The contingent being may be defined as one that is not self-sufficient, not containing in himself the point of his existence; it follows that such a being is nothing by himself and he owns nothing of what goes to make him up. Such is the case of the human being in so far as he is individual, just as it is the case of all manifested beings, in whatever state they may be for, however great the difference may be between the degrees of Universal Existence, it is always as nothing in relation to the Principle. These beings, human or others, are therefore, in all that they are, in a state of complete dependence with regard to the Principle "apart from which there is nothing, absolutely nothing that exists"; it is the consciousness of this dependence which makes what several traditions call "spiritual poverty". Studies in Comparative Religion Winter Issue (1973) AL-FAQR (’SPIRITUAL POVERTY’)

If we view the history of humanity as taught by traditional doctrines, in conformity with cyclical laws, we must say that in the beginning man had the full possession of his state of existence and with it he naturally had the possibilities corresponding to all the functions prior to any distinction of these. The division of these functions came about in a subsequent phase, representing a state already inferior to the -primordial state", in which however every human being, while having as yet only some definite possibilities, still spontaneously had the effective consciousness of them. It is only in a period of greater obscuration that this consciousness became lost; hence initiation became necessary so as to enable man to find once more along with consciousness, also the former state in which it inheres; this is, in fact, the first of its aims, and the one at which it aims immediately. In order to be possible, this implies a transmission going back by an uninterrupted "chain" to the state to be restored and thus step by step to the "primordial state" itself; still, the initiation does not stop there and the "lesser mysteries" being but the preparation for the "great mysteries", that is for the taking possession of the superior states of the being, one has to go back even beyond the origins of humanity. In fact, there is no true initiation, even , in the most inferior and elementary degree, without the intervention of a "non-human" element, which is the "spiritual influence" regularly communicated by the initiatory rite. If this is so, there is obviously no room for searching "historically" for the origin of initiation-a search which now appears bereft of sense-nor the origin of the crafts, arts and sciences, viewed according to their traditional and "legitimate" conception, for all these, through multiple, but secondary, differentiations and adaptations, derive similarly from the "primordial state" which contains them all in principle, and from there they link up with other orders of existence, even beyond humanity itself; this is necessary so that all and each, according to its rank and measure, can concur effectively in the realisation of the plan of the Great Architect of the Universe. Journal of The Indian Society of Oriental Art, Volume VI. 1938 INITIATION AND THE CRAFTS

In the Koranic text given above the term as-saffat literally designates the birds but symbolically refers to the angels (al-mala’ikah), and thus the first line signifies the constitution of the celestial and spiritual hierarchies. [NA: The word saff, "rank," is one of the many that have been suggested as the origin of the word sufi and tasawwuf (Sufism). Although this derivation does not seem to be acceptable from the purely linguistic point of view, it is nonetheless true that, like many other derivations of the same kind, it does represent one of the ideas actually contained in these two terms, for the "spiritual hierarchies" are essentially identical with the degrees of initiation.] The second line denotes the struggle of the angels against the demons, the celestial powers against the internal ones, that is, the opposition between the higher and the lower states. [NA: This opposition exists in all beings in the form of the two tendencies, one upward and the other downward, called sattva and tamas in the Hindu tradition. It is also what is symbolized in Mazdeism by the antagonism between light and darkness, personified by Ormuzd and Ahriman.] In the Hindu tradition this is the struggle of the devas against the asuras and also, according to a symbolism that comes very close to the symbolism of our theme, the fight of Garuda against the Naga which is, moreover, none other than the above-mentioned serpent or dragon. Garuda is the eagle, and elsewhere his place is taken by other birds such as the ibis, the stork, or the heron, [NA: See, in this connection, the remarkable works of Charbonneau-Lassay   on the animal symbols of Christ (in Le Bestiaire du Christ). It is necessary to point out that the symbolic opposition between the bird and the serpent exists only as long as the serpent is seen in its malefic aspect. In its benefic aspect it is sometimes united with the bird as in the figure of Quetzalcohuatl in the ancient American tradition. On the other hand the combat between the eagle and the serpent is also mentioned in Mexican myths. In connection with the benefic aspect we may recall the biblical text "Be ye therefore as wise as serpents and harmless as doves" (Matt. 10:16).] all enemies and destroyers of reptiles. Finally, in the third verse, the angels recite the dhikr, which normally means the recitation of the Koran   - not, needless to say, the Koran expressed in human language but its eternal prototype inscribed on the Guarded Tablet (al-lawh al-mahfuz), which stretches from heaven to earth like Jacob’s Ladder throughout all the degrees of universal existence. [NA: As regards the symbolism of the book, with which this is directly connected, see The Symbolism of the Cross, Chap. 14.] Similarly, in the Hindu tradition, it is said that the devas in their struggle against the asuras protected themselves (acchandayan) by reciting Vedic hymns, which, for this reason, were given the name of chandas, a word that denotes rhythm. The same idea is contained in the word "dhikr," which, in Islamic esoterism, is used of the rhythmic formulas that correspond exactly to Hindu mantras. The repetition of these formulas is intended to bring about the harmonization of the different elements of the being and to cause vibrations that, by their repercussions throughout the whole hierarchy of the states, are capable of opening up a communication with the higher states. This is, moreover, generally speaking, the essential and primordial purpose of all rites. Essays: The Language of the Birds by Rene Guenon

