That Which Cannot Be Simpler - Jed McKenna - Theory of Everything

THE FIRST AND LAST CHAPTERS of the trilogy were titled That Which Cannot Be Simpler. In the books we saw how that applied to the awakening process. Now we can take a look and see if that doesn't apply to deciphering reality as well.

“You’re saying it does, I suppose?” says Karl.

“Yes, that’s what I’m saying, and if I’m right about how simple it is, there should be no trouble at all in showing it to you, so that in theory, you understand it as well as I do.”

“In theory?”

“Yes, what for me is a living reality, my paradigm-of-residence, can only be theory for anyone who hasn’t made the actual journey. Short of that, we can certainly look together and see if it’s not only very simple, but that which cannot be simplified further.”

“How long do you think this will take?”

“We’re unlocking all the mysteries of creation, you can’t find some room in your schedule?”

“But if you’re saying it’s so simple...”

“Fine. Under five minutes if you play fair, seven if you obstruct.”

“Why should I obstruct?”

“Maya.”

“The dog?”

“The other one.”

“Okay, it’s two forty-seven right now. Loser buys the beer. Good beer.”

“You’re on. Do you believe that truth exists?”

“I won’t make it that easy for you.”

“Good, let’s try it the other way. Do you believe that truth does not exist?”

“I sense a trap.”

“If we say that truth does not exist, then we are saying it is true that truth does not exist; a self-nullifying statement like saying there are no absolutes. Would you agree?”

“I suppose so.”

“This much is not belief or feeling, it’s simple logic. Do you find fault with the logic?”

“No, I agree that the statement truth does not exist is a logical contradiction.”

“Therefore?”

“Based on the fact that truth cannot not exist, because it would be absurd to say that no-truth is truth is true, I agree that truth must exist. I don’t know what truth is, only that something must be true.”

“So you agree that something must be true. Regardless of what it might be, truth must exist. Yes?”

“Yes, I agree with that.”

“I don’t want to have to revisit this point because we left too soon. Do you have any reservations about agreeing that regardless of all else, something must be true?”

“I am convinced of it. No-truth can’t be true, so something must be true. Four minutes left.”

“Okay, now that we have determined that something must be true, regardless of what it might be, let’s see what else we can say. For instance, do you think it would be possible for truth to change? Could it be one thing now and another thing later?”

“If it changes it can’t possibly be true. Truth must be unchanging. Even if time comes to an end, truth must still be true or it never was.”

“Okay then, even if truth is constant beyond time, could it be one thing and not another?”

“Please provide an example.”

“Do you think truth could be something like light or love or beauty?”

“It doesn’t seem so. Those seem to be parts of something larger and cannot really exist in their own right. They need their opposites. What is light without dark? What is good without evil or love without hate? Obviously, truth cannot be a thing apart.”

“So you would agree that, whatever truth is, it must be both unchanging and whole?”

“Certainly it must be constant and unchanging, yes. And I would agree it must be a whole, not a part, because what would the other part be? A different truth? Obviously not. Untruth? Obviously not.”

“Well then, do you think truth could be a matter of perspective? Do you think my truth could be different from your truth? Can truth be relative?”

“Certainly not. We have established that truth must be universally true or it is not true at all.”

“Would you suppose truth to be finite or infinite?”

“We have established that truth cannot be finite. If there were something else besides truth, then that thing would also have to be true, in which case neither thing could be true and the actual truth would have to be some larger, all-encompassing thing. Three minutes left.”

“Patience, the one true theory of everything might take six minutes.”

“Then I will receive illumination and beer. Am I obstructing?”

“You’re being fair, but don’t be too fair. Please don’t let us pass any point on which you are still undecided. If I might summarize, we have so far determined that truth exists, yes?”

“That much is certain.”

“And we have determined that truth cannot change; it cannot be one thing now and another thing later. It has to be unchanging. Is that right?”

“Yes, I agree that truth must be unchanging or else it’s no more true than the chirp of a bird or the shape of a cloud.”

“And yet, is it not possible that whatever we discover truth to be, it must prove to be found in all things? That nothing that exists can be exempt from truth, or exist outside of truth?”

