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The Way of being A minimal edition that gives prominence to the main truths of the way. Proof, elaboration, and sources are minimal. Visit the home page for other editions. Anil Mitra, Copyright ©
First Edition – 2002 Contents The Way of Being The power of ‘being’ is its uncommitted neutrality. It allows commitment, truth, and well-being to flow in process rather than to be forced at the outset.
BeingBeing is existence, a being is an existent (plural: beings). The universe is all being(s). A cosmos is a causal domain. A law is a pattern in a cosmos. Laws are beings. The void is the being that contains no beings. There are no laws of the void. PossibilityIf a concept cannot be realized because of its form, e.g., a person that is blue eyed and not blue eyed, it is impossible in the sense of logical impossibility. If its form alone does not disallow realization, it is possible in the sense of logical possibility. If a logically possible being (one whose conception is logically possible) cannot be realized in a world because its form is incompatible with the form of that world, it is impossible in the world. To be possible in a world, the being must be logically possible. Therefore, logical possibility is the greatest possibility. If from the void, a (logically) possible being did not emerge, that would be a law of the void. All possibilities emerge from the void. Limitless beingThe universe is the realization of the greatest possibility (this is named the fundamental principle of being: fp). Therefore, 1. The universe has identity; the universe and its identity are limitless in that any all consistent (logical) conceptions are realized. 2. The universe and its identity are limitless in variety, extension, duration, peakings and dissolutions, which cycle limitlessly, without circularity. 3. Cosmoses are limitless in number and variety. Every cosmos is an atom, every atom a cosmos. 4. The space of logics is limitless. The universe is larger than limited beings can imagine (but we can also imagine that even if we cannot effectively specify it). The universe imagines itself—a simple statement that hides the complexity of the universe. 5. It is effective to give the peakings and their process the name of ‘God’ or ‘Brahman’. 6. All beings realize the possibilities above, for otherwise the universe would not be the realization of the same. That one being realizes this does not exclude another being from the same realization because all beings merge in the peakings. 7. If we do not see or realize the greatest possibility in a lifetime, it is because a cosmos and, particularly, a life within a cosmos is a limited set of events. 8. Birth and death are real but not absolute. The duration between death and birth is as-if an instant. 9. Though it might seem that we are isolated points in a vast cosmos, that is effectively not the case because all time and space collapse in the void which connects us all as one. 10. Realization of the ultimate is given. 11. However, there are effective pathways to the ultimate. It is a value to engage in such pathways. 12. The pathways are negotiated; attention is given to pleasure in the path and to pain via a combination of acceptance, sharing, and therapy. DynamicsThe dynamic of being as being is logic. Though fp implies that cosmoses form in a single step, saltation is rare. The main dynamic of the emergence and formation of cosmoses is (i) emergence of transients from the void (ii) selection of those transients that are near symmetry and therefore of extended duration (iii) from transients, repetition of the transient – selection process. Laws (‘physics’) emerge with symmetry. Beings that have experientiality – are experiential – must emerge. Experientiality must extend to the root in primitive form and beyond our form. There is thus a hierarchy from primitive to peak form. The dynamics of our world are those of (i) the physical world (ii) form and formation within the world giving rise to complexity, life, and beings, e.g., animal including human, with an elevated level of experientiality – of feeling, intelligence, and knowing. PathwaysIntelligent pathways to the ultimate involve: 1. Experimentation with personal ‘evolution’. 2. Sharing and negotiating. There may be leaders, but they are conduits, not authorities. To realize is for the individual. 3. Beginning in the world and are equal dedication to the world as to the ultimate (a necessity because the world and the ultimate are identical in a ‘space’ that transcends the space-time-being of the world). 4. Attention to pleasure, especially in the path; attention to pain by sharing, the fortunate helping the less fortunate, by appropriate therapy, and by accepting difficulty for the sake of realization. 5. It is recognized that realization in this lifetime is possible but rare. 6. Attention to ‘dimensions’ of being, elaborated: a. The universal level of being as experiential being, whose only constraint is possibility. This is a goal – the goal that inspires. b. Knowledge that all being is connected across the void—e.g., from death to birth. c. The dimensions of our world, (i) the physical level, knowledge of is useful in transformation; (ii) the biological level, knowledge of which can be transformative; (iii) the social dimension and community, which provide a source of meaning and support; it includes economics, politics, education and research, technology, especially technologies of space and intelligence (e.g., logic, mathematics, and computational intelligence), and spiritual search; (iv) spiritual search is exemplified in aspects of but not limited to the religions; (iv) experientiality as the place where real change occurs. d. Unition, a western style word for yoga as an evolution of the original conception of yoga as it emerged in South Asia, as a practice of experientiality regarding all aspects of our being – as noted above. Unition may incorporates aspect of Buddhism, e.g., the eightfold path as a discipline of clarity, in perception, intention, conduct, and attention so that the mind steadies, and awareness stabilizes, offering support of the movement toward the ultimate. Similarly, in Christian mysticism salvation is inner transformation, experience of, and union with peak being. 7. Routines and plans that address these elements of a path and to safety, security, community, especially ‘work’, ‘relationships’ and, early in life, preparation – education – for the same. Routines are, e.g., daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, multi-yearly. Plans are for the entire future. However, we select (i) the most effective planning periods that are at least roughly optimal to realization (ii) planning and routine ought not to be rigid but (a) modifiable (b) not excessive but a balance between performance and routine (c) be ever open to creative and critical impulse. |