Frithjof Schuon concludes the essay Modes of Spiritual
Realization with a succinct description of the “qualities that
are indispensable for spirituality.” In preparation, he
criticizes both moralism and rationalism. Moralists, or
humanitarians, are “indignant over the indifference which the
saints — both western and eastern — show towards human misery,”
but do not understand the reasons why. - Many of the miseries in
the traditional world are lesser evils since some calamities are
inevitable. The moralistic and humanitarian modern men, in their
frenzied activity, fail to grasp that some events simply cannot
be avoided. The artificial suppression of such events results in
worse unintended consequences. - The saints are indifferent to
contingent events because they desire to deal with evil at its
root by returning to the Source, not by dissipating energy in
illusory efforts. Contingent evils may be ameliorated, but Evil
itself is unavoidable. Christ healed the sick, but did not
eliminate sickness. Newcomers to