¶10 Those who succeed in overcoming all these obstacles, and in triumphing over the hostility of a milieu opposed to all spirituality, will doubtless be few in number; but, once again, it is not numbers that matter, for we are here in a domain whose laws are quite other than those of matter.1 There is therefore no reason to despair; and, even if there were no hope of attaining a perceptible result before the modern world sinks into some catastrophe, that would still not be a valid reason for not undertaking a work whose real scope extends well beyond the present epoch.2 Those who might be tempted to yield to discouragement must think that nothing that is accomplished in this order can ever be lost, that disorder, error and darkness can prevail only in appearance and in a purely momentary fashion, that all partial and transitory disequilibria must necessarily concur in the great total equilibrium, and that nothing can ultimately prevail against the power of truth;3 their device must be that which was formerly adopted by certain initiatic organisations of the West: Vincit omnia Veritas.4
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Summary

Guénon concludes that those who overcome the obstacles and hostility of a milieu opposed to spirituality will be few, but numbers do not matter, as the laws of this domain are not those of matter. He urges against despair, even if no perceptible result is achieved before a catastrophe, because the work extends beyond the present epoch. Nothing accomplished in this order can be lost; disorder and darkness prevail only momentarily, and all partial disequilibria contribute to the great total equilibrium. Truth ultimately prevails, and their motto should be that of certain Western initiatic organisations: Vincit omnia Veritas.

General notes

  1. le nombre n’importe pas dans le domaine spirituel — Rendered as ‘numbers do not matter in the spiritual domain’. Guénon reaffirms that spiritual efficacy does not depend on number. The laws of the spiritual world are qualitative, not quantitative. A small elite can have more influence than a multitude. ↩︎
  2. la portée de l’œuvre s’étend au-delà de l’époque actuelle — Rendered as ‘the scope of the work extends beyond the present epoch’. Guénon exhorts perseverance even if results are not visible before a cataclysm. The work of the elite has a scope that goes beyond the immediate present; it prepares the future. ↩︎
  3. la vérité triomphe finalement — Rendered as ‘truth ultimately triumphs’. Guénon affirms the final victory of truth over error and disorder. The appearances of evil are temporary; the total equilibrium will necessarily be established. ↩︎
  4. Vincit omnia Veritas (« La vérité triomphe de tout ») — Rendered as ‘Vincit omnia Veritas (“Truth conquers all”)’. Guénon cites the Latin motto adopted by certain Western initiatic organisations (such as the Templars or the Rosicrucians). It expresses the conviction that spiritual truth always ends by prevailing, whatever the appearances. ↩︎