Pluto
Meowing to go out
- Dec 27, 2020
- 3,638
It seems that in its ultimate movement, the current of life is a transition from unicity to multiplicity and back again. The one becomes many, and the many becomes one. And yet, it is ultimately one all the while. Let's look at some examples.
The Universe
The Big Bang entailed a single infinitesimal starting point erupting into the profound diversity of the present-day cosmos. Looking to the future, all theories of its fate entail some sort of return to an earlier condition.
- The 'Heat Death' describes all stars extinguishing, terminating all life
- The 'Big Crunch' suggests the reversal of the universe's expansion until it returns to its original infinitesimal state
- The 'Big Bounce' proposes a new Big Bang immediately following the Big Crunch – a cosmic day-night-day sequence unto eternity
Unification in Physics
Thematically, the core achievement of physicists has been the ongoing unification of theories. The sun turned out to be just another star and the Earth another planet, just like the heavenly bodies seen at night. And yet, terminology that we still use to this day (sunrise, sunset, retrograde), like astrology itself, pre-date this modern understanding.
The purported specialness of man (who formerly enjoyed the whole universe revolving around his flat Earth) got further destroyed by biology; a cat shares 90% of its DNA with a human.
The same gravity that causes an apple to fall also explains the moon's orbit around the Earth. Electricity married magnetism to become the electromagnetic force. Space and time cojoined as spacetime, while energy and mass are equivalent. The same protons, neutrons and electrons constitute all regular 'stuff' in the universe, from seawater to gold bars.
This is not to ignore the mess of unresolved issues making a Theory of Everything elusive for the foreseeable future. Then again, the modern scientific method is arguably only several hundred years young.
Lifetimes and Life Cycles
An individual is born in a helpless state. They gain the capacity to (hopefully) function in the world, then recede to old age where they are again helpless and reliant on others and ultimately return to the unborn.
At the collective level, seasons come and go. Empires rise and fall. Nations run their course. Entire species thrive until extinction hits.
The theme is what Buddhists call impermanence. Or in Christian Biblical terminology, dust to dust. Speaking of which...
Unity in Religion
Both Buddhism and Taoism, despite vastly pre-dating modern science, deeply understood this process thousands of years ago. Both describe one thing becoming 'the Ten Thousand Things'. The theme of unity is the highest teaching across all legitimate religious traditions. Ironic, then, that religion is equally the cause of division and war. How so?
A core teaching of Hinduism describes Brahman as ultimate reality, encompassing all things and therefore being the true nature of us so-called humans. Jesus spoke of being one with God, yet also one with the 'least of [his] brothers.' Later, the 13th century Islamic scholar Rumi said:
"In things spiritual, there is no partition, no number, no individuals. How sweet is the oneness-unearth the treasure of Unity"
The Ego
I am defining ego broadly as the psychological force that makes us feel separate and drives us to continually reinforce our non-unity. This mainly takes the form of compulsive, involuntary thinking about 'me'. This ego can be logically deduced as false, yet it remains the foundation of the conventional human world-view. Let's take some examples.
Fact: there is a planet
Human ego interpretation: imaginary lines drawn all over the globe to distinguish so-called countries (which don't exist), made-up concepts of 'ownership' and the obligatory endless warfare.
Fact: there are people
Human ego interpretation: endless ways to define ourselves as separate. Endless fighting between made-up religions, political tribes, so-called races and even genders, battling to determine who is 'better'.
Fact: there is an ecosystem
Human ego interpretation: attack nature because it's our enemy and not an integrated part of ourselves providing our basic needs... right?
The Ego (identity) Distracts from Ultimate Reality
The ego cannot be killed because unity is the nature of ultimate reality, therefore ego does not exist. It is akin to amassing weapons and armies to try and assassinate the Tooth Fairy.
However, as an apparent force, ego is incredibly slippery, addictive, magnetic and manipulative.
The ego might drive its host to feel superior for having certain status or possessions. Then when the person becomes spiritual, the same ego renounces materialism and is now boastful of being above the normie materialists. Then it learns humility and is smug about being better than arrogant people. It changes form, perhaps becomes subtler, but will cause trouble until a major spiritual awakening disrupts it.
