Law of Silence

[Александр Славрос 8,499]

Turba philosophorum: "Who has ears let him open them and listen, who has a mouth, let him keep it shut."

 

 

In the process of achieving transcendence one must keep a close guard against all samsaric influences that assault the Self through its bodily binding to the material world which it experiences through bodily senses.

 

 

The man who does not know or who forgets this practice is dominated by forms, sounds, smells, tastes, contacts, and thoughts, instead of being their master.

 

In another way this discipline can also he summed up by the word silentium: "to gird oneself with silence," silence in the technical and initiatory sense, in the sense of the Eleusinian σιωπή, Impressions are arrested at the periphery, at the limit of the senses. Between them and the "I" there is now a distance, a zone of "silence." We thus become endowed with that form of silence that consists of not pronouncing either the exterior word or the interior word, and this in turn implies not hearing, not seeing, not imagining. This theme has also been expressed in a popular form. It is, in fact, the deeper, hidden significance of the well-known statuette of the three sacred monkeys of Benares, one with the ears closed, one with the mouth closed, and one with the eyes closed: speak not, hear not, see not. And we may here also recall the curious hermetical formula: "Who has ears, let him open them [in the sense of a close watch on every impression], who has a mouth, let him keep it shut [in the sense of the aforesaid silence, of calm, intangible 'neutrality']."

 

 

The Law of Silence can be otherwise explained with the expression "do not cast pearl before swine" and essentially means that Initiatic knowledge and Wisdom must be kept hidden from the masses which is the essence of esotericism as opposed to exotericism. The primary reason for this is simply that revealing such knowledge to the unworthy leads to inevitable decay, first of all because the unworthy can't understand the true meaning of such knowledge no matter how hard they try and secondly because they will misinterpret the meaning of this knowledge based on their lower perception of things. As a result the knowledge wasn't imparted but instead corrupted by false impressions.

 

Thus revealing higher knowledge is tantamount to perverting it.

 

The image and explanation provided to it in the spoiler have to do with Silence as a technical part of achieving transcendence but it all the more explains the need in the Law of Silence as it was explained above: only people of a higher order can keep at bay samsaric influences, whereas the masses are consumed by them and thus will always perceive everything in a manner that is contaminated by samsaric influence, which breeds false interpretations of initiatic knowledge.

 

I've already made a case for how this has affected various strands of esoteric teachings, quoted Evola and Guenon in how this affected Alchemy in particular, and Zeiger made a topic alluding to the reasons behind this same issue. What I'll do in this thread is go over the issue in short detail once more with particular attention payed to aspects that previously were not addressed.

 

One question arises from understanding the Law of Silence which is why would Evola and Guenon go ahead and write books revealing the meaning behind symbols in the teachings of higher knowledge and explain their nature in detail? The crux of the matter here actually lies in one of the biggest conundrums that deal with the process of restoration at the end of any grand cycle (during the Dark Age and the rise of the Age of Heroes), namely that in the process of Involution all Initiatic Centers, that is to say schools that practiced such teachings and thus imparted their knowledge only onto the worthy from generation to generation, had either deteriorated (as is the case with Buddhism) or became extinct (as is the case with Alchemy) thus leaving no place one could turn to in order to have such knowledge imparted to him by traditional means. So how do fully realized initiates (the transcendant) come about when there are no true teachers around to guide them?

 

This is something that Evola discussed in "The Limits of Initiatory Regularity" where you can also read his points of disagreement with Guenon on the matter. The basic gist of it is that Guenon foremost accepts the possibility of Initiation through such Initiatic Centers whereas Evola makes stronger arguments for the possibility of "spontaneous" initiation in a world devoid of such centers (i.e. the modern world), and Evola himself puts a divide between his work and Guenon's as being practical and theoretical respectively, meaning that Evola's work is directed at providing lesser knowledge that can give the most basic preliminary guidance for the process of self-initiation whereas Guenon only provides theoretical knowledge on the nature of Initiation at large and via Initiatic Centers specifically.

