Title: The Path of Awakening: A Traditionalist Perspective Tags: #Traditionalism #SpiritualAwakening #Evola #Esotericism #SelfMastery #Immortality #Metaphysics #Initiation #HigherConsciousness #Mysticism

1. The Illusion of the Beginning: The search for a “beginning” is a distraction. True awakening begins when one rejects the preconceived notion of seeking and instead embraces the present moment as the eternal starting point. Life offers infinite beginnings, but most remain trapped in the illusion of linear time.
2. The Body as a Coral Reef: The physical body is a construct of accumulated thoughts and habits, a barrier to spiritual liberation. To awaken, one must dissolve this “reef” and return to the primordial state of pure spirit.
3. The Net of Sleep: Humanity is ensnared in a self-woven net of sleep and dreams. To be awake is to transcend this state, recognizing that most live as “cattle to the slaughter,” unaware of their divine potential.
4. The First Step of Awakening: The initial step is simple yet profound: to declare, “Now I am awake!” This momentary realization reveals the stupor of ordinary existence and marks the beginning of the journey from slavery to mastery.
5. The Rituals of Awakening: Ancient rituals—vigils, cold baths, and ascetic practices—are external remnants of a deeper, lost tradition of awakening. They are not ends in themselves but signposts pointing toward the inner path.
6. The Ladder of Awakening: Awakening is a gradual ascent, with each step representing a higher state of consciousness. The lowest rung is genius; the highest remains unknown to the masses, reserved for the initiated.
7. The Battle with the Body: The physical body is the first adversary on the path. It resists awakening with every weapon at its disposal—muscle tension, restless thoughts, and primal urges. Mastery over the body is not the goal but a necessary step toward spiritual autonomy.
8. The World of Ghosts: As one progresses, the world reveals itself as a realm of ghosts—thoughts and illusions given form. These apparitions must be seen for what they are: projections of the mind, not external realities.
9. The Immortal Self: The ultimate goal is the realization of the immortal Self, the true “I” that transcends death and time. This Self is the only God, the source of all power and wisdom. External deities are but reflections of this inner reality.
10. The Pagan Path: The path of awakening is inherently pagan, rejecting the servile mentality of organized religion. It calls for self-deification, the transformation of the individual into a god, free from external dogma and limitation.

This path is not for the faint-hearted. It demands absolute commitment, unwavering resolve, and the courage to face the solitude of true awakening. Those who succeed become lords of their own destiny, transcending the cycle of birth and death.

The Path of Awakening According to Gustav Meyrink

The beginning is what man lacks. It is not that it is difficult to find, but the preconceived notion of having to find it becomes the obstacle. Life offers a new beginning at every moment, yet we fail to recognize it because we do not ask, “Who am I?” If we were to take this question seriously, a new day would dawn, and the thoughts that have infiltrated our souls would perish.

Our body, likened to a coral reef built over millennia, is the dwelling place of these thoughts. To reach the open sea of awakening, we must break through this reef and dissolve it back into the spirit from which it originated.

Awakening is the key to overcoming lower nature, a power rusted since the Flood. To be awake is everything. Yet, man is ensnared in a self-woven net of sleep and dreams. The thicker the net, the deeper his slumber. Those trapped in it live like cattle to the slaughter, indifferent and thoughtless.

The first step toward awakening is simple, yet the misled have forgotten how to take it, paralyzed by inherited crutches. To awaken, one must firmly declare, “NOW I AM AWAKE!” This realization reveals the stupor of the previous state, marking the first step on the long journey from slavery to omnipotence. Walk from one awakening to the next, leaving behind pestering thoughts that can no longer reach you.

When awakening permeates the body, sorrows fall away like dead leaves. The rituals of Jews, Brahmins, Buddha’s disciples, and Christian ascetics are but crystallized remnants of a temple dedicated to awakening. The sacred scriptures of all peoples carry the scarlet thread of this secret doctrine. To overcome death, whose armor is sleep and dullness, one must climb the ladder of awakening, whose lowest step is called “genius.” The highest steps remain unknown to the multitudes.

The first enemy on this path is the body, which fights against awakening until the day of eternal awakening arrives. Then, even the body’s sleep vanishes, and the universe becomes subject to you. Miracles can be performed at will, without waiting for a cruel God’s grace.

