Leesa last week posted about Permanence. So, I thought I’d go ahead and post about impermanence. What’s important to understand about permanence is that there is no such thing. Nothing in the world is permanent. Everyone seems very concerned about leaving a legacy behind. People seem very concerned with leaving behind something for people to remember them by. Some go so far as to make each action they perform a further step into this permanent idea they have in their head. Permanance is an illusion.
Attachment to the idea of the self as a permanent thing is a cause of suffering. This is of course a Zen idea. For instance, Christians suffer because they believe that the self will have a permanent home in Heaven if they cling to some faith. They greatly fear (and those that do not fear, I can’t say if that’s worse or better for them) having this permanence of self suffering for eternity in Hell.
I think that it is the realization of impermanence that allows one to function with greater ease. Of course many people will disagree with that, and that’s perfectly fine with me it’s your soul. Really examine the functionality of humanity, and of reality. There is nothing in the world that humanity can create which is permanent. Lengthy, yes. Permanent, no. And I would find it highly disturbing that someone would create something solely to be remembered or to leave behind a legacy. That reeks of arrogance, but then that is the very center of humanity is it not? Talk about rotten to the core. *chuckles*
I agree and I’ll take you one step further. You mentioned “solely to be remembered or to leave behind a legacy”…but, I think it’s also a fear of our own mortality. By creating something that people will remember them by, they can receive some kind of strange sense of immortality. At least until they’re dead and they don’t care anymore.
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You’re absolutely correct. I find that rather interesting that people are always looking forward to tomorrow, but don’t stop to think or maybe recognize (perhaps it’s willful ignorance?) that they are simply looking forward to one day closer to death.
There simply is no immortality. No human can achieve it. People may remember someone’s contribution to society for hundreds or even thousands of years; however, you as a human are no longer present and you won’t be capable of perceiving the continued “worship” of your contribution. May as well just let it alone.
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Not arrogance necessarily. Perhaps one wants to leave something to comfort those left behind. And I guess when I used the term “permanence,” I was not thinking of anything which is permamently here – obviously with the second law of thermodynamics, we have entropy, and eventually everything tends towards disorganization. Okay, prata, I was BSing a little here – I don’t know which law of thermodynamics deals with entropy. But you get the point.
When a brother or sister tells you what they truly think of you as they are dying, so you have some good memories to have after they go, I am not sure arrogance is the first term which comes to mind. Compassionate, perhaps.
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Actually the second law of thermodynamics does deal with entropy. In fact, the second law of thermodynamics states: “In all energy exchanges, if no energy enters or leaves the system, the potential energy of the state will always be less than that of the initial state.”
That is referred to as entropy. Just so you know. Entropy is a measure of disorder. However, humans have a low entropy as cells are NOT disordered. They are highly structured. Which is an entirely different discussion belonging to death. However, the low entropic state of cells makes you wonder how then we die (enter a state of entropy). Our cells don’t typically become increasingly disorganized; however in death our cells stop inputting and outputting energy. Once the energy has been used by a cell if it ceases to take in more energy the cell dies. And that is typically what happens to life, the flow of energy stops and you enter death.
The first law of thermodynamics applies to the conversation of energy. In case you were curious, this is probably stuff you’ve forgotten from grade school.
You’re assuming that your brother or sister tells you something good as they are dying. Not all people have good relationships with their siblings. Sorry, I’m just nitpicking there. You’re probably correct, but that doesn’t seems to be the way it works in practice. At the moment of death, you can only think of the right now. All life should be that way, unfortunately people are a stubborn lot. I believe with great conviction that people truly believe that they can leave something permanent behind, but as you get closer to death one realizes that permanence is not a possibility. Everyone/thing decays and ceases to be. It is the nature of reality.
I am a little more clear though (if not verbose) about what you mean and yes, at that moment of death I’m sure they are only thinking of comforting those they leave behind. In life though, far from death, it’s an entirely different matter.
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