The Way of Being
Short version

Anil Mitra, Copyright © February 2015—May 2015

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Contents

Experience

Being

Universe

Possibility

Law

Realism

The Void

The fundamental principle

Metaphysics

Cosmology

The way

The Way of Being

Experience

EXPERIENCE is awareness in all its forms (SMALL CAPITALS mark important terms and / or definitions)

There is experience.

Experience is of a REAL WORLD that includes experience.

Experience is RELATIONSHIP to the world and the place of being present to the world.

DIFFERENCE is the most elementary pattern.

EXTENSIONALITY (different from extension) refers to modes of difference.

IDENTITY is sense of difference of person or object and is measured by duration or TIME.

Extension or SPACE is difference that is not marked by sameness.

Consequently, while the entire world is not necessarily marked by extension or duration, there are no further markers of extensionality. Extensionality is IMMANENT in the world and its two modes may be intertwined inasmuch as the modes of difference are not distinguished.

ENTIRETY is the whole world—the whole that is marked by extensionality (over all time and space) and the rest.

Being

BEING is that which obtains in some regions of entirety.

Alternatively, being is that which exists.

Experience and the real world have being.

Universe

The UNIVERSE is all being—i.e. it is being over entirety.

The universe has being.

A DOMAIN is a definite part of the universe (‘definite part’ means that given some situation we can tell whether it is or is not in the domain). The universe is a domain.

If creation is formation by another entity, the universe was not created. ‘Gods’ are logically possible but they are part of and did not create the universe but may logically be implicated in any perfection.

Possibility

Relative to a context, something is POSSIBLE if its obtaining does not violate definition of the context.

With universe as context, obtaining and possibility are identical (co-extensive).

Law

A natural law is a pattern.

Natural laws have being; they are in the universe; they define domains (thus domains need not be defined by spatiotemporal boundaries).

A natural law defines a kind of possibility: some states, processes, patterns do not violate it; some do.

Physical possibility is defined by physical law. We can imagine a situation that violates physical law but if the law obtains the situation cannot obtain.

Logical impossibility is violation of logic. Though it is hard to visually imagine a violation of logic, it is easy to specify such a violation in language. Examples are ‘an apple that is eternally and entirely green not green’ and ‘a square circle’. The requirement of logical possibility is not a limit on the world but a constraint on concepts for realizability.

Realism

Perhaps the world extends to a place where the known natural laws do not apply. However, the world does not extend to a place that logic does not apply. Natural laws define local or (better) contingent impossibility; logic defines impossibility that transcends all contingency. The union of local natural law and universal logical constraint is called realism.

Realism defines the most liberal externally (roughly, fact including science) and internally (roughly, logic) consistent universe. The degree of liberality of that universe is explored in what follows, especially the discussion of cosmology.

Why is the word ‘roughly used in the previous paragraph? It is because while the concepts of logic and science appear to be sound, there specific forms are rough and / or incomplete.

The Void

The void is the null domain.

The void contains no law.

The fundamental principle

If the universe were in a void state it would have no law. Therefore every realistic state would emerge from it for the contrary would be a law. However the void may be considered to be attached to every existing part of the universe. Therefore the universe is the realization of all realism.

The universe is the realization of the most liberal possibility.

The universe is the realization of a realism whose first approximation has a universal part that is our systems of logic and a local part that is our systems of science.

That the universe is the realization of the most liberal possibility or all possibility is named the fundamental principle of metaphysics (abbreviations for the principle will be the fundamental principle and FP).

The phrase ‘all possibility’ raises some concerns. One is that a more careful formulation is necessary for the notion of all easily engenders paradox. The kind of care is roughly of the same kind needed to avoid the paradoxes associated with set theory and the assumption that arbitrary statements have reference. Another concern is how all possibility may be realized. Perhaps there are domains outside the empirical cosmos where limitless variety and extension are realized. How does that change our fate? Only by later connection; thus time is implicated. Possibility x is not realized in this phase of the cosmos; later as the cosmos dissolves into wider being all x within realism are realized.

Metaphysics

Metaphysics is perfect knowledge of being as being.

Generally with ‘perfect’ as perfect representation, metaphysics is impossible. However, what we have just seen is that experience as experience, real world as real world, difference as difference, extensionality as extensionality, identity as identity, entirety as entirety, being as being, universe as universe, domain as domain, law as law, void as void, and realism obtain and are known perfectly. These and others defined in terms of them or otherwise identified as known perfectly constitute a system of perfectly known objects. They are the beginning of a metaphysical system.

The system that began with experience defines a metaphysics that will be called the universal metaphysics and abbreviated the metaphysics. We know the perfectly represented objects directly and indirectly. However, under the metaphysics we know other objects, ones commonly perceived or conceived, only indirectly (assuming consistency). That is, we know they exist but do not know them directly.

To anticipate cosmology, the variety and extensionality of the universe and identity are without limit. That is, the universe and its identity are limitless with respect to variety and extension and must go through acute, diffuse, and non manifest phases. Also, from realism, this power must be conferred on individuals. The apparent contradiction of physical law is merely apparent for realism requires our physical laws but also requires that they not be universal. That is, they are transcended but it is not given that they be easily or immediately transcended.

As intelligent how may we accelerate transcendence? It stands to reason that (1) ultimate realization will be enhanced by intelligent engagement, (2) our system of laws are local approximations to be discarded as civilization moves to universal civilization(s) and we move from our particular cosmos to cosmoses, (3) that as instruments of realization the laws of mind and matter are essentially limited and therefore perfect in the sense of good enough to the purpose, (4) in this extended sense of perfection, the metaphysics and what is valid in tradition from ancient times to the present day mesh to form a perfect practical metaphysics (it may be seen that the join is more than a mesh with tradition complementing the ‘pure’ metaphysics and the metaphysics showing ways in which certain features of cosmology are ultimate and in resolving what would otherwise be dilemmas such as the relative versus absolute nature of space-time and the questions of relations between what we call mind and what we call mater).

