Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
ORIENS
October 2004
Volume 1 Number 2
ORIENS
October 2004
Volume 1 Number 3
ORIENS
November 2004
Ren Gunon, Frithjof Schuon, Vasile Lovinescu and initiation (II) therefore that you should now be able to write him yourself directly, as soon as I have the possibility to give you his address in a certain way; you make sure not to speak of it to anyone" - (Letter of January 5, 1936). After more than one month, Gunon stresses: I knew indirectly that Frithjof Schuon had received your letter indeed; he is now in Amiens and I think that he is going to be able to remain there, but I do not have his exact address yet" (Letter of February 24, 1936). Lovinescus decision is now taken and he decides to leave for France. February 27, 1936, following an exchange of letters with Frithjof Schuon and Titus Burckhardt, Lovinescu starts its journey toward Amiens, where he will arrive March 11, 1936, after some stages mainly in Basel where the rcipiendaire is prepared to initiation by Titus Burckhardt. In the short notes found in Lovinescus notebooks, one can see his state of lucid and serene devotion. Still according to these notebooks, one knows that he stops twelve days in Basel where, waited by Burckhardt, he will be introduced for the first time, with all the theoretical and practical implications, in a zawiya. And after what - March 10, 1936 - he notes his entry in the shariya before leaving, the following day, for Amiens where takes place his first meeting with Schuon, a meeting that makes a strong impression upon him: Singular, fatal, something seems to press him. Isolated from the world and vulnerable. The 13th, he receives his initiatory name (Abd-El Qader Assa al-wlia), the barakah and the dhikr. He will stay again three days in Amiens. On his return, he passes through Paris which he finds distant, cold; there is accumulated a strong psychism. Decidedly, the separation of the world is very clear. He returns to Basel, where he stays from March 19 to 30. April 4, he is back to Bucharest. He will continue to maintain a close correspondence with Ren Gunon, Burckhardt and Schuon and will meet these again at the time of his second and last journey to Basel, from June 30 to August 6, 1936. Between 1936 and 1939, date of the second journey of Lovinescu to Switzerland, we do not have information anymore on the relations between Schuon and Lovinescu because their correspondence was lost, or maybe it was even destroyed by Lovinescu, following his departure during the war, from Falticeni to Bucharest where he finds shelter - and of the depredation of his library in Falticeni. Fortunately, we have the correspondence with Ren Gunon, who will continue to write him until 1940. After the return to Romania, the letters of Gunon to Lovinescu will start with the formula Al Hamduli' Llah Wahid. His advice to the new initiate remains, as always, very general. In what concerns you, everything that you told me appears as very normal and very favorable to me; but, if I well understand your hurry to arrive to a result, it is necessary to say yet that it is hardly possible to get complete realizations immediately; and maybe it is better, in this sense, if it comes gradually; it is not without reason that the patience is recommended 72 times by the Koran! - (Letter of April 14, 1936). In another letter, Gunon gives Lovinescu some information about Schuon: He has just returned to Mulhouse, where he found a job as a draftsman, after having looked in vain for it in Paris; his address is now therefore: 28, Rue de Siarentz, Mulhouse. As for the newspaper of Amiens, it appears that it finally made bankruptcy!" - (Letter of May 19, 1936).
