A Rene Guenon Album

7/29/2019 A Rene Guenon Album

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ATHOS

ALBUM REN GUNON

2004


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REN GUNON was born in November 15, 1886, in Blois, rue Croix-Boisse, on the left shore of Loire. Today the little street bears theinscription Ren Gunon French Orientalist, an insult to the master.

Blois, rue du Foix, no. 74, right shore of river Loire. In this house Gunonspent his childhood, and, after he moved to Paris, here he used to come

during the holidays.


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At school he was considered an excellent student, with aptitudes for mathematics and philosophy, but with a precarious health.


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In 1904, Ren Gunon comes to Paris, becoming a student at RollinCollege, with a major in mathematics.


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In 1908 (the date of the above portrait), Gunon was already involved withall the occultist schools of that time. Initiated in Masonry, also member of the Martinist Order, student of Papus Hermetic School, he soonbecame a known figure in the esoteric movement of that time a youngman (he was twenty-two years old) with a promising future.

In this year (1908), members of the Martinist Order reunited at Htel desCanettes (rue des Canettes no. 17, close to Saint-Sulpice church),received an astral order to bring young Gunon at the next meeting.

After several reunions, to which Gunon attended, The Renovated Order of the Temple was founded, and Ren Gunon became the head of it.Through this Order Gunon will try, following a less orthodox way, toinfluence the Occidental mentality. Unfortunately, the initiative will proveto be a failure and, after two years, Ren Gunon dismantled theorganization.


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Htel des Canettes as it looks today.


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In 1909, Ren Gunon becomes member of the Gnostic Church, under thename of Palingenius. Here he meets Albert de Pouvourville; Gunon willcall him matre, and quoted his fundamental works regarding Daoism.He will also use with modifications Matgiois geometric schemeregarding the multiple states of the being.

Albert de Pouvourville (see the above photo) received in Vietnam aninitiation in Daoism, under the name of Matgioi, the eye of the day(meaning the sun). Approaching the end of his life, though, Matgioi willbecome more and more confused, spiritually speaking.


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The 1908-1912 period is a very enigmatic one. In this interval, theSuperiores Incogniti invest Ren Gunon with the function of PrimordialTraditions reviver, and more precisely, with the function of the absoluteTruths transmitter and interpreter, having the specific mission to modifythe Western mentality. He did not operate as a spiritual master in thecommon sense of the term (therefore he refused categorically anydisciples). Ren Gunon will fulfill this function continuously until hisdisappearance from the physical world. Between 1909 and 1912 Gunons(at least theoretical) metaphysical realization was an accomplished fact, aproof being the articles he wrote back then, articles that predicted thebooks to come.

Ren Gunon and his first wife, Berthe Loury.


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Because his initiation was a universal one, Gunon will particularize it,becoming initiated in Hinduism, Daoism and Masonry. And in 1911-1912,Ren Gunon received the attachment to the Islamic tradition, under thename Abdel Wahed Yahia . Also in 1912, on the 11

thof July, he marriedBerthe Loury. The young couple will live in Gunons apartment, in Paris,

rue Saint-Louis-Ille, no. 51.

The front of the house as it is today, street Saint-Louis-Ille,no. 51. Here no one knows about Gunon.


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Though his work as complication, yet also as explication (in the senseof the words given by Nicholas of Cusa), was already concluded, RenGunon begins to publish his books only after ten years. World War Onestopped him to manifest earlier, and his first book, about the Hindutradition appears only in 1921. In the next decade, he will publish all hisfundamental works, and in this period he becomes, also, the heart andthe intellect of the French journal, tudes Traditionnelle .On the other hand, he is more and more convinced that his subtle activityin the Western world will not succeed to change the mentality towardsTradition and sacred life, even the consolidation of an efficient elite beingdoubtful.

The front of the house, street Saint-Louis-Ille, no. 51, and the insidecourtyard how they looked in Gunons time.


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Therefore, on March the 5 th 1930, after his wifes death, Ren Gunonleaves France, establishing for the rest of his life, at Cairo, Egypt. Fromthis moment he will adopt all the Muslim rites and customs, withoutabandoning his universal function.


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In 1934, he marries Fatma, shayk Mohammad Ibrahims older daughter.They will have four children, two girls ant two boys, last one born after Gunons death.

Khadjia (born in 1944) and Leila (born in 1947).


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Though retreated in Egypt, Gunon continued to have a peremptoryinfluence in the Occident. The monthly articles published in tudesTraditionnelles , the amazing vast correspondence and the books writtenduring the World War Two wisely completed his Work. At his desk, in hisroom in Cairo, Gunon patiently read all the books sent to him for review,all the letters received from different senders, no matter how inept thesebooks and letters would have been. And with the serenity of a spiritualmaster he answered to all of them.


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Even though, he firmly stated that he does not accept disciples, RenGunon influenced many individuals, overflowing his metaphysicalknowledge and mercy into the world. The most valuable collaborator, theone whose life and work were changed entirely due to Ren Gunon, wasAnanda Kentish Coomaraswamy. His writings, after those of Gunon, arethe most honest and trustful ones, with regard to the traditional field; theycan be taken as a reference without any hesitation, keeping in mindthough the difference between Gunons spiritual qualifications andfunction, and Coomaraswamys exoteric status.


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Marcel Clavelle, alias Jean Reyor, helped Gunon to communicate withtudes Traditionnelles . After the Masters death, Clavelle will be implicatedin the dubious affair of the unpublished document, a sort of memoirsabout Gunon, which betrays Clavelles lack of intellectual quality

Nevertheless, Frithjof Schuon was Ren Gunons greatest hope. Schuon,initiated into Islam, will establish an initiatory path for Europe. Thispath will attract many known followers of Gunons work, among whomwe may mention Michel Vlsan, Titus Burckhardt and Martin Lings. MichelVlsan will become, after Gunons death, the chief editor of the French journal tudes Traditionnelles and will begin to publish the Mastersposthumous work. Unfortunately, the virus of superbia and

individualism will infect Frithjof Schuon, and, trying to become the onlyand the greatest spiritual master for the whole Occident (Islamism andChristianity altogether), he will destroy any hope in the salvation of theWestern mentality. Gunon will be so heartbroken that he felt almostkilled by Schuons attitude.


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In the photo: Jacques Cuttat, Frithjof Schuon and Titus Burckhardt.

Martin Lings, who wrote good lines about the Islamic tradition, was closeto Gunon in the last years of Gunons life. Lings tried to conciliate, post-mortem, Gunon with Schuon.


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Ren Gunon and Frithjof Schuon


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A strange episode: for six months, Ren Gunon was immobilized in bedbecause of a so-called crisis of rheumatism. In fact, Gunon confessed,this crisis was the effect of some kind of malefic forces directed againsthim by the adversaries.


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In 1949, Ahmed, his first son, was born.

After intense suffering, Ren Gunon asked his wife the permission to die.He will leave the physical world on January the 7 th, 1951. Gunons bodyfound rest in his wifes family mausoleum. Though he asked Fatma toleave his room untouched, his library and other documents will be takenaway.


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Fatma villa, at Cairo, where Gunon, together with his wifeand kids, lived.

Wifes family mausoleum, where Gunon was buried.

A Rene Guenon Album

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