Stream Of Existence (Ροή της Ύπαρξης)
-From The Meletic Scrolls.
Is all physicality a fleeting pattern in the stream of existence? How should we regard the physical in light of the eternal ousia?
Can we grasp the eternal in the midst of impermanence? As we flow through the stream, what then vestiges of ourselves remain?
In the philosophical structure of Meleticism, the notion of existence is not a static condition, but it is rather a continual unfolding, a movement, a stream that carries all phenomena along its active current. This concept, the stream of existence, challenges us to reconsider the true nature of the physical world. What we call the 'material' is not fixed or absolute; it is transient, shaped by conditions and dissolving back into the natural flow of time and being. In contrast, the ousia, our true essence remains untouched, eternal and indivisible in its nature. The contrast between the fleeting and the eternal forms the basis of our contemplation.
To understand the stream, one must first observe its natural flow. Everything in our material reality is subject to birth, change, decay and dissolution. The body, for example is born, grows, ages and eventually ceases to function in its duration. Nature too undergoes constant transformation, such as leaves that fall, rivers that shift course, mountains that erode. Even the stars burn out in time. Despite this ceaseless change, there is an undeniable sense of continuity and presence that seems to persist. The stream of existence is not simply a mere metaphor for time; it is the rhythm of all life and movement, an ontological current in which the physical is momentarily shaped.
This is not to say that the physical is without actual meaning or importance. On the contrary, the physical is where the ousia reveals itself in part, much as light passing through a prism creates an array of colours from a single source. Physical reality provides the context for experience, growth, sensation and relevance. It allows us to perceive time, contrast and duality. All of which deepen our understanding of (To Ένa) the One, and our own mortal existence. However, Meletic reflection reminds us that these physical manifestations are only images, not the full presence.
So, if the physical is but a fleeting expression, what should our attitude towards it be? Should we reject the material as illusory or unimportant? Meleticism does not advocate ascetic denial or disdain for the physical. Rather, it proposes a posture of awareness and humility. We are to appreciate the beauty, temporality and significance of the physical world, whilst recognising its impermanence. This is a discipline of balance: to live in that physical world fully, whilst not clinging to it as absolute.
The eternal ousia, as understood in Meletic thought is not another 'thing' or substance beyond reach, but the intrinsic essence of being that underlies all essential form. It is the presence of an existence without decay. It is what remains when all attributes are stripped away, when time and identity dissolve. The ousia cannot be perceived through physical senses alone or measured completely by empirical means. It must be contemplated through the higher faculties, through deep awareness, reflection and the meditative stillness that allows the truth to emerge from silence.
To regard the physical in light of the eternal ousia is to witness reality through a dual lens, which is appreciating the form whilst perceiving the formless within it. Every person, object, event and experience becomes a manifestation of the stream. A part of the metaphysical theatre of being, where the One expresses itself through sheer multiplicity. And yet, we must not become confused by this manifestation. As the Meletic practitioner learns to observe life, study what is seen, and reflect on what it means, so too must the Meletic learn to see beyond mere appearances.
This insight calls for an immediate shift in how we relate to identity, possession and even memory. The identities we construct, the names, roles and histories are structures built along the riverbank of memory. They assist us, certainly, but they are not the stream itself. The possessions we acquire are momentary companions, not foundations of being. Even memory, which often feels like the most intimate part of selfhood is a collection of moments carried by the stream. The eternal ousia remains deeper than these, untouched by the rising tides of time.
In this view, death itself is not an end but a return. The cessation of the body is not a vanishing, but a dissolution of form back into formlessness. The stream continues. What we call 'I' ceases to be in the way we recognise, but the ousia remains beyond name, beyond fear, beyond grasp. There is reflection in this understanding, a profound tranquillity that dispels the illusions of loss. All that arises, arises within the stream; and all that passes, returns to the original source.
How then shall we live? The Meletic answer is not to withdraw, but to engage life with consciousness. To walk through the world with both eyes open; one on the present form, the other on the formless truth. It is to live without obsession, to strive without material attachment, and to witness each moment as a progressing movement of the stream. This is not a rejection of the world, but a reorientation of virtues. Beauty is no less beautiful for being fleeting; indeed, it is often more so the case.
The stream of existence teaches us presence. It calls us to be here, now. It is not grasping at permanence but finding serenity in transience. The stream does not resist its own flow; it moves with harmony. In the same way, the Meletic way is one of harmony with existence, and of flowing with the moment whilst holding awareness of the eternal. This becomes a daily practice: to wake and remember, to act with reflection and to rest in the silence beneath thought.
In that silence, we may hear the murmur of the Logos, which is the order of the cosmos, whose patterns control the stream. We may sense the Nous, which is the cosmic shaper that gives form to formlessness, arranging matter into existence, essence into expression. To Ena is not a being but being itself. Instead, it is the source from which all flows and to which all returns. Thus, to live with Meletic awareness is to remember our origin and destiny simultaneously: not in future time, but in each breath that is taken.
Moreover, as we contemplate the stream, we may see others not as separate islands, but as fellow currents within the same eternal movement. Compassion arises not from superiority or obligation, but from a recognition of shared origin. When we see the physical form of another, be it human, animal or tree, we are witnessing the One in flux; its influence made briefly visible. This vision transforms our interactions, rendering them profound in the sense of interconnection with universal existence.
This insight can alter how we approach pain, loss and uncertainty. These experiences, whilst deeply felt are not outside the stream; instead, they are part of it. They are not punishments or misfortunes from a divine agent, but aspects of being that challenge and refine our awareness. Suffering is never glorified in Meleticism, but it is understood. It is faced not with passive resignation, but with active clarity. The stream carries joy and sorrow alike; the Meletic path teaches us to navigate both without losing sight of the whole.
The stream of existence offers us not an escape from the physical world, but a deeper entry into its actual meaning. It inspires us to see through impermanence, not with cynicism but with reverence. In every moment, something of the eternal is speaking, if we are willing to listen. And through this listening, this cultivation of presence, humility and stillness, we may live not only in the world, but with it, through it, and beyond it, as true expressions of the ousia, flowing back towards the source that is To Ena. It is to question reality and to understand the perceptions that we have of existence.
To live in the stream of existence is to realise that we are beings that coexist with time, the cosmos and reality. Our ousia resides with our physicality, but its essence transcends the body. The body is but a sojourn for the ousia. The body could never retain forever our true essence. The eternal ousia is a flame that flickers amidst the fleeting embers of physicality.
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