Essence, is independent of the worlds. But, as the (Divine) Reality is inaccessible in respect (of the Essence), and there is contemplation (shahadah) only in a substance, the contemplation of God in women is the most intense and the most perfect; and the union which is the most intense (in the sensible order, which serves as a support for this contemplation) is the conjugal act."

Frithjof Schuon stated that "the veil is a notion which evokes the idea of mystery, because it hides from view something that is either too sacred or too intimate." Within the spiritual economy of Islam, it appears that the incumbency of the veil upon women is intended not only as a means of expressing modesty and guarding society against a tendency toward sensual inebriation, but also a means of preserving the sanctity and inviolability of the outward manifestation of God's interiorizing beauty prior to the proper moment of its unveiling following the rite of marriage and prior to its consummation. Such a circumstance bestows upon the act the potential to realize the full value of its sacramental quality and contemplative depth. In Schuon's words,

"Woman is veiled as in Islam wine is forbidden, and she is unveiled ... with the aim of operating a kind of magic by analogy, the unveiling of beauty with an erotic vibration evoking, in the manner of a catalyst, the revelation of the liberating and beatific Essence; of the Haqiqah, the "Truth-Reality" as the Sufis would say."

Ultimately, it appears that in Islam woman has been given the veil as a symbolic reflection of her identity, as an expression of her inherent dignity, and as a responsibility owing to her providential birth as the ultimate theophany of God's beauty and bearer of the divine graces that such beauty may bestow upon those who see her unveiled.

The Way of Go

2009-02-22T15:09:00.001-08:00

I originally conceived of the idea for this essay when I first entered into Islam and devoted myself to the spiritual life. It was at that time, and even earlier, that I began to consider my activities in light of my convictions to determine which were compatible with the kind of life that I wanted to lead. I inquired into the history of the game and examined some of the essays and perspectives of Schuon, Burckhardt, Prince Ghazi, and others that provide an examination of the symbolism and salutary assessment of the game of chess. I desired to produce a similar examination and appraisal of Go and the present humble effort is the result.

Mountain monks sit playing go
Over the board is the bamboo's lucent shade
No one sees them through the glittering leaves
But now and then is heard the click of a stone.
- Po Chi (772-846)

Introduction and Origins of Go

Go (also known as wei-chi in China, baduk in Korea, and i-go in Japan) is an abstract strategy board game traditionally played on a wooden board inscribed with a nineteen by nineteen matrix. Game play begins with an empty board and players alternate turns placing black slate and white clamshell stones on the intersections of the squares where they remain stationary for the duration of the game unless captured and removed by the opponent. Although very sophisticated guiding principles of strategy have developed over time, there is no predetermined method of placement, leaving players to contribute stones to any area of the board, oftentimes choosing between many positions of equal value and strategic possibility. This is particularly evident at the beginning of the game, where all possibilities exist in a state of equilibrium. As the game progresses, the choice of moves becomes increasingly limited based upon the relative positions of existing stones as they gradually fill the board.

The object of the game is to secure territory by surrounding empty points. To accomplish this, two fundamental strategies are employed which include connecting one's own stones by placing them side by side after which they form a single unit, a technique that gives rise to the illusion of movement, and capturing the opponent's stones or groups of stones by surrounding them and occupying all of the points adjacent to the targeted group. Captured stones count negatively toward the opponent's score which is determined by the number of empty points that have been surrounded after all of the territory has been secured and the game has concluded by mutual agreement.

The precise knowledge of the origins of Go is lost to antiquity. It is known to have originated in Taoist China up to 4,000 years ago, where it has traditionally been conceived as one of the four accomplishments of the cultured Chinese aristocracy, the others being painting, calligraphy, and music. Its valued intellectual and aesthetic qualities have aptly been described by a contemporary player who stated that "The unfolding of geometrical patterns, the interaction of the basic elements of line and circle, stone and wood, and the meshing of grand-scale opposing strategies make go an artful game." Additionally, it was adopted as a salutary practice within Cha'an Buddhist monasteries and underwent further refinement and ceremonial perfection within the Zen culture of Japan where it was sometimes referred to as Kido or "The Way of Go." Along with such practices as archery, gardening, and tea, the game of go was used by Buddhist monks as a direct and valuable support of the spiritual life.

Rene Guenon has suggested that "games were originally something quite different from the mere profane amusements that they have become today." Like chess, Go "is certainly one of those games in which traces of the original sacredness have remained most apparent in spite of this degradation." This thesis has been developed very fully in Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad's admirable treatise on The Sacred Origin of Sports and Culture. Prince Ghazi writes concerning sports, a term which he uses in its broadest possible sense to include competitive physical recreation, physical culture, martial arts, and even mental sports such as traditional boardgames, that "in general the disciplines of history, archaeology, anthropology, and literature concur that organized sports had religious origins wherever they are found in the ancient world."

Although, the precise origins of Go are unknown, evidence suggests that it evolved out of a method of divination practiced among the ancient shamanistic Shang culture which involved the casting of 'chi pieces' or go stones, upon a plate or board inscribed with astrological and geomantic symbols. Divination as traditionally conceived and practiced is not the profane amusement of fortune-telling that we associate with it today. Rather, it was a sacred art and revealed method of communicating with the Divinity or lesser spiritual intelligences such as gods, beneficent spirits, or the spirits of the ancestors. In a fragment of an ancient text containing what is probably the oldest mythic reference to Go situated during the reign of the first of the golden-age kings, it speaks of a companion of the Yellow Emperor traveling within a mystic vision to the summit of a holy mountain to perform the sacred divinatory rite of Go.

"Mr. Chang, musician-companion of the Yellow Emperor, assumed wings and was given the name of Teacher Hun Yai. At the summit of Chuan-nan Mountain, he played go."

Symbolic Dimensions of Go

The original divinatory practice of "casting the chi pieces" probably made its initial transition into a game in the period between 1300 and 900 BC when the shamanistic Shan culture became dominated and influenced by the rationalizing tendencies and anthropocentrism of the conquering Chou. Even after the transition into a game, however, many of the basic astrological and cosmological associations were retained and such concepts remained deeply embedded in the terminology and philosophy of the game until the twentieth century. The earliest surviving statement of the philosophy of Go was written in the first century AD by the historian Pan Ku long after the initial transition had already taken place. In his essay "The Quality of Go", he wrote

"It has deep significance. The board has to be square, for it signifies the earth, and its right angles signify uprightness. The pieces are yellow and black: this distinction signifies the Yin and Yang - scattered in groups all over the board, they represent the heavenly bodies. These significances being manifest, it is up to the players themselves to make the moves, and this is connected with kingship. Following what the rules permit, both opponents are subject to them - this is the rigor of the Tao."

This early description is important because it both legitimizes the effort toward a symbolic interpretation of the game based upon an established tradition and also because it lays the foundation for such an interpretation. Within Go, we find many of the same dimensions of symbolism that are present in Chess including a macrocosmic-terrestrial symbolism reflected in the nature of the game, a macrocosmic-celestial symbolism reflected in the geometric properties of the board, and a metacosmic or metaphysical symbolism reflected within the colors of the stones. Unlike chess, go does not possess a dimension of microcosmic symbolism, a fact of great significance with regard to its use as an operative support of the spiritual life.

The first dimension in which the symbolism of Go naturally unfolds concerns its explicit association with warfare. The game presents itself as the battle between two opposing armies who are struggling to gain control of an area by surrounding and securing its territory. Go strategy bears a direct correlation to traditional Chinese military strategy and many books have been written about this subject. Exemplary in this regard is Ma Xiaochun's 36 Strategems Applied to Go. In addition to its adoption as a cultured pastime among the aristocracy and its refinement as a spiritual art by Buddhist monks, go also enjoyed a significant degree of popularity among the warrior classes. A go set was commonly included among the equipment of the samurai, for instance, who would play between battles. This motif figures prominently within traditional Japanese paintings that include a depiction of the game.

As early as the second world war and continuing to the present day, the study of Go is even encouraged by millitary officials as a means of gaining insight into the nature of military strategy within the far eastern nations. A cursory glance through Sun Tzu's Art of War can yeild many explicit parallels, including the following simple example.

"The Highest realization of warfare is to attack the enemies' plans; next is to attack their alliances; next to attack their army; and lowest is to attack their fortified cities."

Concerning the symbolism of warfare, this is identical to that of chess in that it reflects the fundamental opposition between the contending forces of good and evil wherein the angels and demons dispute the go board of the world. As Titus Burckhardt has written,

"It is here that the symbolism of black and white ... takes on its full value; the white army is that of light, the black army that of darkness. In a relative domain, the battle which takes place on the [board] represents, either that of two armies each of which is fighting in the name of a particular principle, or that of the spirit and of darkness in man; these are the two forms of the 'holy war'; the 'lesser holy war' and the 'greater holy war', according to the saying of the Prophet Muhammad. One will see the relationship of the symbolism implied in the game ... with the theme of the Bhagavad-Gita."

The second dimension of the symbolism of Go to be considered is that pertaining to the board itself. As Stuart Colin stated in Games of the Orient, "the board has the same cosmical significance discovered to underlie all other boards upon which games are played." Although they possess a fundamental consonance in their connotations, the particular manner in which this symbolism is expressed differs among the various games. That of Go is to be sought in its proposed origins in the practice of divination. As previously stated, many of its original associations have been preserved even in the modern game, a situation which lends it a greater dignity and contemplative quality than might otherwise have been the case if these elements had not been retained. According to William Picknard,

"Some fundamental go terms still in common use today have an astrological meaning. In Japan, for example, the center of the board is still called tengen, 'axis of heaven', the eight specially marked key points near the perimeter are called hoshi, 'stars', the nine together making up the traditional 'Nine Lights of Heaven', that is, the seven stars of Ursa Major, the center of the Chinese astronomical system, and the sun and moon. In both China and Japan the four quarters of the board are named after the four directions, each correlated to one of the basic trigrams of the I Ching system. Beginning in the upper right and going clockwise, they are: Southwest (female, earth), Northwest (male. heaven), Northeast (hard, limit), and Southeast (gentle, yeilding)."

Combined with Pan Ku's indication that the square form of the board signifies earth, all of these elements together reveal the go board to possess the characteristics of a cosmological mandala. Through the progression of gameplay on the board we may bear witness to the reflection of the cosmic drama unfolding within the intermediate realm conditioned by the polarity of Heaven and Earth.

This fundamental polarity is reiterated and exemplified by the black and white colors of the stones which lead from cosmological associations to the consideration of a metacosmic symbolism. According to Guenon,

"In the most immediate sense, the juxtaposition of white and black naturally represents light and darkness, day and night, and consequently all the pairs of opposites or of complementaries ... in this respect then, we have here the exact equivalent of the Far Eastern symbol of the yin-yang."

Yang and Yin are essentially the primordial qualities of light and darkness that pervade all aspects of cosmic manifestation, yang corresponding to the spiritual or essential nature, and yin referring to that which causes attachment to substance. With regard to their cosmological associations, Guenon writes also that

"yang is whatever proceeds from the nature of Heaven and yin whatever proceeds from the nature of Earth ... Heaven is entirely yang and Earth entirely yin, which is tantamount to saying that Essence is pure act and Substance is pure potency. However, this applies to Heaven and Earth alone, as the two poles of universal manifestation; in all manifested things there is no yang without yin and no yin without yang, for everything by nature partakes simultaneously of both Heaven and Earth."

Inasmuch as these two primary qualities have issued from the equilibrium of the primordial Unity, contemplation of this symbolism leads beyond the cosmos to the metacosmic reality of Tai Chi. Tai Chi is the symbol of primordial equilibrium and perfection or wholeness as the first determination of the Absolute, just as Beyond-Being gives rise to Being. The 'ten thousand things' are brought into being by Tai Chi and conditioned by yin and yang by virtue of their entrance into manifestation within the realm of Heaven and Earth. Like the permutations of the two determinations from which the various trigrams and hexagrams of the I Ching are derived, the infinitely variable patterns of alternating black and white stones on the Go board symbolize the unfoldment of the ten thousand things from the principial unity of the Divine All-Possibility.

It is perhaps possible to consider an additional dimension of symbolism of a more speculative nature. Through the symbolic properties of the traditional physical substances of the game and their arrangement, stone or earth over wood, Go constitutes a material representation of the I Ching hexagram Sheng which is composed of the trigrams Kun, the Receptive (earth) and Sun, the Gentle (wood). It literally means Pushing Upward and pertains to the image of wood growing upward out of the earth. The I Ching states concerning this image, "Within the earth, wood grows: The image of Pushing Upward. Thus the superior man of devoted character heaps up small things in order to achieve something high and great." This hexagram is associated with the effort of the will and bears the denotation of vertical ascent or transcendence. The game of Go appears to be in full accordance with this message, especially in the context of its use as a support for the spiritual life. Perhaps no one has explained the content of this message better than Frithjof Schuon, whose sagacious words might very well serve as a commentary upon the text itself. He wrote,

"The noble man is one who masters himself and loves to master himself; the base man is one who does not master himself and shrinks in horror from mastering himself. The spiritual man is one who transcends himself and loves to transcent himself; the worldly man remains horizontal and hates the vertical dimension."

Go as a Ludic Support for the Spiritual Life

Honinbo Shusaku (1829-62), a great Japanese master
of the game from the Edo period

As previously mentioned, Go does not possess a microcosmic symbolism reflected in the distinctive identity, initial position, and determined movement of the playing pieces as does the game of chess. In the latter game, according to Titus Burckhardt

"If the significance of the different chessmen is transposed into the spiritual domain, the king becomes the heart, or spirit, and the other pieces the various faculties of the soul. Their movements, moreover, correspond to different ways of realizing the cosmic possibilities represented by the chessboard: there is axial movement of the 'castles' or war chariots, the diagonal movement of the 'bishops' or elephants, which follow a signle colour, and the complex movement of the knights. The axial movement, which 'cuts' through different 'colours', is logical and virile, while the diagonal movement corresponds to an "existential" - and therefore feminine - continuity. The jump of the knights corresponds to intuition."

Unlike chess, the game of Go begins with an empty board and the stones are entirely homogeneous, possessing no distinctive qualities of their own. In principle, a stone may be played anywhere on the board and its quality is determined entirely by the judgment of the player in consideration of the relative positions of existing stones and the concomitant framework of implied threats and possibilities. As such, rather than serving as a symbol for the various faculties of the soul, it instead manifests its content in a direct and operative manner, thereby serving as an expression of the present subjective state of the player.

This idea is represented in the idiosyncratic philosophy of Takeo Kajiwara, a contemporary professional player of the highest rank. In his manual The Direction of Play he teaches that stones are instruments of power.

"Every time you place a stone on the board," he writes, "you are exposing something of yourself. It is not just a piece of slate, shell, or plastic. You have entrusted to that stone your feelings, your individuality, your will-power, and once it is played there is no going back. Each stone carries a great responsibility on your behalf."

Taking into consideration the fact that no game, however noble, can equal the reality of life experience, these unique properties of the game of Go allow it to provide a virtual field of operation for the cultivation of the virtues, insofar as it is possible for a game to do so. The completed game serves thereby as a testimony to the expression or absence of virtue during the moment of and in the context of gameplay. It is undoubtedly this characteristic that brought about its cultivation within Buddhist culture as a ludic support of the spiritual life.

Mastery of Go is not limited to the acquisition of technical skill and strategic prowess predicated upon the memorization of common patterns. It also depends upon the ability to overcome deficiencies and weaknesses in the soul that affect one's ability to make proper judgments and effective use of the stones. The nature of these weaknesses can literally be ascertained by reading the record of the game as is evidenced by many professional commentaries. As one contemporary player has observed,

"The board is a mirror of the mind of the player as moments pass. When a master studies the record of a game, he can tell at what point greed overtook the pupil, when he became tired, when he fell into stupidity, and when the maid came by with the tea."

The primary vices of the Go player that must be overcome on the journey toward mastery of the game and of himself may be synthesized into a few distinct but interrelated categories including attachment, fear, impetuosity, and greed.

Within the context of the game, attachment is expressed by becoming emotionally invested in a particular stone or group of stones to the detriment of the potential advancement of other positions on the board. It may be that one wishes to futilely attempt to preserve a group that cannot be made to live or simply that one is too narrowly focused on a single area of the board thereby losing sight of the development of the game as a whole.

The expression of fear is particularly notable within the presence of a stronger player whose superior skill may cause one to become nervous, underestimate one's own abilities, and to develop a passive and defensive posture, even when one has the advantage. This may lead to the unnecessary fortification of groups, over concentration of stones, and a slow development of positions.

Impetuosity represents in some ways the opposite extreme to that of fear. It generally manifests in the presence of a weaker player and involves the expression of undue aggressiveness. It may cause one to exploit the inferior skill and ignorance of the weaker player, attacking his stones excessively and unnecessarily, while making moves that are in themselves poor, but which a weaker player may not be able to exploit. Impetuosity destroys the dignity of the player, the morale of the opponent, and the beauty and harmony of the game.

Finally, greed is perhaps the most common vice of go players. It is rooted in acquisitiveness, the continual desire to capture more stones and accumulate more territory. It arises out of a lack of consideration for the existence and right of the other player and a false sense of needing to dominate the entire board. There is a sense in which greed derives from and contributes to all of the other vices inasmuch as one may lust after that which one cannot possess (attachment), cling tenaciously onto what one already has (fear), and unduly attempt to take what is rightfully in the possession of the opponent (impetuosity).

With keen insight and wisdom, the Buddhist communities of China and Japan would certainly have recognized within this internal struggle played out upon the board, an opportunity to support the development of the paramitas or 'perfections' of Mahayana Buddhism. According to a prevalent six-fold division, Schuon describes the paramitas as follows:

"'Charity' (dāna), which in a way constitutes the framework or the periphery of the Mahayana, is the first of the six pāramitās or virtues of the Bodhisattva; 'Wisdom' (prajnā) is the sixth and the culmination of all the pāramitās. The four other virtues are as it were intermediary: these are 'abstention' (shīla) 'virility' (vīrya), 'patience' (kshānti) and 'contemplation' (dhyāna); these spiritual modes amount to so many paths, at once simultaneous and successive, and any single one of them can determine a whole life without needing, or being able to exclude the daily practice of, the others. The first five pāramitās moreover are not really separated from the virtue of prajnā, whereof they are secondary aspects destined to contribute in their own way to the awakening of liberating Knowledge."

Instead of expressing attachment, one may posit detachment (shila) by treating the stones lightly, as possibilities rather than absolutes. It frequently happens during a game that a group of stones which is incapable of surviving may later be rescued and turned toward one's advantage. Instead of expressing fear, one may posit courage (virya), and with an attitude of respectful consideration, view the presence of a formidable opponent as an opportunity to correct mistakes and learn from the demonstration of superior skill. In the opposite situation instead of expressing impetuosity and exploiting a weaker player one may practice restraint and recollectedness, positing the virtue of patience (kshanti) and thereby serving as an exemplar of dignified and beautiful play.

As with its counterpart, greed, charity (dana) possesses a special significance within the game of Go. As in Mahayana Buddhism, the concept of charity or generosity in a way constitutes the ideal framework of the game for it manifests the correct attitude toward the significance of the opponent. Recognizing the necessity for the other, both may join together in the spirit of cooperative competition reflecting the dignity of kingship expressed in accordance with the rigour of the Tao as related by Pan Ku in his description of the philosophy of the game. This is a reflection of the same type of cooperative struggle described by the Quran in the verses which admonish us to "as brothers fight ye" and "vie with one another in good works," both opponents having joined forces against a common enemy, the weaknesses of the human soul.

The experiences of gameplay do not necessarily lend themselves directly to the cultivation and expression of the fifth and sixth paramitas for these pertain to the highest degrees of realization upon the spiritual path. Nevertheless, they are represented in the symbolism and essential message that the procedure of gameplay presents to those who reflect upon it. The go game commences with an empty board signifying the transcendent void or sunyata and the transitory and illusory nature of the cosmic drama unfolding thereon is revealed when at last the stones are cleared away and only the empty board remains.