Cosmology

The metaphysics already has an outline of a general cosmology. It does not explain how particular cosmologies come about.

Realism does imply that given a cosmology of any complexity and variety, there are (a) others of greater complexity and variety that are significant in being known and inhabited by intelligent life and (b) still others that are the creation of intelligence and that creatures such as us or our later forms will participate in such intelligence.

The metaphysics implies that there is no general mechanism. This means that well formed systems—cosmologies—will simply come about without mechanism. It also means that in some cases there will be mechanism. We will argue for mechanism that are and cannot be exclusive but that may be reasonably said to dominate formation and population of stable cosmologies that support intelligent life.

With regard to cosmology there are three levels of understanding: (1) the level of mere description, (2) the level of local mechanism and law (e.g. as in physics and biology), and (3) the level of formation, e.g. of cosmos or life.

Today’s biology has maturity at levels 2 and 3: level 2 is the various levels of physiological function; level 3 refers to the origin of life and function. Reasons that level 3 has maturity in biology are that (a) the theory of origination is explanatorily satisfactory and comprehensive and well supported by observation and (b) that levels 2 and 3 mesh: the chemical and physical mechanisms of function are of the same kind as those of origins.

What features make the theory of evolution a sound explanation of the origin and flowering of life forms? The forms are of course possible but not deterministically contained in earlier forms. Therefore an element of indeterminism is necessary. However, indeterminism is indifferent to adaptation (stability): most mutations will be maladapted but some will be well adapted and it is the latter that will survive. The skeletal explanation does not refer to details of biology but extracts what is necessary to formation of novel form and function.

Today’s physical law has maturity at level 2. There is no mature theory or consensus regarding the origins of cosmoses (the big bang explains what happened after the bang). However, a mature theory (aside from metaphysical necessity) will have to satisfactorily explain cosmological structure and novelty (e.g. of physical law). We have just seen how such explanation must involve indeterminism from more primitive levels (at which there is no law or at most proto law) and selection by self adaptation. And of course the ultimate in explanation is from ultimate simplicity; no proto law. Though mechanism is not necessary we expect that the greatest population of the universe by any form (physical, biological, sentient) will be proportional to the product of fecundity and longevity. We do not need to know what the detailed mechanism is to know the kind of mechanism and that there are and must be such mechanisms (realism implies that some but not all cosmoses be formed by mechanism; considerations of probability suggest that most cosmoses be formed by semi-mechanism).

Before turning to means of realization in the way below it will be useful to make a few comments on religion and god (I will not address abuses of religion because I see these as the way of some men and not of religion itself).

On the cosmological side, religion attempts to address the intuition that there is more than is seen in the secular world view. Even where the expressions of such intuition are empirically improbable and logically unsound, the intuition itself was reasonable. From realism we now see that the intuition is true. In this circumstance I suggest the definition that religion be the use of all dimensions of being in the realization of ultimate being in and from the immediate.

We saw earlier that there may be gods who may be implicated in ‘perfection’, i.e. further and conscious evolution of the universe. Realism implies that this is necessary. However, perhaps the essential question concerns what the nature of such gods might be. Except that they be ‘subject’ to realism, there is no limit on gods (some may object saying that god can overcome anything but to say that is to imply that god has not given us the ability to be absurd—it is to put man above the universe).

Except the logical limits, e.g., the universe has no creator (all creation is part of the universe) what can we say of god? Referring back to the distinction between general and particular cosmologies it follows that whereas god can be as in the scriptures (except violations of logic) the most likely meaning of god is that it is an integral part of a stable cosmology. Perhaps the most significant meaning is that we, in our process of an attempt at realization of the ultimate, are a prime example of the meaning of ‘god’.

The way

The way has two meshing parts: daily practice and universal process.

In this version of the essay I omit how the way is arrived at. There is and was a process that is described in the essential way of being. Here the process is mentioned as part of the way.

Everyday practice

Rise

Dedication

Dedication. I dedicate my life to The Way of Being: / Its discovery, revelation, and realization— / To live and grow in all worlds as one; / To shed the bondage of limited self— / So that I may see The Way so clearly / That living it, even through difficulty / Is flow over force… / And so to show and share its truth, power, and care.

Affirmation. I commit my being, thought, speech, and action to the way; to a positive attitude; to the good and care of the world and all persons, especially to seeing but not taking imagined or real fears and resentments as affronts to security and sense of self. I pray for these things, especially for the good and understanding of those I may resent.

Review

Realization

Meditation-in-action

Meditation-in-action includes practice of meditation that is continuous with living. It is an essential part of realization.

Practical tools for action and meditation

Meditate and act on my ambitions and final goals. Accept pain and joy. My future must be a straight line with no deviations from the universal.

Meditate on—own my strength, power, pain, and weakness: I am their active core and source—and so of their transformation as energy.

Be assertive in discovery, cultivation, and expression of my power and goals; seek and encourage active receptivity.

Be assertive about and transform or be silent and remove myself from negative influence and judgmentalism.

Meditate on my truth; not let apprehension prevent speech or action when they are good or ego force them when they are not. Consciously expose myself to and act on my fears, selected for importance.

Healthy living—routine, sleep, food and fluids; avoid toxic substances and influences.

Exercise and physical yoga

Evening and sleep

Universal process

Table for a system of pure being, ideas, and action

Template for the phases of realization

Some topics for study and development

These topics use the above linked sources.