" So… no becoming, therefore no need for becomingness?" I didn't say that.
Becoming, is a manifestation, or emanation, of Being. Therefore, the absolute, attributeless, formless truth (Being). and, the Form that Being manifests into (i.e., Becoming), are never separate. If there is even a nanometer of separation between the two....then it's not truth. On Sat, Jan 17, 2026 at 8:46 PM Ernest Prabhakar <[email protected]> wrote: > Thanks for the clarification. > > So… no becoming, therefore no need for becomingness? > > If anything, that would be “unbecoming”. :-) > > Sent from my iPhone > > On Jan 17, 2026, at 10:10, Beaches & Nature fan <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > No, no circle at all. No "going somewhere, to get somewhere", at all. > > The Absolute Truth - whatever name we want to call it: Brahman, Tao, > Buddha Nature, or other names - is already here and now. > > Therefore, there is nothing to "attain", it is only about *realizing it,* > not attaining or "getting" it. > > On Sat, Jan 17, 2026 at 2:14 AM Ernest Prabhakar < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> But is there a sense of genuine progression, versus mere circularity — or >> return? >> Sent from my iPhone >> >> On Jan 16, 2026, at 22:58, Beaches & Nature fan <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> >> >> Interesting stuff. >> >> I know in some of the nondual traditions, the absolute truth, i..e, the >> ultimate reality, cannot be perceived by the mind or senses. >> However, simultaneously, this ultimate reality is **everything**, without >> being exclusively any one thing. >> >> In Buddhism, there is the phrase "form is none other than emptiness, and >> emptiness is none other than form", in the Heart Sutra. Emptiness and Form, >> therefore, are never divorced. >> >> In Advaita Vedanta, there is Nirguna Brahman, i.e. the "formless >> Brahman", and Saguna Brahman, i.e., Brahman with form, with attributes. >> Nirguna and Saguna are never divorced. >> >> Thus, Being and Becoming, while both are vital, are never divorced. There >> is not even a nanometer of separation. >> >> >> On Fri, Jan 16, 2026 at 1:43 AM Ernest Prabhakar < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >>> What it would take to solve the metacrisis… >>> >>> >>> >>> https://2transform.us/2026/01/15/becomingness-the-unthinkable-metaphysic-we-need-now/ >>> >>> Becomingness: The Unthinkable Metaphysic We Need Now >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> January 15, 2026 >>> <https://2transform.us/2026/01/15/becomingness-the-unthinkable-metaphysic-we-need-now/> >>> >>> Write as Pierre Hadot <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Hadot> >>> about how this solves modernity’s metacrisis >>> <https://www.artberman.com/blog/metacrisis-getting-honest-about-the-human-predicament/>. >>> >>> ChatGPT Prompt (condensed) >>> >>> I. Philosophy as a Way of Life, Not a Theory >>> >>> Modern philosophy has forgotten something essential: >>> philosophy was never primarily a discourse *about* reality. >>> It was a *practice that transformed the one who engaged in it*. >>> >>> In antiquity, metaphysics was inseparable from *formation*. >>> To speak of reality was already to be invited into a different way of >>> living within it. >>> >>> From this perspective, the contemporary fixation on *Being* or >>> *Non-being* is not merely an intellectual error. >>> It is a *spiritual displacement*. >>> >>> What has been lost is not a concept, but an *exercise*. >>> II. The Blind Spot of Being >>> >>> Western philosophy, beginning with *Parmenides >>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parmenides>* and systematized by *Plato >>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plato>* and *Aristotle >>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristotle>*, sought stability. >>> >>> To know reality meant to grasp what *is*. >>> >>> This produced extraordinary achievements: >>> >>> - logic >>> - science >>> - metaphysics >>> - law >>> >>> But it also imposed a silent cost. >>> >>> Reality became something to be *described*, not *entered*. >>> Truth became something to be *stated*, not *undergone*. >>> >>> The question *“What is real?”* replaced the more ancient and more >>> dangerous question: >>> >>> *“What kind of life allows one to participate more fully in reality?”* >>> >>> III. Why Becoming Was Never Enough >>> >>> Some modern thinkers attempted a correction by emphasizing *becoming*: >>> >>> - *Heraclitus <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heraclitus>* in >>> fragments >>> - *Alfred North Whitehead >>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_North_Whitehead>* in process >>> - *Gilles Deleuze <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilles_Deleuze>* in >>> flux >>> >>> But becoming, left to itself, dissolves into neutrality. >>> >>> If everything becomes, then *nothing is at stake*. >>> >>> Ancient philosophy never accepted this neutrality. >>> Change was always judged by whether it led *upward or downward*, toward >>> *truth >>> or dispersion*, *integration or loss*. >>> >>> What was missing was not the idea of becoming, but a way to speak of *better >>> and worse forms of becoming without freezing them into static states*. >>> IV. Becomingness as a Spiritual Category >>> >>> *Becomingness* names precisely this forgotten dimension. >>> >>> Not: >>> >>> - being >>> - non-being >>> - mere change >>> >>> But *the degree to which a life remains capable of further >>> transformation toward truth, unity, and participation*. >>> >>> This is not a theoretical abstraction. >>> It is a *lived criterion*. >>> >>> Ancient philosophers would have recognized it immediately—not as a >>> doctrine, but as a *measure of spiritual progress*. >>> >>> - Is the soul more unified or more scattered? >>> - More attentive or more distracted? >>> - More capable of communion or more enclosed in itself? >>> >>> These were never answered conceptually. >>> They