In conclusion, we may state that for those who seek an enjoyable pastime to contribute an element of leisure to the daily rhythm of work, study, and prayer, the game of Go offers a viable alternative to indulgence in the profane distractions and amusements of the modern world.

By the Sacred River Ganges

2009-02-16T15:34:00.000-08:00

Varanasi, India 2006

Spiritual Disposition and Perception

2009-02-16T15:00:00.000-08:00

Greetings of Peace. Marco Pallis' article on "Spiritual Counsel" is very pertinent to your inquiries and I would strongly suggest seeking it out and reading it in its entirety. I have read it several times and periodically return to it for the insight that it provides into the quest for religion and tradition.

Although I am not a priest or someone similarly endowed with authority on spiritual matters, I hope that what thoughts and experience I do have to share will be of some benefit to you and others who have similar concerns. I can also attest to the fact that many of the members here that I either know personally or have corresponded with are among the kindest, most intelligent, and insightful people that I have ever met. For many of them and for myself as well, there are few exchanges more enjoyable or rewarding than the discussion of God, religion, and the spiritual life.

* * *

This is an important statement which perhaps deserves some further exploration. I do not necessarily think that Marco Pallis was stating that a Westerner is intrinsically suited for the Christian Way, but rather that he is inclined toward it because of the very strong impressions that living and thinking in the Christian West have made upon him either overtly or subtly. His words that "his mental conformation, whether he likes it or not, will have been powerfully affected by Christian ways of thinking and acting" implies extrinsic elements at work, rather than an unfoldment of the innate disposition of the soul.

To clarify this statement, let us first turn to the nature of religion. All religions are in essence or "at heart" the religio perennis as it is providentially adapted to the different conditions of man. Similarly, the human soul bears within itself the faculty of the Intellect or the "eye of the heart", capable of discerning and bearing witness to this element of universality. This constitutes one kind of heredity of a primary nature to which may be added a secondary heredity attached to a particular religious form which has been providentially inherited by birth or circumstances. The former is primary and indicative of the intrinsic disposition of the soul while the latter is secondary and although both powerful and significant, ultimately extrinsic.

The person sensitive to the essential nature of religions whom we have designated as the esoterist realizes that although some may be extrinsically inaccessible, no religion is inherently incompatible owing to the primary heredity identified with the religio perennis. However, as Frithjof Schuon has so aptly remarked, the heart is covered by a sheet of ice, a fact that is true for nearly all men, one of the results of which are certain limitations directly contributing to the accessibility of a given religious form. This ice affects our ability to appreciate and bear witness to the beauty and sanctity of religious forms and render their symbolic qualities transparent to transcendent spiritual realities.

* * *

This is a very insightful comment. Although thinking is an important aspect of who we are and what we do as human beings, it is a limitation if our experience of religion consists of thinking alone. Not only is it impossible to witness your own transformation, which is like trying to watch a flower grow, if you only endeavor to think about the metaphysical significance of symbols, you fail to engage faculties which are as, if not more, important than the acquisition of theoretical knowledge. These faculties are best expressed through their physical analogues, senses such as sight, hearing, and tasting, which serve as symbols when transposed onto the spiritual plane. They all, but tasting especially, express the immediacy of metaphysical and presential knowledge in addition to indicating the means of its acquisition through a material medium and counterpart.

Frithjof Schuon very succinctly expressed this truth in the video interview that was recently circulating on YouTube when he stated with regard to the significance of art that "It is not enough to think about Metaphysics. We also want to see and to hear metaphysics." A full appreciation of a given religion can be obtained by not only thinking about its doctrines, but also by seeing and hearing the beauty of its divinely instituted formal elements, and ultimately by tasting its spiritual essence. Also like the flower however, these faculties grow imperceptibly over time, sustained by our faith in God and nurtured by the beauty and sanctity of the rites, traditions, and revelations that He has provided for our spiritual nourishment and salvation.

* * *

While it is true that a person referring to him or herself as a master probably is not, I think that this judgment is much more difficult to make concerning those who refer to themselves as Buddhists or even Christians or Muslims, for what degree of perfection is required to hold claim to such an identity? Certainly to testify to the adherence of the eight-fold path does not necessary mean that one fully realizes its meaning and actualizes that understanding within one's being, for that would make one a great saint. In a sense, religion begins and ends with its fundamental doctrine. It begins with faith and ends with the consummation of that faith in an through presential knowledge. Religions are broad and encompassing enough to accommodate men and women of various aptitudes, inclinations, and even degrees of sincerity. I think that this fact constitutes a great lesson to us, especially for esoterists. There is a wonderful passage in the Book of Wisdom of Ibn Ata'Allah that I like to relate in this context. It states that

"If you see a servant whom God has made to abide in the recitation of litanies and prolonged His help therein, do not disdain what his Lord has given him on the score that you do not detect the signs of gnostics on him nor the splendor of God's lovers. For had there been no inspiration, there would have been no litanty."

That he should deceive the nations no more....

2009-02-14T12:21:00.000-08:00

Michael Binding Satan by William blake

"And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season." -Revelations 20:1-3

Life and Teachings of the Jagadguru

2009-02-11T18:14:00.000-08:00

A full length documentary on the life and teachings of Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati, the 68th Jagadguru of Kanchi

Hindu Dharma and other teachings are available online from the

SRI KANCHI KAMAKOTI PEETHAM

Reflections on Freemasonry

2009-02-06T12:28:00.000-08:00

I have spent a considerable amount of time in the past studying the rituals, symbolism, and philosophy of Freemasonry. The following are some of the conclusions that I have drawn concerning the fraternity. It began through the simple initiatory rites of the medieval craft guilds. After achieving a certain degree of proficiency, the apprentice would be initiated into the secrets of his trade, consisting of a knowledge of the principles of building, architecture, and symbolism. Reference to works such as The Ten Book on Architecture by Vitruvius can demonstrate the vastness and sophistication of the education of the architect while books on the symbolism and sacred geometry of such structures as Indian and Egyptian temples, mosques, and cathedrals can demonstrate the profundity of the spiritual wisdom which is his legacy. Within the traditional worldview, building, like all traditional arts and crafts, is attributed a divine origin. It is something given to us from God through the angels and prophets, and is therefore imbued with the sanctity of its origin. As a sacred and symbolic work issuing from a divine source, it may serve as a support of the spiritual life of the craftsman. The practice of building, the transformation wrought upon the physical substances, and the canon of sacred doctrine transmitted through symbolism, all serve to support the spiritual life provided by the religion of the community. Like the forms of spiritual practice which it supports, it only possesses efficacy within the context of the religious tradition as a whole. In other words it is an aspect and dimension of the tradition issuing forth from or working in concert with the revelation, not an independent means of salvation in its own right.

All of the above associations are in reference to the practice of the craft of masonry as it originally existed and as it exists in itself, not to the modern fraternity of Freemasons. The modern institution is secular, not in the sense that it does not acknowledge the existence of God (an acknowledgment that is actually one its prerequisites for membership), but in the sense that it does not ally itself with a particular religion so as to fulfill its function as a support to the spiritual path. Neither does it require of its membership such a participation. Perhaps the greatest deficiency of the modern institution consists in the transition from operation to speculation. When the institution ceased to perpetuate the practice of building, it seems to have lost its reason for being. The symbolism still possesses its meaning, but it is no longer integrated into the life of the initiate through the daily practice of the craft. The transition from operative masonry to speculative masonry precipitated an excessive emphasis upon discordant symbols. Without the practice of building to limit the range of symbols drawn upon and the nature of the knowledge transmitted, the initiation rituals soon began incorporate many foreign symbol systems and various bodies of occult doctrine virtually indiscriminately leading to the dizzying hierarchy of rituals and synrectistic aggregate of symbols which destroyed the original simplcity and elegance of the craft initiation.

To state my present position very succinctly, I believe that the modern institutions of Freemasonry have strayed so far from their origins that not only do they fail to support religion but can actually serve as a hinderance to it when taken as a false substitute.

The Two Greatest Commandments

2009-02-06T12:21:00.000-08:00

"Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is One Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart." (Deuteronomy 6:4-6)

"Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him. Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the Lord." (Leviticus 19:17-18)

"And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, the first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is One Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: This is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:28-31)

"Say: He is Allah, the One! Allah, the eternally besought of All! He begetteth not, nor was begotten. And there is none comparable unto him." (Quran 112)

"None of you has faith until you love for your neighbor what you love for yourself." (Sahih Muslim 45)

Considerations on Alchemy

2009-02-06T10:56:00.000-08:00

Alchemy is one of several traditional arts and sciences that have descended to us from ancient, possibly prehistoric times. The alchemy that we are familiar with in the west has its origins within the ancient Egyptian civilization and developed into its present form with the synthesis centered around the prophetic figure of Hermes Trismegistus who emerged in Alexandrian Egypt around 100 A.D.. The Emerald Tablet of Hermes, which is perhaps the single most important alchemical document enshrining the entire perspective within its short passages, properly belongs to that complementary group of writings commonly known as the Corpus Hermeticum. Likewise, alchemy is not only one of the Hermetic arts, but is sometimes referred to exclusively as the Hermetic Art par excellence. When Guenon and other traditionalists write of “Hermeticism” it is specifically to the heritage of Alchemy that they are referring.

As an aspect of the Egyptian Tradition, particularly as it was transformed and Hellenized in the Hermetic milieu, alchemy constitutes an authentic traditional science. However, it is improper to speak of it as an integral tradition in and of itself. Rather, it is a spiritual science that uses artisanal operations (originally metallurgy but later including traditional crafts as well as other domains) as outward supports for the inward transformation of the soul. To understand the nature of alchemy we must first comprehend the primary defining characteristic of traditional society, that is, the fact that all aspects of life are oriented toward and reflective of the Divine Reality and so are bestowed with a sacred quality. The phenomena of alchemy emerges from the manner in which the labor of the artisan or the craftsman and their materials possess a sacred dimension arising from their intrinsic symbolism and thereby take on the function of an external or “additional” support for religion, that which “binds one back to God”.

To attempt to use alchemy outside the province of religion is to commit the error of the occultists by removing a method from its traditional context thereby secularizing it or divesting it of its sacred content. In such a state of destitution it is subject to all manner of false interpretation and perversion as attempts are made to fill the resultant void with something other than the appropriate sacred function bestowed upon it by tradition. It is first necessary for the alchemist to “bind himself back to God” using the means which God himself has provided us in the form of the revelations of His Prophets. As we are instructed in the Sophic Hydrolith, “When you are in inward harmony with God’s world, outward conformity will not be wanting. Yet our artist can do nothing but sow, plant, and water: God must give the increase. Therefore, if anyone be the enemy of God, all nature declares war against him, but to one who loves God, heaven and earth and all the elements must lend their assistance.”

This situation is particularly hazardous in consideration of the maleficent properties of the metals employed in metallurgical operations. The article by Guenon on “The Significance of Metallurgy” that was used as the basis for this discussion is concerned precisely with this issue. He writes that, historically, metals are subject to a taboo in some traditions such as the Hebrew while in others they are given special reverence such as in the Kabiric Mysteries. This is owing to an inherent two-fold symbolism. Metals are manifestations of the same spiritual archetypes as the planets and so possess the same dual “beneficent” and “maleficent” properties. However, owing to their participation within the infernal as opposed to celestial regions, their maleficent influences naturally predominate while their beneficent influences require a special intervention in order to take effect. According to Guenon,

“…if the metallic influences are taken in their ‘beneficent’ aspect by making use of them in a manner truly ‘ritual’, in the most complete sense of the word, they are susceptible of transmutation and ‘sublimation’, and are then all the more capable of becoming a spiritual ‘support’, since whatever is at the lowest level corresponds by inverse analogy, to what is at the highest level; the whole mineral symbolism of alchemy is based on this very fact, and so is the symbolism of the ancient Kabiric initiations. On the other hand, when nothing is in question but the profane utilization of metals, in view of the fact that the profane point of view as such necessarily brings with it the cutting off of all communication with superior principles, nothing is then left that is capable of effective action save the ‘maleficent’ side of the metallic influences, and this will develop all the more strongly because it will inevitably be isolated from everything that could restrain it or counterbalance it; this particular instance of an exclusively profane utilization is clearly one which is realized in all its fullness in the modern world.”

Although the traditional doctrines and methods are concealed within the enigmatic figures, symbols, and parables of the classic texts, alchemy is fundamentally an oral tradition to which the texts lend support. It requires for its efficacy possession of understanding founded upon interior illumination inspired by God in addition to the traditional instruction of a living adept. To quote the Testament of Alchemy of Morienus to King Khalid, the first alchemical treatise translated from Arabic into Latin,

“Almighty God in his power created powerless servants who can neither undo what he has done nor advance what he holds back. Nor can they even know anything except by the strength that same God has conferred upon them. And from among his servants, he chose select ones to seek after the knowledge he had established that rescues him who masters it from the wretchedness of this world and assures him riches to come, God willing. While those so chosen used to hand down this knowledge to their own heirs, it was at last lost and its masters dispossessed of it when none could be found any more who knew it. But of the books which set forth the matter correctly their remained a few by the ancient seers who went before us. They left their knowledge as a legacy to their successors, whom God had chosen to become adepts according to the methods that had been explained truthfully and forthrightly by their predecessors.”

According to Seyyed Hossein Nasr, who in his younger days, he has stated, used to seek out such living adepts, the alchemical tradition survived in Europe until the 18th century when it was discredited through its conflict with the prevailing paradigms of modern science. The few students of the art remaining in the 19th century then traveled to Fez in Morocco in order to reestablish contact with the tradition. This situation begs the question of what exactly is the value of the study of alchemy in the absence of a valid link to this traditional heritage of oral instruction. To adequately answer this question we will first need to examine some of its various facets and adaptations.

Alchemy is a composite system composed of a cosmological doctrine, artisanal method, and comprehensive symbolism allied to that method. It is cosmological in so far as it describes and affects the exterior and interior realms, the body and soul of nature and of man. Its particular province is what may be identified in a general way with the Lesser Mysteries, or first stage of the initiatic path which accomplishes the full realization of the possibilities of the human state or, to use the traditional symbolism of Abrahamic monotheism, “the restoration of man’s primordial adamic state antecedent to the fall.” In this sense, Alchemy may, but does not necessarily serve as a foundation for the Greater Mysteries which pertain to the realization of supra-human states or otherwise of “Supreme Union” which falls under the province of mysticism.

In so far as it is limited to cosmology and does not possess a system of theology, Alchemy was capable of assimilation within both the Islamic and Christian worlds where it was seen simply as another traditional science akin to Astrology and others. Its composite nature and comprehensive symbolism made it capable of application within a variety of different contexts including, as previously mentioned, the traditional crafts but also within the esoteric and therefore mystical dimensions of the religion itself. In Chapter 12 of his treatise on Alchemy, Titus Burckhardt gives as significant overview of “The Alchemy of Prayer” demonstrating how, as Rene Guenon stated, its symbolism is capable of being transposed so as to give it a truly spiritual and initiatic value. By transposition is meant adoption of the symbolism by and adaptation to another operative domain endowing the latter with a complex and functional symbolic language. A brief anecdote by William Stoddart is sufficient to illustrate the situation. In his pithy treatise on Sufism, he writes,

“The symbolism of alchemy is sometimes used to describe the practice of dhikr. The soul in its chaotic unregenerate state is ‘lead’. The Philosopher’s Stone is the Divine Name, in contact with which the ‘leaden’ soul is transmuted into ‘gold’, which is its true nature. This true nature has been lost, but is recovered by the practice of dhikr. The ‘alchemical work’ thus symbolizes the ‘work of spiritual realization’. In either case the essential operation is a ‘transmutation’ of that which is ‘base’ into that which is ‘noble’. The science of the macrocosm (the outward world) thus analogically coincides with the science of the microcosm (the inward world or soul).”

The mysterious art of alchemy has long been a subject of great interest to me so I feel that it is necessary to acknowledge its dignity as a traditional science and to demonstrate why the study of its doctrine and symbolism is relevant even with the loss of its traditional operative method. At a time when it has been subject to the grossest of misinterpretations and misapplications particularly at the hands of occultists eager to adopt its symbolism as their own and psychiatrists who see within it the imaginary world of schizophrenics, I also believe that it is important to identify authentic sources of information from which to conduct further research.

Ancient and Modern Thought

2009-02-06T01:13:00.001-08:00

... it was an encounter with the ancient philosophy of Plato and his disciples that convinced me of the incommensurable gulf between ancient and modern thought. This experience of the superiority of ancient teaching makes it difficult for me to justify the time and effort that it takes to delve into most contemporary writing of a non-traditional nature, especially that presented by the occult, new-age, and (Blavatskian) theosophical schools, when this time and effort could be better spent studying the orthodox teachings and commentaries of the prophets and saints of the world’s great religious traditions. Perhaps the only thing that I can suggest to the reader enamored with occult teachings is a similar course of study and the hope that the exposure to principles will overcome established prejudices. In his article on “Orthodoxy and Intellectuality” Schuon provides some thought provoking comments on this very issue that I will reproduce at length. He wrote:

“When we say that a doctrine is providential, we mean by this that it is contained in its own way in the Revelation itself and that it cannot fail to be "crystallized" at the cyclic moment assigned to it by its nature … Every cycle has qualitative aspects: what is possible at a certain moment is not possible at another, so that the birth of a particular perspective cannot occur at some arbitrary moment. And this provides us with yet another criterion of orthodoxy — or of heterodoxy — for it is certain that in our times, that is for the last few centuries, the cyclic moment for the manifestation of the great perspectives (darshanas) is past; readaptations — in the sense of a legitimate and therefore adequate and efficacious synthesis — are always possible, but not the manifestations of perspectives that are fundamental and "new" as to their form.

The least that can be said is that no present formulation could surpass the ancient formulations; commentaries can be made on the traditional perspectives, they can be summed up from a particular point of view or expressed according to a particular inspiration, but they cannot be contradicted or replaced …The spuriousness of such attempts always shows itself — apart from intrinsic errors — in the belittling and falsifying spirit which is so characteristic of the modern world; in fact it requires a prodigious lack of spiritual sensibility and of a sense of proportion to take any contemporary thinking, even the best possible, for one of the great providential "crystallizations" of the philosophia perennis.

… In reality, the philosophia perennis, actualized in the West, though on different levels, by Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, the Fathers and the Scholastics, constitutes a definitive intellectual heritage, and the great problem of our times is not to replace them with something better — for this something could not exist according to the point of view in question here — but to return to the sources, both around us and within us, and to examine all the data of contemporary life in the light of the one, timeless truth.

One of the things that men of today seem to fear most is to appear naive, whereas there is really nothing more naive than to attribute naivety to the ancient sages of the East and the West, whose teachings embrace implicitly, and broadly, everything of value to be found among the precautions and subtleties of modern thought; a man has to have very little imagination to believe, with the satisfaction of a schoolboy who is promoted, that he has at last discovered what hundreds and thousands of years of wisdom did not know, and that on the level of pure intelligence. Before seeking to "surpass" any "scholasticism," one should at least understand it! And if one understood it, one would hardly any longer try to surpass it ..."

Ramakrishna, Vivekananda, and the Vedanta Society

2009-02-06T01:05:00.000-08:00

I understand your plight and I think that at this forum there are a number of people who can recommend to you excellent books by authors that do not necessarily adhere to the traditionalist school and its perspectives. However, you will have difficulty finding books that represent an orthodox perspective of Christianity written by Hindus from the mere fact that Hindu thought is not considered orthodox in the context of the Christian tradition independent of the consideration of its intrinsic orthodoxy as displayed by the metaphysical perspective of Advaita Vedanta. The question of whether or not such literature is worthwhile is much simpler and although I cannot attest to the quality of the writings of P. Yogananda or R. Ravindra, I am quite familiar with the work of Swami Prabhavananda and can generally recommend it, but not without a few reservations. In collaboration with American authors, he has translated some of the major religious texts of Hinduism including the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and the Crest Jewel of Discrimination. Although ultimately unreliable as translations, these works were meant to introduce the spirit of the text rather than its technical significance and in this respect they have admirably succeeded. Based upon a vast knowledge of Hindu Traditions he has also produced his greatest work The Spiritual Heritage of India which I unhesitatingly recommend as a significant overview and introduction to the numerous schools of thought and religion that populate the Indian subcontinent.