Volume 1 Number 3
ORIENS
November 2004
Ren Gunon, Frithjof Schuon, Vasile Lovinescu et linitiation (II) encore se confirmer en raison de problmes personnels de Schuon (changement d'adresse, maladie). Ren Gunon crit alors : "J'apprends que Schuon est encore en Suisse, mais je ne sais pas pour combien de temps ; en tout cas, je lui ai dj parl de vous la dernire fois que je lui ai crit ; je pense donc que maintenant vous pourrez trs bien lui crire vous-mme directement, ds qu'il me sera possible de vous donner son adresse d'une faon sre ; vous faites d'ailleurs certainement mieux de ne parler de cela personne" - (Lettre du 5 janvier 1936). Plus d'un mois aprs, Gunon prcise : "J'ai su indirectement que Frithjof Schuon avait bien reu votre lettre ; il est maintenant Amiens et je pense qu'il va pouvoir y rester, mais je n'ai pas encore son adresse exacte" - (Lettre du 24 fvrier 1936). La dcision de Lovinescu est ds lors prise, les choses se prcipitent et il se dcide partir pour la France. Le 27 fvrier 1936, la suite d'un change de lettres avec Frithjof Schuon et Titus Burckhardt, Lovinescu entame son voyage vers Amiens, o il arrivera le 11 mars 1936, aprs quelques tapes principalement Ble o le rcipiendaire est prpar l'initiation par Titus Burckhardt. Dans les courtes notes retrouves dans les "carnets" de Lovinescu, on peut voir son tat de "ferveur lucide et sereine". Toujours d'aprs ces "carnets", on sait qu'il s'arrte douze jours Ble o, attendu par Burckhardt, il sera introduit pour la premire fois, avec toutes les implications thoriques et pratiques, dans une zawiya. Ce aprs quoi - le 10 mars 1936 - il note son entre dans la shariya avant de partir, le lendemain, pour Amiens o a lieu sa premire rencontre avec Schuon, qui lui fait une forte impression : "Singulier, fatal, quelque chose parat peser sur lui. Isol du monde et vulnrable". Le 13, il reoit son nom initiatique (Abd-el Qader Assa al-wlia), la barakah et le dhikr. Il sjournera encore trois jours Amiens. Sur son chemin de retour, il passe par Paris qu'il trouve "tranger, froid ; il y a un psychisme formidable accumul. Dcidment, la sparation du monde est trs nette". Il retourne Ble, o il demeure du 19 au 30 mars. Le 4 avril, il est de retour Bucarest. Il continuera entretenir une troite correspondance avec Gunon, Burckhardt et Schuon et rencontrera nouveau ceux-ci lors de son deuxime et dernier voyage Ble, du 30 juin au 6 aot 1936. Entre 1936 et 1939, date du second voyage de Lovinescu en Suisse, nous n'avons plus de renseignements sur les relations entre Schuon et Lovinescu car leur correspondance s'est perdue, ou peut-tre fut-elle mme dtruite par Lovinescu, la suite de son dpart pendant la guerre, de Falticeni Bucarest - o il trouve refuge - et du pillage de sa bibliothque de Falticeni. Il nous reste heureusement la correspondance avec Ren Gunon, qui continuera lui crire jusqu'en 1940. Aprs le retour en Roumanie, les lettres de Gunon Lovinescu commencent par la formule Al Hamduli' Llah Wahid. Ses conseils au nouvel initi restent, comme toujours, trs gnraux. "En ce qui vous concerne, tout ce que vous me dites me parat en somme trs normal et trs favorable ; mais, si je comprends bien votre hte d'arriver un rsultat, il faut dire pourtant qu'il n'est gure possible d'obtenir immdiatement des ralisations compltes; et peut-tre mme vaut-il mieux, en ce sens, que cela vienne graduellement; ce n'est pas d'ailleurs pour rien que la patience est recommande 72 fois par le Coran !" - (Lettre du 14 avril 1936). Dans une autre lettre, Gunon donne Lovinescu quelques renseignements propos de Schuon : "Il vient de retourner Mulhouse, o il a trouv une situation de dessinateur, aprs avoir cherch vainement Paris ; son adresse est donc maintenant : 28, rue de Siarentz, Mulhouse. Quant au journal d'Amiens, il parat qu'il a finalement fait faillite !" - (Lettre du 19 mai 1936).
