See Part 1
It might seem odd that the concluding chapter on a book about Hindu doctrines is all about the “West”. Obviously, the intent is not for the West to become Hindu, but rather for the West to use the traditional doctrines as revealed in the Vedanta in order to become what it truly is.
Guenon ends the chapter with a deeper review of the three alternatives he mentioned. “Everything clearly depends on the mental state of the Western world at the moment when it reaches the furthest term of its present civilization.” If the mental state remains as it currently is — viz., based on non-traditional values which both Evola and Guenon have analysed in various books — then the first alternative will prevail. This is because there would be nothing left in the Western mentality to accept Tradition, either from within, but also by way of assimilation.
The second alternative — assimilation — would still require an intellectual kernel, even if confined to a numerically small elect. This elect would have to be strong enough to serve as intermediaries to guide the West back to the sources of “true intellectuality”. This does not require the conscious awareness of the masses to be effective. Guenon warns that this alternative “would not be free from certain unpleasant features”. These unpleasant features are a matter for speculation, but probably not difficult to discern.
Now, if the elect were strong enough and had sufficient time to operate on its own, then the third possibility could be realised. It would have to act as a “leaven”, slowly influencing the Western world. This does not require the consent of the mass of Westerners, nor even for the generality of so-called intellectuals.
It is enough, therefore, as a start, for a few individuals to understand the need for such a change, but of course on condition that they understand it truly and thoroughly.
Guenon points out:
A return to a traditional civilization, both in principle and in respect of the whole body of institutions, is evidently the base condition for the transformation we have been speaking about.
Clearly, a return to tradition is the most essential purpose of the elect, but how to bring this about. A concrete example would be helpful.
As an example, Guenon provides:
We can only say that the Middle Ages afford us an example of a traditional development that was truly Western; ultimately it would be a case not purely and simply of copying or reconstructing what existed then, but of drawing inspiration from it in order to bring about an adaptation to suit the actual circumstances. If there exists a “Western tradition”, that is where is must be looked for, and not in the fantasies of occultists and pseudo-esotericists. [My emphasis]
Lest anyone think Guenon is being idiosyncratic here, compare to Evola: “the grandeur of Rome, having risen from the forces of the Nordic Aryans, created the last, great, universal period in the West, the feudal-imperial civilization of the Middle Ages.” (from Pagan Imperialism) And again, “The power of a new Middle Ages is needed.” Sir John Woodroffe also regards that era as traditional in comparison to the modern West. (The World as Power)
Unless there is a secret “elect” at work, why is it that no one looks to that model? Instead, we have the “Nouvelle Droite”, Asatru and similar neopagan reconstructions, revivals of Germanic occultist organisations, and so on. The Middle Ages seem to be an embarrassment to everyone. On the contrary, to the extent that one cannot recognize the traditional elements at play there, to an even greater extent, it is unlikely that traditional elements can be recognized anywhere at all, never mind serve as a leaven for transformation.
Guenon had the West figured out, but it seems he was a tad mistaken about the East, which is eagerly following after the West. Maybe the last kernel of spiritual wisdom will be preserved in the South, in sub-saharan Africa. They say that part of the world is “under-developed”, but it is also “under-modernized”, which is to say more traditional than most of the rest of the world. Let us hope that Africa remains poor and “under-developed”, for blessed are the poor rich in faith.
Haven’t heard of the Holy Vehm. Those are interesting comments – my encouragement was also to myself. Do not let hope disappoint, let it have its perfect work.
Thank you from the heart for the encouragement and wisdom, Logres. “Personal” factors might have influenced my post, regrettably…
At one point, Evola idealistically proposed a type of vigilante Knightly Order, but was realistic:
“Surely, if there could be organised today a sort of active ‘Holy Vehm’, able to keep those mainly responsible for contemporary subversion in a status of continuous physical insecurity, that would be an excellent thing. But that is not something that the youth can organise, and, moreover, the defence system of the current society is too well-built for such initiatives not to be intercepted from the start, and paid for at a too-high price.”
http://thompkins_cariou.tripod.com/id99.html
The “revisionist Evolian” or “neo-Evolian” “dream”-project of *legitimately* and *dharmically/ethically/lawfully* re-establishing a Templarian Order to combat the anomic, anti-Traditional, anarcho-nihilists and mafia entities of modernity is idealistically appealing to the remnants of Order left in the West…yet obviously there must, as an axial basis, exist as an implicit framework a higher or “Traditional” “Knightly Code”…and correspondent “military jurisprudence”, in modern terms. Violations of the objective dharmic law or “Lex Aeterna” should not be taken lightly.
Evola rightly condemned the collective “massacres” of Jews by the German “special units” during WW2, even though little-known to his adversaries.
If he condemned that, what would he think of the “Norwegian incident”?