I do not have in my possession The Sermon on the Mount According to the Vedanta which is the book that you are most likely referring to, but I have the original articles (as part of another book) that it was based on. Assuming that few if any changes were made to the content, it is safe to say that this work has very little to do with Christian doctrine and so cannot legitimately be considered as a work of comparative religion. Rather, Swami Prabhavananda reflects upon the teachings of the Sermon in themselves, with little or no reference to other Christian writings or teachings, and applies their universal content to the context of his own experiences within the Hindu tradition. I do not recall encountering anything problematic in this book or in The Spiritual Heritage of India and would recommend the former as both interesting and inspiring and the latter as an excellent informative resource. I have, however, occasionally encountered certain problematic ideas in his work and it might be well to explain some of them in case you do happen to encounter them in either of these books. In order to do this, it is first necessary to say a few words about the organization of which he was a representative.

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

Swami Prabhavananda belonged to a monastic society called the Ramakrishna Order of monks, named after the teacher of the original monks who founded it, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. He (Ramakrishna) was a great spiritual master of the 19th century who combined within himself the qualities of bhakti and gnani, or devotional worship and realization. The essence of his teaching has been aptly designated as a Vedanta-Japa synthesis. A small group of young Hindu men constituted his immediate disciples and it was primarily to them that he directed his teachings but he was known and loved by people of many religions and social groups. He taught his disciples to worship God as they were accustomed, according to the traditional rituals and prayers to various deities, but also to realize his nature as the transcendent Brahman, or Absolute Reality of which these various deities were as so many contingent manifestations. To achieve this, he taught that Japa, or the repetition of God’s Name, was the spiritual method most suited to the conditions of this age, the Kali Yuga. He himself was a devotee of the great Goddess Kali and lived for many years at the compound of her temple at Dakshineswar where he presided as priest.

There are many interesting anecdotes to tell of his personality and teachings, and for these I would recommend to you The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna particularly in its abridged form (because of its immediate accessibility to the general reader), a book that I think all people who are endowed with a love of God should be exposed to regardless of their religious background. The most important idea that I would like to convey is that Ramakrishna was a very simple man and without formal education, who followed the traditional prayers and rites of orthodox Hinduism. He was guided in the path of advaita from a wandering monk and later in tantric rites by a female priest. Through their training and his innate spiritual gifts he attained to the realization of his identity with the Absolute and was forever prone to frequent bouts of ecstasy when this realization would return to him. In fact, it is sometimes said (I believe originally by he himself) that after experiencing this realization, his normal state of consciousness became that of samadhi, characterized by ecstatic absorption into the Absolute, and it was only through an effort of concentration that he was able to maintain a level of consciousness such that he might communicate with his disciples and function within the phenomenal world. He taught to his closest disciples some of the spiritual methods that he had learned, and conveyed to them a transmission of spiritual influence that initiated them into the spiritual life.

The Emblem of the Ramakrishna Order of Monks

Following the master’s death, and after a period of wandering, these disciples took monastic names and vows and organized themselves into the Ramakrishna Order of Monks. The two most prominent disciples were Swami Brahmananda and Swami Vivekananda. The former was a soft spoken and pious Hindu whom Sri Ramakrishna considered to be his spiritual son. He had come to live with Sri Ramakrishna and learn from his words and presence the meaning of the spiritual life. Swami Vivenakanda was an outspoken and sometimes controversial member of the Brahmo Samaj, a Hindu reform movement. Sri Ramakrishna loved him dearly and viewed him as the acknowledged leader of the group due to his great mental prowess, oratory and rhetorical skill. He would frequently request Vivekananda to visit him so that, like Swami Brahmananda, he might receive the benefit of his spiritual influence and guidance, and thereby make the best use of his innate talents. By Vivekananda’s own admission, “He was afraid about me, that I might create a sect if left to myself.” The nature of these two monks represents the contrary influences that inform and characterize the present movement. On the one hand there is the heritage of orthodox Hinduism and the faithful adherence to the teachings of Ramakrishna and on the other, the modern ideologies deriving through Vivekananda from the Brahmo Samaj.

As a disciple of Swami Brahmanada, Swami Prabhavananda is characterized generally by orthodoxy and faithfulness to Ramakrishna as to his master, but the pervasiveness of Vivekananda’s personality and teachings within the Order are such that he was unable to escape their influence. Certain points of contention introduced by Vivekananda include the preoccupation with social welfare, a perspective concerning meditation as a scientifically justified and quantifiable method of realization, and the view that the modern world is the result of progress in the material realm which must ideally be synthesized with the progress of Indian civilization in spiritual realm. Swami Prabhavananda does not necessarily prescribe to these views in their entirety, and to my recollection they may be entirely absent from the works that I recommended. Nevertheless, one can occasionally catch a glimpse of Vivekananda’s influence at work in his more popular articles and it is best to be aware of such ideas such that we do not fall prey to them inadvertently by accepting them alongside those that are not objectionable.

In his very informative book Introduction to the Study of the Hindu Doctrines, Rene Guenon provides some background on the Brahmo Samaj and additionally, the following remarks on the Vedanta movement deriving from the Ramakrishna Order. He wrote,

“Another still more completely aberrant branch, better known in the West, is that founded by Vivekananda, the disciple of the illustrious Ramakrishna though unfaithful to his teaching; it has recruited its adherents mostly in America and Australia, where it runs ‘missions’ and ‘temples.’ There Vedanta has become, like Schopenhauer’s conception of it, a sentimental and ‘consoling’ religion, with a strong dose of Protestant ‘moralism’; in this degenerate form, it approaches very close to Theosophism, towards which it stands in the position of natural ally rather than a rival or competitor. The ‘evengelical’ attitude assumed by this pseudo-religion has earned it a certain success, chiefly in Anglo-Saxon countries; while its inherently sentimental character is well attested by the ardour for propaganda animating its votaries; for, as might be expected, an altogether Western propensity for proselytism rages intensely in these organizations, which are Eastern in nothing but the name, apart from a few merely outward signs, calculated to interest the curious and to attract dilettantes by playing on their taste for an exoticism of the feeblest type. This so-called Vedanta, which is a product of that queer American and characteristically Protestant creation called the ‘Parliament of Religions, ’ and which pleases the West all the better the more completely it is distorted, has practically nothing left in common with the metaphysical doctrine the name of which it bears. No more time need be wasted on it; but it seemed best at least to mention its existence, in order to put people who have heard of it on their guard against possible false assimilations; as for those who have not come across these movements, it is best that they should be made aware of them, since they are not nearly so harmless as might appear at first sight.”

I think that, contrary to Guenon’s assertion, a few more words might be said concerning the orthodox presence within the Society deriving from Ramakrishna’s spiritual transmission as well as the possibility of a westerner practicing Hinduism and the Path of Gnana Yoga in an authentic manner. I would be willing to devote a few more words to these subjects, but for now I will simply say that if you would like to learn about Hinduism or Christianity it might be best simply to study the sacred texts and their orthodox commentaries, avoiding altogether that which, despite whatever merits it might possess, may give rise to confusion or misinterpretation.

The Exploitation of Lost Traditions

2009-02-06T00:59:00.000-08:00

I can certainly appreciate the desire to foster pride in one's culture and origins by embracing indigenous practices and perspectives, but I would be very wary of those who would exploit an essentially positive intention in order to amass wealth and prestige under false pretenses. I have witnessed a pastiche of various scientistic, new-age, and haphazardly presented occult doctrines exploiting the reputation and imagery of a noble and once-thriving traditional civilization. Much discrimination will be necessary to rectify the unfortunate situation of anyone who attaches himself to this or any similar movement or organization.

While we may certainly state that Hunbatz Men can be more aptly described as a new age writer than as a Traditionalist one -- for whom human endeavor and ingenuity, in a word caprice, overshadows the rightful place of the Divine -- the case of Julius Evola is a little more subtle. Julius Evola, a very intelligent author with a prodigious memory, acquired his understanding of traditional doctrines through his association with Arturo Reghini. From the latter he was to learn but not necessarily understand fully many of the teachings of René Guénon unfortunately colored by the perspectives of the Scuola Italica, Reghini's esoteric order that romanticized imperial Rome.

Evola consistently denigraded both religion and the exoteric point of view. For him authentic spirituality was limited to the esoteric dimension possessed by the Regal Warrior Elite. On the contrary, all of those identified with the Traditionalist School, while acknowledging the centrality of esoterism and the important role of the spiritual elite in our present age, consistently defend both the dignity and necessity of exoteric religion both in itself and as a necessary foundation for the pursuit of esoterism. This is one of the key perspectives that Evola shares with the various modern pseudo-spiritual movements and accounts for his popularity among various schools of occultism. Thus, although he expressed some important traditional ideas, he cannot be considered as an exemplary figure of the Traditionalist School.

Socrates once stated that any author will say something to the point. That is to say that (generally speaking) every book, however flawed or incompetent, will generally have at least one thing that is useful or interesting. Unfortunately, the accumulation of contemporary writing, especially with widespread access to the internet, is far too voluminous to read everything always looking for that "something to the point". Again there is the need for discrimination.

Or rather than discrimination, perhaps it would be better for me to say that discernment is necessary, because while the former implies a decision to choose that which is real over that which is false (a decision that has already been made), the latter refers to a keenness of insight and judgment. In other words, it refers to the ability to recognize which sources and individuals are authentic and which are not. Authenticity only comes into consideration when a given teaching is communicated on behalf of something greater than itself. For example, in the case of Hunbatz Men, he attempted to state that his teachings represented true Mayan religion and science, a situation immediately calling their authenticity into question.

An important distinction must here be made between a movement (in this case, a reform movement) and tradition. Reform movements desire a return to the past. Nonetheless, they are wholly modern phenomena, and the past that they desire to return to is generally a romantic fantasy developed in the imagination of the present. Tradition on the other hand implies a transmission which carries the past into the present through an uninterrupted chain of transmission. Cultural customs and practices may support this transmission but it is the presence of the sanctifying influence of the saint that causes it both to blossom and to revive in times of decline.

It may well be that living representatives embodying the ancient traditions of Mexico are still living amongst the people. Rest assured that they will not be writing popular occult manuals. Herein lays the need for discrimination. Three things can be used as a touchstone for determining authenticity. These are intelligence, dignity, and orthodoxy.

By intelligence is meant the expressed mental capacities of knowledge, reason, and understanding. By dignity is implied nobility of character. In this we can see the wisdom of the biblical aphorism, “He who lives the life shall know the doctrine.” These first two criteria of judgment are, to a certain degree, limited by one’s own possession of them. It is only by virtue of possessing a modicum of intelligence and nobility oneself that one is able to judge those qualities in others. To the base and ignorant man, that which is common achieves the status of dignity, but its worth is generally unrecognized, for in the achievement of that recognition the base man would already have begun to lift himself up as it were to that level.

Orthodoxy is a different issue altogether for it transcends the limited capabilities of human judgment. Orthodoxy, to which we may add its counterpart orthopraxy (literally right thinking and right action), concern originality in the sense of proximity to the origin as opposed to its modern connotation of individuality of expression. All elements of a traditional civilization have their origin within the divine principle. All religions, for instance, are rooted in the phenomenon of revelation, that is to say that the Absolute has entered into the world and revealed itself to man simultaneously revealing the Truth, the Law, and the Spiritual Path which joins them together. Orthodoxy consists in faithfulness and conformity to the revelation, an idea that is inherently antithetical to the pursuit of individuality.

The problem with false teachers such as Hunbatz Men and with occultism in general lies in the fact that the nature of the Absolute has been distorted if not lost sight of altogether, commonly being replaced with a kind of glorified material energy. The natural consequence of this is as follows. If reason, capable of apprehending the workings of matter, is exalted over the intellect which alone penetrates to realization of the Absolute, ethics becomes the province of human as opposed to divine judgment and all subsequent practice loses its proper foundation in the Law. The traditional principles of ethics which govern individual and collective behavior in conformity to the divine reality no longer serve as the support of a discipline leading to the Truth. All that remains is the vestiges of a spiritual method without foundation or aim, leading only to the pursuit of power and the vain glorification of the ego.

Hunbatz Men summarizes this great deviation of modern occultism and his perversion of Mayan Tradition on page 132 when he states, “These words help us develop our occult powers and become true reflections of Hunab K’u. This is the path to become Quezalcoatl or Kukulcan.”

The perspective of a purely rational and scientific origin of religion as opposed to divine revelation is given on page 28 when he states, “This introduction was intended to outline how the Maya created a religion based on secrets gleamed over many centuries from nature – from our earthly planet in union with cosmic laws.”

Again, Hunbatz Men describes the materialization of the Absolute and its subjection to purely rational formulation in the following quotation on page 24: “Our pre-conquest Mayan ancestors, through deduction and synthesis, came to a monotheistic conclusion, with a mathematical sense. Their concept of the Absolute was defined as measure and movement – measure of the soul and movement of the energy which is spirit.”

Many more examples can be given to illustrate the situation but I think that these are sufficient. I also hope to have demonstrated just how subtle these errors can be, especially for the inexperienced reader, and how far reaching the implications of improper foundations.

A significant plight of the modern world is the exaltation and idolization of quantity and the subordination of quality. Quantity consists of the amount of a thing as with its characteristics. quality consists of its level of excellence. In a secular worldview, the standard of quality is established through the judgment of an individual. Thus, in this situation value is determined through caprice or individual whim. In a traditional worldview this same standard is established based upon the conformity of the subject to the Divine Reality of the Absolute. Such a subject possesses a higher degree of quality in so far as its essential nature more adequately reflects the nature of the Absolute.

Once entered into consciousness as a perceived reality, the existence of the Absolute may thus serve as the key to the solution of all problems and the definitive answer to all questions of ultimate importance. Likewise, when it is absent, confusion ensues, there is a disruption of order in the world, and false gods are elevated to its place.

Sophia Perennis and Islam

2009-02-06T00:47:00.000-08:00

My own understanding of the technical meaning of many of the terms and relationships of metaphysical principles in limited. I can at best point you in the direction of the writings of those who possess a greater understanding. An excellent source of information on this subject is the second chapter of Knowledge and the Sacred, "What is Tradition?"

A few of the ideas that I have taken away from this are the following. A revelation can be considered as an objective manifestation of the Logos or as a particular unveiling of the principles of the Universal Intellect. Sophia Perennis, or the eternally and perpetually existent Divine Wisdom is identical to these principles when viewed in their essentiality. Sophia Perennis, therefore, exists at the heart of all of the macrocosmic revelations which give rise to the world’s religions. However, it also exists within the microcosmic revelation of the human Intellect. “With Sophia Perennis, ” according to Schuon, “it is fundamentally a question of the following: there are truths innate in the human Spirit, which nevertheless in a sense lie buried in the depth of the “Heart” – in the pure Intellect – and are accessible only to the one who is spiritually contemplative; and these are the fundamental metaphysical truths.” For the pure of heart, the truths of revelation call out to the same truths inscribed in the human spirit. The natural and appropriate response to this call is prayer. Irrespective of how we choose to identify and define all of these terms and their relationships (as they are subject to multiple perspectives), I think it is of greatest importance to be able to hear and respond to this call.

I also realize that you are a devout Muslim assimilating the doctrines and traditions of your religion while also attempting to situate many of these ideas within that context. Some passages from the referred chapter of Knowledge and the Sacred may be of great assistance to you in this regard, especially the following:

“Before leaving the subject of philosophia perennis, it seems appropriate to turn for a moment to the destiny of this idea in the Islamic tradition where its relation to sacred knowledge and its meaning as a perennial truth revived within each revelation is quite evident and more emphasized than in the Christian tradition. Islam sees the doctrine of unity (al-tawhīd) not only as the essence of its own message but as the heart of every religion. Revelation for Islam means the assertion of al-tawhīd and all religions are seen as so many repetitions in different climes and languages of the doctrine of unity. Moreover, wherever the doctrine of unity is to be found, it is considered to be of divine origin. Therefore, Muslims did not distinguish between religion and paganism but between those who accepted unity and those who denied or ignored it. For them the sages of antiquity such as Pythagoras and Plato were “unitarians” (muwaḥḥidūn) who expressed the truth which lies at the heart of all religions. They, therefore, belonged to the Islamic universe and were not considered as alien to it.

The Islamic intellectual tradition in both its gnostic (ma‘rifah or ‘irfān) and philosophical and theosophical (falsafah-hikmah) aspects saw the source of this unique truth which is the “Religion of the Truth” (dīn al-ḥaqq) in the teachings of the ancient prophets going back to Adam and considered the prophet Idrīs, whom it identified with Hermes, as the “father of philosophers” (Abu‘l-hukamā‘). Many Sufis called not only Plato “divine” but also associated Pythagoras, Empedocles, with whom an important corpus which influenced certain schools of Sufism is associated, and others with the primordial wisdom associated with prophecy. Even early Peripatetic (mashshā‘ī) philosophers such as al-Fārābī saw a relation between philosophy and prophecy and revelation. Later figures such as Suhrawardī expanded this perspective to include the tradition of pre-Islamic Persia. Suhrawardī spoke often of al-hikmat al-laduniyyah or Divine Wisdom (literally the wisdom which is near God) in terms almost identical with what Sophia and also philosophia perennis mean traditionally, including its aspect of realization. A later Islamic figure, the eighth/fourteenth (Islamic/Christian) century gnostic and theologian Sayyid Ḥaydar Āmulī, made no reservations in pointing to the correspondence existing between the “Muḥammadan” pleroma of seventy-two stars of the Islamic universe and the seventy-two stars of the pleroma comprised of those sages who had preserved their primordial nature but belong to a world outside of the specifically Islamic one.

Ṣadr al-Dīn Shīrāzī identified true knowledge with a perennial wisdom which has existed since the beginning of human history. The Islamic conception of the universality of revelation went hand in hand with the idea of a primordial truth which has always existed and will always exist, a truth without history. The Arabic al-dīn, which is perhaps the most suitable word to translate the term tradition, is inseparable from the idea of permanent and perpetual wisdom, the sophia perennis which can also be identified with the philosophia perennis as understood by such a figure as Coomaraswamy."

I hope that I was able to contribute to a better understanding of the Sophia Perennis, especially within the context of the Islamic Tradition. I would also like to invite others to comment further on the meaning and significance of the principles involved, the idiosyncrasies of which I am admittedly deficient.

Perspectives on the Trinity

2009-02-06T00:43:00.000-08:00

The comparison of Christianity to the Vedanta was accomplished through recourse to the concepts of Vertical and Horizontal Trinities. Although clear to me when writing this, it nevertheless seems necessary to explain that these two approaches, or as I referred to them, “different but related perspectives, ” are not in any way representative of Orthodox Christian Doctrine as is evidenced by the mere fact that Christian Doctrine as a whole, that is to say, of any denomination, does not take the Vedanta into consideration in any explicit way as it is necessarily excluded from the Christian worldview. The two formulations in question are, rather, comparative conceptual dimensions vis-à-vis the Vedanta. In Schuon’s words, the simplest expression of these consists in stating that “the ‘vertical’ trinity corresponds to Brahman, Ishvara, Buddhi, and the ‘horizontal’ Trinity – which is found in each of these terms – corresponds to Sat, Chit, Ananda.” In this context, to draw a distinction between these two perspectives is not to somehow limit the operation of the Christian Trinity in opposition to the understanding of Orthodox Mystical Theology, but rather to assert the lack of direct equivalence between the two Vedantic ternaries that are being used as the framework of comparison.