Volume 1 Number 4
ORIENS
December 2004
In his ulterior letters, Ren Gunon does not refer much to Schuon and Burckhardt, under their names, referring to them by their initiatory names. "Finally, I receive a letter from Basel, in which I learn that Siddi Assa had a letter of you, but that a previous seems to have gotten lost - Siddi Ibrahim also spoke to me, on his side, of what you wrote him about the sense of the demand that you addressed to Clavelle (!) " - (Letter of August 28, 1936). And the advice of Gunon continues: "For what is of your other question, I think that the advantages of the contemplation supported by means as the dhikr are indeed those that you say, and one has to take advantage of this; the pure and simple contemplation could seem something more direct, but in fact, regarding the results to obtain, is rather the opposite that can take place in many cases. Yet we must not start to generalize, because the same means do not suit everybody; but, almost always, it is necessary to observe a certain "gradation" at least, and to proceed in a way by stages" (Letter of November 10, 1936). And when Lovinescu asks Gunon to elaborate with regard to the "means" of realization, this one answers to him: "I know well that Siddi Aissa does not write very gladly, probably because of his occupations. I confess though that I would prefer a lot that it is he that answers the questions that you ask concerning the "realization", for a lot of reasons, and before all because it is he that received you in the Tariqah. It is indeed regrettable that you were also in a way isolated, because there is there a lot of things that it is hardly possible to treat this way, at least if one wants to make it with some precisions. In short, what you tell me about the way you proceed appears to me to be correct, and I do not see what other observations one could make, under the only reserve that it remains in the limits of the instructions that have been given you (and you see that here it is only Siddi Assa that can know about this) " - (Letter of December 30, 1936). Ren Gunon remains therefore always reticent in his advice, limiting himself to general indications, without entering in "technical" details. The rigor with which he keeps his doctrinal function does not justify, from our point of view, the later reproaches made it seems by Schuon to Gunon, regarding Gunons interferences with his function of Shaykh. From December 1936, Ren Gunon does not refer anymore in his to Lovinescu,
Ren Gunon, Frithjof Schuon, Vasile Lovinescu and initiation (III) or to his initiation, or to Frithjof Schuon. Until March 1938, when he writes: "Something else about what it is necessary that I warn you: it appears that you will receive probably some letter of Mostaganem; you will see to answer in an as insignificant way as possible and by formulas of pure politeness; and even if you preferred not to answer at all, it could not have big inconvenience. Indeed, we agreed with Siddi Assa to reduce the relations on this side to the minimum, because what happens now is well far from being satisfactory; all is sacrificed there to exoteric and propagandistic tendencies that we cannot approve at all; the speed with which this degeneration occurred is even quite extraordinary. It is a good thing, on the other hand, that all goes well in Basel; I had some excellent news from Basel even today. I add to this subject that, to avoid all confusion that would be more or less troublesome in the present conditions, Siddi Assa decided, and I agreed, to take the former complete title that has been abandoned in Mostaganem since the death of the Shayk: Et-Triqah El-Alawiyad Ed-Darqwiah EshShdiliyah; maybe you already have been informed about this (Letter of March 2, 1938). During the war, the silence got settled between Ren Gunon and Lovinescu, due, presumably, to the unfavorable conditions of communications bound to the war and dictatorship. Between 1936, year of his initiation, and 1939, year of his second journey to Switzerland, we do not know anything of Lovinescus relations with his Shaykh. In fall 1936, however, Frithjof Schuon grants the same initiation to another Rumanian, Michel Vlsan, who will stay in Paris where he will put the bases of a new Zawiya. During this time in Bucharest, Lovinescu himself constitutes, with the help of Vlsan and the agreement of Schuon, an initiatory group, that will last until 1958-59. In his last letter to Lovinescu, Gunon wrote: "Regarding the Sura Y Sn I hope that it is better if you will speak of it to him [to Frithjof Schuon] before undertaking anything, especially as the circumstances are not at the moment very favorable... " - (Letter of January 28, 1940). Fortunately, we have two letters of Frithjof Schuon to Lovinescu, with very precise indications for "work" to follow: "Regarding your last letter, the one of November 19, I will first tell you that you do not have to blush of some aberrations that now are of the past and which do not count anymore. If I was stern, it did not apply to you, but to mistakes contrary to your true nature. It is obvious that a state of weakness perfectly can, in some cases, play the role of support, if it is compensated by a contemplation of Goodness and the divine Strength. One can, with the help of the Shahdah, achieve all the aspects contained in this formula. One cannot have an arbitrary exclusion there. One is allowed to contemplate the whole "presence" whose vehicle is Shahdah... " - (Letter of January 10, 1940). In the second letter, Schuon is very stern and very categorical with his disciple, to whom he writes: "In the present conditions I do not give the authorization to practice the invocation of the Supreme Name anymore, except to those who are in direct contact with me, and to some of the most ancient brothers (...). On the other hand, you are mistaken believing that I give the authorization of the Supreme Name as means of defense; there is exclusively only one reason for obtaining that authorization: it is the intellectual or speculative maturity, nothing else, nor unfavorable conditions of the time, nor imperious individual needs, nor some other reason, as all kind of emergencies that one wants to bring up (...) " - (Letter of March 30, 1940).
