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Departing on pilgrimage
The pilgrim departs if and when her identity (i.e. her
home and which is her sanctuary,
elsewhere called a castle) changes. Her pilgrimage is over if and when she
attains and stops (hence presents, or presences) as a new identity. In
short, a pilgrimage (i.e. a journey (i.e. an interface series) of
self-change) is over when it stops (thereby coming to rest). At rest, the
changed state functions as an enstasy,
i.e. as a stable unit of identity capable of making whole (i.e. @1) contact. Hence
ending pilgrimage is a function of ending, not a function of the content
being ended. In this regard see D. Hilbert’s ‘Stopping Problem’ (to wit: Entscheidungsproblem),
so cleverly resolved by Turing and Church. If and when the pilgrim locks (i.e. closes,
stops) either a reduced identity cluster, or an enlarged (i.e. elaborated)
identity cluster (read: her self) she reaches her sanctuary (i.e. home). Each
and every locked (i.e. stopped @ rest) identity cluster, real or imagined,
presents as a home. Reaching home, she is rewarded with an energy surge
(interpreted and made user friendly by her as (the various intensities,
depending on the power of the surge) of) happiness). Non-arrival (i.e.
non-closure, i.e. no leaving a disintegrating home or not closing down new
data integration) is punished with energy loss (interpreted as (the various
intensities of) unhappiness, depression and so on). Hence,
in order to sustain happiness, or even increase it (i.e. by increasing the
energy surges or ‘highs’, read: enlightenments), the
pilgrim, who starts falling apart (hence opening up) the moment after she
arrives, must continuously (indeed, from moment to moment, hence step by
step) not only change her identity (cluster) but also close (end, decide) it
(thereby presenting it as a whole unit). The unintended outcome – as sine qua
non - of the urge to and attainment of happiness (i.e. of an energy surplus)
is therefore continuous identity (i.e. self-) change and identity closure,
ending, slicing. Of course, such an identity change, or the happiness it
provides, can be bought in (e.g. cosmetics, a new hat, a more powerful car
that upgrades the self-esteem) all such (discrete) external self-changes
resulting in happiness. Hence the boost pilgrims get from ‘shopping’ even
from ‘window shopping’. Actually,
the pilgrim is caught between a rock and a hard place. If the pilgrim does
not let go of what is already disintegrating, she goes down (in pain) with it
or is driven out in pain. If she lets go voluntarily she gets an initial
energy boost (i.e. a surge of happiness), soon replaced by the misery of not
being able to arrive. (To overcome this misery she focuses on her ‘as if’
goal, which, actually experienced as real (in particular of intense
concentration is applied, will provide and energy boost and return her to
happiness). (Voluntary)
Letting go of an identity (bit), especially if it has produced much
happiness, is painful, and therefore resisted. Only experienced,
self-disciplined pilgrims and who have - like, for instance, the Buddha -
grasped the wisdom of deferring (or rejecting) pleasure and/or of hiding
their identity with the intention of progressing faster toward their goal
(following the adage, ‘She who hides well, lives well’), can do that. In the
normal course of development toward, that is to say, into/as a new true self (for ‘a self’
read: a differential unit of bio-mass), letting go
of identity bits that hamper progress (in Christian speak: sin, indeed
sinning) only happens when the pilgrim is under duress/stress, hence is
forced to let go. After all, letting go, i.e. departing, hence opening up is
extremely dangerous. In
short, departure means: (voluntary or involuntary) hiving or cutting off identity
bits that impede progress towards the goal; then, adding and integrating data
bits that cluster to form a wholly coherent, new (meaning relatively
different) identity. The pilgrim’s pilgrimage is virtually over (i.e.
ended, decided) when she stops (i.e. brings to rest, i.e. @ maximum
anti-entropy) her new identity; her pilgrimage is actually over (i.e.
ended, decided) if and when she collides/interfaces her virtual, @rest
identity with that of another pilgrim, @ contact both virtual pilgrimage
endings (hence identities) becoming absolutely real (for each pilgrim).
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