It is important to realize that these two approaches to the Trinity do not in any way exhaust Schuon’s multifaceted perspective or his profound reflections on the subject. Rather, his perspective encompasses them without being limited to them. That, as you state, Schuon’s understanding of the Christian Trinity is limited to the notion that God is simply a Trinity, without taking into consideration, as Christians do, the realization of his unity, is incomprehensible, especially in light of his explicit comments on the subject. He wrote, for example, that “in order to give Trinitarian Metaphysics a dogmatic face, one is obliged, on pain of being able to say nothing about it, to make explicit the modes of its differentiation, but one is then obliged to interrupt the sequence of ideas at the decisive moment and return without transition to the initial affirmation that the Essence is One.”

You also attribute to Schuon the contention that it is wrong to ascribe relativity to God in opposition to Christians who believe that it is ultimately inevitable. I have difficulty understanding what led you to this idea unless you confused his perspective with the quote which describes how Islam has difficulty applying relativity to God in an Absolute way. This idea is of utmost significance to the traditionalist school as a whole due to the pivotal importance placed upon the Transcendent Unity of Religions. According to this view, God has revealed himself not only as a Trinity, but in an indefinite number of ways. From the perspective of the total Reality, each Revelation constitutes a relativity and manifests a unique archetype but from the perspective of man, they appear absolute, hence the designation “relatively absolute”.

Concerning the implications of God as Beyond-Being, I cannot recall a more succinct or eloquent expression of this metaphysical reality than Zachary has provided for us, so I will limit myself to re-iterating it once again. He wrote, “Beyond Being or God as the Essence is unconditioned and without restrictions or limitations, including the condition, restriction, or limitation of being without conditions, restrictions of limitations.”

Finally, the exclusive identification of the vertical Trinity with metaphysics as distinct from the horizontal perspective was my own association which seemed convenient at the time, but which in retrospect appears to limit the full consideration of the metaphysical perspective which necessarily embraces the total Reality and not one dimension only. Even given this error, however, the dichotomies that you proposed between the vertical and horizontal dimensions were unwarranted because to assert multiple perspectives does not of necessity place them in opposition to each other. The distinction of the strictly Vedantic Trinities bears this out, for they unfold upon different planes altogether, a difference that does not make them contradictory. According to the Vedanta God is Sat-Chit-Ananda Brahman, but also Ishvara, and even Buddhi.

Aside from these clarifications and objections, there is a significant idea that that you expressed which I would like to draw attention to. It is implicit in this sentence: “Again, as I think I’ve said before, the two approaches that Schuon takes toward Christianity (the vertical and the horizontal) does violence to the metaphysical truth apprehended by the Christian Perspective.” Aside from the very harsh tone, I am inclined to interpret the implications of this statement as an acknowledgement of the tension that may be experienced occasionally between the metaphysical perspective of the Traditionalist School and the vantage point of a particular religion. This is a complicated subject, but the most important idea as I see it is to annunciate the prerogatives of the Traditionalists. These are aptly summarized in a letter by Frithjof Schuon contained in the latest addition of his book Gnosis. He wrote that

“The great evil is not that men of different religions do not understand each other, but that too many men – due to the influence of the modern spirit – are no longer believers … It is therefore high time that: 1. men return to faith, whatever their religion may be, on condition that it is intrinsically orthodox and in spite of dogmatic ostracisms; 2. that those who are capable of understanding pure metaphysics, esoterism, and the inward unity of religions discover these truths and draw the necessary inward and outward conclusions. And this is why I write books.”

I wish to thank you and the other contributors for your very stimulating responses. We may disagree at times, but if we “Do not contend with the People of the Book except in the fairest possible way” we may grow in mutual respect and acknowledge a variety of possible perspectives thereby coming closer to each other in a shared Faith in God.

Contention in Quranic Hermeneutics

2009-02-06T00:14:00.000-08:00

I was directing my previous comments toward you rather than toward your friend. Had I been doing so, I would have certainly worded them a little differently to avoid any potential misunderstanding and also to avoid the very situation that I spoke out against in my preliminary discussion. I wrote that to attempt the introduction of esoteric doctrines among individuals who are content with a religious life would have evoked disdain and the inevitable retort that these teachings do not correspond to their conception and understanding of Islam. Furthermore, I said that I was capable of going to great lengths in justifying the orthodoxy of Sufism which has been ably done by its most skillful exponents, but this would do nothing more than provoke them to a greater disdain for my presumption to teach them their religion. It appears that your friend is of an amiable disposition so that he was able to avoid disdain, but by introducing Schuon's esoteric teachings to him you have evoked the inevitable retort that these do not correspond to his conception of Islam.

He lists a few points of apparently irreconcilable contention between his interpretation of the Qur'an and the principle of the Transcendent Unity of Religions including the practice of idolotry, the perspective of polytheism, and the doctrine of the Trinity. To argue these points would be to enter into a debate of Hermeneutics, or the science of scriptural interpretation. Suffice to say that the Traditional Muslim writers from whom I initially learned and continue to learn about Islam use the very same scripture to support the perspective of the Transcendent Unity while everywhere displaying the highest indications of personal piety, integrity (within which I include the concept of orthodoxy), and intellectual sophistication.

Personally, I believe that Zaid's perspective of the exclusive validity of the religion of Islam is not only a legitimate possibility but also a sort of luxury in that it prevents one from encountering the very same dilemma that I experienced for about a dozen years, that of choosing one from among several equally valid religions. Additionally, it protects one from becoming distracted from the pursuit of a single chosen path. It is for these reasons and others that I deliberately refrain from attempting to wrest a person from the security of a pious albeit exclusive faith.

On the other hand, the perspective of the Transcendent Unity of Religions, particularly as it has been masterfully expounded by Frithjof Schuon in his book of the same title, has been chiefly responsible for making religion a possibility for many people who might not otherwise have found satisfaction within the limitations of popular religious doctrine, especially when confronted with the many outwardly conflicting religious forms. Additionally, it has the capability of allowing us to rise above religious and sectarian differences and their sometimes attendant animosities by making possible the harmonious existence of many complementary as opposed to contradictory points of view.

I will deliberately refrain from entering into an argument concerning Hermeneutics (i.e. "my interpretation of the Qur'an is better than yours") and simply say that the metaphysical perspective and its scriptural support is openly available to those who are so inclined as to seek it out and who are capable of understanding it. As Frithjof Schuon so adequately stated in the interview that you called attention to, the primary aim of religion is to save man from sin and damnation and to establish a realistic social equilibrium, not to explain universal principles or the nature of things. The latter is the province of Metaphysics which exists as an inner dimension of religion and is capable of fulfilling the needs of those who by their inherent nature seek to know with certainty the Truth about God, themselves, and the world.

* * *

In my recent correspondence I wrote primarily concerning the tension between the exoteric and esoteric dimensions of a particular religion, a subject which was rendered most explicit in my reply to Tobias. Zaid and I belong to the same faith but we have perspectives that seem to conflict because they represent different possiblities. This conflict is most evident through the interpretations that we each accept concerning the Quran. Although I have been careful to avoid providing the details of hermeneutical application at this particular time, it is apparent that we derive from the same text a different set of conclusions, mine in support of the transcendent unity of religions as described by Schuon and others, his in support of the unilateral subordination of religions to that of Islam, a perspective that is held by many adherents of religion in respect of their chosen faith. It is evident that despite our differences, we nonetheless belong to the same religion.

Far from contradicting me you do not seem to have taken up this issue having instead steered the conversation in a different direction, specifically regarding the encounter between people of different religions. I think that this and other ideas that you introduce constitute a fruitful source of potential discussion but for the moment I would like to continue addressing the original subject. You wrote that “there are some who love being in a diversified community so that they may have the chance to affirm their religion”. To bring this back to the topic at hand we might modify it to read: “Within the context of a particular religion there are some who like being in a community of diverse perspectives so that they may have the chance to affirm their own opinions” – and continue the discussion from there.

It has been my experience that the only way to ensure peaceful relations in such a community of diverse opinions is to be silent and let others speak. I think that amiable relations may exist between people of diverse perspectives, but equilibrium within such an encounter can only be maintained with a great deal of patience, silent (but not necessarily passive) listening, and a standpoint consisting of either sympathetic inquisition or secure realization. In the first instance, a person is searching for the truth of a matter and so is interested in understanding rather than confuting. Likewise all questions are posed with the intention of elucidating the subject, not with undermining it, regardless of its veracity which in any event has not yet been ascertained. In the second instance, a person has achieved a degree of certainty concerning a matter such that they are secure in their beliefs. Such security creates a disposition in which there is no need to assert oneself or one’s dominance. Either the person realizes a self-evident Truth that needs no external corroboration which is to say that it is true regardless of how many people agree with it, or they realize that they adhere to a perspective that is inherently relative such that it can peacefully co-exist with others that possess a similar status.

The highest manifestation of the second standpoint can be gleaned from an episode in the life of the great master of gnosis ‘Allama Tabataba’i, who, according to all accounts, possessed a superior degree of intelligence, dignity, and respect for his fellow man. According to Ayatullah Ibrahim Amini,

“I used to participate in the higher level jurisprudence and principles of jurisprudence classes of Hazrat Imam Khumayni and the philosophy classes of ‘Allama Tabataba’i and was very attached to and loved both of these pious teachers very much. One day I invited both teachers to my room in Madrasa Hujjatiyya for lunch. They accepted my invitation and arrived at my room. I wanted to coerce the two teachers into a philosophical debate, but however much I tried I was not successful because they were completely free of any personal desire and thus avoided all types of academic argumentation. In that session, if I addressed Imam Khumayni and asked him something, he would reply and ‘Allama Tabataba’i would remain quiet and listen carefully. And if I asked ‘Allama a question, he would reply and Imam would remain quiet and listen carefully.”

For myself, it is this type of an ideal that I strive for in conversation with others who belong to my faith. In many instances it involves avoiding altogether such issues that may be a cause for unnecessary strife and focusing on those that unify all of the diverse manifestations of Islam.

Sherlock Holmes on Understanding and Believing

2009-02-06T00:10:00.000-08:00

"The story has, I believe, been told more than once in the newspapers, but, like all such narratives, its effect is much less striking when set forth en bloc in a single half-column of print than when the facts slowly evolve before your own eyes and the mystery clears gradually away as each new discovery furnishes a step which leads on to the complete truth."

William Stoddart on the Religio Perennis

2009-02-06T00:07:00.000-08:00

"One of the basic tenets of the Religio Perennis is that, at the center of each religion, there is a core of truth (about God, man, prayer, mortality, and salvation) which is identical. In other words, in spite of the plurality of forms, there is a common essence. In addition, within each religion, there is also a means of salvation, which is essentially a way of union. This doctrine of essential or transcendent unity has its source in universal metaphysics which (in Vedantic terms) is fundamentally discernment between the Absolute (Atma) and the relative (Maya). According to this doctrine - as represented variously by Shankara (Hinduism), Plato (Greece), Eckart (Christianity), and Ibn 'Arabi (Islam) - only the Divine Essence ("Beyond-Being") is Absolute, whereas the Creator or Personal God ("Being"), as the first self-determination of the Divine Essence ("Beyond-Being"), is already within the domain of the relative. The Creator, nevertheless, is "absolute", with regard to his creation, and in view of this can be qualified as the "relatively absolute". The Personal God, as originator of creation, is "the prefiguration of the relative in the Absolute". With regard to creation, on the other hand, one can speak of a "reflection of the Absolute in the relative", and this is the Avatara; the Prophet; the Savior; it is also Truth, Beauty, and Virtue; Symbol and Sacrament. This brings us to the doctrine of the Logos with its two faces, created and uncreated: "the prefiguration of the relative in the Absolute" (the Creator or Personal God) is the uncreated Logos; the "reflection of the Absolute in the relative" (the Avatara; Symbol, or Sacrament) is the created Logos. This is already an indication of what is meant by a means of salvation: the religious adherent by uniting himself sacramentally with the created Logos, finds therein a means of uniting himself with the Uncreated: namely, God as such."

Clarification of the Transcendent Unity of Religions

2009-02-05T23:54:00.001-08:00

While I do not feel that it is necessary that you adhere to the doctrine of the transcendent unity of religions, I do feel that it is necessary to emphasize that syncretism is not the inevitable result of this perspective nor do the world’s religions become meaningless or otherwise somehow depreciated thereby. In the former instance, it would be impossible for Frithjof Schuon, himself the champion of this doctrine, to pen the following words if syncretism was a natural result of his perspective. He wrote, "Syncretism is never an affair of substance: it is an assembling of heterogeneous elements into a false unity, that is to say, into a unity without real synthesis." I personally feel that the common perspective of exclusivity protects against the possibility of a false synthesis of elements of the various religions that may come about when they are viewed as equally valid and intrinsically legitimate but without taking into consideration their formal disparity. It is also for this reason that many of the traditionalist writers have gone to great lengths to express the necessity of adhering to one religious framework only and rigidly denouncing any attempt at mixing their various forms.

The doctrine of the Transcendent Unity of Religions can be summarized according to the following formula provided by Frithjof Schuon in his book of the same name:

"Pure and Absolute Truth can only be found beyond all its possible expressions: these expressions, as such, cannot claim the attributes of this Truth; their relative remoteness from it is expressed by their differentiation and multiplicity, by which they are strictly limited."

Much has been made of the term "relative" in your objections. It is important to understand that the characteristic of relativity pertains to the situation of viewing something in relation to something else and does not necessarily imply the perspective of relativism which is commonly associated with radical relativism or subjectivism, a philosophical position that negates the existence of absolute truth. According to radical relativism the quality of truth is derived from the position of the human subject rather than through the quality of the Divine Object. In the context of the Transcendent Unity of Religions, to state that the religions are relative is to situate them "in relation to" the Absolute of which they constitute so many expressions in the world of forms. They are not the Absolute, which, according to the formula, is beyond all of its possible expressions, but they do derive their existence from it and so reflect the quality of Absoluteness in their nature through the qualities of both uniqueness and comprehensiveness. Each religion is a way that is both unique and sufficient unto itself. Moreover, it derives its unique characteristics through the will of the Divine Object, not that of human subject. Syncretism would only be permissible under the opposite condition in which it would be the human will from which these unique characteristics derived.

It is perhaps impossible to better convey the appreciation of the uniqueness of each religion in all of its aspects and the respect that is afforded to them from the metaphysical vantage point of the transcendent unity of religions than has Seyyed Hossein Nasr in Knowledge and the Sacred. He wrote:

"The traditional method of studying religions, while asserting categorically the ’transcendent unity of religion’ and the fact that ’all paths lead to the same summit, ’ is deeply respectful of every step on each path, of every signpost which makes the journey possible and without which the single summit could never be reached. It seeks to penetrate into the meaning of rites, symbols, images, and doctrines which constitute a particular religious universe but does not try to cast aside these elements or to reduce them to anything other than what they are within that distinct universe of meaning created by God through a particular revelation of the Logos ... It also opposes firmly every form of reductionism or the sentimental unification or even rapprochement of religions, which would do injustice to the existing differences and the unique and particular spiritual perfume and genius of each tradition willed by God, to the necessity of discernment and acceptance of all that comprises a particular religion as coming from God and therefore not to be cast aside for any reason of a human order."

To reiterate what I wrote at the beginning, while I do not believe that it is necessary for you to adhere to the doctrine of the transcendent unity of religions, I do think that it is necessary to realize that the phenomenon of syncretism or the "assembling of heterogeneous elements into a false unity" and the depletion of the meaning and value of religion does not follow as a necessary consequence of adhering to this perspective as is amply demonstrated in all of the writings of the traditionalist school.

* * *

The subject of equality among religions is complex such that it cannot be reduced to the consideration of one dimension only. Let us first begin by restating Schuon’s formula which summarizes our position. He wrote,

"Pure and Absolute Truth can only be found beyond all its possible expressions: these expressions, as such, cannot claim the attributes of Truth; their relative remoteness from it is expressed by their differentiation and multiplicity, by which they are strictly limited."

The unifying principle of religions is the transcendent Principle which, according to the formula, "can only be found beyond all its possible expressions." In examining the nature of religious expressions, particularly as they pertain to your specific objections, it is necessary to differentiate between three domains, specifically, proximity to the Principle, essential and formal composition, and soteriological value. Upon examining these domains, it becomes apparent that all religions may not be considered uniformly equal in all respects due to the fact that equality within one domain does not necessarily imply equality within others. Similarly, an equality of value does not necessarily imply an equivalence and therefore interchangeability of elements.

As limited expressions of the Absolute within the realm of the relative, each religion may be said to possess an equal degree of proximity to or relative remoteness from the Principle. Due to the fact that you expressed the possibility of considering the merit of this perspective and that it was not your primary concern, we can refrain from further comment upon it.

As regards their constituent elements or composition, each religion is intrinsically or essentially identified with the religio perennis. In its simplest formulation, it may be defined as discernment between the Real and the illusory and a unifying concentration on the Real. Extrinsically, the formal expression of these elements differs according to a multitude of diverse mythological and doctrinal symbols expressing the fundamental discernment as well as the different forms of spiritual practice and other conditions perfecting concentration upon and conformity to the Real. The equality of religions as pertains to their essential composition identified with the religio perennis does not imply thereby an equivalence between their unique and differentiated formal characteristics. Any potential equivalence among such characteristics does not provide for the possibility of syncretism among incompatible elements but neither does any potential disparity negate the possibility of a genuine synthesis among compatible elements, that is to say, among those elements that are susceptible to legitimate assimilation within another traditional framework.

Concerning the third domain, and in spite the fact that you seem to have used these terms interchangeably, it is important to make a distinction between what you have called salvific merit and soteriological utility. The former may be said to designate the capability of a religion to provide salvation for all men indiscriminately while "utility" implies the capability of a religion to provide salvation for the particular group that constitutes the majority within any given civilization. In the former instance, and objectively speaking, each religion is equally capable of furnishing the conditions of salvation for all types of men. Subjectively, however, a particular man, and by extension a civilization composed of such men, may be subject to certain conditions or inclinations, psychic (internal) or environmental (external), which either incline him toward or exclude the possibility of a specific religious form.

When considering the manner in which religions are equal, it is important to distinguish between an intrinsic equality of value derived from essential identity with the religio perennis and the different modes and degrees of expression which may or may not be equal depending upon what is being considered and in what manner. Thus, it is possible to acknowledge that an equality of "relative proximity" to the Principle does not necessarily imply a similar equality of or equivalence between the elements of formal expression. Neither does the inequality of the soteriological utility of religions as subjectively considered negate the equality of salvific merit or capability as objectively considered. Ultimately, I think that it is safe to say, in terms of the dimensions that we have explored here which are by no means exhaustive, that each religion is intrinsically equal as regards its value, essence, and relative proximity to the Principle, while outwardly differing with respect to its formal expression, individual emphasis or perspective, and suitability for a particular person, civilization, or "cosmic sector" of humanity.

The metaphysical perspective that gives rise to the doctrine of the transcendent unity of religions is distinguished by the comprehensiveness of its vision, the fact that it takes into consideration all of the factors that we have mentioned here, and others of even greater significance, all without either confusing or ignoring the different dimensions and perspectives. As Dr. Nasr said, "It seeks to penetrate into the meaning of rites, symbols, images, and doctrines which constitute a particular religious universe but does not try to cast aside these elements or to reduce them to anything other than what they are within that distinct universe of meaning created by God through a particular revelation of the Logos." Some of the most useful writings for developing a greater understanding and appreciation for this perspective are those concerning the typology and morphology of religions, particularly as they pertain to the various operations of the Logos and perspectives concerning man and his salvation within the different religious universes. Perhaps we will have occasion to discuss these and other issues at greater length in the future.

* * *

You wrote, "Equality should not be complex, lest its mere human sophistry."

