JOURNEY IN BEING
DISCOVERY, REVELATION, AND REALIZATION OF THE UNIVERSE

ACADEMIC PRÉCIS EDITION

ANIL MITRA

ANIL MITRA, © COPYRIGHT 2012—2013

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The précis is the shortest version for the general reader that has all essential content.

This précis version for the academic reader contains the entire text of the general précis version. This is supplemented by material that may be of special interest to academic readers. The supplements include focus on method, development of a theory of objects, and development of a new conception of Logic, and treatment of mind body issues.

Contents

NARRATIVE

JOURNEY IN BEING

PREFACE

Preface to the Précis Edition

On Publication of this Work

INTRODUCTION

A Journey in Being

World Views and the Ultimate View of the Narrative

New Meanings in the Narrative

BEING

Experience

Meaning

Existence

Being

Universe

The Void

METAPHYSICS

Fundamental Principle of Metaphysics

The Meaning of the Principle

Using the Principle

An Interpretation of Scientific law

REALIZATION

General Cosmology—Universe, Identity, and Power

Journey, Individual, and Eternity

General and Physical Cosmology—Variety of Being

METHOD

CIVILIZATION

Civilization as a Vehicle of Realization

Growth, Processes, Aims, and Ways of Civilization

Civilization, Human Being, and the Universe

Ideal or Ultimate Religion

TRANSFORMATION

The Way of Transformation: Analysis and Synthesis of Being

Transformation of the Individual Being

Civilization of the Universe

A Vision For Our World

JOURNEY

Dimensions

Assessment of Progress

Blueprint for Realization

The Future of the Narrative

REFERENCE

Influences and Sources

JOURNEY IN BEING

PREFACE

Preface to the Précis Edition

This work presents essentials of a universal journey of realization but omits ‘technical’ material. It is a précis of a more Complete Edition of ‘Journey in Being’ that provides flesh and substance—the précis provides understanding, the complete version provides explanation, application and instruments for action. The précis emphasizes the stable core of the journey; the complete edition supplements the core with revisable and in process elements. The aims of the précis are ease and speed of comprehension, criticism, appreciation, and revision. This précis may be read as a stand alone account or as preliminary to the complete edition. The complete edition has further context, explanation, significance, application, charting and accounts of a journey in process, and sources.

The aim of this précis is relatively complete but non technical understanding. Readers who want a quick but skeletal introduction to the narrative may refer to the ‘received version’.

Readers who wish to follow upon and perhaps to use the narrative in the universal journey are encouraged in that endeavor.

On Publication of this Work

Maturity of the Main Themes

The journey of ‘Journey in Being’ remains in process. However, I have decided to publish this work because I am satisfied with the integrity, maturity, and significance of the main themes.

Suggestions on Reading the Narrative

Many ideas of this work may be new to readers. The central ideas as well as details may be unfamiliar. It may therefore be useful to first read the short version which provides an overview of the narrative and focuses on its the central themes.

The Introduction to this work discusses its kind, nature, and aims. Especially since the work does fit into any standard category, its understanding will be enhanced by this information. Readers are advised of the importance of this discussion in the introduction.

Definitions and Capitalization in the Narrative

DEFINITIONS are marked by SMALL CAPITALS which are also occasionally used for the first occurrence of significant undefined terms.

Non-standard capitalization, e.g. Being, indicates a specific meaning introduced in the narrative. This is an alert to avoid confusion with other uses. The specific meaning of a term in the narrative may be one of a number of common or specialized meanings or, alternatively, a new or variant meaning. Some concepts have capitalized and lower case forms to distinguish the primary meaning in this narrative (capitalized) from other meanings (lower case) that may be useful in understanding or appreciating the development.

Acknowledgments

My main personal acknowledgements begin with my parents. My mother showed me the value of enjoyment and inspiration; many years ago she listened to my teenage reflections with patience and love. My father emphasized the value of discipline and hard work. Though my father aspired to be a strict disciplinarian, the home and place of my childhood was nurturing of my thought.

I have had no dearth of criticism, rational and otherwise, from acquaintances. Criticism, even criticism that is antagonistic or self-serving in intent, has always been a spur to improve my thought.

Perhaps the single greatest personal encouragement for this work came from my friend Joan Elk. Irene and Gail Samuelson provided encouragement and a place to write for a year in the 1980's.

With regard to this work, I have had no personal mentor. However, modern sources of information have been crucial. These sources include books and journals in print, libraries—especially university libraries, the media, the cultural environment including universities, and—since the 1990's—the Internet.

The section Influences and Sources is an acknowledgement of general influence.

