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[2]
a genuinely traditional character. However, experimenté . In this sense, scientific knowl-
due to historical circumstances, ùreligionû edge is variable and therefore, accidental.
turned into a mere social concern, based on
3. Transmission of Traditional Knowledge
laws and regulations created by man. It be-

came a kind of legislation, or moral, ruled by Traditional knowledge cannot be com-
manûs institutions, that in order to control pletely defined, if it could be so, it would not
people, they use elementary psychological be considered metaphysical. However, it can

observations of sentimental order, which op- be transmitted, and such transmission has
poses to the metaphysical certitude. Based to be accurate it. Thus, in order to maintain

on that, religion as it is understood mainly in the most accurate transmission of knowledge,
the West, sustains that there is a ùsupreme three points cited below shall be considered:
Beingû governing a kind of ùlegislationû over (1) Initiation: it is a rite, performed by a

the beings. This ùRulerû is absent in tradi- master/teacher to link the individual to the
tional civilizations of a metaphysical charac- ùchainû, that is to say to the lineage of the

ter. Therefore, as religion has a sentimental traditional wisdom on which they belong to.
and moralistic character, it is out of the meta- It cannot be fully determined or explained
physical scope. how it happens, if it could be so, it would be

Scientific knowledge is a knowledge a limitation, which opposes to the metaphysi-
derived from reason, it is rational, and there- cal sphere. Thus, here it may include bless-
fore accidental, because it is limited to an ings, recitation of words (mantras), use of

individual scope. According to Guénon, totems or other things considered important
çscience is rational, discursive knowledge, by the initiator. Guénon explained that
[4]
always indirect, a knowledge by reflection; çinitiation must have a ùnon-humanû originé ,
metaphysic is a supra-rational, intuitive and this ùnon-humanû stands for the ùspiritual
[8]
unmediated knowledgeé . Modern science influencesû. An initiation process is consid-
is considered a scientific knowledge because ered as a ùsecond birthû for those who receive
it depends upon experimentation, whereas it, and for this reason the relationship be-
traditional knowledge has no external inves- tween teacher and student is similar as a

tigation; çThe domain of metaphysic is es- father and son, and teachers are considered
sentially constituted by that of which no ex- one of the most important figures in tradi-

ternal investigation is possible: being ùbeyond tional civilizations. çThe function of a teacher
physicsû it is also, by that very fact, beyond is in fact a true ùspiritual fatherhoodû, and the