It appears that our exchange on this topic has come to an abrupt conclusion. To press on with further explanations would amount to a transgression for as I stated previously, I do not feel that it is necessary for you to accept the doctrine of the transcendent unity of religions or the metaphysical perspective which gives rise to it and neither do you seem inclined to do so. I would, however, like to address what I feel is a serious problem inherent in the above statement, one that is likely to pose as an insurmountable obstacle in any attempt to understand Schuon’s writings on metaphysics, particularly as they apply to religious traditions. Whereas just about everything else that you wrote can be further examined, when confronted with this statement I can only maintain a respectful silence, for it dismisses a priori as mere sophistry, any attempt at examining religions beyond the single dimension wherein they may be reduced to a uniform equality. Metaphysics, on the other hand, requires that we penetrate deeply into a given subject so as discern its various subtleties and nuances, in short, that we perceive it in its ontological totality. Metaphysical discourse may sometimes manifest itself in formulations and perspectives of great complexity but only when the occasion makes this a necessity, never to dishonestly confuse and evade an argument through unnecessary complications as is the way of the sophists. Ultimately, I do not think that I am a qualified expositor of Schuon’s teaching such that it is oftentimes best to let his words speak for themselves. He wrote,

"One point which needs to be brought out here is that the criterion of metaphysical truth or of its depth lies, not in the complexity or difficulty of its expression, but in the quality and effectiveness of its symbolism, allowing for a particular capacity of understanding or style of thinking. Wisdom does not lie in any complication of words but in the profundity of the intention; assuredly the expression may according to the circumstances be subtle and difficult, but it may just as well not be so."

The Subjectivist Error

2009-02-05T23:49:00.001-08:00

Greetings of Peace. I do think that it is possible for a Muslim to have a Christian teacher living or dead but the latter situation proposes certain difficulties that must be given full and serious consideration especially in light of your friend’s response to your experiences. The first thing to consider is that esoteric instruction from a Christian would not constitute Sufism as it is traditionally understood. It would not necessarily be considered herterodox, for esoterism is intrinsically orthodox, but neither would it belong to the traditional path of Sufism as it has been passed on throughout the centuries. To my knowledge, those who do learn from "foreign" masters also obtain an attachment at some point from a representative of their own tradition.

Overall, your primary aim seems to be the authentication of your experience. You wonder if you did in fact receive authentic spiritual instruction from Elder Ieronymous of Aegina through dreams. Your friend replied that only you can tell yourself if it was real. He is correct in that the capacity of judgment is incumbent upon everyone and also that despite whatever conclusions anyone else may propose, you may still agree or disagree. Nevertheless, judgment is one thing and correct judgment quite another. To assert that one’s own judgment determines the authenticity of the experience is to fall into the subjectivist error and abolish the recognition of objective truth. If you need further clarification, please let us know, as this is a very important point and failure to understand it can lead to many abuses and stray roads. Many false paths outside of the Islamic world and as I am slowly coming to learn, inside it as well, are based upon the idea of hidden masters whose existence is corroborated by dreams, visions, and fantasies which are uncritically accepted by recourse to the the subjectivist position.

I do not wish to reject a priori, either your experience or that of the hidden master, both of which I accept as legitimate possibilities. I do, however, recognize that such things are potentially subject to both self-delusion and abuse and so recommend that you seek the counsel of a living spiritual master who is qualified to aid you in determining the authenticity and level of significance of your experiences.

Kabbalah and Jewish Law

2009-02-05T23:45:00.000-08:00

I do believe that traditional Kabbalah can be known, studied, and appreciated, and therefore be of immense benefit to people who are not Jewish. If I emphasize the dangers of dabbling, it is because the subject of the original inquiry pertained specifically to those who followed the spurious and fragmentary "Qabalah" of the occult schools. I understand Kabbalah to be an integral and comprehensive esoteric tradition, much like Sufism and Hesychasm, and not an esoteric science akin to alchemy which may be regularly transposed onto any traditional framework. Alchemy has been incorporated into it at some periods of its manifestation and it does contain other sciences such as the science of numerical symbolism or “gematria” and even ceremonial magic which has been greatly distorted and scandalized over the centuries such that its modern counterpart bears little if any relation to the theurgical art.

Now, although I believe that the study can be beneficial, practicing it is another matter altogether and in doing so one must abide by the conditions which the tradition itself establishes, the most important of which is following the traditional framework, that is, the exoteric dimension of the Jewish religion of which Kabbalah is the esoteric dimension. Much has been made of the necessity of the Sufi initiate not only to identify with Islam, but also to follow the sharia law which is the foundation of the spiritual path. A similar necessity is present within the Kabbalist tradition and the Kabbalah, Judaism, and Jewish law all stand in a similar organic relationship. Hesychasm is a little different owing to the absence of formalized religious laws in Orthodox Christianity, but in this case it is the sacraments, themselves traditional initiatory rites, which serve as the equivalent foundation for the spiritual life and as an eso-exoteric framework if it is possible to express the idea in such a fashion.

Generally speaking, it is not necessary for a person of one faith to follow the esoteric tradition of another when that of their own is living and accessible. Thus it is not necessary for a Sufi to practice Kabbalah or Hesychasm, nor for a Hesychast or Kabbalist to practice Sufism. In the absence of a living link to the esoteric tradition of one’s faith or also during historical periods of the decline of the same, as in the case of western Christianity during the Renaissance, and we might add at our present time in history, it is sometimes possible to receive instruction from a living representative of a "foreign" esoteric tradition who is qualified to establish the necessary transposition of doctrine and practice onto a different traditional framework. It is important to realize that this transposition never occurs in vacuo, or in the absence of a traditional religious framework, nor is it simply dictated by the whim of any given individual who happens to have an interest in some aspect of a particular esoterism. Rather it is effected by a authentic and orthodox spiritual master who has traversed the spiritual path in question and possesses an intimate knowledge of the doctrines, practices, and conditions necessary to effect such a transposition.

It is as a result of such transpositions that Christian Kabbalah arose in the west during the Italian Renaissance. The proximity of Hindus and Muslims within India and the limitations of the caste system have caused many Hindus to learn from Sufi Masters some of which, such as Sai Baba, have achieved popular cult status as Hindu Avatars. India is also home to that magnificent synthesis, the Sikh brotherhood, which arose from the providential encounter and intermingling of these two traditions. China is also an important arena of such transpositions occurring between the esoteric dimensions of Islam, Buddhism, and Taoism. Assimilation or ’transposition’, especially in the absence of a living link to the corresponding esoteric tradition of a given religion, is a legitimate reality, but only under certain conditions and within the possibilities afforded to a particular religion. It is not a matter that is susceptible to accomplishment through an eclectic syncretism, especially when it is driven by curiosity or based upon a false perspective of the nature of esoterism as is prevalent among the occult schools.

Three Essential Elements

2009-02-05T23:44:00.000-08:00

I agree that the Absolute is by definition transcendent and beyond the distinctions and limitations of form. Within the Islamic tradition we have a term specifically designated for those rare individuals who are granted the possibility of approaching the reality of the Absolute as such through direct realization. They are called the "afrad" or "solitary" and due to the unique character and station bestowed upon them by God, they have no need to function within a revealed spiritual path and traditional framework because revelation descends upon them spontaneously from above as it were.

Historically, to my knowledge, the afrad is a very rare individual, and for the rest of us, even those of exceptional character, spiritual and intellectual gifts, it is necessary to follow one of the traditional paths revealed to humanity by God and perpetuated through various authentic and orthodox masters throughout history. It is very common for self-styled spiritual masters to calumniate the traditional methods of approach so as to gain adherents by catering to the vain belief that, like the afrad, they are beyond the need to follow the established and traditional norms of the spiritual life. It is perhaps unnecessary to reiterate that those who seek to practice Kabbalah, especially those who approach it through that fragmentary and spurious "Qabalah" perpetuated in the occult schools, do not belong to this category of the afrad and are most in need of the conditions which adherence to a traditional religious framework establishes within the soul.

Each spiritual path provides three essential elements, each of which is necessary and complementary to the other two, the absence of which would render the path ineffective or dangerous. These are a doctrine, a method, and a conforming and conditioning ambiance. In the absence of a correct doctrine or of "orthodoxy", understanding would at the very least be limited in scope perhaps to the level of sentimentality and at the worst be directed toward that which is patently false or absurd, a situation which is intensified through fortification by the will in the practice of a spiritual method in conjunction with it. In the absence of a correct practice or "orthopraxy", assimilation of the doctrine or its realization will be unobtainable or at worst, as in the case of a potentially dangerous practice undertaken without the guidance of a traditional master, a person may become deluded or obsessed by subjective phenomena and either fail to understand or misinterpret an otherwise correct doctrine. Finally, in absence of a traditional exoteric framework the soul of a person will not be endowed the necessary conditioning arising from an assimilation of traditional symbols and adherence to fundamental virtues such that at the very least that person will be unable to realize the doctrine ontologically and at worst will be divided against himself and in a constant state of interior torment if he pursues a life of vice while attempting to follow a spiritual path.

Frithjof Schuon wrote that "Tradition is not a childish and outmoded mythology, but a science that is terribly real" and I feel very comfortable saying that it is the traditional spiritual path in its entirety and under the guidance of a authentic and orthodox spiritual master which alone provides the safeguards that afford the least room for error in these matters.

Sincerity and Curiousity

2009-02-05T23:41:00.000-08:00

You raise some very important questions and I would like to answer this one. It seems to be a question of the difference between sincerity and curiosity, though this does not necessarily have to imply an idle curiosity. Curiosity pertains to the situation of seeking an experience for its own sake. In both the religious and occult realms of discourse, this is commonly referred to as dabbling. If someone, naturally curious, seeks to reproduce the experience of a phenomena that they may have read about in any number of books and takes up the practice of a particular spiritual discipline haphazardly so as to obtain it, this is an instance of dabbling, whether it pertains to the Kabbalah, Sufism, Hesychasm, or any other esoteric tradition. It is necessarily haphazard, because a particular technique in and of itself is only a small part of an all-encompassing Way. Sincerity demands of us a fidelity to all of the conditions set forth in and by that Way, not only those which we desire or feel are necessary for us based upon a limited understanding. It also demands of us proper motivation. In my opinion, the only legitimate reason to pursue esoterism is to become closer to God in love or knowledge, not to pursue a particular mystical experience or phenomena. A vision or other phenomena may legitimately occur during the course of the Way, but to set this up as the goal a priori is to seek phenomena over God or otherwise to place conditions upon the manner in which God may reveal himself to us. The former condition is insincere, the latter impossible.

If a person legitimately seeks to become closer to God, this necessarily precludes the wish to experience Kabbalah for its own sake. If God is the priority, then the possibilities that God has provided within the context of that person’s religious tradition will naturally take precedence over any tendency arising through curiosity. Now, it may very well be the case that someone is sincerely drawn to the practice of Kabbalah and does not lack proper motivations. In order to maintain that sincerity, that person would have to give themselves totally to God and abide by the conditions set forth in that Way, not to the arbitrary and isolated practice of one aspect only, or what is worse to a superficial eclecticism.

Absolute Reality is One, subjectively and objectively. At the metaphysical level which transcends formal distinctions, realization of Absolute Reality partakes of this unicity such that there is a consonance and underlying universality amidst all theoretical and doctrinal expressions of metaphysics. It is therefore possible and I think helpful to study and benefit from certain of the various expressions of theoretical metaphysics within the different traditions. An elementary examination and theoretical understanding of some of these expressions may also serve to reveal the great similarity that exists between the various esoteric traditions and dispel any notion that any one particular Way lacks anything essential such that it must be compensated by borrowing something from another, which is impossible in any case owing to the fact that the domain of practice is also the domain of form and so necessitates the formal conditions of the tradition in question.

Misrepresentation of Islam

2009-02-05T23:38:00.000-08:00

… these objections … can be said to represent what sometimes amounts to a legitimate concern among otherwise well meaning people who suffer from limited exposure to a distorted presentation of Islam in popular media and among certain churches in the west. Historical information is useful when it is honest, but owing to the ill-will of many individuals and organizations, sometimes accurate sources of information are misinterpreted and misrepresented, if accurate sources are used at all.

Thousands of traditions (hadith) exist concerning the Prophet Muhammad and his companions and at least a few collections have been produced in which an attempt has been made to comprehensively preserve them. Due to varying degrees of authenticity, not all of these traditions can be accepted as reliable in the same manner that not all extant accounts of Jesus’ life are accepted as canonical within Christianty. Islamic Jurisprudence is a rigorous science which possesses sophisticated methods for authenticating these traditions. Unfortunately, not all scholars possess the skills necessary for making this kind of judgment. This is especially true for scholars trained in the west but also includes many Muslims claiming to be legitimate scholars of Islamic law and tradition. The result is a situation in which many people make unqualified use of hadith to corroborate and justify sometimes extravagant conclusions concerning the religion of Islam in general and the character of the Prophet Muhammad in particular. It is also worth noting that throughout the history of Islam, those who have been most well versed in the traditions of the Prophet and qualified teachers of Islamic Jurisprudence have not been mere scholars of history but great spiritual teachers and Sufis also. Ahmad al-Ghazali, Ibn al-Arabi, Abu-l-Hassan ash-Shadhili, and more recently Ahmad al-Alawi come to mind as being relatively well known and authoritative in this respect.

According to these qualified representatives of Islam, its history, traditions, and spiritual teachings, Muhammad is seen as the model par excellence of the spiritual life due both to his character and virtues. Internally and externally, he is the embodiment of all that is best in Man and of that which has been revealed to us from God. As has already been mentioned, an excellent narrative has been produced by Martin Lings called Muhammad: His Life Based Upon the Earliest Sources. This book possesses the merit of being based solely upon traditional sources and allowing them to speak for themselves without the interruption of the author’s own speculations and interpretations, however desirable these might have been. Concerning the role of the life of the Prophet Muhammad as the basis of the spiritual life of Islam, I would particularly recommend a book called The Path of Muhammad by Imam Birgivi which, through numerous references to the Quran and hadith “portrays the beauty and depth of the Prophet’s character and the excellence of his example for followers of God in all times and places.” This is a book that has been used in many Islamic universities and will, in addition to demonstrating the unimpeachable character of the Prophet, also provide a better understanding of what Islam means for those who follow it in accordance with the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad – May peace and blessings be upon Him.

Freedom to Err and Freedom from Error

2009-02-05T23:34:00.000-08:00

… I think that it is necessary to emphasize the distinction between legalism, which is an attitude toward sacred law, and the law itself. This is not because mystical experience is wild and must be tamed nor because legalism cannot be shunned without snubbing religion. Rather, it is because religion is oftentimes shunned because of an exclusive identification with and reduction to the legalistic perspective. Although you do not personally make such an association, many people do, so many in fact, that it seems of great importance to dwell on this distinction, even at the risk of redundancy.

The Sharia or religious laws of Islam are not without their abuses, and as Muslims we have also seen the deleterious effects of legalism. Certain puritanical movements, emphasizing external conformity to the detriment of beauty have invaded our mosques and even our most sacred of shrines. This puritanical and legalistic perspective has come to represent the entirety of the religion in the eyes of popular culture in the west and it has proposed a challenge to the faith of many intelligent and well meaning people even within Islamic civilizations.

There are religions such as Hinduism, Judaism, and Islam in which a revealed law exists as an inseparable aspect and vital dimension of the tradition. It is for this reason that many people, suffering through an abuse of the law, may choose to reject the tradition altogether, either joining the ranks of the secular west or attempting to follow another religion where they may possibly encounter the same problem. I recently spoke with an older woman who after spending many years as a Catholic decided that there were too many rules such that they obscured her appreciation of the spirit. For her, religion had become a series of restrictions rather than a means of worship. Lately, she had developed an interest in Buddhism only to find after her first retreat at a Zen monastery that Buddhism was not without a legalistic dimension. For such people, and others no doubt, it is necessary to redefine the prevailing understanding of laws and rules and to view the legal dimension of religion in its proper proportion to the whole. As Zachary so eloquently stated, "the Law and a Doctrine are a part of religion and only become a problem when religion is reduced to them." They become an obstacle when, through exaggeration, they "eclipse intellection or the heart."

Esoterically, law is as you stated the natural outcome of realization. It is the ontological participation in knowledge, or virtue, which exists within the depths of one’s being and flows forth effortlessly from that source. From an exoteric perspective it is like an enclosing fortress, not closing oneself off from the good, but protecting it from evil, and providing an environment in which the virtues of the heart can bloom without the encroachment of foreign growths in the body and soul. Many people have not come to adopt the reversal of perspective demonstrated in this last sentence and it is this that may ultimately be the determining factor of whether or not law is perceived as something restrictive or as something liberating, for in the former attitude good may be confused with the freedom to err, while restriction may be confused with the liberation that comes by conforming to the Divine Will. Seyyed Hossein Nasr has beautifully written that

“… the grandeur of man does not lie in his cunning cleverness or titanic creations but resides most of all in the incredible power to empty himself of himself, to cease to exist in the initiatic sense, to participate in that state of spiritual poverty and emptiness which permits him to experience Ultimate Reality.”

This emptying of the self and conformity to the Divine Will is the true meaning and purpose of sacred laws.

The Need for a Traditional Framework

2009-02-05T23:31:00.000-08:00

The subject of gnosticism aside, this question is essentially concerned with whether or not a formal expression of esoterism can exist outside of a traditional exoteric framework. I think that my own position was implicit in my remarks in the initial post of this discussion but at this juncture I would like to make reference to the thoughts of someone more qualified than myself. The Buddhist scholar Marco Pallis, has related the following:

“… the primary necessity for a traditional basis for a spiritual life must … be stressed in unequivocal terms; an esoterism in vacuo is not to be thought of, if only from the fact that man is not pure Intellect, but is also both mind and body the several faculties of which, because they are relatively external themselves, require correspondingly external means for their ordering. This insistence on the ‘discipline of form’ is a great stumbling-block to the modernist mentality, and not least so when that mentality is imbued with pseudo-esoteric pretentions. Therefore it provides, over and above its own correctness, one of the earliest means for testing the true character of a man’s aspiration …”

To answer your question more directly, it not possible to conceive of a formal esoteric organization or movement outside of a traditional orthodox religion, because it would have no external supports within which to function. If exoterism is the outer symbol, esoterism is the inner meaning or reality of that symbol. Due to the fact that man is not pure spirit and intelligence only, but also body and soul, he still needs the formal dimension of religion within which to function and actualize the non-formal dimensions. Frithjof Schuon wrote that the truth demands of us all that we are. We might add that this is so because it engages all that we are. There is one final quote from Marco Pallis that I believe impresses upon us more fully the need for and significance of tradition. He wrote,

“… it might be asked which is preferable, that a man be regularly attached to an orthodox tradition while holding some erroneous opinions or that he hold correct views while remaining outside any actual traditional framework? To such a question the answer must be, unequivocably, that regular attachment is in itself worth more than any individual opinion for the simple reason that thoughts, whether sound or mistaken, belong ‘to the side of man’ whereas a traditional doctrine, as deriving from a revelation, belongs ‘to the side of God’ – this without mentioning the ‘means of Grace’ which accompany the doctrine with a view to its realization and for which there exists no human counterpart whatsoever. Between the two positions the distance is incommensurable …”

Discerning of Spirits

2009-02-05T23:27:00.000-08:00

I agree with this statement in principle but a problem may arise concerning the identification of what may legitimately be qualified as a mystical experience. The human being is not only a spirit but also a soul or psyche, which contains a tangle of impulses, emotions, and fantasies. It is therefore capable of producing any number of phenomena that may be mistakenly identified as legitimate mystical experiences, inspirations, or graces originating in the spirit. This is not to say that the ordinary human being, even outside the influence of an authentic tradition is not capable of experiencing such things. That is a judgment that rests with God. It is reasonable to state, however, that the average person, excluding certain exceptional individuals known throughout history such as St. Paul who was previously used as an example, are not capable of judging for themselves the legitimacy of such experiences. The claim that one is qualified to do so without guidance, therefore placing oneself at the level of St. Paul, seems to be the product of egotism and fantasy rather than legitimate capability.

