Secret Principles of Immortality, Edition 25
In the previous article, I came to the conclusion that there were sixteen principles which describe the minimal path to immortality, in a temporal context in which one engages the earlier functions of principle, athletics, medicine, and adaptation.
The sixteen principles are the following, translating slightly: (1) Desire for mystery, (2) Art, (3) Proverb, (4) Thirst for reality, (5) Clarity, (6) Finding truth, (7) Secret art, (8) Living mystery, (9) Paradoxical answers, (10) Secret power, (11) Test of virtue, (12) Law of self, (13) Proof of existence, (14) Casting a spell, (15) Diabolical virtue, (16) Test of mastery
Now we will consider the entities that result, so that we know what is represented by every stage of the initiation into immortality. I will consider these in reverse, so that the highest object is first on the mind:
[A] The Master
[B] The Poet
[C] The Caster
[D] The Official
[E] The Artist
[F] The Patron
[G] The Politician
[H] The Philosopher
[I] The Performer
[J] The Strategist
[K] The Child
[L] The Genius
[M] The Explorer
[N] The Cultivator
[O] The Tester
[P] The Epicure
Let’s say these are arranged in order of their appearance hierarchically. This involves printing them in four rows of four, and taking 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 1.3, 2.2, 3.1, 1.4, 2.3, 3.2, 4.1, 2.4, 3.3, 4.2, 3.4, 4.3, 4.4
ABCD
EFGH
I J K L
MNOP
So ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOP =
A, B, E, C, F, I, D, G, J, M, H, K, N, L, O, P
Taking those elements, I get the following hierarchy:
Master, Poet,
Artist, Caster,
Patron, Performer,
Official, Politician,
Strategist, Explorer,
Philosopher, Child,
Cultivator, Genius,
Tester, Epicure
Presumably that list could provide a temporal guide to which things are achievable in seeking immortality, either beginning with one end or the other, depending on whether the person is a generalist or a specialist in multiple ways.
Let us look at the collapsed functions of the hierarchy. These are reached by looking at the first and last element as a duality, and reaching middle terms only by reaching through the list from both ends and gathering elements on the way.
At each stage I will provide a description which is my sense of the meaning of the combination.
Master <– –> Epicure
Description: The feeling of immortality, versus the nature of actually being immortal. Discretion is a good word for this.
Master-Poet-Tester-Epicure
Description: Someone who accepts things as they are. Who knows what is simple and complex.
Master-Poet-Artist-Genius-Tester-Epicure
Description: Someone who uses exceptions to realize the fullest potential.
Master-Poet-Artist-Caster-Cultivator-Genius-Tester-Epicure
Description: Someone who realizes the spiritual aspect of life, and the overall importance of intentionality.
Master-Poet-Artist-Caster-Patron-Child-Cultivator-Genius-Tester-Epicure
Description: Someone who approaches life with wisdom, and a view to the newness of life.
Master-Poet-Artist-Caster-Patron-Performer-Philosopher-Child-Cultivator-Genius-Tester-Epicure
Description: Someone who accepts apparent reality, literal meaning, and outside importance.
Master-Poet-Artist-Caster-Patron-Performer-Official-Explorer-Philosopher-Child-Cultivator-Genius-Tester-Epicure
Description: Someone who sees that some things have importance.
Master-Poet-Artist-Caster-Patron-Performer-Official-Politician-Strategist-Explorer-Philosopher-Child-Cultivator-Genius-Tester-Epicure
Description: Someone who sees the secret nature of things.
Now I will re-write the descriptions backwards to show the progression towards general achievement:
Someone who sees the secret nature of things. Someone who sees that some things have importance. Someone who accepts apparent reality, literal meaning, and outside importance. Someone who approaches life with wisdom, and a view to the newness of life. Someone who realizes the spiritual aspect of life, and the overall importance of intentionality. Someone who uses exceptions to realize the fullest potential. Someone who accepts things as they are, and who knows what is simple and complex. Discretion.
Each description can also be used as a stage of philosophical wisdom.
(a) Curiosity
(b) Ambition
(c) Truth
(d) Practicality
(e) Soulfulness
(f) Greatness
(g) Wisdom
(h) The Ultimate
In an earlier article (Edition 19) it was stated that, if a philosopher represents wisdom, then wisdom is the second stage: 1. Stated opinion, 2. Philosopher, 3. Seer, 4. Trickster
Thus, it may be anticipated that the most development occurs in the last two stages, where we have by comparison, ‘seer of wisdom’, and ‘ultimate trickery’, or ‘ultimate seer’ and ‘tricky wisdom.’ Or, simply wisdom and the ultimate.
Thus this article ends.