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[4]
nounced, mentioned by Guénon, are not productioné . Ceremony is a human produc-
ùprayersû form the religious sense, but recita- tion and out of the metaphysical scope be-
tions of words, called ùauditory symbolsû, such cause it is rationalized and it calls standard-
as mantras of Hindu tradition or chants in ization or organization.

Thai tradition. According to Guénon, ça man- Based on the explanation given about
tra learned otherwise than from the mouth of tradition, in our modern society, it has be-
an authorized guru is without effect, because come usual to oppose theory and practice.

it is not ùvivifiedû by the presence of the spiri- But for a tradition of a metaphysical essence,
tual influence whose vehicle it is uniquely they are integrated, or sympathetic, as Ersnt
[4]
destined to beé . Cassirer explains, çwe are in the habit of di-
Rite, for Guénon, is metaphysical in es- viding our life into the two spheres of practi-
sence, because it is natural. çIn a traditional cal and theoretical activity. [...] Primitive manûs

civilization, rites are something altogether view of nature is neither merely theoretical
[7]
natural and in no way exceptional. [...] If one nor merely practical, it is sympatheticé .
goes back to its origins, a rite is nothing other In conclusion, traditional knowledge is
than ùwhat conforms to orderû, it is this alone, metaphysical because is a knowledge derived
[4]
therefore, that is really ùnormalûé . This from ùpure intellectû, where ùtheoryû and
ùnormalityû means that rites are something ùpracticeû must be sympathetic in order to
habitual, accomplished as a routine, it does allow the individual to conceive this faculty
not require any artifice or organization. Once of thought. Initiation, oral transmission, rela-

a rite is metaphysical in essence, it is not tionship with teachers, performance of rites
rationalized and therefore, it cannot be stan- and use of symbols, are necessary conditions
dardized or fully explained how it is performed. for those who are instructed in a knowledge

In contrast, if a ùceremonyû is taken into con- of this kind.
sideration, Guénon asserts to be unnatural
2. Traditional Knowledge Differentiated
and out of the metaphysical scope, because
from Religion and Scientific Knowledge
is a wholly human production, çceremony al-
ways and inevitably gives the impression of Religion comes from the Latin word

something more or less abnormal, outside of religare - ùto bondû. Latin was the language
the habitual and regular course of the events spoken by the ancient Greco-Roman, and at

that fill the rest of the existence. [...] It is that time, according to Guénonûs view, reli-
artificial, even conventional, a wholly human gion used to be metaphysical, because it had