The way of being
Anil Mitra, Copyright 1986 – 2025

Home

Contents

Plan of development

Into the way

The aim

This version

Limits of science and religion

Building a picture of the ultimate

Sources

On meaning

Being

Being and beings

The universe

A conceptual limit to the universe

Cosmos

Natural laws

The void

Existence of the void

Some beings

There are no laws of the void.

Possibility

Logical possibility

Real and relatively real possibilities

Logical possibility is the greatest possibility

The ultimate

Showing that the ultimate is the possible

A fundamental principle

Identity of real and logical possibility

All beings realize the ultimate

Limitlessness of the universe and all beings

Metaphysics

What metaphysics is

Initial justification of this conception of metaphysics

Introducing pragmatic knowledge

The real metaphysics

Approach to peak being

Appendix to the metaphysics—problems of the endeavor of being

Doubt

General doubt

Specific doubt

Residual doubt

Living with (residual) doubt

Elements of being

Pure

As-if substance

Enlightened pathways

Enlightenment

Pathways

Return

Resources

Reference and bibliography

Document

The way of being

Plan of development

See design and planning.docm.

The way of being

Into the way

This chapter is an informal introduction to the way of being.

The aim

The aim is shared discovery and realization of the ultimate for, in, and from the world.

This version

When essence of the way.html is complete, eliminate the phrase ‘currently under development’, below.

This is a short version of the way; it sacrifices explanation and full development, for which, see essence of the way.html, currently under development.

Limits of science and religion

Science has a domain of validity, which it almost certainly does not project beyond. The better projections in metaphysics, religion, myth, and story, are richly suggestive but typically incomplete and tentative.

Building a picture of the ultimate

Can we build a picture of the ultimate at all?

Beginning at a low level of detail

One common generic approach builds a picture beginning with low level detail.

But any total picture of the universe built from detail alone is likely to be deficient.

To begin at a high level of detail

If, instead, we try to begin at a high level, perhaps the highest, where may we begin?

Why appeal to the possible

Since the truly impossible cannot obtain, the attempt may begin with the possible in its most inclusive sense.

Motivation of the approach from being

This motivates the beginning with being – for its neutrality, among other reasons – and with beings, universe, cosmos, laws, the void, and abstraction as to be introduced. Though it is not guaranteed, this approach seems promising and is in fact a powerful approach to the ultimate and the place of the world in it.

Complementary approach from detail and experience

Of course, the low level cannot be ignored because it is necessary as part of the stuff of our existence and for as complete a picture of the universe that we can build. A low-level approach might begin with experience. This would motivate interest in the narrative. However, it is more effective to introduce experience later (i) for understanding of experience itself and (ii) a streamlined and efficient narrative development.

Sources

Sources for the way of being are (i) in the specific considerations above (ii) in the history of ideas and exploration (iii) in experience, action, and imaginative and critical reflection.

On meaning

Many terms used in this work have a range of meanings in common and philosophical use and some terms lack full consensus meaning even in relation to the received view of the world; and in attempting to go beyond the received it is not given that the terms have a transcendent meaning – rather, for limited beings, meaning is in process. So, when meanings are specified, it is not implied that the specification is the meaning or should displace received meanings. Though some specified meanings are at variance with the received, they remain in the received family of meanings.

How, then, may we evaluate the meanings specified here? The following emerges in the development.

The specified meanings are one possible set of associations with the terms; they are generally specified conceptually and empirically based; where existence of the object may be in doubt, as for the void, it is demonstrated. Full meaning does not lie in the individual terms but in the emergent system (it is called emergent because it emerged iteratively from non-systematic beginnings).

The joint criteria for the system are (i) empirical base (ii) consistency with experience and valid received knowledge, which it includes (a necessary but not sufficient condition) (iii) proof (iv) address of doubt. The criteria, too, are emergent. They emerge as joint truth (e.g., correspondence)-ethical criteria, rather than just correspondence or merely value based. Though received criteria – correspondence, coherence, pragmatic, mixed – are not seen as irrelevant to philosophical thought and the human endeavor, the emergent and joint criteria have an ultimate character relative to realization of the ultimate.

Rather than seeing the disciplines of knowledge as just separate academic entities, knowledge is seen as a seamless and united endeavor. Particularly, it has just been seen that there is a synthesis of metaphysics, epistemology, value, and logic as general reason.

Being

Being and beings

Being is existence; a being is an existent.

The universe

The universe is all being.

A conceptual limit to the universe

It is consistent with observation and reason for the universe to be the realization of the greatest possibility.

Cosmos

A cosmos is a causal domain with currently negligible interactions with the rest of the universe.

Natural laws

A natural law or just law is a (reading of a) pattern of behavior for a significant range of phenomena.