INTRODUCTION

In this work is shown that the Universe and, so, human realization have no limits. The narrative squares this assertion regarding limits with cumulative human experience and science and develops consequences for human being and civilization. The consequences include that ‘ultimate’ realization for limited forms of being is a process without end. The document develops foundation and a map for this process and reports achievement so far.

A Journey in Being

1    

JOURNEY IN BEING aims at grounding in our world and realization of ultimates. Since the ultimate is incompletely known, creation in ideas (e.g., perception, thought, willing, and intending) is essential.

Ideas are innately incomplete. The modes of transformation must be ideas and action.

It is essential to empower ideas and action in interaction.

To this end the narrative blends precision and brevity.

World Views and the Ultimate View of the Narrative

2    

It is a convenient simplification to assert that there are two standard world views today (1) A secular view whose material foundation lies in science and cumulative human experience (2) Religious and related trans-secular views that assert—but do not show—a realm beyond the secular world.

These two views are often held to stand in opposition. It is also standard that they exhaust the kinds of world view that are possible.

It is crucial to recognize that the worldview of the narrative—its metaphysics—introduced and developed below is new and that it includes what is valid in the common worldviews and goes immensely beyond them. It is neither included in nor entailed by the standard views.

It is also crucial that the view of the narrative is demonstrated and therefore ultimate in depth or foundation. It is also ultimate in implicitly capturing the variety of the Universe. However, it demonstrates that no limited Being can capture this variety explicitly and therefore discovery and becoming are ever open.

The main narrative develops this world view to which an introduction now follows.

Fundamental Principle of Metaphysics

3    

The Universe has no limits—this crucial result, the fundamental principle of metaphysics, is demonstrated later.

The name of the principle may be shortened to fundamental principle or abbreviated FP.

Consequences for Identity

From limitlessness (Power), the Universe must have Identity—and its Power and Identity are and must be conferred on all elements and individuals.

While in limited form realization of Power and Identity must be endless process in variety, extension, and duration.

There is choice whether to intentionally engage in this process. However, there is no choice but to be in it.

On the Title ‘Journey in Being’

As conceived in the narrative, Being is crucial in proving the fundamental principle.

Being will emerge as essential to understanding the nature of the Universe and the individual.

‘Journey’ connotes process without definite end—commitments arise and may be revised or abandoned in process.

‘Journey in Being’ is an appropriate name for endless realization grounded in the present.

Contents of the Narrative

4    

The contents are Ideas, Journey, and Reference. The ideas occupy a number of divisions that begin with Being. Journey and Reference are each a single division.

Ideas—the work first develops ideas or concepts as foundation for a journey in Being. The divisions Being through Transformation focus on ideas.

Journey—the next focus is on realization—taken up in the division Journey. The initial goal of this endeavor is to make some significant beginning from our world toward realization. Its eternal goal is realization.

The final division, Reference, assesses the contribution and identifies main influences of the narrative

New Meanings in the Narrative

Use of ‘meaning’ in this section is informal. Formal discussion of meaning is taken up later in the narrative.

5    

When understanding grows new meaning is acquired.

The worldview of the narrative (based in the fundamental principle of metaphysics developed in detail later) introduces and requires new (sometimes variant) meaning for its concepts and conceptual system.

The entire system of meaning is new and stands as a whole.

This general alert on meaning aims at enhancing clarity and understanding; readers will be alerted to particular meanings as they are introduced.

A Personal Perspective

6    

I cannot pinpoint precisely when or why I undertook this work. One source is a passion for ideas.

I knew from the beginning that I wanted to do the greatest thing.

The years and ways led to metaphysics and metaphysics informed my life which became a personal journey in being.

This work is dedicated to what is important to me: people—especially friends and family, ideas, and Being—nature, travel, and the background Universe.

BEING

Experience

7    

EXPERIENCE is conscious awareness no matter how primitive the consciousness (this meaning will suffice here; the Complete Edition of the narrative extends and secures the concept of experience).

As medium of knowledge and illusion (and error), the fact that there is experience is given.

Experience is the place of the most direct knowledge of self and world.

Though not the entire world, experience is the theater of the individual’s world.

Meaning

8    

A CONCEPT is any experiential content. The constituents of referential MEANING are a concept and its REFERENCE (object).

In order to refer, a concept must have and refer in virtue of some iconic semblance to a referent.

Meaning is stabilized in context. It derives flexibility from adaptation to change and changeability of context.

The decomposition into concept-icon and reference is essential to meaning and understanding meaning and its use as a methodical instrument—especially the method of analysis and synthesis of meaning and Being whose development begins here and is continued later in the narrative. This method is of direct importance in the elucidation of meaning and meanings. It is also important to resolution of many confusions of meaning and resulting paradoxes.

