{"id":8691,"date":"2016-08-25T22:17:23","date_gmt":"2016-08-26T02:17:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gornahoor.net\/?p=8691"},"modified":"2020-08-25T07:00:13","modified_gmt":"2020-08-25T11:00:13","slug":"primer-on-tradition-and-its-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gornahoor.net\/?p=8691","title":{"rendered":"Primer on Tradition and its Future"},"content":{"rendered":"

\nThe ignorant are humble since they know that they do not know. The intelligent are humble because they understand how difficult it is to know something. But the half-smart are so absolutely certain about everything. ~ cjs\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Executive Summary<\/h2>\n

In the Reign of Quantity<\/em>, Rene Guenon<\/strong> describes two opponents of Tradition. The anti-Tradition, since it is openly opposed to all traditional ideas, is easily recognized. However, the counter-tradition is a caricature, counterfeit, and deformation of Tradition, so that \u201cit can fool even the elect.\u201d<\/p>\n

The purpose, therefore, of this essay is to point out the signposts of Tradition so that its counterfeits can be more easily identified. Julius Evola identified Traditional civilization as a civilization of space<\/a>. Thus it is considered, but modern standards, to be \u201cstable, static and ultraconservative\u201d. In contrast, modernity is a civilization of time, seeking \u201cprogress\u201d, novelty, change. The counter-tradition adopts the values and vision of the modern world while using the language of Tradition.<\/p>\n

Ergo, historical studies of a Tradition are ultimately irrelevant. History is Brownian motion, not leading anywhere. The goal is to find the escape: out and up.<\/p>\n

Our purpose is certainly not quantity, but rather to identify the one, the two, or the three individuals who are really interested. If you are here, try to remember exactly why you were born and what might be your life\u2019s goal. Certainly it is not to become the best ping pong player at the Olympics.<\/p>\n

The counter-tradition will reject a known Tradition, all the while fantasizing about some pseudo-tradition that never has, nor never will, exist. Yet, even if the exterior form of Tradition changes, our task remains the same, although, perhaps the language would differ somewhat. The task is still to be freed from our automatic responses, to truly be free. Few are those who are willing to make serious efforts in that direction. And even among those few, not many are serious.<\/p>\n

Category Theory<\/h2>\n

In order to remove emotional responses, which are a sure indicator of the counter-tradition, I will describe Tradition in terms of the mathematics of Category Theory \u2013 knowing the category tells you much about its individual members. As a category is an abstraction, Tradition never manifests as such, only traditions.<\/p>\n

Mathematical theorems take this form: If a set of conditions hold, then some conclusion is true. For our purposes, we won\u2019t need to assume that the conditions hold, only that the syllogism holds. To eliminate or modify one or more of the conditions will most likely produce an incoherent or incompatible system. Nevertheless, it is common to pick and choose among the conditions, or else to accept conclusions without accepting the conditions that justify them.<\/p>\n

The conditions, or axioms, cannot be proven empirically or logically. Rather they must be \u201cseen\u201d. A life of prayer, meditation, contemplation, and the development of detached self-awareness are necessary. Hence, we don\u2019t try to \u201cprove\u201d them.<\/p>\n

A Tradition has two aspects: the esoteric & the exoteric. There is a horizontal isomorphism between the esoteric aspects of two Traditions. This represents the metaphysical teaching. Different traditions will have similar notions of Non-being, Being, the Absolute, the Infinite, Transcendence and the transcendentals such as the One, Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. There will be similar teachings on degrees of existence. There is a recognition that man, as he is born, falls far short of his potential and thus is in need of salvation or liberation. There will be a teaching on how to achieve that. Man\u2019s interior life is understood as multilayered, with various sheaths or souls. The macrocosm is reflected in his consciousness.<\/p>\n

Thus esoteric practitioners of different traditions will have a common understanding, making dialogue between them possible and even fruitful.<\/p>\n

Within a Tradition, there is a vertical mapping between its esoteric and exoteric aspects. This is a mapping between the metaphysical teachings of the esoteric aspect and the religious-theological teachings of the exoteric aspect. Religious language is in the form of imagery in space-time unlike metaphysical teachings. Exoteric teachings recognize this, since they admit that its sacred teachings can be understood on multiple levels, the literal being the lowest. For example, Valentin Tomberg describes the second birth of the Logos in the soul, or the esoteric meaning of the Garden of Eden story.<\/p>\n

Fundamental Conditions<\/h2>\n

The first condition is that Tradition comes from above, from a super-human, transcendent source, as a revelation. Thus, it doesn\u2019t arise \u201cfrom a people\u201d like some folk dance, but rather it descends into a people, providing its spiritual formation.<\/p>\n

Hence, no one \u201ccreates\u201d a Tradition, least of all neopagan re-enactors.<\/p>\n

The esoteric and exoteric\u00a0 aspects point to the doctrine of the two worlds. In the very first chapter of Revolt, Evola describes this as the \u201cfundamental doctrine<\/em>\u201d. Moreover, he says, in order to understand both Tradition and the modern world, it is necessary to begin with this doctrine. Apparently many readers of Evola treat the book like a mystery novel so they read the end first to find out “who dun it” while ignoring the clues at the beginning that would make it plausible.<\/p>\n

Knowledge of these two worlds has always been present in every Tradition: viz., the World of Being and the World of Becoming. The inability to understand this distinction leads to many misunderstandings. The counter-tradition is seldom aware of this doctrine.<\/p>\n

Manifestation<\/h2>\n

The mapping of Tradition to its exoteric aspect is best understood as vertical causation, i.e., the descent of the Tradition from the World of Being to that of Becoming. Three things will result:<\/p>\n