Ren Gunon, Frithjof Schuon, Vasile Lovinescu and initiation (III) The continuation of these letters appears to us to be too much charged with initiatory "advices" that must remain at least at the present time "secrets", and not to be published. ... After these letters, the relations between Frithjof Schuon and Vasile Lovinescu appear to stop: either because of the war, either for reasons that remain to us unknown. Maybe this "cooling" of the relations between Lovinescu and Schuon has been also provoked by the "controversy" between Gunon and Schuon about the initiatory character of the Christian baptism, in which Lovinescu, like Vlsan, took the party of Gunon. But that is a problem illustrated in an exchange of letters between Titus Burckhardt, Michel Vlsan and Vasile Lovinescu. In spite of the interruption of his contacts, Lovinescu will keep an immense respect for Frithjof Schuon. He had some photos of the master that he kept within reach of view in his room, as well as a portrait of the Shaykh Al-Alawy, drawn by Schuon himself. He continued to read his books addressed by Michel Vlsan. What Lovinescu especially liked in the writings of Schuon, beside his ideas, was his style so brilliant, style that was not unfamiliar to Lovinescu himself. Now that Frithjof Schuon died, they are, beyond all controversy, in the silence of the Grand All.
Volume 1 Number 4
ORIENS
December 2004
Ren Gunon, Frithjof Schuon, Vasile Lovinescu et linitiation (III) 1938, lorsqu'il crit : "Autre chose dont il faut que je vous prvienne : il parat que vous recevrez probablement quelque lettre de Mostaganem ; vous ferez bien de n'y rpondre que d'une faon aussi insignifiante que possible et par des formules de pure politesse ; et mme, si vous prfriez ne pas y rpondre du tout, cela ne pourrait pas avoir grand inconvnient. En effet, nous avons convenu avec Siddi Assa de rduire les relations de ce ct au minimum, car ce qui s'y passe maintenant est bien loin d'tre satisfaisant ; tout y est sacrifi des tendances exotriques et propagandistes que nous ne pouvons pas approuver du tout ; la rapidit avec laquelle cette dgnrescence s'est produite est mme tout fait extraordinaire. Heureusement que, par contre, tout va bien Ble ; j'en ai eu encore d'excellentes nouvelles aujourd'hui mme. J'ajoute ce propos que, pour viter toute confusion qui serait plus ou moins fcheuse dans les conditions prsentes, Siddi Assa a dcid, d'accord avec moi, de reprendre l'ancien titre complet qui a t abandonn Mostaganem depuis la mort du Shaykh : Et-Triqah ElAlawiyad Ed-Darqwiah Esh-Shdiliyah ; peut-tre d'ailleurs en avez-vous t dj inform " (Lettre du 2 mars 1938). Durant la guerre, puis aprs, le silence s'est install entre Ren Gunon et Lovinescu, en raison vraisemblablement des conditions dfavorables de communications lies la guerre et la dictature. Entre 1936, anne de son initiation, et 1939, anne de son deuxime voyage en Suisse, nous ne savons plus rien des relations de Lovinescu avec son shaykh. A l'automne 1936, toutefois, Frithjof Schuon accorde la mme initiation un autre roumain, Michel Vlsan, qui demeurera Paris o il posera les bases d'une nouvelle zawiya. Pendant ce temps Bucarest, Lovinescu lui-mme constitue, avec l'aide de Vlsan et l'accord de Schuon, un groupe