Existence

9    

EXISTENCE is most effectively defined via the analysis of meaning: the phrase ‘X EXISTS’ shall mean that there is a ‘thing’ that corresponds to the concept X (this means that knowledge is conceptual; it does not mean that existence requires being conceived or known).

The analysis of experience and meaning enables clarification of the nature of problems of existence and their resolution.

‘X exists’ indicates present tense. Here we shall also use a tense-less sense in which ‘X exists’ means ‘X has existence over some ranges of locations and times’.

BEING is that which exists.

First Comments on Metaphysics

10         

Conceiving METAPHYSICS as precise knowledge of things as they are, significant parts of the developments so far—the concepts and givenness of experience, existence, and Being—are metaphysical knowledge.

So far, this knowledge is not of the Universe as a whole. So far, it shows few ‘things’ that we know to have Being.

The development will fill in these lacunae. It finds directions of perfection and other directions in which, for limited forms of Being, knowledge will ever remain in process.

Development will proceed self-consciously with metaphysics and method emerging together.

Being

11         

BEING names that which is.

Being and world are known in experience (awareness) which is theater and core of our being.

As such, experience is so immediate its Being needs and has no proof—i.e., proof or foundation in terms of the Being of something else.

The power of the concept of Being is neutrality. The power of experience is immediacy and centering (of our Being in the world). It is important that no commitment be made at outset to the nature of Being (beyond existence) or to kinds of experience (especially human experience).

Universe

12         

The UNIVERSE is All Being.

Creation is a form of Being.

The Universe contains all Creation

But is not created.

Law

13         

A pattern or LAW has Being.

(A Law is a limit—it allows

Some patterns, not others).

The Universe contains all Laws.

The Void

14         

The VOID is the absence of Being.

There is a Void. A simple argument for this lies in the meanings of ‘meaning’ and of ‘existence’.

The Void contains no Law and so has no limits.

Therefore the Universe—all objects, patterns, and Laws—emerges from the Void.

METAPHYSICS

Fundamental Principle of Metaphysics

15         

The Void is ever present with every part of the Universe;

Therefore the Universe has no limits.

This is the fundamental principle of metaphysics,

Also called the fundamental principle.

The Meaning of the Principle

16         

The meaning of the fundamental principle includes that

But for the freedom of concepts (i.e., assertions or propositions) to have conflict—e.g. disagree—with facts or one another, every concept is realized.

When the fundamental principle is thus expressed in terms of concepts its form is one of factual and conceptual realism.

That there will and must be phases of ‘something rather than nothing’, i.e. phases of manifest Being, is a trivial corollary.

Using the Principle

17         

The fundamental principle has many implications that are momentous but relatively trivial to see or prove.

‘Something rather than nothing’ is a first example. Other examples are that the variety of the Universe is far greater than that of our cosmos and that the Universe has Identity and ultimate power that are conferred on the individual.

Any difficulty regarding such conclusions is in their interpretation—their significance, squaring them with common sense, science (fact), and logic (which includes mutual consistency); and questions of how they may be realized in action.

There may of course be doubt regarding the fundamental principle itself. However, the principle is internally consistent and consistent with science and fact; it is therefore not absurd; and therefore action under the principle may fall under ‘existential attitude’ and ‘fundamental principle as hypothesis for action’, discussed in the Complete Edition of the essay.

The fundamental principle harbors many further conclusions that are significant for which difficulties in intuition, demonstration, interpretation, and realization are anticipated. The range of application, revealed below, is that of the human endeavor. This reveals an opportunity for an immense and significant program of program of development.

An Interpretation of Scientific law

18         

Every valid law or theory of science or realm of experience of the world has interpretation as a compound fact

Regarding some limited domain

But implies nothing about the existence or non-existence, magnitude, or nature of what is external to the domain.

This interpretation is superior to the interpretation of law as universal hypothesis and shows explicitly the absence of conflict among science-experience and the fundamental principle.

Universal and New Conceptions of Realism and Logic

The conceptions of Realism and Logic developed here are new, related to but a final boundary of logic, and are of ultimate significance.

19         

If every concept of a system asserts a fact

Conflict among concepts and between concepts and facts may the system non factual.

The logics—classical and modern—help prevent such conflict.

The logics have limited domains of validity.

20         

Conceive REALISM (LOGIC) as the constraints for

Concepts to have reference.

Valid facts, sciences, and logics are part of Realism (Logic).

Realism (Logic) is not a limit on the Universe.

21         

The object of Realism (Logic) is the limitless

Universe in all its detail.