were answered *existentially*. >>> V. Spiritual Exercises as the Guardians of Becomingness >>> >>> In the ancient schools, philosophy consisted of *spiritual exercises >>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_exercise_(philosophy)>*: >>> >>> - attention >>> - self-examination >>> - contemplation >>> - dialogue >>> - disciplined desire >>> >>> Their function was not moral improvement in the modern sense. >>> >>> Their function was to *increase becomingness*: >>> >>> - to enlarge the soul’s capacity to receive reality >>> - to prevent the hardening and closure that makes further >>> transformation impossible >>> >>> From this perspective, vice is not primarily “*wrong action*.” >>> It is *the consumption of becomingness*. >>> >>> And virtue is not rule-following. >>> It is *the preservation and intensification of the soul’s openness to >>> the real*. >>> VI. Why This Metaphysic Is “Unthinkable” >>> >>> Modern philosophy resists becomingness because it cannot be cleanly >>> systematized. >>> >>> Becomingness: >>> >>> - unfolds in time >>> - resists final definition >>> - implies irreversible loss and growth >>> - binds truth to practice >>> >>> It therefore *cannot be safely contained within academic discourse*. >>> >>> It demands something more unsettling: >>> >>> that philosophy once again become a *way of life*. >>> >>> VII. Why We Need It Now >>> >>> Contemporary culture offers: >>> >>> - endless experiences >>> - unlimited information >>> - constant stimulation >>> >>> Yet it quietly destroys becomingness. >>> >>> People feel intense, but become shallow. >>> They choose constantly, but are formed by nothing. >>> They desire endlessly, but become less capable of transformation. >>> >>> This is not a crisis of meaning. >>> It is a crisis of *ontological formation*. >>> >>> Becomingness names what is actually at risk. >>> VIII. A Final Ancient Insight >>> >>> The ancient philosophers never asked whether a doctrine was *true* in >>> isolation. >>> >>> They asked: >>> >>> *Does this way of thinking make one more capable of living in truth?* >>> >>> By that criterion, *becomingness* is not merely plausible. >>> It is necessary. >>> >>> Not because it solves a theoretical problem, >>> but because it restores philosophy to its original vocation: >>> >>> *the slow, demanding, and irreversible formation of a life capable of >>> reality.* >>> ------------------------------ >>> Appendix: Pierre Hadot >>> >>> Who, When, Why >>> ChatGPT Prompt >>> >>> A. Who >>> >>> *Pierre Hadot <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Hadot>* (*1922–2010*) >>> was a French philosopher and historian of ancient philosophy best known for >>> radically reframing what philosophy *is*. >>> >>> He argued that, in antiquity, philosophy was not primarily: >>> >>> - a system of doctrines >>> - a theoretical discipline >>> - an academic specialization >>> >>> but a *way of life*, sustained through *practices* meant to transform >>> perception, desire, and character. >>> >>> Key identity markers: >>> >>> - Historian of *ancient philosophy >>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_philosophy>* >>> - Interpreter of *Stoicism <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoicism>*, >>> *Platonism <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platonism>*, and *Neoplatonism >>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoplatonism>* >>> - Bridge between classical philosophy and *spiritual formation >>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_formation>* >>> - Major influence on contemporary thinkers across theology, >>> philosophy, and cultural theory >>> >>> ------------------------------ >>> B. When >>> >>> - *Born:* 1922, Reims, France >>> - *Died:* 2010 >>> - *Active intellectually:* 1950s–2000s >>> >>> Historical context matters: >>> >>> - Formed in post–World War II Europe (*World War II >>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II>*) >>> - Witnessed: >>> - the collapse of grand metaphysical systems >>> - the rise of *analytic philosophy >>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analytic_philosophy>* and >>> *structuralism >>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structuralism>* >>> - the professionalization of philosophy within the modern >>> university (*philosophy of education >>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy_of_education>*) >>> >>> Hadot’s work is, in part, a response to the modern loss of philosophy’s >>> *formative >>> and existential power*. >>> ------------------------------ >>> C. Why He Matters C.1 His Central Insight >>> >>> Hadot’s core claim can be stated simply: >>> >>> *Ancient philosophy aimed at the transformation of the subject, not the >>> construction of theories.* >>> >>> Doctrines existed to *support practices*, not replace them. >>> >>> This reframes: >>> >>> - ethics → *formation >>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_education>* >>> - metaphysics → *orientation >>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teleology>* >>> - truth → *lived participation >>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participation_(philosophy)>* >>> >>> This is why his work resonates so strongly with the concept of >>> *becomingness*. >>> ------------------------------ >>> C.2 Spiritual Exercises >>> >>> Hadot recovered the idea of *spiritual exercises >>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_exercise_(philosophy)>* — >>> concrete practices meant to reshape how one inhabits reality. >>> >>> Examples include: >>> >>> - *attention <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention>* to the >>> present moment >>> - imaginative rehearsal of loss or death (*memento mori >>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memento_mori>*) >>> - *self-examination <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Introspection>* >>> - *dialogue <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socratic_method>* >>> - contemplative