Those who see the earth as a prison unconsciously evoke the world of ghosts. On the path of awakening, these ghosts are recognized as thoughts made visible. The most terrifying transformation occurs when the people around you, even your own body, appear as larvae. This is the solitude of the “Snake of the spiritual world,” where two lives must be grafted onto one for awakening to occur.

The key to awakening lies in becoming aware of one’s “form of the Self,” even in sleep, and discovering the narrow crack of consciousness between waking and deep sleep. The struggle for immortality is a battle for control over the sounds and ghosts within us. The scriptures of all peoples speak of this new Kingdom, awakening, victory over the body, and solitude. Yet, a bridgeless abyss separates us from those who believe in a future day of judgment. We know that awakening separates the lords from the slaves, for the sleepers cannot understand the awakened.

The path begins with the body. Detach from it, not to abandon it, but to separate light from heat. The body rebels with brute force, seething blood, and swarms of thoughts. To escape these, take refuge in a higher degree of awakening, a constant and cautious proceeding with feelings and iron resolution. Beyond this lies the domain of ghosts, thoughts in visible form. When you find the deeper meaning in these larval beings, everything taken from you will be returned a thousandfold.

The path leads to the threshold of maturity, where you may receive prodigious forces or enter eternal peace. In either case, you will have become a phoenix.

One who holds the key of magic remains on earth to rally the called. He is the Wandering Jew, Elijah, or John the Evangelist, a being who has transformed his body into spirit. The only true immortal is the awakened man, who endures when stars and gods disappear. This path is pagan, for what a religious man believes about God is a state he could achieve if he believed in himself. Pray to your invisible Self, the only God who can answer. When it appears, it will cast a shadow, revealing your true nature.

Metaphysical part:

The late John Dewey was hailed by the American press as the epitome of American civilization, and rightly so. His theories encapsulate the vision of man and life that underpins Americanism and its “democracy.” At their core, these theories assert that anyone can become whatever they desire, limited only by technological means. They reject the notion of inherent nature, claiming that differences between individuals are merely matters of qualification, not essence. This ideology fosters the “self-made man” in a society devoid of tradition, promoting egalitarianism and erasing natural hierarchies. In such a framework, terms like “superior” and “inferior” lose meaning, and respect for organic distinctions vanishes.

American society, built from scratch, is mechanistic rather than organic. Appearances are masks, not reflections of true identity. Despite their “open-mindedness” and “individualism,” Americans lack inner form. Their individualism belongs to the realm of quantity, not quality or hierarchy. They embody the antithesis of Descartes' “I think, therefore I am”—Americans do not think, yet they exist. Their puerile, primitive minds are open to standardization, lacking the depth and structure of higher civilizations.

In superior civilizations, such as the Indo-Aryan, those without a defined form or caste would be pariahs. America, in this sense, is a society of pariahs. Modern pariahs, however, seek dominance rather than submission, aspiring to impose their will globally.

The myth of America as a “young nation” with a “great future” is tied to the idea of progress. Yet, history is cyclical, not linear. The most recent civilizations are not necessarily superior; they may be decadent. America represents the final stage of modern Europe, embodying the reductio ad absurdum of Western civilization's negative aspects. What exists in diluted form in Europe is magnified in America, revealing cultural and human regression. The American mind is regressive, confined to the immediate and simplistic, devoid of higher sensibilities. Life in America is mechanistic, with the sense of “I” existing solely at the physical level.

American Morality

The celebrated “sex appeal” of American women is largely a media construct. Studies reveal that many young American women lack strong sexual feelings, seeking fulfillment through narcissism, exhibitionism, and a sterile cult of health. American women are often frigid and materialistic, viewing relationships in transactional terms. Divorce laws favor women, who readily seek better opportunities.

“Our” American Media

Americanization is pervasive in Europe, particularly in post-war Italy. While communism poses a direct threat, Americanization insidiously infiltrates, reshaping mentalities and customs. Italians, abandoning their cultural heritage, look to America as a model of modernity. This servility degrades European identity, as American standards dominate.

Even Italian radio has succumbed to Americanization, catering to the most degenerate tastes. The “do your own thing” ethos intoxicates the masses, eroding discernment and identity.