The void

The void is conceived as the absence of being—the being that contains no beings.

A being is (identical to) the being-and-the-void.

Existence of the void

Existence and nonexistence of the void are equivalent; therefore, the void exists.

Some beings

The universe, cosmoses, the void, and laws are beings.

There are no laws of the void.

There are no laws of the void.

Possibility

If the concept of a being is such that

Logical possibility

It is inherent in the concept that it can exist, it is logically possible (this entails a conception of logic),

Real and relatively real possibilities

It is consistent with the nature of the universe (sub-domain) it has real (relatively real or just relative) possibility (real possibility presumes and cannot exceed logical possibility).

Logical possibility is the greatest possibility

Therefore, logical possibility is the greatest possibility (from here, unqualified possibility is logical – the greatest possibility).

The ultimate

Showing that the ultimate is the possible

If a possible being never emerges from the void, that fact would be a law.

But since the void has no laws, all possibilities emerge from it (and from every being).

A fundamental principle

That is, the following fundamental principle of metaphysics is true—

The universe is the realization of the ultimate, i.e., of the greatest possibility (this is, of course, a framework for full knowledge of the ultimate). Alternatively, the universe is (conceptually) limitless (not just infinite).

Identity of real and logical possibility

Real and logical possibilities have the same extension (but the extension of relative possibility is less than that of logical possibility).

All beings realize the ultimate

All beings realize the ultimate (this is not a contradiction, for they merge in doing so).

Limitlessness of the universe and all beings

The limitless universe phases in and out of manifestation. Birth and death are real but not absolute. In birth, beings emerge from and in death they return to potential. Though we conceive this, we do not see it (discounting claims that some humans are aware of other lives). Higher forms of being see across multiple lives or manifestations. The highest forms are peak beings, in which lower beings merge—we are not apart from peak being.

Metaphysics

What metaphysics is

Metaphysics is knowledge of the real.

Initial justification of this conception of metaphysics

The necessity of what we have concluded so far, follows from abstraction—filtering out from the concepts whatever is necessarily distorted. We have therefore discovered a framework for ultimate metaphysics. That is, despite doubts about the possibility of perfect knowledge generally (e.g., in the sense of correspondence), we have found a perfect and ultimate framework for knowledge of the universe.

Further, while the nature and possibility of metaphysics remains a living issue, what is called metaphysics in philosophy may be seen to have significant overlap with the present conception and range.

Introducing pragmatic knowledge

If to that framework we join a system of our knowledge that is at least pragmatically valid, the result is not perfect in usual, e.g., correspondence, senses. However, regarding ultimate realization as a value, the result is perfect relative to that value, since (i) though realization of the ultimate is given, it is desirable for it to be effective and (ii) the result – the join of the ideal framework and the pragmatic – is the best we have (of course, the way to realization will not be charted out for all time but be iterative and informed by any emerging pragmatic knowledge).

The real metaphysics

The join will be named the real metaphysics or just the metaphysics, in which the ideal illuminates and guides the pragmatic, while the pragmatic is a ‘low-level’ tool in negotiating pathways in, of, and from the world to the ultimate.

In terms of a hybrid correspondence and ethical criterion, the present conception of metaphysics is perfect and (i) has overlap with received metaphysics (ii) but also goes far beyond the range of received metaphysics.

Approach to peak being

It is possible but not usually expected that one will realize the ultimate in our present form but that we return to potential in death and will be born again in higher form—and that in some forms we will approach peak being that is on the way to being and knowing all.

Appendix to the metaphysics—problems of the endeavor of being

This appendix may be placed at the end of the document, perhaps under resources.

The appendix is very brief (by intent). Detailed treatment is in the longer document, essence of the way.html.

The main problem is the problem of knowledge and action.

Here we begin to see that that knowledge – its methodology and disciplines – are seamless; particularly the main philosophical disciplines – meaning or significance of life, metaphysics, epistemology, value, and reason (logic, broadly understood) are a single entity.

Doubt

There are many good reasons to doubt the development.

General doubt

There are general doubts about the nature and possibility of knowledge. These remain relevant to philosophy. Here, however, they are addressed for purpose of metaphysical development by establishing a perfect and ultimate framework for metaphysics, by filling it in with pragmatic knowledge, and by finding the join perfect relative to ultimate criteria of realization.

There is general doubt, related to the doubt above, whether there is anything but illusion. It cannot be all illusion for there is at least the illusion itself, which, if all else is illusion, is real. But how might we argue that there is more than just that illusion? An argument is that indeed, if all possibilities realized, there may be worlds of floating nothing but experience of things without the objective things. This kind of doubt is addressed by observing (i) if that kind of world is temporarily indistinguishable from what we think to be real then there is nothing we can presently do about it (ii) if it is permanently indistinguishable, there is nothing we ought to do about it. However, absolute indistinguishability does not obtain. There are philosophical arguments against it, but they are perhaps not entirely convincing. Here, if we appeal to a paradigm of incremental emergence in parallel to evolutionary emergence, we expect that robust worlds with intelligent observation outnumber bizarre world, e.g., of just floating experience. We are almost certainly real.