This assertion incorporates science and logic but its

Revealed Universe is greater than theirs without limit.

22         

That the Universe is the object of Realism (Logic) has immediate and immense implications.

Any difficulty is in the interpretation of implications.

But Realism (Logic) harbors immensely more,

Beyond the intellect of limited forms.

Metaphysics so Far

23         

Knowledge of the Universe so far combines the empirical with the rational.

This knowledge by abstraction is perfect, complete in foundation and far exceeds expectation.

However, while beings are in limited form, this knowledge is ever in process. Given the case, this in process aspect cannot be other than ideal.

The Universe is revealed as a place of ever fresh adventure.

Objects and Identity

24         

From FP every concept within Realism (Logic) has an OBJECT.

This dissolves distinctions of kind and abstraction—unifies all kinds and abstracta in Realism, i.e. in the one Universe.

IDENTITY is (sense of) sameness of self or object. Identity is an aspect of objecthood; self is an aspect of certain objects—Individuals or persons.

Practical objects are included as concept-objects according to ‘good enough’ instrumental andor value criteria.

REALIZATION

This division develops consequences of the metaphysics for identity of the Universe and the individual, for the variety of Being (and therefore of experience), and for the nature and necessity of a journey in ultimate realization.

General Cosmology—Universe, Identity, and Power

General Cosmology is commonly identified with but includes and is far greater than modern physical cosmology.

25         

The Universe has Identity in acute, diffuse, and non-manifest phases.

This Identity has continuity across the non-manifest.

The Universe is ultimate POWER (power is defined as degree of limitlessness).

It is in the nature of the limitlessness of the Universe that its Power is conferred on the individual.

Journey, Individual, and Eternity

26         

All individuals inherit (realize) the ultimate—the Universe and its Power.

For limited form, ideas—knowledge, understanding—must be essentially incomplete. For limited form, realization is given as an endless journey in interwoven ideas and action—unlimited in variety, magnitude (summit to dissolution), and extension-duration of Being.

Demonstration—there is no limit to realization since a limit would be on the Universe. However, the concept—definition—of limited form is that it does not know-realize All Being in an instant.

For unlimited form realization is a single acute act of Being and perception.

General and Physical Cosmology—Variety of Being

This section is about general and physical cosmology and their mutual study.

27         

DURATION is difference as change in the same object (the concept of sameness as an aspect of identity is developed in the Complete Edition: Objects and Identity); EXTENSION is difference coordinated to distinct objects. Duration and extension are precursors to space and time (these ideas are developed further in the Complete Edition: General and Physical Cosmology—Variety of Being).

The variety and extent of the Universe are unlimited.

Cosmologies, Laws, and cosmological systems have no limit to their variety, number, and extent. They are relatively stable against a void and transient background.

Mechanism is, roughly, structure and regularity of behavior that permits understanding and predictability.

Experience and Being

What is the relation between Experience and Being?

28         

If matter is an exclusive substance, mind is impossible and must therefore be material.

Experience is essence of mind; its primitive form is effect; higher forms are built of the primitive.

The metaphysics makes substance untenable, thus enables the interpretation: MATTER as FIRST and MIND as SECOND ORDER BEING.

From FP, experience and Being are coextensive and are the place of significance.

Consciousness, Life, and Mechanism

29         

On Earth we find life to be organizations of matter; we normally associate mind—consciousness and primitive experience—with life.

What are the general relations among these aspects of Being and mechanism?

Adequate address of the question will require simultaneous ideal generalization of all pertinent concepts.

Under mechanism (1) Life has material form (2) All experience has material embodiment, and (3) Higher experience or consciousness associates with life.

METHOD

This division reviews, criticizes, and further develops the concept of metaphysics and the universal metaphysics of the narrative and its method. It and it addresses the question of doubt regarding the universal metaphysics and action under doubt.

Metaphysics

30         

Metaphysics is Realism (Logic).

The narrative so far provides demonstration of a perfect, unique, and ultimate UNIVERSAL METAPHYSICS.

We may therefore call it the metaphysics.

Trivially, from demonstration of the metaphysics, metaphysics is actual and possible.

Doubt and Doubting

31         

Doubt arises over ‘ever presence’ of the Void and so over FP.

The path to certainty requires us to admit and investigate doubt.

Our most certain—but significant—endeavors harbor uncertainty.

This uncertainty is occasion for an EXISTENTIAL ATTITUDE that encourages outcomes of greatest ideal value.

Further Demonstration of the Fundamental Principle

32         

It is useful to consider alternative demonstrations of FP.

An improved proof. If the Universe were in a void state there would be no Laws and so every state would emerge. However the void state is present with the manifest Universe which is therefore limitless.

