Once in an Eternity

1. Proposition I: On the State of the Individual and the World

   
   

   In the course of human existence, it is observed that the individual, by nature, does not understand the causes which lead him into the present state of his life. The individual may, at times, find himself dwelling in a house of beauty and comfort, in another part of the world, surrounded by wealth and companionship, yet the individual is unaware of the path which led him to this station. It is an unfortunate truth that the individual is often blind to the causal chain that has determined his current condition.
   

2. Proposition II: On the Influence of Time and Events

   
   

   The course of time, which ever moves onward, causes the individual to forget the origin of his present state. Days pass, unmarked and unnoticed as water flowing beneath the surface of the earth. The individual, engaged in his daily affairs, permits himself to be carried along by the flow of time, allowing the days to pass as though they were of no consequence. And in so doing, the individual is constrained by his ignorance, for he does not reflect upon the nature of his existence or the causes of his situation.
   

3. Proposition III: On the Illusion of Control and the Nature of Material Wealth

   
   

   The individual may find himself behind the wheel of an automobile, a large and seemingly powerful machine. Yet, it is not the individual who controls the automobile; rather, the automobile, through its mechanical nature, exerts influence upon him. Similarly, the individual may inhabit a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife, surrounded by wealth and luxury, yet the very wealth he possesses has commandeered his desires and actions. The appearance of mastery is but an illusion, for the individual is governed not by his own will but by the circumstances which have shaped his life.
   

4. Proposition IV: On the Nature of Desire and its Corruption

   
   

   It is within the nature of the individual to desire, and to desire is to be ensnared by the world. The individual, when faced with the objects of his desires — be it a beautiful wife, a splendid home, or the possession of wealth — may ask himself, “Well, how did I get here?” Yet, this question is not one of understanding, but of confusion. For the individual has not arrived at his present state by his own will, but by the deterministic nature of the universe. His desires have led him, through causes unknown, to his present condition. In asking, “How did I get here?” he betrays his ignorance of the true nature of the forces that have led him into the blue again, after the money’s gone. Once in a lifetime, water flowing underground.
   

5. Proposition V: On the Illusory Nature of Personal Identity

   
   

   The individual, when confronted with his own reflection in the world, may come to declare, “This is not my beautiful house,” or “This is not my beautiful wife.” Yet, these declarations are not born of a genuine recognition of self but of a failure to understand the nature of his existence. The individual, in his ignorance, believes himself to be separate from the world and its objects, but in truth, he is but a part of the whole. The house is his, the wife is his, and yet none of these are truly his, for they are all part of the greater, impersonal flow of life and the universe. Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was.
   

6. Proposition VI: On the Necessity of the Flow of Time and the Persistence of the Same

   
   

   It is a fundamental characteristic of existence that the same events repeat in their cycles, as water flows beneath the surface, ever unchanged in its essence. The individual may believe that he is advancing, but in truth, he is merely repeating the same actions, the same desires, and the same mistakes. What he perceives as progress is but the continuation of the same patterns. This is the nature of time: it is not a linear progression, but a circle, in which the individual is caught. Water dissolving and water removing until time begins running in circles, like wavelets over the water, under the water, carrying the water, and so the beginning is where the end is, and the two are the same, and one thing runs into the next and time goes round and around, water dissolving and water removing, same as it ever was, same as it ever was.
   

7. Proposition VII: On the Flow of Water and the Dissolution of All Things

   
   

   Water, which flows beneath the surface of the earth, dissolves and removes that which is not necessary for its own movement. Similarly, the individual is carried along by the flow of time, dissolving the barriers between himself and the world around him. The individual, like water, is subject to the forces of nature, and though he may attempt to resist, he is ultimately dissolved in the flow of existence. It is this dissolution that permits the universe to continue its endless cycle, a cycle in which the individual is but a passing moment, a fleeting wavelet upon the surface of the vast ocean of being. Letting the days go by, letting the water hold him down. Letting the days go by, water flowing underground.
   

8. Proposition VIII: On the Nature of Reflection and the Illusion of Free Will

   
   

   The individual, in his moments of reflection, may ask himself, “My God, what have I done?” He may wonder if his actions were right or wrong, and whether he possesses the power to change the course of his life. Yet, this reflection is itself an illusion. For the individual is not free in the sense that he believes. His actions are determined by the causes that precede them, and the apparent choices he makes are but the results of those causes. To believe in free will is to misunderstand the nature of existence. The individual is but a part of a greater system, a system which operates according to immutable laws.

   
   

9. Proposition IX: On the Nature of Understanding and the Pursuit of Knowledge

   
   

   It is in the nature of the individual to seek understanding, to desire knowledge of the world and the causes of his existence. Yet, this pursuit is fraught with difficulty, for the individual is often blinded by his own desires and his own ignorance. True understanding is not to be found in the answers to his questions but in the realization that the answers are not his to control. The individual must come to recognize that his life is but a part of a greater whole, and that his desires, his questions, and his sense of self are all part of the vast and impersonal system of nature.

   
   

10. Proposition X: On the Finality of the Flow of Time and the Inescapability of Fate

    
    

    The individual may ask himself, “What is that beautiful house?” He may ask himself, “Where does that highway go to?” And he may ask himself, “Am I right, am I wrong? But finally, he must accept the truth that time, like water, flows without ceasing underground, and that he is powerless to alter its course. The money that he has sought, the possessions that he has acquired, and the relationships that he has formed — all of these will pass away, as water flows beneath the earth. The individual, though he may seek to understand or change his situation, is bound by the laws of nature, and must come to terms with the inevitability of his fate. In the end, all is the same as it ever was, and the flow of time, like the flow of water, continues without end. Letting the days go by, letting the water hold him down. Letting the days go by, water flowing underground.

    
    

    Conclusion

    
    

    Whatever happens is part of the eternal timeless world as God sees it; to Him, the date is irrelevant. The wise person, so far as human finitude allows, endeavours to see the world as God sees it, sub specie eternitatis, under the aspect of eternity. Only ignorance makes us think that we can alter the future. What will be will be, and the future is as unalterably fixed as the past, however much one endeavours to run run run run run run run away. Psycho killer, qu’est-ce que c’est?