But all the while, behind the meaningless noise, reality is reality.
The Universe
The Big Bang entailed a single infinitesimal starting point erupting into the profound diversity of the present-day cosmos. Looking to the future, all theories of its fate entail some sort of return to an earlier condition.
- The 'Heat Death' describes all stars extinguishing, terminating all life
- The 'Big Crunch' suggests the reversal of the universe's expansion until it returns to its original infinitesimal state
- The 'Big Bounce' proposes a new Big Bang immediately following the Big Crunch – a cosmic day-night-day sequence unto eternity
Unification in Physics
Thematically, the core achievement of physicists has been the ongoing unification of theories. The sun turned out to be just another star and the Earth another planet, just like the heavenly bodies seen at night. And yet, terminology that we still use to this day (sunrise, sunset, retrograde), like astrology itself, pre-date this modern understanding.
The purported specialness of man (who formerly enjoyed the whole universe revolving around his flat Earth) got further destroyed by biology; a cat shares 90% of its DNA with a human.
The same gravity that causes an apple to fall also explains the moon's orbit around the Earth. Electricity married magnetism to become the electromagnetic force. Space and time cojoined as spacetime, while energy and mass are equivalent. The same protons, neutrons and electrons constitute all regular 'stuff' in the universe, from seawater to gold bars.
This is not to ignore the mess of unresolved issues making a Theory of Everything elusive for the foreseeable future. Then again, the modern scientific method is arguably only several hundred years young.
Lifetimes and Life Cycles
An individual is born in a helpless state. They gain the capacity to (hopefully) function in the world, then recede to old age where they are again helpless and reliant on others and ultimately return to the unborn.
At the collective level, seasons come and go. Empires rise and fall. Nations run their course. Entire species thrive until extinction hits.
The theme is what Buddhists call impermanence. Or in Christian Biblical terminology, dust to dust. Speaking of which...
Unity in Religion
Both Buddhism and Taoism, despite vastly pre-dating modern science, deeply understood this process thousands of years ago. Both describe one thing becoming 'the Ten Thousand Things'. The theme of unity is the highest teaching across all legitimate religious traditions. Ironic, then, that religion is equally the cause of division and war. How so?
A core teaching of Hinduism describes Brahman as ultimate reality, encompassing all things and therefore being the true nature of us so-called humans. Jesus spoke of being one with God, yet also one with the 'least of [his] brothers.' Later, the 13th century Islamic scholar Rumi said:
"In things spiritual, there is no partition, no number, no individuals. How sweet is the oneness-unearth the treasure of Unity"
I am defining ego broadly as the psychological force that makes us feel separate and drives us to continually reinforce our non-unity. This mainly takes the form of compulsive, involuntary thinking about 'me'. This ego can be logically deduced as false, yet it remains the foundation of the conventional human world-view. Let's take some examples.
Fact: there is a planet
Human ego interpretation: imaginary lines drawn all over the globe to distinguish so-called countries (which don't exist), made-up concepts of 'ownership' and the obligatory endless warfare.
Fact: there are people
Human ego interpretation: endless ways to define ourselves as separate. Endless fighting between made-up religions, political tribes, so-called races and even genders, battling to determine who is 'better'.
Fact: there is an ecosystem
Human ego interpretation: attack nature because it's our enemy and not an integrated part of ourselves providing our basic needs... right?
The Ego (identity) Distracts from Ultimate Reality
The ego cannot be killed because unity is the nature of ultimate reality, therefore ego does not exist. It is akin to amassing weapons and armies to try and assassinate the Tooth Fairy.
However, as an apparent force, ego is incredibly slippery, addictive, magnetic and manipulative.
The ego might drive its host to feel superior for having certain status or possessions. Then when the person becomes spiritual, the same ego renounces materialism and is now boastful of being above the normie materialists. Then it learns humility and is smug about being better than arrogant people. It changes form, perhaps becomes subtler, but will cause trouble until a major spiritual awakening disrupts it.
But all the while, behind the meaningless noise, reality is reality.
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