A heuristic alternative. As absence of Being, there is no distinction between existence and non-existence of the Void which may therefore be taken to exist.

A second heuristic alternative. Apply Ockham’s Razor to the question ‘What does not have Being?’ The minimal hypothesis is that no (Realistic or Logical) concept lacks an object.

Doubt and Existential Attitude

33         

Because doubt about existence of the Void remains, need for an existential component to Realism (Logic) remains.

Even if FP is certain, there is no guarantee of realization to any particular limited form.

An appropriate existential attitude will be potent in realization.

In absence of certainty, the dual of doubt is attitude.

Fundamental Principle as Hypothesis

An alternative to certainty is to regard thought-action based on the limitlessness of the Universe as an experiment.

Truth, Assertion, and Declaration

34         

What attitude is productive of the greatest outcome? Is it to treat FP as hypothesis or as fact?

We assert the truth of a state of state of affairs. Some social states are conventionally true by declaration, e.g. ‘I crown you king’.

However I do not make universal gravitation true by declaration.

Can the—greatest realization of—FP be made future true, by present declaration?

Ideas, and Metaphysics, and their Method

35         

Development of the metaphysics begins with analysis of and synthesis of meaning.

From concepts to system—analysis-synthesis of Law and Void enable deduction—synthesis—of FP.

Brief assessment—the method is Analysis and Synthesis of Meaning.

From FP, a limited form experiences all knowledge only in process via participation and immersion.

Applied Metaphysics

36         

Conceive Applied Metaphysics as extension of the above method to practical / imperfect knowledge.

A first, perfect extension: by FP all concepts are realized—this extension, since it asserts realization of concepts without connecting the concepts explicitly to their objects, falls short of all empirical knowledge. It is so far known to be empirical only for the perfect objects.

Analysis-synthesis of meaning may be seen to include methods for science and mathematics.

The general theory of objects may be extended to practical cases. In general the knowledge is good enough (for common situations—i.e., in the Normal context). In some cases the knowledge is perfect according to some value (this may include the good enough case). In some cases the extension is (1) empirical (2) is such it is inherent in the nature of Being that knowledge cannot be made more precise without changing the conditions of existence of the context, and (3) in this sense the knowledge is perfect.

CIVILIZATION

Civilization as a Vehicle of Realization

37         

Civilization and individual are VEHICLES and ideas and action are MODES of realization. The individual fosters civilization—the individual is a focal point of Being and transformation or becoming; civilization nurtures the individual.

In its internal and external endeavors civilization provides disciplines or means.

‘SCIENCE’ and ‘YOGA’ will stand for the instrumental and intrinsic disciplines of Being-becoming, respectively.

The matrix of civilizations across the Universe is Civilization.

Civilization and its Disciplines

38         

A DISCIPLINE systematizes knowledge or practice in some area or endeavor.

Disciplines provide methods for known kinds of problem or context.

Disciplines, too, emerge and develop… some approaches to their development were seen above.

All this and more fall under the earlier general analysis of method.

Growth, Processes, Aims, and Ways of Civilization

39         

Are there ways (method), goal, and significance for the entire endeavor—process—of Civilization?

The metaphysics shows an ultimate goal (realization) and frames the endeavor and its significance (in this account metaphysics refers to a system of understanding of Being developed explicitly from the fundamental principle in the Complete Edition of the narrative)…

…From disciplines to civilization and from civilizations to Civilization and the ultimate.

In the universal, however, there is only imagination, action, experiment, criticism, and attitude—i.e. existential attitude in the face of doubt and absence of resolve.

Civilization, Human Being, and the Universe

40         

For the journey, it is essential to recognize, accommodate, and deploy the tension between human freedom and received human nature (and situation).

Understanding and transformation of civilization must be integrated with participation-immersion and illuminated by the metaphysics.

As an institution, religion is a multi-dimensional phenomenon. No simple statement of the form ‘this institution is X’ is adequate to capture of all dimensions of the institution.

A preliminary conception of religion that captures an ideal is just this: religion is an attempt to know ‘truth’—i.e., to understand the Universe in ‘our time’ and to live accordingly.

Ideal or Ultimate Religion

41         

An ultimate and powerful conception of RELIGION is use of all dimensions of being in understanding and realizing All Being. It is this idea, not the word ‘religion’ that is significant.

The process of Religion as conceived here is identical to the process of Civilization conceived ideally. The ways of transformation (below), especially catalysts, occasion finite—more than just incremental—and embodied step change; reason and memory occasion continuity.

This ideal recognizes and fills vast realms not recognized in or touched by the standard paradigms. The ideal is a shell to be given substance in individual, group, cumulative, and charismatic endeavor and reflection.