The Industrial Order in America

Capitalism in its late phase reduces man to a mere factor of production. In America, the focus on labor relations masks a deeper exploitation. Studies of human behavior in industry aim to maximize productivity, not to address genuine human concerns. Employees are manipulated through psychological techniques, their private lives scrutinized to ensure compliance.

American “Democracy” in Industry

The disparity between American political ideology and economic reality is stark. Businesses operate as hierarchical pyramids, far removed from democratic ideals. The managerial elite grows increasingly autocratic, mirroring the concentration of power in American society. The myth of America as a land of opportunity fades as specialization and qualifications limit upward mobility.

American “democracy” serves as a tool for oligarchic control, masking the reality of indirect domination. The tension between ideology and reality may lead to significant developments, exposing the true nature of American “democracy.”

Title: The Crisis of Modern Man and the Path to Transcendence
Tags: #Evola #Tradition #InitiaticKnowledge #SelfTransformation #HigherConsciousness

1. The Existential Crisis: Modern individuals often face moments where their certainties crumble, revealing the void beneath their daily distractions. This crisis forces them to confront the fundamental question: What am I?
   
2. The Illusion of Purpose: Daily routines, moral codes, and even higher pursuits often serve as distractions, masking the inner darkness and the solitude of existence. These constructs allow individuals to avoid confronting the true nature of the Self.
   
3. The Evasion of Truth: Many attempt to escape this crisis by turning it into a mere philosophical problem, seeking new systems or truths to cling to. Others passively rely on traditional structures, avoiding the radical transformation required.
   
4. The Path of the Few: Some, however, hold their ground. They abandon all faiths and hopes, seeking self-knowledge and the knowledge of Being. For them, there is no turning back.
   
5. Initiatic Disciplines: This crisis often leads individuals to initiatic disciplines, which offer a path beyond the human condition. These disciplines require a radical transformation of one’s being and consciousness.
   
6. The Nature of Higher Knowledge: Higher knowledge transcends reason, beliefs, and modern science. It resolves the anguish of existence by transforming the individual’s state of being. This knowledge is not speculative but experiential.
   
7. The Necessity of Detachment: To achieve this knowledge, one must detach from all conditioned and extrinsic relationships. A radical upheaval is necessary to break free from the limitations of the human condition.
   
8. The Traditional Science: This path corresponds to a rigorous, methodical science transmitted through initiatic chains. It focuses on the deepest energies of human interiority, operating with objectivity and impersonality.
   
9. The Role of Crisis as Catharsis: For those who overcome the crisis, it becomes a purification, a shedding of the merely human. For others, it reawakens an ancient legacy, a connection to a higher race and its instincts.
   
10. The Ultimate Goal: The aim is to transform the entire body into an instrument of consciousness, penetrating the vital layers where the energies of the higher Self operate. This leads to the rediscovery of the path to the “closed palace of the King,” the ultimate realization of transcendent knowledge. This path is not for the many but for the few who possess the strength and calmness to transcend the human condition and awaken to the light of inner knowledge.

There are moments in certain individuals' lives when all their certainties waver, their inner lights dim, and the voices of their passions and affections fall silent, leaving them stripped of everything that animates and drives their being. In such moments, the individual is drawn back to their innermost center, confronting the ultimate question: What am I?

Often, they come to realize that everything they do—whether in their daily life or in the pursuit of higher values—serves as a distraction, creating the illusion of purpose and meaning, allowing them to avoid deep reflection and continue living. Daily routines, moral codes, faiths, philosophies, sensory indulgences, and even disciplines appear to have been devised or pursued as means to escape the inner void, to flee the anguish of fundamental solitude, and to evade the problem of the Self.

For some, this crisis may lead to a fatal outcome. Others manage to shake it off, driven by a primal, animal energy that refuses to succumb. They suppress the insights briefly glimpsed during such experiences, dismissing them as nightmares, mental weakness, or nervous imbalance. They readjust and return to “reality.”

Then there are those who evade the crisis entirely. Unable to grasp its profundity, they reduce the existential problem to a mere “philosophical question.” They seek new “truths” and “systems,” claiming to find light in the darkness, reigniting their will to persist. Alternatively, they passively rely on traditional structures, dogmas, and stereotypical forms of authority.

