Symbolism of the Cross in Sacred Architecture
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An Hermeneutic Exploration of René Guénon's 'The Symbolism of the Cross' Applied to Sacred Architecture. Ray Stevens A thesis in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture August 2017 An Hermeneutic Exploration of René Guénon's Symbolism of the Cross Applied to Sacred Architecture. Ray Stevens A thesis in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture Faculty of Built Environment The University of New South Wales February 2018 Ray Stevens B Arch (Hons.) AIA "1 The 'Symbolism of the Cross' in Sacred Architecture THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES Thesis/Dissertation Sheet Surname: Stevens First name: Raymond Other name/s: Stanley Abbreviation for degree: M. Arch School: School of the Built Environment Faculty: Australian School of Architecture & Design Title: An Hermeneutic Exploration of René Guénon's Symbolism of the Cross Applied to Sacred Architecture. Abstract This thesis examines how the architecture of the various sacred traditions, all manifest in their built expressions a universal symbolic content, while at the same time being absolutely unique in their own inherent particular spiritual dispensation. One major aspect of this symbolic content is the embedding of the three-dimensional cross in its various modes within their built arrangements. The correlation between the three dimensions of space and the metaphysical symbolism of the cross was the subject of a short but important work by the French traditional metaphysician René Guénon titled Symbolism of the Cross (Le Symbolisme de Ia Croix). In describing the purpose of the work Guénon wrote that it was 'to explain a symbol that is common to almost all traditions, a fact that would seem to indicate its direct attachment to the great primordial tradition'. While several authors on sacred architecture acknowledge the importance of Guénon's work, it has generally been applied only in limited considerations and to particular traditions. However, there remains many levels to this work that require further general elaboration and exploration. Guénon uses the symbolic potential of three-dimensional space as a coherent and indispensable means of developing traditional metaphysics. An hermeneutic exploration and study of Guénon's Symbolism of the Cross, allows insights into various aspects of all sacred architecture, even when the tradition is unfamiliar. Equally, exploring various themes related to spatial symbolism in sacred architecture can give insights into the interpretative reading of Symbolism of the Cross. Ray Stevens B Arch (Hons.) AIA "2 The 'Symbolism of the Cross' in Sacred Architecture Declaration relating to disposition of project thesis/dissertation I hereby grant to the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or in part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all property rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. I also authorise University Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstracts International. ………………………………………… ……………………………………..……………… Signature Witness 27th February 2018 …….……………………. Date FOR OFFICE USE ONLY Date of completion of requirements Ray Stevens B Arch (Hons.) AIA "3 The 'Symbolism of the Cross' in Sacred Architecture ORIGINALITY STATEMENT 'I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and to the best of my knowledge it contains no materials previously published or written by another person, or substantial proportions of material which have been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma at UNSW or any other educational institution, except where due acknowledgement is made in the thesis. Any contribution made to the research by others, with whom I have worked at UNSW or elsewhere, is explicitly acknowledged in the thesis. I also declare that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own work, except to the extent that assistance from others in the project's design and conception or in style, presentation and linguistic expression is acknowledged.’ Ray Stevens 27th February 2018 Ray Stevens B Arch (Hons.) AIA "4 Contents Contents INTRODUCTION 7 Tradition & Sacred Architecture 7 René Guénon's Contribution to the Study of Traditional Symbolism 9 Academic Reception of René Guénon's Symbolism of the Cross 10 The Topic for Exploration - Methodology & Structure 12 On Quotations, Etymology & Transliteration 15 Acknowledgments 17 CHAPTER 1: 18 BEING & THE DIVINE QUALITIES 18 Being & Traditional Ontology 18 Eternity & the Generation of Time 22 Omnipresence & the Generation of Space 25 The Point & the Instant as Inverted Images of Being 28 The Bindu - Seed Point of Creation 31 The Idea of the Centre 33 CHAPTER 2: 35 BEING & MANIFESTATION 35 The Relationship of Being & Existence 35 A Metaphysical Model for the Creation of Existence 36 The Essence & Substance of Being 41 