Hexagram 56 > 47
God has many faces.
For the man that said God was surrounded by a line of chalk, his deity became the “Ubermensch.”
When it's not a traditional religion's God or Gods, it becomes technology, or a political or social system.
Some salvationary vocabulary word parts the clouds for us, even if the Abrahamic religions can't get us out of bed.
We think we'll find peaceful, fulfilling stability once we touch *that* God. When we have that outcome or noun.
For some of those accelerationists, evolved code is what's waiting to greet us on the other side of suffering.
For some, seeking and choosing 'good enough' over 'perfection' is beneath them.
There's a term in Buddhism called "nibbida." You can think of it as 'not-finding'. It's sort of like reaching for a glass of water only to eventually be parched again, as if you were consuming sand.
To be more precise, it's the state of being where something finally loses its luster. You turn away from the plate in front of you. You realize that *this too* will not satisfy you.
The ideals, the things, the finish lines -- you learn that they're not enough. And there is a wisdom attached to that.
Fog dissipates a bit. Clarity bumps up a few levels.
We might realize that the ‘perfection’ we seek would guarantee conditions that would prevent us from attaining it.
The unblemished is unattainable, and if we don’t recognize that, the ignorance will torture us.
Why 'Life' Success Doesn't Equal 'Living' Success
Clamoring for Universal Basic Income, and Universal Healthcare, is fine. In fact, I think working to make those possibilities a reality is a noble venture that would possibly help every American (or every citizen in your country that does not have these services/programs).
But even if these universalist supports improved your life, you'd still have to contend with the 'living' of it all.
As technology progresses, we'll possibly get a society full of designer babies, that will experience the same dukkha (struggle/suffering) we all do, despite their supposedly superior genetics.
There's billionaires with stomachs that betray Instagrammable ironing-board abdomens.
There's musicians that inspire millions who choose knotted ropes, gunpowder, or blade edges.
The elimination of ‘life’ problems doesn't necessarily end the ‘living’ problems.
So, the point here is: we should spend more time engaging with the living problems and trying different approaches, instead of running away from them into the arms of a ghostly ‘perfection’.
We should aim for resilience and empowerment in the face of the inherent risk we experience when the umbilical cord gets cut.
There is no perfect country, perfect celebrity, perfect family member, diet, or salary.
The 'what we want' is seemingly always in the future, encased in alluring, impenetrable diamonds, while the 'what is' is waiting for us to get off the mat before the 10-count ends.
Empowered 'living' can lead us to a better 'life' for all. But it's important to remember we live as processes that can never dock in a luxurious unceasing setpoint.
It's the bargain we made to become human.
The power starts to come when we choose the place we currently stand, and 'be' the dreams we have, meeting them in whatever forms they subsequently come.
It's better than waiting for them to fall to us like rain.