Specific doubt

Specific doubts are (i) doubts regarding the proofs given (ii) doubts stemming from the unusual nature of the conclusions and their enormity.

A response is in two parts. Regarding item ii, the emergent picture—the real metaphysics—is empirically consistent – consistent with observation. This is not proof but is intended to ward of claims that the emerged picture is supra-empirical, supra-rational, or counter intuitive. Regarding item i, alternate proofs can be given, e.g., the void must be eternal, its existence is therefore necessary, but by symmetry, no one state can be necessary unless all possible states are necessary.

Residual doubt

Of course, doubt may remain. Perhaps we should say that doubt should remain, for to live in doubt is or may be to live in truth.

Living with (residual) doubt

The possibilities are as follows.

Existential—using the limitlessness of being as an existential axiom in forging a life or a future.

Metaphysical, scientific—using the limitlessness of being as a hypothesis to understand the real and the details of our place in it.

Skeptical—to reject the limitlessness of being and the real metaphysics (i) absolutely or (ii) as rendering it less than adequately potent.

Elements of being

In other documents this is, e.g., Dimensions and paradigms of being.

Experience is awareness in all kinds and levels. Without it there is effectively no being. From limitlessness, experience extends to the root of being and the term effectively is superfluous.

The structure of experience is the subjective (experience of’) related (in experience) to the objective (the experienced’, which is neutral to objectivity in the sense of being devoid of subjectivity). Though being is neutral to substance, this structure is as-if mind bound to as-if mind as-being-itself.

The following elements of being and means of process (becoming) may be recognized.

Pure

Element—experiential being itself (subject and object).

Means—binding or yoga of beings to being.

As-if substance

As-if mind

Element feeling, emotion, perception, thought, intention, will, and action (which are all bound together).

Means—metaphysics and meditation.

As-if object

The term, ‘as-if object’ is better than ‘as-if matter’ because the mind (as-if) may be experienced.

Nature

Elementary with mind.

Means—natural sciences and technology.

Society

Elements—individuals and groups – community and society.

Means, emphasizing individuals—(i) ground – safety, security (finance, home – place and environs, community and relationships, social commitments, e.g., work roles; networking) (ii) living and deploying all (other) elements (dimensions) of being.

Means, emphasizing groups—sciences and institutions of groups, economics, politics, knowledge, exploration, art, and religion (religion with spirituality is understood as the entire being of individuals and groups employed in the realization of all and peak being).

Universal being.

Elements—all above, especially of pure being (in universality, the object rises to the level of being as subject-object).

Means—all above, especially of pure being and exploration of being, via science and technology, in and beyond our cosmos.

Enlightened pathways

The detail in this section is in essence of the way.docm.

Enlightenment

Background

Realization of the ultimate is given and desirable.

Path desiderata

Paths should be intelligent and effective. Issues may be addressed comprehensively via the elements of being (called ‘dimensions and paradigms of being’ in some accounts on the way of being site) and include—

Design

The path should reflect upon itself—design of paths is part of the path; the following are incorporated to pathways, below.

Pathway elements – personal and universal (includes social etc).

Program design.

The immediate and the ultimate

The immediate (this world) and the ultimate (placed first to emphasize that being on a path is not to minimize the immediate).

The pure

The pure – experiential being itself, and its yoking (yoga) to universal being.

Physical action toward unity, yoga, immersion in nature and community,

Mental action toward unity – meditation, metaphysics (knowledge, generally).

Balance among the elements of individual experience

Balance shall mean synthesis into a harmonious whole via reflection and practice where ‘harmony’ is not bliss or even quieting of the negative but a synthesis of ideal harmony with working through reason, pleasure, and pain in and for the world on the way to the ultimate.

The elements of individual experience—reason, emotion, value, intention, will, and action—or, in greater detail reason (perception, thought—imaginative and critical), emotion (with feeling, and enjoyment, especially pleasure and pain), value (e.g., ethics and aesthetics, which results from reason, emotion, and selection), intention (and from perception and thought via intention to fact and inference), will, and from will action (the integration of the subject aspect is in structure and process of organisms in interaction with their environment), in balance in healthy living—

The balance especially emphasizes emotion, thought, and action; the balance is a synthesis from limited freedom of the will for beings while in limited form—if there were no freedom of will, the aim would be ‘classical’ – to control our assessment of external objects of desire and so their hold on our positive and negative passions (Spinoza); but this is a limited view, for we do have some freedom and so we accept some appropriate pain in aiming at the ultimate here and beyond and a place where, in some manifestation, ‘we’ will have absolute freedom. From this, we consider—