“Very possible. In fact, I must insist on it. Truth must be found in the essential nature of all that exists, and nothing can exist independently of truth. It’s absurd to suggest that something might exist in untruth.”

“And we have determined that truth cannot be a part of something larger, or half of a whole. Are we agreed on this?”

“I agree that truth cannot be limited or finite. I freely stipulate that it must be universal and unlimited, without boundaries.”

“So truth must be infinite?”

“It must be so.”

“Truth is absolute then, not part or subset or aspect?”

“Certainly. Truth must be absolute or it is not truth at all. It’s two fifty. Two minutes left.”

“Just to be clear, can there be two truths?”

“Definitively not! If one thing is absolutely true, another thing cannot also be absolutely true. If the other thing is abso

lutely true, then the first thing could not have been. It’s very simple.”

“Thank you. Would you say then that truth exists within time and space?”

“Well, it would be absurd to think so. That would make it finite and changing, but if truth is finite and changing then it’s not absolute. Therefore, truth does not exist within time and space which are both changing and impermanent.”

“So Captain Ahab was correct, in your opinion, when he said truth hath no confines?”

“It must be so, for if truth has confines, what is beyond those confines? More truth? Truth must be infinite.”

“And what of untruth? Where does that fit in?”

“It doesn’t. There can plainly be no such thing as untruth. I don’t pretend to understand it, and I cannot make it fit reality as I see it, but the logic is perfectly sound. It is beyond question that truth is absolute and that untruth does not exist. Untruth cannot be true any more than non-being can be or non-existence can exist.”

“Then, to summarize again, you agree that truth exists, and you would further say that untruth does not exist. Have we left any single point unresolved in your thinking?”

“No, just in sitting here for the last few minutes I see that because truth must be absolute, the matter is quite plain. Truth must exist and untruth cannot exist. The clock is ticking. Two fifty-one. One minute left. I fear for you.”

“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but it seems I have gone too quickly. I would take a moment now to light a cigarette and put my feet up, but I don’t smoke and my feet are already up.”

“Tick-tock. Fifty seconds.”

“But we’re practically done. We’ve determined that truth exists and must be absolute. What could be simpler? We’ve stated the first premise of an airtight syllogism: Truth is all. Do you disagree?”

“The matter is beyond rational dispute. Truth exists and untruth is not possible, so truth is all. There is only truth. It cannot be otherwise. I agree entirely.”

“So now, to determine what truth is, we need only determine what, with absolute certainty, exists. What can you say, with absolute certainty, that is true?”

“Easy, philosophy 101. I can say I Am. I know that I exist. Fifteen seconds.”

“And what is the nature of your existence?”

“The nature of my existence? Consciousness, of course. I am conscious and your time is up. I find this all very interesting and I would like to continue our conversation, but you owe me a beer. A good beer.”

“I would like to continue this conversation too, as we drink the beer you will provide because we have just solved every single mystery in existence in five minutes.”

“Did we? Then why do I still not know?”

“You do, you just haven’t realized it yet, which I don’t think should count against my five minutes, do you?”

“Not if it is as you say, but I don’t see that you have done what you claim.”

“Are you familiar with syllogisms?”

“Yes, logic; if/and/then. If all men are mortal and Socrates is a man, then Socrates is mortal.”

“Yes, that’s the famous one. Two premises; all men are mortal and Socrates is a man, prove a proposition; Socrates is mortal. If the premises are true, the proposition must be true.”

“And we created a syllogism in your five minutes?”

“We did. A stable, airtight, perfect syllogistic proof. We determined that truth is all and that consciousness exists, both as certainties, did we not?”

“Truth is all, yes. And to say I exist is the same as to say consciousness exists, yes.”

“Can you say that anything else exists?”

“No. I am quite familiar with the cogito and solipsism and your books, and I have determined this to my complete satisfaction. The only thing I know for certain is that I exist, which is the same as saying that consciousness exists.”

“And if we were to state these points syllogistically?”

“Truth is all and consciousness exists? I guess we would say if truth is all, and consciousness exists, then... ahhh, then I owe you a beer.”

“A good beer.”

.     .     .

That which cannot be simpler:

if
Truth is All

and
Consciousness Exists

then
Consciousness is All