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Symbols of Sacred Science by: René Guénon (Free PDF)

Symbols of Sacred Science by: René Guénon (Free PDF)

                              

       

        “All that exists, in whatever mode this may be, necessarily participates in

universal principles, and nothing exists except by participation in these

principles, which are the eternal and immutable essences contained in the permanent actuality of the Divine Intellect. Consequently, it can be said that all things, however contingent they may be in themselves, express or represent these principles in their own way and according to their order of existence, for otherwise they would be purely and simply nothingness. Thus, from one order to another, all things are linked together and correspond, to come together in total and universal harmony, for: harmony is nothing other than the reflection of principial unity in the manifested world; and it is this correspondence which is the veritable basis of symbolism.”

-Rene Guenon

,

Autoriti spirituelle et pouvoir temporel

       In

Symbols of Sacred Science (Fundamental Symbols, The Universal Language)

,

Guénon

, a master of precise, even ‘mathematical’ metaphysical exposition, reveals himself as a consummate exegete of myth and symbolism as well, superior in many ways to Mircea Eliade, and comparable perhaps only to his respected friend Ananda K. Coomaraswamy.

                                

This extraordinary text unveils the cosmological meanings of root symbols organized under such general headings as: The Center of the World, Cyclic Manifestation, Symbolic Weapons, Axial Symbolism and the Symbolism of Passage, The Symbolism of Building, and The Symbolism of the Heart. Far more than a simple catalog of myths and symbols from many traditions, Symbols of the Sacred Science lays the foundation for a universal esoteric symbology.

                                         

      In this work, Guénon demonstrates the fundamental unity-across all cultures and ages-of the images with which the Absolute clothes itself in its cosmic self-revelation.

 

René Guénon

(November 15, 1886 – January 7, 1951), also known as

Shaykh `Abd al-Wahid Yahya

, was a French author and intellectual who remains an influential figure in the domain of metaphysics, having written on topics ranging from metaphysics, “sacred science” and traditional studies to symbolism and initiation. In his writings, he proposes either “to expose directly some aspects of Eastern metaphysical doctrines”, these doctrines being defined by him as of “universal character”, or “to adapt these same doctrines for Western readers while keeping strictly faithful to their spirit”; he only endorsed the act of “handing down” these Eastern doctrines, while reiterating their “non-individual character”. He wrote and published in French and his works have been translated into more than twenty languages.