Jean-Louis Michon facts for kids

Jean-Louis Michon (born April 13, 1924 – died February 22, 2013) was a French writer and translator. He was part of a group called the Traditionalist School. Michon was an expert in Islamic art and Sufism, which is a spiritual path within Islam. He also worked a lot with the United Nations to help protect the cultural history of Morocco.

About Jean-Louis Michon

Jean-Louis Michon was born in Nancy, France, in 1924. He was in college when World War II began. During this time, he started studying religion with other students.

He once said:

I understood that if I wanted to go to God and practice very serious ways, the only way [in Catholicism] was to become a monk. And I had no vocation to be a monk… So I just waited until something appeared.

Michon already had two college degrees. One was in law and the other in English literature. He then moved to Paris and started studying political science.

He found what he was looking for in the writings of a French thinker named René Guénon. Guénon was a key figure in the Traditionalist School. Michon was deeply moved by Guénon's ideas. He felt a strong desire to join a spiritual tradition.

Michon was very interested in Hinduism and Buddhism, especially Zen Buddhism. He read books by D.T. Suzuki and wanted to travel to Japan. He hoped to find a Zen master there. But Japan was at war with France at the time.

He explained his decision:

One day in April 1945, I heard on the radio that a corps of French paratroopers was being trained, under US military assistance, to be sent to Japan. At once my decision was made! I signed up as a GI for the duration of the war. My intention was, as soon as I touched Japanese ground, using the few words I had collected from my readings; to set out in search of Satori. I entered the army just as one enters a convent; certain that God would not abandon me and would direct me to a Master.

After four months of training, Michon was ready to go to Japan. But just days before his departure, the atomic bomb was dropped. Japan then surrendered.

Michon returned to school to finish his exams. In the school library, he read an article about a Sufi master named Sheikh Ahmad al-Alawi. The article mentioned that the Sheikh had taught several European students. The next day, Michon started attending prayers at mosques. With help from Michel Valsan, he became a Muslim. He took the name Ali Abd al-Khaliq.

In 1946, he got a job teaching English in Damascus. He took the job to learn more about Islam. In 1949, he moved to Lausanne and worked as an architect's assistant. He lived next door to Frithjof Schuon and his wife for many years. Schuon was another important figure in the Traditionalist School.

In 1953, Michon got married. Later, a Crow medicine man named Thomas Yellowtail adopted both Michon and his wife into the Crow tribe. After getting married and having a daughter named Solange, Michon started working for the United Nations. He worked as a translator and editor. For 15 years (1957–1972), he was a senior translator for the World Health Organization in Geneva.

During this time, Michon also earned a special degree (a PhD) in Islamic studies from Paris University. His main research was on the life and works of a famous scholar from Morocco. This scholar was Shaykh Ahmad Ibn ‘Ajībah al-Hasanī (1747–1809). Michon translated some of Ibn ‘Ajībah's writings from Arabic into French. Later, some of these translations were put into English.

His Connection to Traditionalism

In July 1946, Michon traveled to Lausanne. He went there to be taught by Frithjof Schuon, who was a student of Sheikh al-Alawi. Martin Lings, another important scholar, was also there. Michon and Lings became very close friends.

During his first trip to Switzerland, Michon also visited Basel. There, he met two more of Schuon's close students. They were Titus Burckhardt and Leo Schaya. Both were important members of the Traditionalist School.

In 1947, Michon visited René Guénon at his home. He met Guénon's wife, Fatima, and their children.

When asked what advice he would give to future generations, Michon said:

"To my contemporaries, those of all the generations, I will say - prepare yourself to the encounter with God. It is He who has granted us an invaluable gift – intelligence – which man alone possesses among all created beings. Intelligence is the link with Him; it runs all our physic and bodily faculties. And if turned towards the Supreme Lord, lit by its light, it gives to any one of us the possibility to know himself better and to direct himself towards what is good for him."

Work with the United Nations

From 1972 to 1980, Jean-Louis Michon worked as a main advisor to the Moroccan government. He helped with UNESCO projects. These projects focused on protecting Morocco's cultural heritage. Cultural heritage includes old buildings, art, and traditions.

He helped to bring back traditional handicrafts that were disappearing. These are things made by hand, like pottery or weaving, which were being replaced by factory-made goods. He also played a big part in saving and fixing the casbahs of Morocco. Casbahs are old, fortress-like parts of cities. This work was part of a larger project to protect the historic city of Fez.

His Books and Writings

Jean-Louis Michon wrote several important books:

• Ibn Ajiba: Two Treatises on the Oneness of Existence (Archetype, 2010)
• Introduction to Traditional Islam (World Wisdom, 2008)
• Sufism: Love and Wisdom (World Wisdom, 2006)
• Every Branch in Me: Essays on the Meaning of Man. (World Wisdom, 2002)
• Lights of Islam: Institutions, cultures, arts and spirituality in the Islamic city, (Lok Virsa, 2000)
• The Moroccan Sufi Ibn 'Ajiba and His Mi'raj (Fons Vitae, 1998)

He also wrote articles for a quarterly magazine called Studies in Comparative Religion. This magazine focused on religious symbols and the ideas of the Traditionalist School.

See also

• Frithjof Schuon
• René Guénon
• Leo Schaya
• Titus Burckhardt
• Martin Lings
• Traditionalist School