initiatique, qui durera jusqu'en 1958-59. Dans sa dernire lettre Lovinescu, Gunon crit : "Pour la sourate Y Sn j'espre que vous ferez mieux de lui en parler [ Frithjof Schuon] avant de rien entreprendre, d'autant plus que les circonstances ne sont pas bien favorables en ce moment..." (Lettre du 28 janvier 1940). Heureusement, il nous reste deux lettres de Frithjof Schuon Lovinescu, avec des indications trs prcises pour le "travail" suivre : "Quant votre dernire lettre, celle du 19 novembre, je vous dirai d'abord que vous n'avez pas rougir de certaines aberrations qui maintenant sont du pass et qui ne comptent plus. Si j'ai t svre, cela ne s'adressait pas vous, mais des erreurs contraires votre vraie nature. Il est vident qu'un tat de faiblesse peut parfaitement, dans certains cas, jouer le rle de support, s'il est compens par une contemplation de la Bont et de la Force divine. On peut, l'aide de la Shahdah, raliser tout aspect contenu dans cette formule. Il ne peut y avoir d'exclusion arbitraire. Il nous est permis de contempler toute la "prsence" dont la Shahdah est le vhicule..." - (Lettre du 10 janvier 1940). Dans la seconde lettre, Schuon est trs svre et trs catgorique avec son disciple, qui il crit notamment : "Dans les conditions actuelles je ne donne plus personne l'autorisation de pratiquer l'invocation du Nom Suprme, except ceux qui se trouvent en rapport direct avec moi, et excepts certains des plus anciens frres qui sont hors de cause (...). D'autre part, vous faites erreur de croire que je donne l'autorisation du Nom Suprme titre de moyen de dfense ; il n'y a qu'une seule raison exclusivement l'obtention de cette autorisation : c'est la maturit intellectuelle ou spculative, rien d'autre : ni
Ren Gunon, Frithjof Schuon, Vasile Lovinescu et linitiation (III) conditions dfavorables de l'poque, ni imprieux besoin individuel, ni quelqu'autre raison, apparemment de force majeure que l'on veut invoquer (...)" - (Lettre du 30 mars 1940). La suite de ces lettres nous parat tre trop charge de "conseils" initiatiques qui doivent rester "secrets", pour tre publis, tout au moins l'heure actuelle... Aprs ces lettres, les relations entre Frithjof Schuon et Vasile Lovinescu paraissent cesser : soit en raison de la guerre, soit pour des raisons qui nous restent inconnues. Peut-tre ce "refroidissement" des relations entre Lovinescu et Schuon a-t-il aussi t provoqu par la "controverse" entre Gunon et Schuon propos du caractre "initiatique" du baptme chrtien, dans laquelle Lovinescu, comme Vlsan, prit le parti de Gunon. Mais il s'agit l d'un autre problme voqu dans un change de lettres entre Titus Burckhardt, Michel Vlsan et Vasile Lovinescu. En dpit de l'interruption de ses contacts, Lovinescu gardera un immense respect pour Frithjof Schuon. Il avait quelques photos du matre qu'il gardait porte de vue dans sa chambre, ainsi qu'un portrait du Shaykh Al-Alawy, dessin par Schuon lui-mme. Il continuait lire ses livres adresss par Michel Vlsan. Ce que Lovinescu aimait surtout dans les crits de Schuon, hormis ses ides, c'tait son style si brillant quelquefois, style qui n'tait pas tranger Lovinescu lui-mme. Maintenant que Frithjof Schuon est mort, ils sont, au-del de toute controverse, dans le silence du Grand Tout.