 

If we address the question posed above once again while keeping in mind the previous paragraph it can be argued that Guenon does not divulge any information that would break the Law of Silence while Evola does, but we also have our explanation as to why this is so. Guenon believed only in initiation through initiatic centers which is why he "converted to" or rather undergone the process of initiation via Sufism. Evola on the other hand made a point about deterioration of Intiatic Centers in the West and how simply "converting" to foreign Centers that may or may not still hold their pure nature is not a solution: 

 

 

We are thinking, naturally, of the Western man. In the East - from Arabia to China - there are still certainly some centres which keep enough of the characteristics indicated by Guénon. But they cannot really be counted on, to any great extent, even if one decided to travel there to receive a regular and authentic initiation. To do so, one would have to be lucky enough to get in touch with centres of a, so to speak, absolutely supertraditional purity, because, otherwise, one would be dealing with initiations whose jurisdiction (as acknowledged by Guénon) is within the context of a given positive religion, which is not ours. And this would not be a matter which could be resolved by "conversion" ; a complex of psychic, subtle, racial, and atavistic factors, of specific forms of cult and of divinity, and even the factor represented by the mentality and the very language, comes into play. It would be a matter of transplanting oneself into a different psychic and spiritual environment. This is something which is certainly not for most people, nor can it be achieved by mere travel.

 

Evola's work appears as a lesser knowledge form of guidance to self-initiation. I say lesser knowledge because these are merely books and words which is not to say they don't have their value but Evola himself makes a point of how self-initiation deals foremost with establishing a personal connection with the metaphysical:

 

 

Guénon admits to a certain extent that there are some such paths. The spiritual centres - he says - can intervene beyond the forms of regular transmission, even if only by means of modalities extremely difficult to define, "either in favour of especially 'qualified' individuals who find themselves isolated within environments whose obscuration has reached such a point that virtually nothing traditional survives and initiation has become unobtainable, or, even more exceptionally, in pursuit of a more general goal such as the restoration of an accidentally broken initiatory 'chain'." ["Des Centres initiatiques", fifth paragraph]. Thus, there are certain abnormal possibilities of direct 'contact'. But Guénon adds: "what we must nevertheless insist upon is that, even if it so happens that an apparently isolated individual arrives at a real initiation, this initiation of his only appears to be spontaneous, and derives necessarily in reality from an attachment, by some means or other, to a centre which really and effectively exists." [ibidem]. Now, in this precise respect it is necessary to agree with him, and to ascertain from what quarters the initiative which determines the contact may come. We say 'contact', because the main thing is not a joining 'horizontally', that is to say, the joining of a given organisation which has persisted historically, but rather the joining 'vertically', that is to say, the inner participation in the principles and supra-individual states of which any particular organisation of men is only a tangible manifestation, and, therefore, in a way, only a contingent externalisation. (3, 4) Thus, in the cases in question, it can always be wondered: is it really the intervention of a centre which has determined initiation, or, on the contrary, is it the active initiative of the individual, albeit encouraged to a certain extent, which has brought about this intervention? In this respect, we may speak of a qualification which is not in any respect similar to those indicated by Guénon, but is an active self-qualification created by a special discipline, by a special individual preparation, which makes the subject capable of not only being 'chosen', but, in some cases, of imposing his own selection and initiation. 