Within all orthodox religious traditions the responsibility of judgment and guidance is placed in the hands of spiritual masters, individuals who have received the wisdom and guidance of similar masters extending back to the origins of the tradition in question. The reception of the revelation from heaven on the part of the original founder is reflected in a two-fold manner in the experience of the spiritual master. The first is the spiritual transmission received through the lineage of teachers which represents a living link to the macrocosmic revelation and the second is the actualization of the microcosmic revelation of the intellect. Both of these conditions, horizontal and vertical transmission of a spiritual influence having its origins within Divinty, indicate the qualification of an individual master.

Of course, even provided with knowledge of the objective qualifications, a certain degree of experience and spiritual maturity is needed in order to determine the authenticity of a master. As in the case of the alchemical work you must essentially start with gold at the outset of the operation through which you may come to create more gold. The most important qualities necessary for the individual in attempting to discern the authenticity of a spiritual master are in my opinion sincerity of intentions and virtue. Sincerity is expressed in this context when a person is desirous of reaching the truth as it subsists in the Divine and is not driven on by the vain glorification of the ego. Virtue is something that is intimately intertwined with knowledge of metaphysical realities, the latter of which cannot be supported without it.

I occasionally like to relate in this regard, the story of Jesus, who in John, Ch. 7, went to teach at the temple during the Jewish feast of the tabernacles. In response to the accusations made against him that he taught a doctrine that was not inspired by God, he replied that “My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” This is to say that virtue or existential participation alone attests to the realization of sacred knowledge and a person who engages such a participation will be able to realize the authenticity of Jesus’ words intuitively through a knowledge carried within himself.

A similar teaching is related by Shankaracharya in the Upadesa Sahasri or A Thousand Teachings. He wrote, “When a teacher finds from signs that knowledge has not been grasped (or has been wrongly grasped) by the disciple, he should remove the causes of non-comprehension which are past and present sins, laxity, … courting popular esteem, vanity of caste, etc.” In other words, all of the deficiencies identified as preventing correct understanding of the doctrine are not concerned with rational understanding but rather are ethical in nature indicating a lack of moral conformity or virtue. This is very clearly summarized in the next passage in which Shankaracharya states, “He should also thoroughly impress upon the disciple qualities like humility, which are the means to knowledge.”

All of this is to say that virtue is necessary for the possession of sacred knowledge and discernment between truth and falsehood. Also, it is a quality that will be found mirrored in the master, but in an exemplary fashion, for the master is the living embodiment of the doctrine that he teaches in the same way that the soul of the Prophet Muhammad – May peace be upon him – is the Holy Quran.

Having examined the means of qualifying internal knowledge or inspiration through recourse to external knowledge or instruction, it is also necessary to examine the means of determining what constitutes an authentic religious tradition. Let us first define the term tradition. According to Seyyed Hossein Nasr,

"Tradition as used in its technical sense … means truths or principles of a divine origin revealed or unveiled to mankind and, in fact, a whole cosmic sector through various figures envisaged as messengers, prophets, avatāras, the Logos or other transmitting agencies, along with all the ramifications and applications of these principles in different realms including law and social structure, art, symbolism, the sciences, and embracing of course Supreme Knowledge along with the means for its attainment."

A religion is something that has been received from heaven, not created by man. Therefore, one very simple way of gauging its authenticity is to examine the unfoldment and integrity of its tradition. Generally speaking, a religious tradition, as something divine, has a transformative influence on a particular civilization as in the case of ethnic religions, and upon the world in its entirety as in the case of universal religions, although even the influence of ethnic religions reaches far beyond the boundaries of their particular civilization and ethnic group. It comprises three primary elements including a doctrine, a method, and a law. The doctrine is not limited to oral or written language and may be transmitted through all of those facets of civilization included in the list above. In fact, manifestation within the multitude of these facets is itself a gauge of authenticity. The method concerns those universal and canonical forms of worship established by heaven and additional or quintessential forms of worship synthesizing them and leading to realization, both of which may have been present at the inception of the religion or revealed at a later time. The law consists of the means of regulating the social order and also concerns the virtues through which a conforming and congenial ambiance is achieved at an internal level. Any movement or teacher claiming to represent the Divine, but failing to manifest or uphold these elements of tradition cannot reasonably be considered legitimate. As in the case of gauging the authenticity of a spiritual master who represents a particular tradition, the same discussion concerning knowledge and virtue applies here as well.

Theurgy: The Work of the Gods

2009-02-05T23:21:00.000-08:00

The essence of the message that I communicated was that although they are commonly associated with each other, a distinction exists between gnosis and gnosticism as well as between theurgy and magick. I think that Schuon’s description is very clear and needs no further comment. You seem to have difficulty with the latter, however, particularly the association with Neoplatonism … so I will spend some more time with these.

As an idea, theurgy can be applied very generally to a multitude of contexts and so long as they are reasonable, I do not think that it is inappropriate to do this. For example, I often use the term shamanism in reference to Native American religious practices, as is common among scholars, even though the term originated within a particular context, specifically, the indigenous practices of the native Siberians. On the other hand, like the term gnosis, theurgy has come to possesses many undesirable connotations that have become associated with it over time through what Schuon referred to as an abuse of language.

Many technical metaphysical terms have become inaccessible in western languages through both lack of use and the degradation of language caused by misappropriation. Recourse to etymology and contextualizing are two ways that can assist in the resuscitation of important terms such that we may clearly make use of and communicate their associated ideas. I think that separating gnosis from an association with the quasi-Christian movement of gnosticism and separating theurgy from an association with magick is a step toward resuscitating the proper use and understanding of these terms.

In its original context, theurgy, or "work of the gods" refers to the traditional rites of Hellenic worship. All religions contain a metaphysical doctrine which illuminates the deeper meaning of exoteric rites. Excellent examples of this are the writings of Psuedo-Dionysius in Christianity, Shankaracharya in Hinduism, and Ibn Arabi in Islam. The metaphysical doctrine that illuminates theurgy is Neoplatonism, or, as I prefer to acknowledge a continuity of the tradition, simply Platonism. The person who is most responsible for making this knowledge known was a philosopher named Iamblichus. In a period of time in which traditional Hellenic worship was at its greatest decline, he wrote a magnificent treatise On the Mysteries of the Egyptians, Chaldeans, and Assyrians that explicitly demonstrates the philosophical and metaphysical foundations of these practices and thereby serves as a justification for their continuance. What he did, in effect, was to make more visible to the public profound esoteric teachings which were traditionally reserved for a limited audience with the intent of reviving and preserving these traditions.

As far as the identification of theurgy with invocation is concerned, this is evident when theurgy is viewed comprehensively and the understanding of invocation is not limited to a particular technique. Tim Addey, a leading contemporary Platonist, describes theurgy in his work The Unfolding Wings, as follows,

"Theurgy, literally ‘work of the Gods’, ‘working with the gods’ or ‘divine work’, is an integral part of the Platonic Tradition; but because our knowledge of it has passed down through both the Christian era and the more recent so-called ‘rational’ one – both of which are largely opposed to the idea of worshiping pagan gods – it is an aspect of our tradition which is little understood or studied. This is greatly to be regretted because in truth it holds the key to the full understanding of philosophy, and brings the student of the deepest mysteries to the very portal of perfection … The elements of theurgic practice may be classified under the headings of prayer, hymns, sacrifice, ritual actions, invocations, and meditations and contemplations. We will look at these separately for the purpose of study but, of course, their power to draw the theurgic philosopher into a living relationship with the Gods depends upon their integration into a harmonious whole … Theurgy involves the invocation of higher powers: in truth all other elements of theurgy can be seen in terms of invocation.”

A greater understanding of theurgy may be obtained through an examination of Tim Addey’s book, Iamblichus’s work On the Mysteries and the magnificent study by Gregory Shaw called Theurgy and the Soul: The Neoplatonism of Iamblichus.

Gnosis and Gnosticism

2009-02-05T23:16:00.000-08:00

I wrote something … recently that corresponds to and elaborates on the dichotomy between individual initiative, which I refer to as initiative derived from caprice, and non-individual or supra-individual form, which I refer to as religion derived from Revelation. I wrote as follows:

"... the adherents of gnosticism pursued divinity outside of the confines of religion itself. Although bearing a likeness to Christianity and borrowing some of its symbolism, these movements were syncretistic and therefore ran contrary to religious orthodoxy both doctrinally and methodically. The basic idea may be explained as follows. All legitimate spirituality ultimately comes from God through Revelation. This is to say that God enters into manifestation or otherwise reveals himself more clearly within it in such a manner that he is able to communicate to humanity the nature and purpose of existence. This revelation may take many forms including the book as in Islam and Judaism and a man as in Christianity and Buddhism but in every instance it serves as the foundation of and animating principle of a religious tradition which may then continue to unfold over time. When you move outside of this and decide to create your own religion or ’movement’ either through syncretism or wholesale fabrication, your work is not based upon what God has given, but rather on what you feel is correct or believe that you need. Such spirituality (if we may even call it this) has its origins, therefore, within the limitations and prejudices of the human being and is based upon Egotism or Caprice rather than upon a Revelation that possesses an origin within the Divine."

Although these comments were directed toward gnosticism specifically, they also apply to occult movements in general, as well as any system, movement, or new age guru who claims to possess authority on spiritual matters and to teach a method that is not rooted in a Revelation originating from God.

* * *

It is quite obvious that you are a partisan and practitioner of a movement that you refer to as gnosticism and which you believe to be legitimate. I have no personal desire to convince you otherwise, nor do I wish to offend anyone, but I believe that for the sake of others who may happen upon this discussion that a clear distinction must be made between the phenomenon of gnosis and the movement of Gnosticism. This distinction is very clearly brought out in a passage from Frithjof Schuon’s Understanding Islam … Frithjof Schuon wrote,

"But one further ambiguity still remains to be cleared up once and for all. The word "gnosis, " which appears in this book and in our previous works, refers to supra-rational, and thus purely intellective, knowledge of metacosmic realities. Now this knowledge cannot be reduced to the Gnosticism of history; it would then be necessary to say that Ibn Arabi or Shankara were Alexandrine gnostics; in short, gnosis cannot be held responsible for every association of ideas or every abuse of terminology. It is humanly admissible not to believe in gnosis; what is quite inadmissible in anyone claiming to understand the subject is to include under this heading things having no relation — whether of kind or of level — with the reality in question, whatever the value attributed to that reality. In place of "gnosis, " the Arabic term ma‘rifah or the Sanskrit term jnana could just as well be used, but a Western term seems more normal in a book written in a Western language; there is also the term "theosophy, " but this has even more unfortunate associations, while the term "knowledge" is too general, unless its meaning is made specific by an epithet or by the context. What must be emphasized and made clear is that the term "gnosis" is used by us exclusively in its etymological and universal sense and therefore cannot be reduced to meaning merely the Graeco-Oriental syncretism of later classical times; still less can it be applied to some pseudo religious or pseudo yogic or even merely literary fantasy. If for example, Catholics can call Islam, in which they do not believe, a religion and not a pseudo-religion, there seems no reason why a distinction should also not be made between a genuine gnosis having certain precise or approximate characteristics and a pseudo-gnosis devoid of them."

Now, although the word occult has been with us since at least the 16th century, where it originally meant hidden and was also applied to occult philosophy and science, that is, the philosophy and science of hidden things, the term occultism was brought into use only recently by Madame Blavatsky. She used it in a manner synonymous with mysticism, or we might say that she attempted to wrest mysticism from its rightful place within the context of religious traditions and usurp it under the banner of occultism which she held to be synonymous with her system of theosophy. (This is part of the origination of the false association of mysticism with occultism that I wrote about in the original post of this discussion). Discounting the term thaumaturgy which is aimed at phenomena, theurgy was a legitimate invocatory practice with its doctrinal foundation in Neoplatonic Philosophy and has absolutely no association with the modern practices referred to as "magic[k]" … These rely upon a psuedo-Kabbalistic and theosophical doctrine and improvised methods having little or no basis in any authentic tradition. Frithjof Schuon said regarding gnosis that it "cannot be held responsible for every association of ideas or every abuse of terminology." We can say the same thing about theurgy and its association with the contemporary practice of "magick."

Limitations of the Occult Perspective

2009-02-05T23:14:00.000-08:00

I am new to this forum, but having browsed the message archives, I feel the need to endeavor to correct what I feel is a major oversight and error on the part of many participants who ascribe to the perspectives espoused by schools of popular occultism. There are many criticisms that can be proposed, but … I will limit myself to identifying a very significant limitation inherent in the occult perspective.

Occultism, particularly that which is referred to as the Western Esoteric Tradition but not excluding those movements deriving from Theosophy, perpetuates the notion that a dichotomy exists between mysticism (oftentimes identified with the teachings and practices of occultism) and orthodox religion. Outside the confines of that which blatantly refers to itself as occult, this perspective may be widely evidenced through the popular expression in which someone considers himself "spiritual" but not "religious", religion being stigmatized as something negative and even outmoded. At a popular level, this mentality reaches its crystallization within the new age movement as aptly represented by such modern self-proclaimed spiritual teachers as Eckhart Tolle and Ken Wilbur. In any event, all manifestations of this tendency reflect the inability to move past this stigma and thereby to see the origins of both a given movement and its content with a degree of objectivity capable of rendering visible such a blatant error.

A spurious re-creation of the Rites of Eleusis led by Aleister Crowley

An objective assessment of occult systems reveals a significant degree of eclecticism. Those disciplines that have not been fabricated, either entirely or partly, based upon extant records of ancient and defunct traditions, have on the contrary been extrapolated from the various religions. This "borrowing" is sometimes done haphazardly, at other times with great ingenuity, but in any event always partial and fragmentary due to the loss of the symbolism and congenial ambiance contributed by the all encompassing totality of a living religious tradition.

Orthodox religions are based upon the reality of Divine Revelation, which is to say that the Divine Principle exists and that it has revealed itself to humanity in various ways. Each revelation serves as the foundation for a doctrine concerning the nature and destiny of man, the origin and structure of the cosmos, and the proper conduct of man faced with the reality of the Divine Principle and of a superior destiny. Simplistically, each religion is susceptible to a two-fold definition in terms of its outer and inner qualities. The former or exoterism is characterized by the dogmatic theological teaching, popular worship, and ethical prescriptions conducive to a harmonious social order. The inner dimension, or esoterism, which corresponds precisely to our term mysticism when it is understood in this manner, consists of the metaphysical truth of which exoterism serves as the outward symbol. Spiritual practice, or prayer, is likewise susceptible to degrees of participation including the most outward performance of canonical rites and a full existential assimilation to the Divine Principle in quintessential orison.

… the mystical disciplines of several orthodox religions may be studied … to introduce you to many of the treasures of orthodox religion that may have been closed to you due to ignorance or misplaced prejudice gained from immersion in the teachings of popular occultism. Suffice to say that not all of these traditions and practices are accessible to the average westerner.

… a system of mystical practice … has its origins within the revelation of a particular religion through which it partakes of “vertical” continuity, while it has been passed down and inherited by its present expositor through the “horizontal” continuity of tradition. Both of these elements ensure the fidelity of a given formulation of esoterism to its divine origin while distinguishing it from modern fabricated practices which are subject to individual whim and therefore derived from caprice.

Message to a Mexican Seeker

2009-02-05T23:09:00.000-08:00

I would like to reiterate two things concerning my previous remarks from earlier posts: First, I have a genuine interest in learning more about the indigenous traditions of Mexico which also constitute my own heritage. Whereas Islam as an all embracing way of life constitutes the culture that I have chosen and adopted for myself, my native heritage is that of Mexico. I refrain from considering the present confusion that is American life an authentic or in any way traditional culture or civilization.

Secondly, I recognize the need for authentic sources of information and alternately instruction by a qualified representative of traditional Mexico. To adequately embody within yourself this Tradition, you will ultimately need to seek out the latter. Even with the possession of genuine knowledge of traditional forms you will still need the living link to endow them with spiritual intelligence and efficacy. As the scripture says, "The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." At the same time, you will need to develop the capacity to determine who is authenitic and who is a charlatan and for that you will need knowledge, which returns us to the pursuit of authentic information.

Individuals such as Hunbatz Men, Samael Aun Weor, and Carlos Castaneda are expositors of what is essentially occult or new age philosophy. The latter has its origins in the former which in turn is rooted in the Rosicrucian Movement of the 17th and 18th centuries and the Theosophical Movement of the 19th and 20th centuries. These movements are very similar in nature as can be gleaned from a brief albeit superficial description. Rosicrucianism has its origin in the legend of a mysterious brotherhood of western adepts who possess universal learning and secret knowledge and its aspirants were primarily concerned with the pursuit of alchemy, astrology, and pseudo-qabalistic philosophy. Theosophism has its origin in the legend of a mysterious brotherhood of eastern adepts who possess universal learning and secret knowledge and its aspirants were primarily concerned with the pursuit of spiritualism, psychic powers, and pseudo-oriental philosophy.

These two movements can be credited with the origin of much of the teachings heralded as ‘spiritual’ by those who do not follow any of the great orthodox religions. This includes everything associated with the occult and ‘new age’. Whereas new age philosophies may find themselves without attachment to any particular formal system in order to perpetuate their teachings, instead relying on sentiment and active imagination alone, occult philosophies are distinctive in this regard. Respecting the general aversion to orthodoxy, they will instead attempt to revive or re-create the lost religions of the past, borrowing from Greek, Egyptian, Celtic, Norse, and other symbol and ritual systems that have long since fallen out of use and only remain fragmentary and partially understood if at all. The use of such systems has two benefits for those who would exploit them. First, they appeal to our sense of the romantic and fantastic and cater to a nostalgia of the past. Second, they have fallen into disuse and are what we might call “dead traditions” having no remaining link to their origins. As such they can be endowed with wholly modern interpretations and applied to fabricated philosophical systems without anyone being the wiser excepting a small minority of critical specialists and scholars who would not have any interest in following the latest occult movements in any case.

Just as Britain is ripe with those who would attempt to re-create the Celtic and British traditions of their ancestors making use of occult doctrines and methods, so it appears that there are those who would do the same for the dead civilizations of the Maya, Tolteca, and Azteca. Such modern aberrations as these are guaranteed a sizable following within Mexican culture due to the increasing dissatisfaction with Roman Catholicism, the desire to “return to one’s origins”, the romance of the past, and perhaps most importantly the simple lack of knowledge of the spiritual life and all encompassing “tradition” of our noble ancestors.

Nevertheless, my comments are not intended to be discouraging as I do believe that elements of this tradition survive among the numerous tribes scattered throughout Mexico. Of course, I do not believe that it is desirable or even necessarily possible to revive the ancient tradition in all of its particulars. This has been rendered incapable by the advent of modernism as an ideology, the all-pervasiveness of western society, and the mode and manner of modern living and technology. Much that was once manifest outwardly will now have to be carried inwardly as a condition of the heart and as a state of being.

In this I think that we may learn much from the tribes of the Native Americans living within the United States who are perhaps the closest both geographically and culturally to the Native Mexicans. They are a people who were forced off of their land (or we might say introduced to the western ideas of land-ownership), invaded by the perversions of modern culture, and as a result had their traditional lifestyles completely disrupted. Despite these terrible calamities that they have been subjected to, the spirit of the Red Indian persists into our modern day and the tradition is perpetuated, not in its totality, but in its essentiality.

The most sacred animal, the eagle (in all of its various species), is on the restricted species list and feathers which are an essential element of all regalia, are subject to peculiar federal restrictions. The buffalo, whose existence and migrations the life of the tribe was mysteriously intertwined and dependent upon, no longer roam the plains. Traditional crafts once common are now a sacred trust among a few elite craftsman who have devoted themselves to developing and perpetuating them. The war dance is done for competition instead of victory, and the experiences of nobility and valiance in warfare no longer provide a rite of passage to the virtues of manhood. Evidently, life can never be the same as it once was.