For limited form, the ideals of this conception occasion endless process; the metaphysics shows that the individual—limited form—touches the ultimate in process.

TRANSFORMATION

Approaches to Transformation

An earlier title to this section was Transformation and Method. However the metaphysics has revealed closure in depth (the question of substance) but ever openness in variety. Therefore while there is a place for a methodical approach there is no overarching method. The new title of the section is intended to reflect a balance between method on one hand and imagination, experiment, abandon, and dissolution on the other.

42         

The Way of the Journey is:

Analysis and Synthesis of Being—of received ways and forging of ways at the front of ways-in-process.

Of and in the disciplines and the metaphysics under mutual illumination, guidance, and inspiration in the journey.

The essential aspect of synthesis is experiment—action that modifies Being.

The Way of Transformation: Analysis and Synthesis of Being

43         

The way—method—of understanding Being above was an implicit analysis and synthesis of ideas and meaning.

Similarly the way of transformation is analysis and synthesis of Being. Just as in knowledge, so in action and transformation: the way and the process arise together in interaction. We receive from the tradition but there is no ‘way’ that is an absolute given in that it is received rather than discovered or uncovered.

We may arrive at analysis of Being by study of tradition—analysis and experiment with its ways—and by imagination, criticism and experiment which include discovery of the metaphysics of the narrative and illumination by it.

Ideas and action—learning: imagination, action and experiment, criticism, review, correction, and charting or planning—are essential modes of becoming (synthesis). The vehicles and foci of transformation (synthesis) are individual (being) and Civilization. An outline of synthesis focusing on individual and civilization follows below.

Analysis of Ways of Transformation

44         

Analysis of ways reveals knowledge, morals, practices, and method:

PRACTICES and PRACTICE IN ACTION; and the instruments of exploration and technology;

Catalysts of transformation; and

Learning: imagination, action and experiment, criticism, review, correction, and charting or planning.

Description of the Ways

Core knowledge;

Practices and practices-in-action; catalysts;

Retreat and return

Cumulative learning; charisma; self-consciousness or reflexivity for the ways.

Synthesis of Being

45         

Ideas and action—imagination, criticism, and experiment—are essential MODES of becoming. The VEHICLES and foci of transformation are individual (being) and Civilization. Descriptions of the elements follow:

Ideas;

Being (individual)—transformation; and

Civilization (community)—organic and technological growth.

Transformation of the Individual Being

46         

Synthesis I—Transformation of individual human being.

All times and places—Yoga practice and action; death and crisis.

Here and now—home, town, and country: ideas and experiments, health, routine.

Cultural milieu and community—care and sharing; charisma and initiative; moral behavior, honesty; and abandon.

Nature, psyche, and Universe—gateway to ultimate, immersion, inspiration, and catalysts such as fasting, isolation, meditation, and exertion that pushes any apparent limit to capacity.

Civilization of the Universe

47         

Synthesis II—Civilization of the Universe: Transformation of communities (of individuals).

Organic—Civilization as matrix—individual transformation, sharing; communication and charisma.

Artifact—or artifactual Being. Ideas regarding artifact—artificial intelligence and life; ontology, cosmology, cognitive science.

A Vision For Our World

The vision of this section has two components that correspond to two interacting purposes. The first component is as an outline of the process of realization for our civilization as it is today; this emphasizes concrete and practical as well as ideal concerns. The second component concerns the relation between our civilization and Being—between civilization and Civilization.

48         

A vision for our world—the aim of the vision is participation, especially but not exclusively in light of the metaphysics as framework. So as to remain light, dynamic, and responsive to process these comments are kept brief. The following are significant:

Political-moral-economic principles and action—participation and immersion.

Culture—humanities, ethics and history; science, art, technology, and symbol—participation and immersion.

Religion—Being in all its dimensions in realization of All Being.

JOURNEY

The subject of this division is the journey of realization presented in concrete form—dimensions, assessment (of progress so far), blue-print or plan, narrative (and ongoing assessment).

Dimensions

The dimensions are the modes (ideas and action), vehicles (individual and civilization), places (nature, society and culture), and mechanics (analysis and synthesis of Being) of transformation.

49         

A Universal Journey of Realization—individual and shared.

Being

Ideas—now mature they imply that ideas and text are never complete; therefore focus turns to transformation.

Transformation of Being—action—focuses on the individual transformation which is at an early stage (recall ‘In the life of the spirit, we are always at the beginning.’)

Civilization

Civilization and Being—focuses on human civilization and Civilization of the Universe.

Artifact and technology—use and development of technologies for transformation of Being and Civilization of the Universe.