First, it is not a single isolated case in traditional doctrine, for it has something like a counterpart in Hebrew angelology. Generally speaking, Michael is the angel of the Sun and Raphael is the angel of Mercury, but sometimes the relationship is reversed. On the other hand, if Michael, as the representative of the solar Metatron, is assimilated esoterically to Christ, Raphael, according to the meaning of his name, is the "divine healer," and Christ appears also as "spiritual healer" and as "repairer"; one could find also other connections between Christ and the principle represented by Mercury among the planetary spheres. [NA: If Hindu doctrine considers the Buddha as being the ninth avatar of Vishnu, that is the Mliccha (foreign) avatar, this does not necessarily exclude other divine interventions that have taken place on behalf of "foreign" (non-Hindu) peoples during this same period. In particular, Christ might even be said to share with the Buddha the ninth avataric function, since his first coming was, for the West, what the advent of the Buddha was for the Far East (and what the Koranic "descent" was for the "middle" region). Now, as we have seen in connection with the Buddha, the ninth avatar is a "Mercurial" manifestation. It would seem then that the two comings of Christ may be related to his "Mercurial" and "Solar" aspects, the Solar Christ being Christ Glorious, that is, the tenth or Kalki avatar, who is to come at the end of the cycle, the "white horse" of this final descent being a solar symbol par excellence. As to the first coming of Christ, it may be mentioned that the month of May takes its name from Mercury’s mother, Maia, who is said to be one of the Pleiads and to whom that month was consecrated in ancient times; and in Christianity it has become "the month of Mary," by an assimilation, which is doubtless not merely phonetic, between Maria and Maia. (This note has been somewhat modified by the translator in the light of conversations that he had with the author many years after the article had been written.)] It is true that, for the Greeks, medicine was attributed to Apollo, that is, to the solar principle, and to his son Asklepios (in Latin Aesculapius); but in the "Hermetic books" Asklepios becomes the son of Hermes, and it is also to be noted that the staff that is his attribute is closely related, symbolically, to the Caduceus. [NA: Around the staff of Aesculapius is coiled a single serpent, which represents the benefic force, the malefic force being bound to disappear inasmuch as the attribute in question belongs to the genius of medicine. The relationship may also be noted between this same staff of Aesculapius, as an emblem of healing, and the biblical symbol of the "brazen serpent" (see Symboles Fondamentaux de la Science Sacrée, Chap. 20).] The example of medicine shows us how one and the same science can have aspects that relate to different orders and that therefore have different correspondences, even if the outward effects obtained seem to be alike, for there is purely spiritual or "theurgic" medicine, and there is also Hermetic or "spagyric" medicine; this is directly related to the question we are considering and helps to explain why medicine, from the traditional point of view, was considered essentially as a sacerdotal science. Essays: Hermes

Âtmâ permeates all things, which are, as it were, its accidental modifications, and according to Râmânuja’s expression, "constitute in some sort its body (this word being taken here in a purely analogical sense), be they moreover of an intelligent or non-intelligent nature," that is, according to Western conceptions, "spiritual as well as "material," for that distinction, implying merely a diversity of conditions in manifestation, makes no sort of difference in respect of the unconditioned and un-manifested Principle. This, in fact, is the "Supreme Self " (the literal render- ing of Paramâtmâ) of all that exists, under whatever mode, and it abides ever "the same" through the indefinite multiplicity of the degrees of Existence, understood in the universal sense, as well as beyond Existence, that is, in principial non-manifestation. Man and His Becoming according to the Vedanta FUNDAMENTAL DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE SELF" AND THE "EGO"