Forma & Materia 46 Symbolism - The Language of the Sacred 51 Form and individual modalities 56 CHAPTER 3: 65 UNIVERSAL MAN 65 The Relationship Between Being & Universal Man 65 The Body of Purusha 72 The V#stu-Purusha Mandala 75 The Universal Man & the Centre of the Earth 78 The Explicit & Implicit Centres 81 The Supernal Heart 83 CHAPTER 4: 86 THE CENTRE & THE VERTICAL AXIS 86 The Explicit Centre of the World 90 The Penetration of the Vertical Axis 100 The Myth of the 'Churning of the Sea of Milk' 104 The Three Gu$as 110 CHAPTER 5: 114 THE SPATIAL & TEMPORAL CROSS 114 The Cross of Space 114 The Cross of Time 119 The Here & Now - The Notion of ‘Presence’ 123 Architecture as Creation of the Here & Now 125 Ray Stevens B Arch (Hons.) AIA "5 Contents CHAPTER 6: 127 THE CROSS & THE HORIZONTAL PLAN 127 The Cross as the Union of Complements 127 The Experienced Horizontal Earth & Gravity 131 The Three Dimensional Cross 135 The Multiple Degrees of Existence 138 The Multiple Planes of Existence Expressed in Architecture 146 CHAPTER 7: 153 THE CORPOREAL DOMAIN 153 The Generation of Space as Movement 153 The Passage from Rectilinear to Polar Coordinates 156 Generation of Time - Beginnings & Endings 162 The Wheel & the Dharmachakra 163 The Principles of Cyclical Repetition & the Spiral 168 The Discontinuity of the Different States 173 The Spiral & Helix as Models for Continuity Between Different States 174 Circumambulation & Pradakshin#! 180 CHAPTER 8: 186 EXISTENTIAL SPACE & THE CROSS 186 The Body in Space - Division of Inside & Outside 186 Symbolic Inversion 189 The Body in Space - the Existential Division of Space 195 Handedness in architecture 200 The Phenomenological 'Experience' of the Body 203 CHAPTER 9 205 THE RESOLUTION OF OPPOSITES & THE WILL OF HEAVEN 205 The Cycles of the Sun 205 The Solstitial & Equinoctial Cross 206 The Chi-Rho 212 Janua Coeli & Janua Inferni 215 Polar & Stellar Motion 217 The Lo Shu & Ho T'u Diagrams 219 The Swastika 226 The Ming T’ang & the 'Will of Heaven' 230 CHAPTER 10: 234 FINAL REMARKS ON SPATIAL SYMBOLISM 234 Embodiment of the Cross 234 The Point, the Gammadia & the Cross 252 The Architectural Plan as an Expression of ‘The Way’ 255 The Vertical Dimension as Expression of the Way 256 The Significance of the Pivotal Centre & the Altar 259 BIBLIOGRAPHY 274 Ray Stevens B Arch (Hons.) AIA "6 Introduction INTRODUCTION Tradition & Sacred Architecture Sacred architecture is invariably an architecture of a particular tradition. So when speaking of sacred architecture it is impossible to do so without referring to its traditional foundation. This foundation in turn is based upon a tradition's theological and hierological underpinning. The relationship between what is sacred architecture and what constitutes the traditional teaching can be expressed by saying that the architecture manifests the traditional teachings in an embodied manner. However, it goes beyond just a presencing of the sacred; it ‘makes present’ in a much more comprehensive mode because the making present itself entails the creation of something that can be 'beheld' in its own right. To 'behold' a sacred building is to have the building presented in a manner that 'beholds' the Divine. In this way, sacred architecture allows one to know the Divine and to be present to a manifestation of the Divine in a place that is unique in space and time. To understand how sacred architecture makes the Divine present as a sacred manifestation, it is important to examine some of the traditional perspectives around space and its potential for symbolic expression of a sacred world perspective. The notion of the 'traditional perspective' in this study will be used in the same context as defined and expounded principally by René Guénon, Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, Frithjof Schuon and Titus Burckhardt in the first half of the 20th Century. René Guénon defined tradition thus: ......tradition simply means 'that which is transmitted' in some way or other. In addition, it is necessary to include in tradition, as secondary and derived elements that are nonetheless important for the purpose of forming a complete picture, the whole series of institutions of various kinds which find their principle in the traditional doctrine itself. 1 The view of tradition and the sacred outlined above has been called the 'traditional perspective' by the main exponents. To these authors and their intellectual foundations must be mentioned in this connection the substantial work by later authors such as Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Whitall Perry2, Martin Lings, Marko Pallis and Huston Smith. This combined intellectual position has become known as the 'Traditionalist School' by some external writers and commentators although none of the main exponents of 'the school' would likely wish to have their position identified as 1 Introduction to the Study of the Hindu Doctrines, trans.