René Guénon

René Jean Marie Joseph Guénon (later Abdel Wahid Yahia; * November 15, 1886 in Blois, † January 7, 1951 in Cairo ) was a French metaphysician and esoteric writers. Guenon regarded as the founder of the Traditionalist School.

Journey

As a boy, Guénon was so weak that he was taught for many years at home. It was only twelve years old, he attended a public school. After its completion in 1903 Guénon began to study mathematics in Paris, finally resorted but on philosophy.

René Guénon was initiated in 1912 by Ivan Aguéli alias Abdul Hadi, a Swedish -born Wandersufi and painter, in the Tariqa Schadhiliyya, a traditional Sufi orders, and took the Sufinamen Abdel Wahid Yahia. Guénon was at that time 26 years old and had moved in various occult and Masonic circles; He also received initiations in Indian and Taoist teachings, through a mysterious Hardjij Sharipf and his acquaintances Matgioi (actually: Albert de Pouvourville ). In the same year he married ( Catholic) Berthe Loury. Shortly thereafter, he began to operate in a anti-Masonic journal to publish and studies on the Christian symbolism, iconography, and Dante. His (rejected ) dissertation on the Hindu teachings and his first book ( against Theosophy ) were completed in 1921.

Sufism Guenon flourished in secret and few are likely to have known about it before, after the death of his French wife, traveled to Egypt in 1930 to look into Cairo to Sufischriften. Soon Guénon had taken over the Arab clothing and speak the language perfectly. 1934 married the Sheikh Abdel Wahid Yahia has become a Guénon the much younger and illiterate Fatma Hanem who bore him during his life, two daughters and a son ( a second son was only after his death to the world). Guénon was often moved to Egypt, but lived mostly in the center of Cairo, then in Doki, 1946 fixed in Cairo. In 1949 he was awarded the Egyptian citizenship.

On January 7, 1951 at 23.00 local time clock, Abdel Wahid Yahia died at the age of 64 years.

Reception

Guénon has left a wide range of work and different groups have formed, representing some aspect of Guénonschen heritage and fight each other. One of his students was a native of Romania diplomat Michael Valsan, who sought consistently continue his work. Only a short time and soon divorced Guenon students in disagreement Frithjof Schuon was, with the Guénon but would later join a friendship. Guénon distinguishes some of the often mentioned in connection with his Italian cultural philosopher Julius Evola, Evola presented as the Kshatriya caste equal footing with those of the Brahmins, what Guénon did not. Also influenced by Guénon were his compatriot Maxi Portaz that Savitri Devi was called, and the German philosopher Leopold Ziegler, who (1948 ) Guenon doctrine further resulted in particular in his works Tradition (1936) and Incarnation under Christian- Catholic auspices.

Works

• Introduction générale à l' étude of the doctrines Hindoues. 1921
• Le Théosophisme: Histoire d'une pseudo- religion. 1921
• L' erreur spirite. 1923
• Orient et Occident. 1924
• L' homme et son devenir selon le Vedanta. 1925
• L' ésotérisme de Dante. 1925
• Le Roi du Monde. 1927 German edition: The King of the World. O. W. Barth, Planegg 1956; Aurum -Verlag, Freiburg, 1987, ISBN 3-591-08225-2

• German edition: The crisis of modern times. Hegner, Cologne 1950

• German edition: The symbolism of the cross. Aurum -Verlag, Freiburg, 1987, ISBN 3-591-08192-2

• German edition: levels of being. The plurality of worlds. Aurum -Verlag, Freiburg, 1987, ISBN 3-591-08193-0

After his death of his essays compiled works:

• Initiation et réalisation spiritual. 1952
• Aperçus sur l' ésotérisme chrétien. 1954
• Symbol de la Science Sacrée. 1962
• Études sur la Franc- Maçonnerie et le Compagnonnage. 1964
• Études sur l' Hindouisme. 1966
• Formes et traditional cycles Cosmiques. 1970
• Aperçus sur l' ésotérisme islamique et le TAOISME. 1973
• Comptes rendus. 1973
• Mélanges. 1976
• Écrits pour Regnabit. 1999
• Articles et comptes rendus. Vol 1, 2002