 

I'd argue that Evola's and Guenon's works can be described as that form of minor encouragement in the form of lesser knowledge (knowledge as we understand in our daily lives) that may or may not lead people of certain predisposition to take active steps towards self-initiation. However in order to provide this encouragement Evola would have to break the Law of Silence. In the course of Involution all former intiatiic knowledge has long since been made public knowledge (and in our age of information the issue has only been exacerbated), in other words Involution and the erosion of the Law of Silence go hand in hand, there were already many prevalent forms of corruption of this knowledge before Evola ever wrote his works and they had since only grown in number well without being influenced by Evola's work (namely the New Age shit, satanic occautism, degenerate Buddhist influences and so on), which is not to say that we don't face new corrupt elements directly formed via his writings (new right, radtrads) but that result was all but assured in the modern world, however Evola made a specific point, repeatedly, how his work is not for everyone - anyone can read it because it is transmitted lesser knowledge, thus anyone can corrupt it, however in an age of total corruption it provides the only source of authentic research in understanding of original spiritual teachings thus providing those few people of certain predisposition that necessary encouragement towards real self-initiation. 

 

In an interesting bit of irony deterioration of the Law of Silence, which is one of the sources for Involution, may be one of the key factors to restoration of the temporal order of Truth.

 

What does this mean for Fascism specifically? Personally I've spent a lot of effort trying to give insight into the true value of Evola's contribution to our cause specifically because corruption of his research by radtrads alienated the very people it was foremost meant for. Now it is time to address the flip side of that, which is something I mentioned in passing before but will now make a specific point of in relevance to the subject matter: even though these teachings are now readily available to the masses, even though Evola's books are just as readily available - you do not use this knowledge for propaganda or recruitment and you do not make it your central rhetoric in our struggle, it is still the heart of our struggle but it is not the rhetoric. The heart of the struggle is eternal and binds together people beyond limitations of time and space in that Invisible Army to which Fascists belong as well, whereas rhetoric is specifically tied to time and place of any given individual or temporal movement, thus I again repeat what has been said many times before - boots on the ground are more important than asses in the seats, we must always value a skinhead over an armchair intellectual and this applies in the same way to valuing members over supporters.

 

Everything we can learn about the very core essence of our struggle is what we keep for ourselves, not something to be put up on banners. We maintain the Law of Silence in a world of corruption by simply keeping it out of our rhetoric. Those not worthy of that knowledge will still not understand it and will either dismiss it or originate new kinds of corruption, but from our struggle, upon our victory and with the destruction of falsehoods and restoration of the Organic State new Initiatic Centers may be built in which the higher teachings are once again retained only for the worthy.

 

tl;dr evolasperging is fine between fellow fascists but is not propaganda material, keep it 14/88 and "Hitler was Right".

[Kulturkampf 1,351]

Hell of a piece. 

 

I had been rather fascinated with the purpose and positive affects of the classical esoteric society, but never had thought much more beyond that. 

 

I had also seen the necessity of constantly lying to those around me about my beliefs... I wasn't even lying to "protect" myself, but because 98% of the time the other person does not possess the capacity to receive the beliefs, and even just the idea of beginning to tell them about it is daunting. 

 

Plato deals with this entirely in one of the later books of the Republic -- he seems very bent on the idea that there's only one type of man who ought to even deal with these things and that the others must submit to their expertise. 

 

St. Thomas Aquinas (and even later C. S. Lewis, oddly enough) also talk about the fact that Christianity is necessary because the overwhelming majority of humans are incapable [whether due to intelligence or due to lack of time or opportunity, but mostly the former especially in modern times] of acquiring a sort of Divine Knowledge. 

 

Christ had to teach the people these basic things, and these commandments had to be followed as a basic thing, taken on Faith, not just because this is how you enter the Kingdom of God but also because the average people are incapable of making these conclusions. In a sense, it was the very justification of why Christianity had to occur: too many are foolish. 

 

Just as such, there are many elements of our political & social philosophy that just aren't right for everyone to talk or learn about. 

 

I definitely see the point to this.

[Zeiger 1,289]

Yeah I talked about this a little in my previous thread, as you mentioned in the OP. Being initiated into some sort of secret society definitely has a powerful allure to it, and I was really enthusiastic at the idea of joining up a initiating group myself when I was younger. However, I've looked all over the place, and none of the groups which claim to have this tradition are legitimate in the modern world, at least none of the ones that I found: argentum astrum, ordo templi orientis, society of light, non-based golden dawn, freemasons, etc. They're mainly social clubs and new age circle jerks.