Yet, there are those who stand firm. For them, something irrevocable has occurred. They resolve to break free from the cycle that has entrapped them, abandoning all faiths and renouncing all hopes. They seek to dispel the fog and carve a new path. Their goal is self-knowledge and the understanding of Being within themselves. For these individuals, there is no turning back.

This is one way in which some, particularly in the modern age, may approach initiatic disciplines. Others arrive at this point through a natural sense of recollection and dignity, sensing that this world is not the true world, that there is something higher beyond sensory perception and human constructs. They yearn for a direct vision of reality, as if awakening fully.

In both cases, the individual realizes they are not alone. They feel a kinship with others who have reached this point, whether by a different path or through an innate understanding. Together, they come to know a higher truth:

Beyond the intellect, beyond beliefs, and beyond what is today called science and culture, there exists a higher knowledge. Here, the anguish of the individual ceases, the darkness and contingency of the human condition dissolve, and the problem of Being is resolved. This knowledge is transcendent, requiring a transformation of one's state of being. Just as one cannot expect the pain of holding a burning coal to cease without letting it go, one cannot transcend the fundamental darkness of existence without undergoing a profound change. To transform oneself is the necessary precondition for higher knowledge. Such knowledge does not deal with “problems” but with tasks and realizations.

These realizations are entirely positive, grounded in a concrete, direct relationship with oneself and the world. For modern man, this means confronting the conditioned, extrinsic, and contingent nature of physical existence. The so-called “spirit” and its values (good and evil, true and false, superior and inferior) are merely reflections of this physical state, offering no true transcendence. Thus, a radical crisis or upheaval is necessary. One must have the courage to set everything aside, detaching from all that is merely human. The transformation of one's deepest structure is essential for attaining higher knowledge—a knowledge that is both wisdom and power, fundamentally nonhuman, and achievable only by overcoming the human condition.

Modern man, trapped in a kind of magic circle, knows little of such horizons. As Joseph de Maistre observed, today's “scientists” have monopolized knowledge, ensuring that no one may know more or differently than they do. Yet, this does not negate the existence of higher knowledge. The teaching we speak of has a far stronger claim to universality than the predominant Western religions. It is rooted in a unitary tradition, expressed in various forms across cultures: as the wisdom of ancient elites, as sacred symbols and rituals, as allegories, mysteries, initiations, theurgy, Yoga, or high magic. In more recent times, it has surfaced in secret currents within Western history, from the Hermeticists to the Rosicrucians.

This path is also a rigorous, methodical science, transmitted through unbroken chains of initiates. It focuses not on external phenomena but on the deepest energies of human interiority, proceeding with the objectivity and impersonality of the exact sciences. It produces consistent results under the same conditions, independent of feelings, morality, or abstract speculation.

This “divine” technique offers real possibilities to those who, after the crisis described, find the strength and calm to overcome it positively, experiencing it as a catharsis and purification from all that is merely human. It also speaks to those rare individuals in whom an ancient legacy reawakens, as if the instinct of a long-lost race resurfaces.

The human brain has reached its limits. What is needed now is to transform the entire body into an instrument of consciousness, transcending individual limitations to access the vital layers where the energies of a higher Self operate. Only then can the path to the “closed palace of the King” be rediscovered.

This collection of essays aims to provide clues, suggestions, and techniques of this secret science. It is not a body of beliefs or concepts but an inner awakening, a light passed from spirit to spirit. We have sought to avoid unnecessary discussions, focusing instead on capturing the essence of these teachings. Where obscurities remain, they are inherent to the subject itself. Higher knowledge is, above all, experience—intelligible only to those who undergo analogous experiences. Written or printed communication can only go so far; the rest depends on the reader's ability to align with the teaching.

Metaphysical part:

In many traditions, the material representation of the divine is prohibited. The Buddha emphasized the avoidance of forming mental or immaterial images of the Absolute, rejecting any basis for asserting the existence of a personal creator God. When questioned on this matter, he responded with silence. Suffering arises from attachment, not only to material forms but also to mental constructs. The core aim of the Buddha's teaching is the cessation of suffering through the deliberate elimination of attachment and desire. As long as desire persists, one remains susceptible to judgment, duality, and the entanglements of conventional thought. Realization of the fundamental principle (dharma) brings about a state of certainty, where one embodies certainty itself.