I don’t know the psychologically unbalanced Norwegian pretender to Templar Knighthood, but if he is sincere, his “methodology”, to speak in the gentlest of terms, is counterproductive, whether he is clinically psychopathological or not, and exemplifies the polar opposite of the Knightly Code and Knightly Virtues, *based on the protection of the innocent*, – if the whole thing is not some sort of counter-espionage false-flag operation by hidden forces…
St. Bernard distinguished between MILITIA and MALITIA–a distinction crucial and we should all keep in mind.
http://www.deremilitari.org/resources/articles/grabois.htm
In battle, the eyes are the first thing to be conquered. (Tacitus) O Lord, give us a single eye.
Hakatriel, your disgust does you credit, but can also be used to harm you. Seek, you will find. Keep simplicity and childlikeness (different from childishness) – seek & find in the darkest hour the inheritance you already possess. We fail because we don’t ask for enough. This man (for instance) is doing some important things: http://celibacy.info/AudioPageMoralWomenInspireMen.html (Julian Lee). Your state is a great opportunity to clasp faith in the darkness and manifest the powers which are destined to deliver. Pray for angels, saints, and symbols. They will come. Why has the West been so assaulted? Because with it, lies the hope of greatest purity. Likewise, for those who stand to the end, lies the greatest hope. Your deeper self will unveil radiance for this, or any situation. The man will come around.
The average European person who lived in the Middle Ages, no matter from what order/estate (and yes there was even spiritually-based social mobility), lived a psychologically and spiritually FULLER and HAPPIER life than any fleshly-souled modernist consumed in their own existential nothingness, even if their zombie-body lives to 90 still in spiritual infancy. A 7 year old from the “Dark Ages” would have more maturity and wisdom than 95% of modern elderly people. The “Dark Ages” of Christendom, in which sanitation was practice (!), gave us the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Cathedral of Cologne, etc. Modern architects and builders freely admit they have neither the skill nor the “special” intelligence to build such testaments to the metaphysically sublime. Now instead of such things, we have Wal-Mart and McDonald’s.
What is really best? To continue to live as Nietzsche’s “last men”, without chests, materialist slugs of McWorld technocratic nihilism, or for the West to re-learn a little wisdom from an imperfect yet still at least HUMAN religion, with many traces of authentic Tradition in it, like Islam?
Western-American “conservatives” are a pathetic joke. The lowest values of engrossment in money and pornography and general mafia ethics has somehow become “conservative”…whatever…
Augustine talked about the providential role of God-sent Tyrants…”flagellum dei”… Will a higher Christianity awaken from dormancy and conformity to modernity, or will Islam teach the West a needed lesson?
Western pure white-skinned Nordic-Aryan herd-animal “Conservatives” were moralistically outraged so deeply the other day because an Islam leader wanted to ban within in his ingroup “pornography; usury; licentious dancing/raving; alcohol; drugs; and prostitution.” It’s like the world has become literally Surreal…
I feel like Nietzsche right now: “If Islam despises Christianity, it has a thousandfold right to do so: Islam at least assumes that it is dealing with men.” Is there any Christianity to counter such statements?
And where are our new Templars? We have nothing but mafiosi and degenerates. The emotionally-disturbed free-mason Norwegian filth who trained on his Xbox and mass-murdered in the most cowardly fashion little kids and teenagers? I wonder if this was some free-mason false flag op or something creepier? In any case, if that is *anything* like a revival of “Templarism”, I hope Islam sweeps the West in a lightning-conquest ASAP. That Norwegian terrorist pseudoanthrope is definitely a manifestatiion of the “demonic” element and the “Nameless Beast” Evola talks about in the end of the modern world…below sudra…below outcaste…what is below that? How far can we sink? And then also to taint so horribly the Templar image and legacy, the thing that could save us? It’s like a perfect psy-op intelligence job by hostile forces, so seemingly…
Where are the seeds of a true revival of a Hellenic-Christianity that understands itself, an inspirational neo-Templarism and Chivalry combining the best insights of Guenon and Evola?
A *true* neo-Templarism and neo-Chivalry, theologically and spiritually grounded in the best of traditions and customs, is the only thing that can save the West.
Gornahoor is awesome, but can only do so much…
Evola, whatever his personal equation issues, rightfully called for a “new Templarism”…knowing nothing less would help… And then we got mass-killers of children in goofy pseudo-macho garb and homoerotic costumes aping intelligently traditionalist-conservative ideology, so now the idiot masses will be even more confused…
Islam, Hinduism, anything is better than what the West is now… A Judeo-Sicilian Mafia-ruled, anarcho-oligarchic plutopornocracy degenerating into ever-lower forms of organized crime, terrorism, schizoid anarchism and tribalism… No spiritually fine or noble soul can stand to even exist in this, I can’t…
(Forgive my “dysphoric” mood, I am “coming down” from caffeine maybe…?)
What’s there to do? Who knows…
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