Assessment of Progress

Being

Ideas—the ideas are mature; two aspects of maturity (1) the ideas are innately reflexive—self-assessing and (2) completeness of foundation and breadth.

Transformation—assessment will clarify achievement, hone principles of action, suggest areas and places of activity. Brief assessment (a) Dimensions above (details in Blueprint for Realization, below) (b) Yoga in its most general sense—ways and catalysts; application—self transformation, self healing, influence and transformation in small groups (c) Places—an aspect of dimensions, from my experience and travel—nature as ground (inspiration, and source of Being and connection) and civilization and community as fabric (sustenance and sharing).

Civilization

Civilization—work includes developing the idea and function of Civilization, investigating social sciences, and nature of science and implications for social science and their use. The present form of the idea of transformation has practical origin in personal and small scale group settings and is confirmed and enhanced by the metaphysics. Focused sources of particulars are Civilization and Transformation, and document Journey in being-detail.html).

Artifact and technology—component studies in which I have experience and exposure: social science, history, cosmology, and cognitive science; design, computation, and programming. These may be useful, especially in design of artifactual Being for Civilization. (e.g. artificial intelligence).

Blueprint for Realization

50         

Being

Ideas—topics for study and research

Development of the following has begun.

(1)           Foundation and development of the metaphysics; inclusion of all dimensions of psyche; that as study of Being, metaphysics must be reflexive.

(2)           Unification of science and Logic; and concrete and abstract objects. Analysis-synthesis of the realms harbored in Realism.

(3)           Application—i.e. interaction of the metaphysics with academic disciplines and human endeavor, especially metaphysical thought of the past (e.g. Leibniz and the speculative systems,) Logic, mathematics, the sciences (fundamental physics, physical cosmology, and evolutionary biology), and science and philosophy for and of society.

(4)           Science—general interpretation—local fact versus universal hypothesis versus hybrid of fact and generalization without universalization; interaction with the metaphysics. Requirement of participation and immersion for limited form.

(5)           Symbolic systems—interaction with the metaphysics. Special application of the fundamental principle (the Universe is the object of Logic) to symbolic systems, e.g. language, logic and logics, set theory, mathematics, and computation and programming languages. An emphasis—mutual application of the symbolic systems (e.g., inflected languages and mathematical innovation) and mutual application with the metaphysics and Logic.

What does it imply for foundations of general (and point) set theory that set theory must have an object or objects in the one limitless Universe?

While the foregoing are of interest in the universal metaphysics and its application and implication the following are foundation for further study.

(6)           The system of human knowledge as system and in its categories. For interaction with the metaphysics. See System of human knowledge.

(7)           Explicit meta-study—review all aspects of the process, especially analysis and synthesis of ideas and Being—including formulation in these terms. Nature of meta and planning process.

The following concern extension to action and transformation.

(8)           Extension of metaphysics to action as implied by continuity of ideas and action. Principled deployment of the dimensions.

Interaction with experience and disciplines to found and develop dimensions of transformation—modes (ideas and action), vehicles (individual and civilization), places (nature as ground—and inspiration and connection, society and culture as fabric—sustenance and sharing), and mechanics (analysis and synthesis of being—see method—with step increment-risk and consolidation by adaptation, reason and recollection).

The idea of nature as inspiration has a source in the idea of ‘Beyul’ that in Tibetan Buddhism is a hidden land whose revelation and discovery parallel and precipitate inner revelation and process.

(9)           Study of ways—(1) The elements—grounding, transformation, and consolidation; (2) Approach—method: (a) analysis and synthesis of Being (which include experiment: ideas cannot be developed in isolation from action) with focus on catalysts of Being in interaction with emotion-cognition and integration with (b) tradition.

(10)       Study of artificial Being—stand alone, evolutionary, and symbiotic; technology for civilization and Civilization; cognitive science—especially, AI, A-Life: symbolic, computer implementation, and designs; reflection on and analysis of symbolic and computer models, significance, enhancements (quantum, distributed), and alternatives; development of dynamic and automated text: development—writing, revision in interaction with world (object).

(11)       Theoretical and experimental study of transformations with organisms, individuals, selves, and dissolution of self—psycho-biology.

Transformation and action—report and record for immersion, sharing, and vertical interaction between execution and design.

Design

(1)           Approach—mechanics: above, in Ideas.

(2)           Method and review—in light of experiment and learning.

Grounding

(3)           Death—adaptation to death—understanding it, its nature as horizon to this life, conditions and time for death, death as normal and real and gate to the ultimate, is a first task.