Address of pleasure and pain—emphasizing pleasure in shared negotiation of the way; and address of pain by sharing – the able helping the less able, therapy, and particularly in not seeking to avoid all pain but in being on a path through rather than in avoidance of pain (which is counter to some views of enlightenment, e.g., as nirvana)

Received ways (and ‘leaders’) may contribute to the path but are neither authoritative nor final—paths and path paradigms are always under shared negotiation and discovery (of necessity and since every being and community finds an essence in discovery even if it is rediscovery). Particularly, enlightened pathways emphasize right attitude, speech, and action for and toward all being.

Balance between the pure (universal) and pragmatic – lower level – dimensions of being, and among the pragmatic dimensions: natural, mental, communal, and spiritual aspects of being, and their integration in process (regarding ‘spirit’, an approach from being promotes the view that there is but one realm and what is called spirituality consists in seeing its entirety – spirituality is universality); note: though ‘lower’ these provide some paradigms for and ways to the universal,

The natural (i) attunement to nature at home (ii) seeking special natural places for immersion in the real and insight (‘Beyul’).

The mental is addressed above.

The communal includes (i) giving and receiving from community – relationships, work, and avocation (ii) social sciences developed and applied – sociology, politics, economics, knowledge development and transmission, history, technology for community and exploration (earth and space), philosophy of religion (as a source of the true nature of religion as going beyond the limits of culture).

The spiritual – universal – is addressed above (pervades all levels).

Pathways

There is useful redundancy here and above. Where to place this comment.

The distinctions between the personal and the universal, below, are distinctions of emphasis.

The personal (beings)

Elements

Key elements from enlightenment, above.

Attitude – the synthesis of emotion, thought, and action; balance of pleasure and pain on paths for, in, and from the immediate to the ultimate; triggers to imbalance, reminders and exercises to restore balance; affirmation of the ultimate in the present; dedication to the way of being; discipline.

Planning and review (phases of the day, week, month, year – trips – journeys, life – death – and beyond)… and of the way—

Understanding and developing the way – reflection, study (reading), experience, writing, plans of action; sharing the way – in the moment and planned.

Living the way – realization – being – yoga, meditation (Shamatha or centering, Vipasana – seeing the real, e.g., as emptiness, analytic)

Community – giving and receiving – relationships, home, work, avocation, duty; networking.

Ground – regular and emerging – safety, security (health, finance), place (environment, community)

World and universal (above / below).

Routine

The above

Tasks – periodic and as needed

Meals

Exercise

Entertainment and pleasure

Sleep

Planning

Planning is implemented as in the program, below.

The universal (being)

Elements

Key elements are from enlightenment and the personal (beings), above.

Mind – toward universal states of mind via meditation, immersion in nature and culture, intense activity.

Nature – extended travel in natural (‘wild’) environments as portal to the real (‘Beyul’), identity with plant and animal life.

The elements below are paste special from above.

Society

Social sciences developed and applied – sociology, politics, economics, knowledge development and transmission, history, technology for community and exploration (earth and space), philosophy of religion (as a source of the true nature of religion as going beyond the limits of culture).

Immersion in interaction with cultures.

An emphasis on technology for exploration of space (earth, universe) and mind (e.g., via artificial intelligence and its interaction with beings

Universe / universal – via the elements of mind, nature, society; understanding via real metaphysics; use of the received – see ‘Society’, just above; seeking transformation.

Planning

Planning is interactive between (i) the personal and (ii) the universal roughly in parallel. A sequence for the universal is—

Development of the way of being.

Executing the elements just above in rough parallel—

Mind

Nature and society

Universe / universal

Program

Defining the program

Planning (including review of planning above) is part of the program.

Execute the following according to a time or as needed schedule or both.

Here is a sample from the author’s daily routine.

Morning

Set attitude, affirmation of being, dedication to the way.

Plan and review planning.

Rise early, first things – meds, treatments, coffee in nature, open files and set alarms (home, with optional breakfast), chart the day (away).

The path

Developing the way.

Living the way – realization.

Community

World and universal.

Ground

Afternoon

Periodic and as needed tasks (day > life and death), early lunch.

Exercise – regular (two hours – walk or bike), excursion and exploration, photo essays.

Evening

Review plan for pm to life, chores, shower.

Activities – share, network, fluids and dinner.

Entertainment – at home or pm out.

Sleep early.

Resources

Link to template(s).

Summary

Does anything go here? If not, eliminate.

Return

Resources

Reference and bibliography

Links in this document

Links to the way of being site

External references and links

Document

Tables of contents

Index

Vocabulary