perception of the whole (*contemplation >>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contemplation>*) >>> >>> These were not “*techniques for happiness*,” but *ontological >>> disciplines* — ways of increasing one’s capacity to live truthfully. >>> ------------------------------ >>> C.3 Key Works >>> >>> - *Philosophy as a Way of Life >>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy_as_a_Way_of_Life>* (*1995*) >>> - *What Is Ancient Philosophy? >>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_Is_Ancient_Philosophy%3F>* ( >>> *1995*) >>> - *The Inner Citadel >>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Inner_Citadel>* — a study of *Marcus >>> Aurelius <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Aurelius>* and *Stoic >>> philosophy <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoic_philosophy>* >>> >>> Across these works, Hadot shows that: >>> >>> - philosophical schools were *formative communities* >>> - doctrines were *pedagogical tools* >>> - truth was inseparable from *practice* >>> >>> ------------------------------ >>> C.4 Why He Fits *Becomingness* So Cleanly >>> >>> Hadot never used the word *becomingness*, but his entire project >>> presupposes it. >>> >>> He assumes: >>> >>> - reality can be participated in *more or less* (*degrees of being >>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_chain_of_being>*) >>> - the soul can become *more unified or more dispersed* >>> - practices can *increase or diminish one’s capacity for truth* >>> - time and repetition matter ontologically (*habit >>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habit>*) >>> >>> In the language of becomingness: >>> >>> - spiritual exercises *increase becomingness* >>> - distraction, vice, and mere experience *consume it* >>> >>> Hadot gives historical legitimacy to this claim without freezing it into >>> metaphysical abstraction. >>> ------------------------------ >>> D. Why Hadot Is Increasingly Relevant Now >>> >>> Hadot becomes urgent in late *modernity >>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modernity>* because: >>> >>> - belief no longer reliably forms people >>> - information no longer produces wisdom (*information overload >>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_overload>*) >>> - experience no longer guarantees transformation >>> >>> What remains effective are *formative practices*. >>> >>> Hadot provides: >>> >>> - a vocabulary for non-coercive formation >>> - a model of philosophy beyond ideology >>> - a way to speak about meaning without reducing it to emotion or >>> opinion >>> >>> ------------------------------ >>> E. One-Line Summary >>> >>> If the modern crisis is that people are *experiencing more and becoming >>> less*, >>> Pierre Hadot reminds us that philosophy originally existed to ensure the >>> opposite. >>> >>> That is why he would recognize *becomingness* not as a theory, >>> but as a *recovered truth about what philosophy is for*. >>> >>> Sent from my iPhone >>> >>> -- >>> -- >>> Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community < >>> [email protected]> >>> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism >>> Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org >>> >>> --- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>> an email to [email protected]. >>> To view this discussion visit >>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/RadicalCentrism/E217060B-19BC-4B55-B947-722EE12452DF%40gmail.com >>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/RadicalCentrism/E217060B-19BC-4B55-B947-722EE12452DF%40gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>> . >>> >> -- >> -- >> Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community < >> [email protected]> >> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism >> Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org >> >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> To view this discussion visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/RadicalCentrism/CAK2f1434L-zmd01akpLSfZzhKXuB9s9g9-y5itxNxYLYQYn%3D7Q%40mail.gmail.com >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/RadicalCentrism/CAK2f1434L-zmd01akpLSfZzhKXuB9s9g9-y5itxNxYLYQYn%3D7Q%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> . >> >> -- >> -- >> Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community < >> [email protected]> >> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism >> Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org >> >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> To view this discussion visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/RadicalCentrism/3CC70282-743C-4F16-B641-2A14E238B4CB%40gmail.com >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/RadicalCentrism/3CC70282-743C-4F16-B641-2A14E238B4CB%40gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> . >> > -- > -- > Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community < > [email protected]> > Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism > Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org > > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/RadicalCentrism/CAK2f142S_RtfePgVqgOcTZLZbOjmzP-k%3DcrEm4u18az36ye-dA%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/RadicalCentrism/CAK2f142S_RtfePgVqgOcTZLZbOjmzP-k%3DcrEm4u18az36ye-dA%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > > -- > -- > Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community < > [email protected]> > Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism > Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org > > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/RadicalCentrism/1AAEE381-4230-4190-B9AD-CEA733EEF295%40gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/RadicalCentrism/1AAEE381-4230-4190-B9AD-CEA733EEF295%40gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community" group. 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