(4)           Place—home—society and culture, continued—normal living, transient or stable, conducive to truth and realization. An ideal—share with others who enjoy and support these aims. Aim—empower and sustain increment and understanding by shared endeavor.

(5)           Practice and action. Yoga, meditation in practice and in action and living.

Execution

(6)           Place—nature—ground of Being… of individual and civilization—gateway to insight and Universe (Beyul) and as place for physical being, immersion in Being—porosity and transience of boundaries, and experiment with self and catalysts.

Aim—a place for insight, for catalytic experiments, and for consolidation via records, recollection, and renewal.

(7)           Place—society and culture—travel and immersion—especially ‘secular’ institutions (e.g., culture and knowledge, politics) and ‘trans-secular’ institutions (e.g., spiritual places-institutions-persons and influence on civilization and its processes).

Aim—learning from and influence on civilization and its processes; staying to learn, share, and work.

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Civilization

Civilization and Being

Dimensions—see A Vision for our world.  (1) Internal (2) External

Approach—participation and immersion; integration with transformation.

(1)           Internal dimensions—individual being; culture—knowledge, morals and institutions—secular and trans-secular; political and economic; artifact and technology.

Participation and immersion; integration with transformation.

(2)          Civilization of the Universe—shared endeavor; metaphysics and transformation of being; retreat and return; exploration, artifact, and technology

(3)           Shared endeavor, research group—establish or join a research and transformation community; publishing the developments; integration with artifact and technology.

The idea of a transformation community is developed in TranscommunityDesign. For a preliminary plan see TransCommunity (an Excel workbook) or TransCommunity (html).

Artifact and Technology

Use of technology in and for Civilization.

(1)           Artificial Being—stand alone, design and evolution, symbiotic, and adjunct—build (hardware-software), experiment, learn; dynamic text—i.e. automation of text and ideas… and text that is interactive with ideas and life via computer implementation (software, intelligent editing, remote interaction).

(2)           Experiments with organisms—especially the individual experimenting with him or herself—psycho-biology.

(3)           Shared endeavor, research group—establish or join a research and transformation community.

(4)           See the transformation community documents linked above.

The Future of the Narrative

The future—this place is held for reports and narratives of the journey (ideas, plans and planning, transformations, and goals) as it unfolds.

The main elements for the future are (a) Sharing the narrative is essential to sharing the journey—the journey and narrative shall be open; the sharing will be with individuals and groups in the context of civilization (b) Reports on progress in transformation, ideas, and goals (plans).

REFERENCE

Contribution

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The central achievements of the narrative are the universal metaphysics, the universality of ultimate realization, and method for the metaphysics and realization.

The ultimate and universal character of the metaphysics provides new and in some ways ultimate interpretations of core human disciplines.

There are numerous implications for and potential interactions with the disciplines of human knowledge and human endeavors—i.e., for research and action.

In the main narrative I have not collected together the possibilities for research as a program. However, a collection of topics may be found under the index entry ‘Program of study, research, and transformation’

Influences and Sources

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I would like to place on record some influences and sources for this work. The world (cumulative experience, reflection) and the tradition are sources. Breadth and depth are crucial, especially in interaction—each requires the other.

General influences are defined by the world and cultures in which I have lived. Though diffuse and often in the background these influences are immensely significant. Significant events, spiritual (religious) leaders, and statesmen have been among my inspirations. Music, literature (particularly poetry), and drama including film have been especially inspiring. Good drama makes me want to live and share; fantasy is a source of imagination which when uncritical may be improved by critical filtering. Nature has been immensely inspiring—I have received so much from nature (1) as gateway to the universal and (2) inspiration for my ideas and thought. The core foundational ideas for this work and earlier thought have been conceived in nature. I have learned of the idea nature as map of inner and outer worlds from Tibetan Buddhism and cumulative personal experience in nature (environments less touched by human intervention—that in some interpretations of ‘civilization’ are its antithesis).

Philosophical thought has been a significant influence. The main influences include ideas on the nature of the Universe from Indian Philosophy. From the thought of the West I have learned much about language and meaning; the nature of Being; and logic, mathematics, science, religion, and epistemology (the study of knowledge). Philosophical ethics—with its frequent striving to be rational—seems often unhelpful in actual situations which seem to not fit neatly into any one rational framework; it is nonetheless suggestive; however it must build, at least implicitly, on some foundation in Being—e.g. in tradition, emotion, day-to-day interaction, and in the moral systems and codes of the past. In my simple reflections on action under uncertainty I have learned much from philosophy but I have also learned about the importance and nature of multivalent thinking from an education in engineering, from economic thought, and finally in living with feeling and reflection.

Science has served as inspiration and paradigm in many ways, especially in interacting with the metaphysics.