Thomas Yellowtail, the late Crow Medicine Man and Sun Dance chief describes these and similar examples relating to the present and former conditions of the Native Americans. Ultimately, he concludes that what remains of their tradition is adequate to the needs of contemporary man.

“Modern Indians care little for spiritual things and traditional ways,” he once stated, “so there are few traditional people remaining with real medicine or understanding. Modern civilization has no understanding of sacred matters. Everything is backwards. This makes it even more important that young people follow what is left today. Even though many of the sacred ways are no longer with us, what we have left is enough for anyone, and if it is followed it will lead as far as the person can go. The four rites that we have left form the center of the religion: the sweat lodge for purification; the vision quest for the spiritual retreat; the daily prayer with the offering of tobacco smoke; and the Sun Dance itself. With all this, any sincere person can realize his inner spiritual center.”

Three years after the collapse of the Aztecs in 1524, a group of surviving Nahuatl wise men undertook to formulate a valiant defense of the validity and authenticity of their tradition against twelve friars in Tenochtitlan. Included among records of this marvelous and eloquently expressed discussion is a succinct summary of the essential elements of their religion. They stated, “We know on Whom life is dependent; on Whom the perpetuation of the race depends; by Whom begetting is determined; by Whom growth is made possible; how it is that one must invoke; how it is that one must pray.” If the traditions of Mexico are to thrive in our modern age then our people must restore primacy to the One on Whom life depends and learn once again how it is that one must invoke and how it is that one must pray. Perhaps most important is the realization that these methods cannot be created or fashioned by any effort of human will. Rather, they are given to man by God as a sacred trust and must likewise be received from his vicegerents on earth.

Until this qualification is fulfilled, you and others like you can pray for guidance and look to those authentic records that remain. I have not delved deeply enough into the subject to provide you with comprehensive references, but I have always been one to think that a few ideas well-learned and understood as fully as possible are much better than an enourmous quantity of details. The book Native Meso-American Spirituality by Miguel Leon-Portilla contains a representative selection of authentic religious texts of ancient Mexico and seems like an adequate foundation to begin our studies.

I offer these words as a constructive and sympathetic counterpart to the numerous criticisms that I have already provided.

Islamic Perspectives

2009-02-05T23:03:00.000-08:00

There are a few ideas you raised that I would like to take some time to address. These include the idea of a consensus within Islam, Islam's perspective concerning Jesus Christ, the attitude of Islam toward Graeco-Roman Paganism, and Christianity's relationship to Abrahamic Monotheism.

Like many other religions, Islam contains a diversity of perspectives crystallized within numerous schools or divisions. These may differ according to legal rulings, religious doctrines, theological perspectives, mystical inclinations, and other possibilities. The Quran sanctions this diversity referring to the variance of opinions among the scholars as a mercy to us. Despite these outward differences, all of these perspectives maintain their identity as "Islam" through their adherence to the fundamental elements of the faith. Recently, there has been a collective effort centered around the Royal Court of Jordan to identify and explain these fundamental elements of faith shared by all Muslims. The result has been a series of documents such as The Amman Message, the Letter to Pope Benedict and other Christian leaders, and A Common Word Between Us and You, that are endorsed by Muslim scholars and leaders representing virtually all of the various schools and divisions of Islam.

Should it be necessary to speak on behalf of Islam as a whole, reference to these documents may enable us to adequately represent what most if not all Muslims believe. Concerning the teaching of Islam with respect to Jesus Christ for example, we find the following explanation in A Common Word,

"Muslims recognize Jesus Christ as the Messiah, not in the same way Christians do (but Christians themselves anyway have never all agreed with each other on Jesus Christ’s nature), but in the following way: …. the Messiah Jesus son of Mary is a Messenger of God and His Word which he cast unto Mary and a Spirit from Him.... (Al-Nisa’, 4:171). We therefore invite Christians to consider Muslims not against and thus with them, in accordance with Jesus Christ’s words ..."

Undoubtedly, many elements of Christian ritual and philosophy have derived from the traditions of Graeco-Roman Paganism including the Ancient Mystery Religions and the philosophies of Plato, Aristotle, and the Neoplatonists, among others. To understand the nature of this influence it is sufficient to recognize the unique destiny of those religions which possess a universal character, specifically Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam. As distinct from those that were destined for a particular people and so may be referred to as ethnic religions which nevertheless possess a degree of variation, these three universal religions possess an even greater degree of variation due to the assimilation of numerous cultural and ethnic customs and contingencies. When spreading to a new region these religions did not destroy the respective cultures but rather assimilated and transformed those elements of the native tradition which did not conflict with the fundamental nature of the revelation and were capable of rendering support to it.

Thus, within India, China, Japan, and Tibet, Buddhism manifests a different character corresponding to the unique characteristics of the cultural and ethnic qualities and traditions of the region all the while remaining distinctly "Buddhism." We can make the same comments about Islam and Christianity within these very regions. Christianity was necessarily destined to assimilate various elements of Graeco-Roman culture due to its reception within and subsequent spread from a region of greek-speaking gentiles. Suffice to say that it is at present, following its subsequent global migration, not limited to these influences as is evident for example in the Protestantism issuing from the assimilation of germanic cultures.

There is a very curious anecdote in Knowledge and the Sacred which may explain how Islam can accept a religion such as Christianity, particularly of the Roman Catholic variety, despite a preponderance of pagan influences within certain of its manifestations. Dr. Nasr wrote,

“Revelation for Islam means the assertion of ‘al-tawhid’ and all religions are seen as so many repetitions in different climes and languages of the doctrine of unity. Moreover, wherever the doctrine of unity is to be found, it is considered to be of divine origin. Therefore, Muslims did not distinguish between religion and paganism but between those who accepted unity and those who denied or ignored it. For them, the sages of antiquity such as Pythagoras and Plato were ‘Unitarians’ (muwahhidun) who expressed the truth which lies at the heart of all religions.” (p.71)

Finally, in attempting to wrest Christianity from its place among the Abrahamic traditions, you are likely to find yourself alone. Even Shaykh Hamza Yusuf who you studied under in Fez adheres to this most common perspective. He wrote in an article on the Holocaust, "... our Abrahamic traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam have always been concerned with and seriously interested in epistemology, because each of these faiths have profound truth claims that need substantiation or 'believability.'"

Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Traditional Islam, and Christianity

2009-02-05T22:49:00.000-08:00

Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr

For someone whose entire outlook is shaped by the idea of tradition and devoted to its explication such that he identifies himself as both traditional Muslim and traditionalist in general, it is difficult to consider Dr. Nasr as somehow untraditional. By this accusation I understand you to believe that his perspective is not in conformity with Muslim orthodoxy, and therefore that it is heterodox in nature. I can understand how you might reach this conclusion if you do not share his vision of the spectrum of the Islamic tradition and the dimensions which are embraced by Muslim orthodoxy. These are most easily divided into two and include the exoteric, which refers to the legal, historical, and theological aspects, and the esoteric, which concerns the spiritual path of Sufism, much of Islamic philosophy, and the formulations of theoretical gnosis derived from metaphysical realization or what Dr. Nasr refers to as scientia sacra, the science of the real.

The esoteric dimension necessarily embraces the exoteric such that, for example, Sufis are firmly grounded in the sharia and fully participate in the legal dimensions of their religion. The converse is not true, however, as the exoteric dimension does not necessarily embrace the esoteric. Considering that Dr. Nasr's perspective and many of his teachings are based on an understanding of metaphysics, he may sometimes appear to be at odds with some strictly historical and theological viewpoints, but without ever deviating from Muslim orthodoxy.

Considering that there are many different and sometimes conflicting historical, legal, and theological perspectives, even at the exoteric level, there is the possibility of an even greater degree of conflict between the exoteric and esoteric. That this is not always the case is demonstrated for example by the teachings of al-Ghazali particularly his work The Revival of the Religious Sciences which gave much general credibility to esoteric formulations by rigorously demonstrating their confirmation in the Quran and recorded traditions. A thorough acquaintance with both Muslim traditions and Dr. Nasr's teachings demonstrates a similar situation. It is precisely this acquaintance that led William Chittick, a contemporary Muslim scholar who is admirably qualified to undertake such an assessment to make the following statement in his book Science of Cosmos, Science of Soul.

"In several of his works," Chittick wrote, "Nasr has explained the main principles of the traditional Islamic worldview ... his interpretation of the contemporary implications of Islamic thought are firmly grounded in the tradition, much more so than many of his critics would like to acknowledge. The fact that he does not always cite Muslim authorities, but instead is likely to refer to Frithjof Schuon or Ananda Coomaraswamy, cannot be taken as evidence that his views do not have the Islamic support that he claims." (p.78)

Your accusation is based on an assessment of statements that Dr. Nasr has made concerning Christianity that you believe are questionable and of which you have provided two examples. To paraphrase your comments we can say that your objections rest upon the following points:

[1] Dr. Nasr seems to rationalize the formulation of the Christian Trinity as a legitimate worldview.

[2] Dr. Nasr regularly makes reference to "Christ" which contradicts the Muslim view of Jesus the Messiah.

[3] Dr. Nasr adheres to the idea that Christianity was existent before Paul which is historically inaccurate as demonstrated in Acts 11, v.26.

As a final remark concerning Dr. Nasr, you stated that you believe his purpose in proclaiming that Christians worship the same God that Muslims do is to suppress the violent inner nature of most Christian societies and to prevent them from slaughtering us. It will be prudent to address this last point first both to dispel this highly polemical view of Christianity and to establish Dr. Nasr's perspective concerning religions as a foundation for the examination of your main points listed above.

We may state unequivocally that Dr. Nasr does not share this view of Christianity. This is demonstrated by statements made in The Heart of Islam where he wrote,

"It is easy for Muslims and Christians, or for that matter Hindus, Confucians, or Buddhists, to point to episodes of war in the history of other religions. The history of all societies, whether religious or secular, is replete with such examples, because human beings contain in their fallen state the seeds of strife and contention and take recourse in aggression and war, using for their cause whatever idea or ideology has the power to move people ... When we return to the teachings that are at the heart of all authentic religions, however, we see that the role of each religion is to seek to bring about peace and to accentuate those religious teachings that emphasize both heavenly and earthly accord, harmony, and peace." (p.217-218)

When taking the purpose of Dr. Nasr's teachings into consideration, especially in light of the great diversity of subjects, it becomes evident that there are a variety of possible motivations. When dealing with the exposition of religions other than Islam, however, there is a particular motivation that seems to gain emphasis. This consists of strengthening the Faith of society at large which has simultaneously become threatened by both the agnosticism of secular ideologies in the modern west and the destruction of religious homogeneity through the widespread encounter of alien religious forms. He developed the implications of this situation in a lecture entitled "Living in a Multi-Religious World" (recorded in The Essential Seyyed Hossein Nasr) and even went so far as to identify the extensiveness of this encounter of religions as the single most significant phenomena of the twentieth century.

"Much has been said about the new adventures of man in the twentieth century," he stated, "the age known for the use of atomic power and flight into space. However, I personally believe that there is in truth only one new experience of real significance which confronts twentieth century man, one which his ancestors did not face. That experience is not one of discovering new continents and even planets, but one of journeying from one religious universe to another ... a new situation whose main features and characteristics cannot be neglected by any intelligent person interested in the phenomena of religion or belonging to the world of faith." (p. 3,5)

A detailed inquiry into these characteristics would take us far beyond the scope of the present writing. An excellent overview and introduction to Dr. Nasr's thought including a systematic treatment of the subject of the contemporary encounter of religions can be found in The Essential Seyyed Hossein Nasr. We include a mention of this subject here only in order to shed light on his purpose for discussing Christianity in a work devoted to Islam that you referenced (i.e. The Heart of Islam) as well as indicating something of his approach to understanding the subject of Christianity.

In the lecture mentioned above he further stated that

"... it is necessary to go beyond the polemical position of the medieval theologians who lived in a homogeneous ... universe and who could afford to ignore the universality of revelation and the reality of religion in diverse forms. One cannot read the Bhagavad-Gita seriously in this day and age without becoming aware of the religious character of this text. Nor could any one in good conscience call it pagan ramblings. Therefore, the doctrines of the other religions which are now available in the form of sacred scripture, open metaphysical exposition, theological formulation, or inspired literature of one kind or another, convey a metaphysical, theological, and religious significance which must be taken seriously by men and women of good faith." (p.6)

Similarly, no contemporary Muslim can approach the Christian religion in good conscience and dismiss its liturgical traditions and theological formulations as mere pagan ramblings when their sacred character and theological integrity are so obvious. It is in this spirit of taking Christianity seriously that Dr. Nasr explains the doctrine of the trinity and holds it to be legitimate for Christians within the context of the Christian worldview without in any way compromising his integrity as a traditional Muslim.

Nevertheless, the concept of the Trinity is a particularly complicated subject and Islam does not necessarily reject it outright for as Sachiko Murata and William Chittick explain in the The Vision of Islam

"the Koran and classical commentaries offer plenty of room for a view of things that is full of subtlety and nuance ... To take a simple example, it is commonly held that the Koran rejects the Christian concept of the Trinity. Inasmuch as the Trinity is understood as negating tawhid this is true. But not all Christians think that the Trinity negates tawhid. Quite the contrary, most formulations of the Trinitarian doctrine are careful to preserve God's unity. If threeness takes precedence over oneness, then the Koranic criticisms apply. But among Christians, the exact nature of the relationship between the three and the one is a matter of recurring debate ... the actual Christian position is highly subtle, and few if any Christians would hold that they have faith in other than a single God." (p.169-170)

You also seem to hold dispute with the use of the term Christ stating that Muslims do not believe in Jesus the Christ, only Jesus the Messiah. The greek term christos and the Hebrew mashiach are equivalent terms both meaning "annointed" though the former has become associated with certain connotations which separate the Christian understanding of Jesus from that of Islam. In Christianity, Jesus is an avataric figure or incarnation of Divinity and within Islam he is a prophet, although according to the Quran he has a unique quality and function among prophets as well as a miraculous origin in confirmation of the Christian account of the nativity.

There is no denying the fact that there are certain irreconcilable differences between Christian and Muslim doctrines. This is not an issue of dispute. In fact, when Dr. Nasr is describing the nature of the Christian theological formulation in the passage that you quoted from The Heart of Islam, he is doing so in contrast to that of Islam. The passage in its original context may be considered as an Islamic intellectual response to Christianity. Read in this light, it supports Dr. Nasr's traditional character rather than challenging it. It also demonstrates the comprehensiveness of his understanding and the versatility of the metaphysical perspective which enables him to view Christianity both in its own terms and from within the perspective of the Muslim worldview. An expanded quotation of the passage reads as as follows,

"Paradoxically, the insistence of Islam upon God as the One and the Absolute has had as its concomitant the acceptance of a multiplicity of prophets and revelations, and no sacred scripture is more universalist in its understanding of religion than the Quran, whose perspective concerning the universality of revelation may be called 'vertical triumphalism.' In contrast, in Christianity, because of the emphasis on the triune God, God the one is seen more in terms of the relationality of the three Hypostases, what one might call 'Divine Relativity'; the vision of the manifestation of the Divine then became confined to the unique Son and Incarnation, in whom the light of all previous prophets was absorbed. In Christianity the vision is that of the Triune God and a unique message of salvation and savior, hence extra ecclesiam nulla salus (no salvation outside the church), whereas in Islam there is the One God and many prophets. Here is to be found the major difference between how Muslims have viewed Jews and Christians over the centuries and how Christians have regarded Jews and Muslims as well as followers of other religions." (p.21)

Finally, you take issue with Dr. Nasr's indication that Christianity existed prior to Paul. in reality, this is not an issue of contention because it is not a tenet of Islam that Christianity was invented by Paul nor is this idea even shared by most Muslims. Regarding the validity of the idea in itself, quite irrespective of its consideration in terms of Islam, we may also state that despite the fact that Jesus' disciples first took on the name of Christians in Antioch after Paul had begun his ministry, this does not in any way preclude the existence of Christianity prior to this regardless of whether or not it was referred to as such or manifested itself in exactly the same way. For it is possible, like early Sufism, to be a "reality without a name" and like Shi'ism, to take on a unique character and manifestation following the death of the founder without entering into the realm of heterodoxy.

It is important to realize also, that Dr. Nasr's view of religion is not limited to this consideration of historical unfoldment. For Nasr, religion is a metahistorical reality such that Christianity, for instance, not only predates Paul, but also possesses a timeless and eternal quality. Religion exists prior to its unfoldment in history and continues to exist long after its earthly presence has been withdrawn. In Knowledge and the Sacred he develops the metaphysical understanding of religion stating that

"each revelation is in fact the manifestation of an archetype which represents some aspect of the Divine Nature. Each religion manifests on earth the reflection of an archetype at whose heart reside the Divinity itself. The total reality of each tradition, let us say Christianity or Islam, as it exists metahistorically and also as it unfolds throughout its destined historical life, is none other than what is contained in that archetype ... Religions do not die since their archetype resides in the immutable domain and they are all possibilities in the Divine Intellect." (p.294-296)

It is my hope that these words do adequate justice to your objections while displaying a position that is not driven by superficial sentimentalism, that they demonstrate the traditional character of Dr. Nasr's teachings, and further explain some of his viewpoints in support of our ongoing discussions on Tradition in this forum.

As a closing remark, I would like to say that I believe that it is important for us as religious people living in the twentieth century to make an active effort to promote peaceful relations between ourselves, avoiding polemics whenever possible. I also believe that it is possible to view other religions honestly and respectfully without discarding or overlooking obvious differences. As Muslims, we have an even greater responsibility due to the universality of the outlook and message presented by our scripture and that has been traditionally held throughout the history of Islam. The Holy Qur'an teaches us,

"You will surely find that, of all people, the ones nearest in love to those who believe [in the Koran] are those who say: 'We are Christians.' That is because there are among them priests and monks, and they are not proud. When they hear that which has been revealed to the Prophet you see their eyes overflow with tears, in recognition of its truth ... " (5:82)

If we are honest with ourselves and conduct our lives in a manner that embodies the virtues of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and the intellectual integrity of our scriptures and traditions, those who are nearest in love to us, the Christians, may come to recognize the truth in our religion as we recognize the truth in theirs.

Esoteric Dimensions of Islam

2009-02-05T22:42:00.000-08:00

This reminds me of a comment Rama Coomaraswamy made in an interview. He said "I think Guenon was always looking for a pattern in Christianity that paralleled the sharia and haqiqa distinction in Islam. Such does not exist in Christianity where there is more a 'sliding scale' of esoterism." There are clearer lines of division within Islam than in Christianity particularly owing to the presence of the Shari'a, or personal and social laws. Islam shares this facet with religions such as Judaism (the Mishna) and Hinduism (the Dharmashastra).

Concerning the exoteric and esoteric dimensions specifically, it is very natural to think of a religion as manifesting itself in its fullness and integrality at the inception of the revelation followed by a continual decline and occasional revivification in addition to the outward manifestation of various possibilities and adaptations prefigured in the revelation. This is pure speculation, however, so we must turn to qualified authorities for corroboration. Seyyed Hossein Nasr discussed this subject specifically in a section on 'The Sufi Tradition' in his book Three Muslim Sages.

"At the time of the Prophet, " he wrote, "when one might say the gates of heaven were open, the very intensity of the spiritual life and proximity to the source of the Revelation did not permit of a total separation of the Tradition into exoteric and esoteric, or Shari'ah and Tariqah, components, although both existed in essence from the beginning. The whole of the Tradition was at first like a molten lava in a state of fusion and did not 'congeal' and separate into its various elements until the withering influence of time and the corrupting conditions of this world had gradually 'cooled' and 'solidified' it. We see, therefore, that during the first two centuries of its life, while the Tradition was extremely strong, as proved by its rapid expansion and power of assimilation, there was neither a definitive codified school of law nor a clearly organized Sufi brotherhood, or order. We also note that in the 3rd/9th century the schools of law, or the Shari'ah became codified and at the same time Sufism began to manifest itself as a distinct element in the Islamic community, its doctrines and methods being propagated by brotherhoods, each of which was directed by a master and often named after him."