 

When I began studying this stuff, I eventually became aware of the dilemma of self-initiation: in the modern world, 99% of the study materials are corrupted, so you need to discriminate harshly to get the nuggets of gold among the chaff - but since you're not initiated, you have no way to make those distinctions. I suffered severe setbacks because of this - I basically had to scrap months of memorizing materials and piles of notes several times when I realized that the materials were not legitimate, and start back from scratch with better materials. It's clear that most people are not going to do this - they'll just stick to the first thing they learn and rationalize it by rejecting the newer but more difficult information. Thus the requirements for initiation are much harsher now than in the past, since only a tiny elite of people will have the ability to sort the garbage from the truth (about any subject).

 

Why obey the law of silence then? Because silence is power. Mystery breeds respect and reverence, while familiarity breeds contempt. And an attitude of casualness or familiarity is not compatible with understanding the highest truths about human existence, much less transcending them. Also, stupid and corrupt people, when exposed to this type of knowledge without obfuscation, will inevitably get delusions of grandeur and start doing dangerous and stupid things (see the fable of the sorcerer's apprentice). As an example of all of this, here is the final chapter of Agrippa's three books, which alludes very strongly to everything mentioned in this thread:

 

 

Henry Cornelius Agrippa's Three books of occult philosophy, 1533

Book 3, Chapter lxv. The Conclusion of the whole Work.

 

These are the things, which for an introduction into Magic we have collected out of the tradition of the ancients, and diversly compiled in this book, in short words, yet sufficient for those who are intelligent; some of these things are written in order, some without order, some things are delivered by fragments, some things are even hid, and left for the search of the intelligent, who more acutely contemplating these things which are written, and diligently searching, may obtain the complete rudiments of the magical Art, and also infallible experiments.

 

For we have delivered this Art in such a manner, that it may not be hid from the prudent and intelligent, and yet may not admit wicked and incredulous men to the mysteries of these secrets, but leave them destitute and astonished, in the shade of ignorance and desperation. You therefore sons of wisdom and learning, search diligently in this book, gathering together our dispersed intentions, which in divers places we have propounded, and what is hid in one place, we make manifest in another, that it may appear to you wise men; for, for you only have we written, whose mind is not corrupted, but regulated according to the right order of living, who in chastity, and honesty, and in sound faith fear and reverence God: whose hands are free from sin and wickedness, whose manners are gentle, sober, and modest, you only shall find out this knowledge which is preserved for you, and the secrets which are hid by many Enigmaes cannot be perceived but by a profound intellect, which when you shall obtain, the whole science of the invincible magicall discipline will insinuate it self into you: and those vertues will appear to you, which in times past Hermes, Zoroastes [Zoroaster], Apollonius, and the others, who wrought miracles, obtained.

 

But ye, envious, caluminators, sons of base ignorance, and foolish lewdnest, come not nigh our writings, for they are your enemies, and stand on a precipice, that ye may erre and fall head-long into misery: if any therefore through his incredulity or dulness of intellect, doth not obtain his desire, let him not impute the fault of his igorance to me, or say that I have erred, or purposely written falsly and lied, but let him accuse himself, who understandeth not our writings; for they are obscure, and covered with divers mysteries, by the which it will easily happen, that many my erre and lose their sense; therefore let no man be angry with me, if we have folded up the truth of this science with many Enigmaes, and dispersed it in divers places, for we have not hidden it from the wise, but from the wicked and ungodly, and have delivered it in such words which necessarily blind the foolish, and easily may admit the wise to the understanding of them. 

(Emphasis mine)

[Александр Славрос 8,499]

Found a very nice relevant quote.

 

"If only you knew, how seldom we are understood correctly, you'd be quiet more often." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe