In Symbols of Sacred Science, Guénon, a master of precise, even 'mathematical' metaphysical exposition, reveals himself as a consummate exegete of myth and symbolism as well, superior in many ways to Mircea Eliade, and comparable perhaps only to his respected friend Ananda K. Coomaraswamy. This extraordinary text unveils the cosmological meanings of root symbols organized under such general headings as: The Center of the World, Cyclic Manifestation, Symboic Weapons, Axial Symbolism and the Symbolsim of Passage, The Symbolism of Building, and The Symbolism of the Heart. Far more than a simple catalogue of myths and symbols from many traditions, Symbols of the Sacred Science lays the foundation for a universal esoteric symbology. In this work, Guénon demonstrates the fundamental unity-across all cultures and ages-of the images with which the Absolute clothes itself in its cosmic self-revelation.

The meaning of a science rooted in the sacred, its contrast to modern science and its pertinence to us today.

Kemetic writings found in Alexandria's libraries were attributed collectively to Hermes, a Greek conception of the Egyptian deity Djehuti, patron of science, learning, and language. She was believed to have incarnated herself as a sage several times, and in the beginnings of Egyptian civilization, in the form of Hermes Trismegistus, also known as the "thrice greatest" because he had perfected the three sacred disciplines of medicine, architecture, and astronomy. Egypt regarded Djehuti as the original teacher of sacred knowledge. His task was to write the secret books of the temples and possess the magical words of power used in temple rituals. He was known as Thoth-Hermes by the Greeks living in Egypt. Imhotep was revered as a patron saint of arcane teachings in the Old Kingdom. According to Egyptian Legend, his architectural canons constructed the Saqqara and Giza monuments. The Greeks and Romans believed these complexes were temples of initiation into the highest mysteries of religion. The Legend of Thoth/Hermes Trismegistus was thus born, with all the accompanying Hermetic attributes and historical lore derived from Graeco-Roman culture.

Science and religion are often viewed as dichotomies. But although our contemporary society is often perceived as a rationalization process, we still need broad, metaphysical beliefs outside of what can be proven empirically. Rituals and symbols remain at the core of modern life. Do our concepts of science and religion require revitalization? Can science itself be considered a religion, a belief, or an ideology? Science's authority and prestige allows for little in the way of alternate approaches not founded in empirical science. It is not unusual to believe that technology and science will solve the world's fundamental problems. Has truth been colonized by science? Have scientific disciplines become so specialized and "operationally closed" that they have constructed barriers to other disciplines as well as the general public? The writers of this book set out to investigate whether the symbols of academia may in some cases take on a quality of sacrality, whether the rule of experts can be said to have the character of a "priesthood of knowledge", whether religion has a place in scientific contexts, and a selection of other questions concerning science and its relations to religious belief.

Essays on applied anthropology in the context of Indic philosophy and religions.