Although esoterism became primarily relegated to the Sufi brotherhoods within Sunni Islam, the union of exoterism and esoterism is more pronounced within Shi'ite Islam. It is true that Sufism was prevalent within Shi’ism up to the 11th/17th century when emphasis began to be placed upon Irfan (the tradition of Gnosis) the transmission of which seems to be more individual and less organized. However, even at a popular level Shi’ism partakes of a more pronounced esoteric character as evidenced by many of the prayers and litanies performed individually and as a group. The traditions or collected oral teachings of the Imans which complement those of the Sunnah contain many overtly esoteric teachings. Furthermore, the Iman as spiritual and temporal leader and representative of the Prophet (pbuh) possesses the same function within the Shi’ite community as does the Shaykh within an individual Sufi Brotherhood, that function of qutb or pir, literally “pole”.

The Religion of Old Women

2009-02-05T21:35:00.000-08:00

There does sometimes seem to be a dichotomy that exists between the exoteric and esoteric dimensions of a religion. During the period when I was attending prayers at the Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California, I was always careful not to discuss elements of esoteric doctrine or Sufism with my fellow Muslims. We were united through our common bond of Islam and Iman, that is, the fundamental practices of the Shari’a and the elements of Islamic Faith which constitute what we might call the religious life. These were sufficient grounds upon which to maintain a shared identity and cultivate fellowship amongst ourselves. Among the worshippers there was an emphasis on praying correctly with much accommodation to variety, though not necessarily inquiring into the meaning of the prayer. Generally speaking an emphasis was placed on action and devotion rather than knowledge and understanding. Even the Qur’an was more of an object of veneration than the focus of reverent and intensive study and application. The majority of the attendants were well meaning people who came together to pray, enjoy the company of like-minded individuals, eat, and socialize about whatever happened to be going on in their lives.

It would have been a great disservice for me to attempt the introduction of esoteric doctrines among individuals who are content with a religious life. It would have simply evoked disdain and the inevitable retort that these teachings do not correspond to their conception and understanding of Islam. Certainly, I could go to great lengths in justifying the orthodoxy of Sufism which has been ably done by its most skillful exponents, but this would do nothing more than provoke them to a greater disdain for my presumption to teach them their religion. Not only am I unqualified to do so, but I see no reason in trying to give people things that they neither want nor have the inclination to understand especially when I am deficient in my own understanding. It is counterproductive to speak of things of a very lofty nature when the general trend of conversation pertains to those things that appeal to the least common denominator of all participants. I tend not to broach the subject of esoterism at all if I am not asked about it specifically and I generally do not discuss my beliefs unless someone asks me for advice or information which I provide to the best of my ability.

According to the prevailing religious mentality, Islam consists solely of those beliefs and practices taught to us by Allah and His Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in the Qur’an and Sunnah. The situation is similar to that of Protestant Fundamentalism in which the scriptures are interpreted in a literal fashion and no consideration is taken of those elements of tradition whether of music, art, ritual, spiritual doctrine, or method, that were passed on through the immediate disciples of the prophet and carried down to the present day or otherwise were present as potential adaptations and manifestations of various possibilities prefigured in the revelation. The religious law, including all forms of social practice and personal behavior are the primary preoccupation of the general mass of Muslims. Those qualified to interpret the law are trained in the traditional Islamic science of jurisprudence which specifically concerns these matters.

Judging from your friend’s responses to William Stoddart’s book he undoubtedly belongs to this general class of believers and seems to be content with his religion and perspective. I see no reason to make an effort to argue with him and prove him wrong with regard to his opinions, nor should he be held in disdain for possessing them. I remember once encountering an old woman reciting a litany for forty-five minutes or longer before Jumm’a Prayer. She seemed very simple-minded such that the existence of men like Frithjof Schuon and their teachings would simply not occur to her. She was excessively pious and in a word, completely and totally sincere in her Faith. She was a perfect example of the teaching of the Prophet Isa that “you must become as a little child to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven” and upon encountering her I immediately recalled to mind the words of Ibn ‘Ata’Allah in the Hikam, “If you see a servant whom God has made to abide in the recitation of litanies and prolonged His help therein, do not disdain what his Lord has given him on the score that you do not detect the signs of gnostics on him, nor the splendor of God’s lovers. For had there been no inspiration, there would have been no litany.”

Having stated all of this, I feel that I can address your friend’s objections which seem simply to constitute an oversight on his part. That someone “can claim to have some kind of superiority or special connection to God that will help him in his path” is prefigured in the existence of Allah’s Prophets and specifically in the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The principle of Sufi initiation rests upon the reality of the transmission of power and authority from Muhammad to his disciples, principally Ali Ibn Abi Talib from whom most orders derive their lineage. The Shaykh is nothing other than a living Saint who serves as a representative of Muhammad who has received Muhammad’s grace and blessing in this function from his predecessors, just as Ali received it from the Prophet himself. It is true that Islam conceives of man as standing directly before God without an intermediary. However, because man is not presently reconciled to God owing to the existential limitation of the Fall, the Prophet Muhammad and by extension the Shaykh serve as supreme guides to religion and the spiritual life.

(Note: My impressions of popular Islam spoken of above were derived from and reflective of situations in American life and do not necessarily correspond to the prevailing attitudes held by believers in other parts of the world. In many parts of India, for example, there are prevailing trends of the “religion of old women” as spoken of by Muhammad and exemplified in the simplicity and piety of the old woman in my story.)

The Need for Spiritual Guidance

2009-02-05T21:24:00.000-08:00

There is an extremely useful and beautiful Interview with Frithjof Schuon wherein he delineates with conciseness some of the essential elements of the Sophia Perennis. Being as religion is the foundation of the spiritual life, it is necessary for us to start there in the consideration of your question. According to Frithjof Schuon religion is based upon revelation and its primary purpose is "to save man from sin and damnation, and also, to establish a realistic social equilibrium." The specific manner in which this is accomplished will outwardly differ among the various religions but the function of each is essentially the same, the salvation of souls, however this idea might be expressed in conformance to the doctrinal perspective of a particular religion. At this level, what we might refer to as the exoteric dimension, religion is unequivocally directed toward all and consists in that which is both necessary and sufficient for salvation.

Depending upon the nature of the religion in question a living guide may or may not be necessary at this level. For example, in Islam, our religion is based upon the direct relationship of Man and God. That which is essential for us for salvation is the practice of the five pillars which consist in Faith, Prayer, Alms, Fasting, and Pilgrimage. Provided that a person is born within a family and society that is permeated with the tradition of Islam, no guide will be necessary as these are the foundations for social life and participation at the most basic level though specific questions are often addressed to scholars and jurists concerning ethical and social problems. In the case of a personal choice to follow this religion, some form of guidance will be necessary in order to learn the canonical forms but in any case it is ultimately the responsibility of the individual to carry out the dictates of the Divine.

In many forms of Christianity on the other hand, the essential requisites of salvation consist of participation in the sacramental life of the Church. The seven primary sacraments are the Eucharist, Baptism, Confirmation, Confession, Marriage, Holy Orders, and Annointing of the Sick. The Church is a hierarchal institution and the administration of the sacraments lies within the capacity of the priesthood alone. It remains for the individual to carry these experiences with him into life outside of the Church, or we may also describe it as living constantly within the embrace of the Church, but formal participation requires the presence of an intermediary who oftentimes serves as a guide to the religious life especially in the capacity of Confessor.

It may be the case of certain special individuals that adherence to the exoteric dimension of religion is not necessary. As has been stated in the Qur'an, "He will forgive whom He will and He will punish whom He will. Allah is able to do all things." (2:284) However, it is not given to man to choose the qualifications for his own salvation. That capacity lies within God alone. Hence, it remains for us that participation in the essential exoteric observances of religion is the foundation of all spiritual life.

Although these observances are both necessary and sufficient to fulfill the primary aim of religion, there are those who, by the possession of a special capacity and inclination for knowledge, devotion, or asceticism, are called to a life that involves a greater degree of participation. For example, there are those who read the Holy Book of their religion and those who desire and possess the capacity to understand the many dimensions of its meaning; there are those who love God and those who weep for him while continually singing his praises; and there are those who not only follow God's laws but also seek to live in such a manner that befits the dignity of the manifold blessings that their Creator has bestowed upon them. These are the people who enter into the mystical dimensions of the spiritual life and who by virtue of their innate capacities are most in need of guidance to properly apply and direct them in a manner that reflects the divine will and not mere egotistical whim.

As our brother has so succinctly and eloquently stated, "In Islam, the Shariah or Law is said to be a wide well-known path that is easy to know, while the Tariqah or Spiritual Path is a narrow unmarked path that requires a guide." I am a Muslim, but I do not have experience with the Tariqah nor have I been accepted as the student of a qualified guide. As such, I cannot speak with authority on the significance of the spiritual guide, or the nature of the spiritual life in its fullness. My experience comes from being exposed to and led by those who are unqualified and who lead men into moral and spiritual error. From these experiences, and the recognition of my own limitations and infirmities, I have come to realize that instruction by a qualified teacher is needed in any attempt to pursue the esoteric dimensions of religion.

Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr, in the final chapter of his magisterial exposition of the tradition of Sacred Knowledge, provides us with the following description of the significance of the Master:

"There is the need for spiritual training, hence the master who has climbed the dangerous path of the cosmic mountain to its peak and who can instruct others to do the same. There is the indispensable need for a special power or grace which cannot but come from the source of the tradition in question and which can remain valid only if there is regularity of transmission or in any case access to the source of the tradition."

We can also quote from the wisdom of one of your great teachers, Black Elk, who wrote:

"It is very important for a person who wishes to 'lament' to receive aid and advice from a wichasha wakan, so that everything is done correctly, for if things are not done in the right way, something very bad can happen, and even a serpent could come and wrap itself around the 'lamenter'."

Jung's Psychological Reductionism

2009-02-05T21:03:00.000-08:00

Based upon what I know of each, I would say emphatically yes, there is a direct and irreconcilable conflict between the fundamental principles and premises of Jung's system and traditional metaphysics. The heart of the issue as I see it is that what is generally called the Traditionalist Perspective or School consists essentially of a restatement of the eternal and unchanging principles of Metaphysics whereas Jungian Psychology constitutes a series of psuedo-scientific discoveries and a method of analysis. Whereas traditional metaphysics subsists at the heart of each authentic religion, Jungian Psychology, in the practice of its adherents, tends to usurp the function of religion. The situation becomes complicated in that Jung recommended his patients who were so inclined to seek the nourishing support and return to the religions of their youth. However, his preferences were not for orthodox religions as such but in particular for the various heretical sects of Gnosticism. It is also important to note that every orthodox religion contains within itself an implicit psychology (or perhaps pneumatology) and an entirely sufficient psychotherapy rendering anything based upon a secular model or method not only unsuitable but also unnecessary.

An Archetypal Image From Jung's Red Book

Jung's work was very uneven and remained uncoordinated and contradictory in places. He repeatedly called attention to the fact that he was a pioneer in uncharted territory and that his function was primarily that of accumulating the data that would allow his followers to produce their various eloquent and systematic treatises without the need of beginning anew. If as Plato has so truthfully stated in the Phaedrus "even the worst of authors will say something that is to the point", in the work of a great mind like that of Carl Jung, there will be found much that is useful, interesting, and insightful. The problem is not with his work in toto, but rather with its fundamental principles. It is, however, precisely because of this fact and the pervasiveness of fundamentals in contributing to an overall perspective that one has to be very cautious.

There is an excellent article by Harry Oldmeadow dealing with the comparison of Eliade and Jung that summarizes the conflict very well. He states that the four primary points of the Traditionalist criticism are the Jungian perspectives of pan-psychism, the denial of metaphysics, the tyranny of the ego, and the repudiation of traditional religion.

The first and most decisive criticism deals with what Frithjof Schuon has called 'The Psychological Imposture' or "...the tendency to reduce everything to psychological factors and to call into question not only what is intellectual or spiritual...but also the human spirit as such, and therewith its capacity of adequation and, still more evidently, its inward illimitation and transcendence." This is to say, according to Oldmeadow, that the psychic reality contains and exhausts all of supra-material reality and that even in the event that spiritual as distinct from psychic reality exists, the psychic reality is the only one that we can access and experience directly, everything else being subsumed within the realm of the unconscious. This amounts by extension to a categorical denial of the reality of intellectual intuition, the intellect, and even metaphysics itself, all of these being interrelated.

On the whole I found Oldmeadow's assessment of these two authors, who were among my greatest formative influences, to be both balanced and insightful and I will leave it to you to examine his criticisms in greater depth in the (I believe) third part of his essay.

Frithjof Schuon on Writing

2009-02-04T23:27:00.000-08:00

"Writing books is a precious spiritual exercise — for those who have a vocation for it —since it brings to the surface all kinds of inward knots and clumsinesses, and allows them to be dissolved or corrected, which is then felt by the whole man as a kind of liberation ... never think out something merely because one wishes to write a book, but write only what has come into one’s thoughts because of an inner necessity."

The Hadith of Gabriel

2009-02-03T01:33:00.000-08:00

'Umar said: One day when we were sitting with the Messenger of God there came unto us a man whose clothes were of exceeding whiteness and whose hair was of exceeding blackness, nor were there any signs of travel upon him, although none of us knew him. He sat down knee unto knee opposite the Prophet, upon whose thighs he placed the palms of his hands, saying: 'O Muhammad, tell me what is the surrender (islam)'. The Messenger of God answered him saying: 'The surrender is to testify that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is God's Messenger, to perform the prayer, bestow the alms, fast Ramadan and make, if thou canst, the pilgrimage to the Holy House.' He said: 'Thou has spoken truly,' and we were amazed that having questioned him he should corroborate him. Then he said, 'Tell me what is faith (iman).' He answered: 'To believe in God and His Angels and His Books and His Messengers and the Last Day, and to believe that no good or evil cometh but by His Providence.' 'Thou has spoken truly,' he said, and then: 'Tell me what is excellence (ihsan).' He answered: 'To worship God as if thou sawest Him, for if thou seest Him not, yet seeth He thee.' 'Thou has spoken truly,' he said, and then: 'Tell me of the Hour.' He answered, 'The questioned thereof knoweth no better than the questioner.' He said: 'Then tell me of its signs.' He answered: 'That the slave-girl shall give birth to her mistress; and that those who were but barefoot naked needy herdsmen shall build buildings ever higher and higher.' Then the stranger went away, and I stayed a while after he had gone; and the Prophet said to me: 'O 'Umar, knowest thou the questioner, who he was?' I said: 'God and His Messenger know best.' He said: 'It was Gabriel. He came unto you to teach you your religion.' (Martin Lings Translation )

Submitting to Allah

2009-02-03T01:28:00.000-08:00

"This day have I perfected for you your religion and fulfilled My favour unto you, and it hath been My good pleasure to choose Islam for you as your religion." -The Holy Qur'an, 5:3

Today I went to the Sultana Bookstore in search of prayer instruction. I returned home a Muslim. Having overcome the obstacles to an authentic identification with Islam, I felt no hesitation when the proprietor, an honest and enthusiastic but unimposing man named Shaukat invited me to take the Shahadah (Testimony) with his assitance after about an hour of conversation and a basic discussion of its significance. Through this simple declaration I was formally inducted into the Muslim Community, a process that has remained unchanged since the time of Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be Upon Him). Despite the informality of the situation, this simple ritual bears greater significance for my life than any grandiose clandestine initiatory ceremony that I have hitherto experienced, it's simplicity and dignity yielding a vast depth of profundity fully reflecting the nature of and furthermore embodying within itself the entirety of the religion of Islam. My initiator was not not a grand Hierophant bearing numerous titles and attired in regalia of distinction. Instead he was a fellow Muslim, a man like myself, sincere in his devotion to God and genuinely moved by my testimony. As a gift to his new brother be provided me with an instructional video and small booklet on Salah (prayer), a prayer rug, and a Kufi (skull cap). His sister in turn gave me a small bottle of delightful perfume because as I understand it Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be Upon Him) loved cleanliness and fragrance. Shaukat told me that Islam involved the cultivation of a direct personal relationship with Allah. It does not depend upon the authority or mediation of men or organizations. Instead God had directly revealed his Law to humanity in the Quran and provided the model of living in the person of his Prophet. Shahadah is the foundation of Islam. It involves the reorientation of life, thought, and being itself into a vertical or God-ward direction. From this moment on every sincere effort on my part is a step in his direction and a gradual deepening of my relationship with him. (Written in December 2006)

A Serious Seeker

2009-02-03T01:03:00.000-08:00

(Written in late 2006)

My life consists of a continuing quest for convictions, permanent values and beliefs that may serve as intelligent guides for the cultivation of nobility and integrity. According to traditional metaphysics, permanence is not an element of material existence, being as it is a world of transitory and ever-changing forms. This situation is mirrored in the superficial trends, both popular and academic, that permeate all aspects of our modern society. Permanence and immutability are instead qualities of Absolute Being, both transcendent and divine. My pursuit has thus been an essentially religious quest dealing with the cultivation of sacred knowledge of the divine order.

For nearly half my life I have been exploring the religious expressions of humanity, particularly in their extremes of occultism. Occultism has proved to be an enticing, but ultimately unfruitful endeavor. It elicits acclaim and attracts adherents due to its emphasis on visionary phenomena achieved through the use of disciplines that have been extrapolated from various religious traditions, sometimes haphazardly, at other times with great ingenuity, but at all times inherently incomplete. Perhaps the greatest example of this is the eclecticism of Aleister Crowley who set the trend for nearly all contemporary occult literature with his emphasis on practicality. Not only did he borrow disciplines from various traditions but he intentionally sought to divest them of their idiosyncratic religious symbolism leaving only the external forms. In this diminutive state they were now undertaken not as acts of devotion and worship but as arbitrary exercises with the intention of expanding the horizons of mental capability.

The true intention of religious practices is essentially purification of the personality. They serve to divest one of various intemperances, gradually revealing an inherent perfection. Traditional metaphors include the idea of transparency in which the opaque corrugations of the lower nature have been diminished affording greater lucidity of transmission of the interior radiance of the heart. Eastern traditions speak of rendering still the rough waters of the soul so that in their tranquility they will begin to reflect the divine self within. True religious disciplines are not merely mechanical and arbitrary exercises investigated scientifically while awaiting the state of illumination. Instead they are integral manifestations of transcendent reality within the limited field of human agency. Their goal is not a vague illumination resulting from the emotional excitation or tranquility of the performance. Rather it is the integration and patterning of the human life according to its divine prototype.

After over a decade of searching I have only now realized that the knowledge that I have been pursuing is the chief characteristic of orthodox religion. The function of religion is the perpetuation of a distinctive revelation in which the divine order has been revealed to a particular cosmic sector of humanity resulting in its integration into all aspects of that society. Orthodoxy is the instrument of the regularity of tradition. If Truth is the center of divine reality and upon the circumference of its radiance lay the various religious traditions, then each individual point of view reflects a distinctive but complete manifestation of the total reality. Religion in the traditional sense is not the product of individual ingenuity, effort, or innovation. It is eternal and immutable truth periodically revealing itself through the agency of specially ordained individuals set apart as prophets of a new but eternally present dispensation and way of life.

At present the religion that most perfectly reflects my convictions and point of view is Islam. The beauty of the Qur'an, the inspiring life of the prophet Muhammad, may blessing be upon him, as model of the spiritual ideal, the doctrine of unity (al-tawhid), acknowledgement of the multiplicity of prophets and revelations present throughout history in various cultural expressions, and the esoteric dimensions of Sufism have given me an inexhaustible zeal for its investigation and already a degree of devotion. As with any religion there are certain qualifications necessary for identifying oneself with it and relating its doctrines without hypocrisy. It is only my own inadequacy in living up to these ideals that currently keeps me from identifying with Islam in truth.