Post 8 – Eternal Being and the Illusion of Change: Eastern Insights and Nihilistic Paradoxes

The East
“For the soul, there is neither birth nor death at any time.
It has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being.
It is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, and primeval.
It is not slain when the body is slain.”
— Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 20

This verse from the Bhagavad Gita offers a profound insight into the eternity and immutability of being—a central intuition in Eastern traditions. Yet, as with other religious systems, including Christianity with its doctrine of creatio ex nihilo, these insights are often at odds with other elements within the same tradition. Having explored the nihilistic contradictions inherent in Western and Christian thought, we now turn to the East.
[For clarity: nihilism, as discussed here, refers to the belief that beings can transition between existence and nonexistence—emerging from nothingness and returning to it.]

Over the past century, Eastern traditions have profoundly shaped Western spirituality, impacting a new wave of Christian mysticism and influencing figures previously discussed. Practices such as meditation, mindfulness, and experiential spirituality, alongside metaphysical insights, holistic integration of body and spirit, and the concept of non-duality, have left a lasting legacy.

Some of these ideas bypass the linear, evolutionary spiritual progression discussed earlier, offering seekers direct, unmediated spiritual experiences. With minimal preparation and without extensive doctrinal frameworks, individuals can often experience enlightenment, non-duality, wholeness, or “naked consciousness.”

However, transcendental experiences inevitably prompt philosophical or theological speculation, often blending valid intuitions with unfounded assumptions. One recurring issue is the tendency to deny the full reality of the world of forms—a perspective reminiscent of Parmenides, who, after recognizing the unchanging nature of Being, concluded that multiplicity and change are illusory.

Eastern Nihilism
Eastern traditions also exhibit a form of nihilism akin to that found in Western thought, though expressed differently. Avoiding Platonic dualism and the conceptualization of “nothingness” as a distinct entity, their nihilism emerges from other philosophical assumptions. Let us examine this dynamic through two key examples:

1. Non-Duality and the Oneness of Being
   Eastern traditions often advocate a form of monism, which raises questions about the relationship between ultimate reality and the transient forms and manifestations—including ourselves—that appear and disappear. These forms are frequently dismissed as Maya—an illusion or divine play lacking inherent being.

A common metaphor is the movie screen: life’s dramas are like projections on a screen. While engrossed in the drama, the ultimate reality is the screen itself, not the projections. This realization fosters detachment from life’s turmoil and an experience of “naked consciousness,” pure awareness of “I am.”

Yet, this perspective assumes that forms lack permanence or inherent reality, mirroring Parmenides’ view of Being as singular, unchanging, and transcendent. It relegates forms to a secondary, illusory status.

The subtle nihilism here stems from the impermanence ascribed to forms. In truth, everything that appears—whether transient or enduring—has eternal being. The belief in emergence and annihilation misinterprets reality. All forms, including those projected onto the screen of consciousness, are eternal and part of an immutable totality.

2. The Power of Now
   The “Power of Now,” resonant with both Eastern and Christian traditions, silences the restless mind, consumed by past regrets and future anxieties. By focusing on the present moment, it deactivates the empirical self and allows for “naked consciousness”—pure awareness of Being.

While this realization offers a profound perception of Being, it risks presentism—the belief that only the present exists. This view is nihilistic because it denies the reality of past and future, treating them as nothing.

However, every past moment was once a “now” and remains eternally present. Similarly, every future moment is an eternal reality awaiting manifestation. True Being encompasses the totality of all moments, affirming the eternal presence of all things and dissolving the nihilism of presentism.

Concluding Reflections
Eastern traditions, while offering profound tools for spiritual experience, sometimes share nihilistic assumptions akin to those in Western thought. A deeper understanding of Being reveals that all existence is eternal and unchanging in its essence. Any view positing emergence, transformation, or annihilation of Being—including perspectives treating phenomena as illusory or transient—constitutes a form of nihilism. Such views imply that beings can arise from or return to non-being, an idea that contradicts the eternal nature of all that exists.

Yet, even within these errors, profound intuitions about the nature of reality emerge. These insights, present across Eastern and Western traditions, reflect a shared yearning to grasp the eternal. For instance, Christianity offers its belief in resurrection, affirming the enduring eternity of individuals, including their forms, as a counterpoint to nihilistic tendencies.

Ultimately, both traditions, despite their limitations, invite us to recognize the timeless, all-encompassing presence of Being. They remind us that nothing truly ceases to exist or arises from non-being; instead, all is eternally present in its essence.

This interplay between presumably fleeting illusions and eternal truths is beautifully expressed in Babette’s Feast:
“Mercy and truth have met together. Righteousness and bliss shall kiss one another. […] Everything we have chosen has been granted to us. And everything we rejected has also been granted. Yes, we even get back what we rejected. For mercy and truth have met together, and righteousness and bliss shall kiss one another.”

Such reflections reveal the infinite richness of Being, reminding us that beyond the veil of apparent contradictions lies a harmonious unity that preserves and yet transcends all distinctions.