Orientation North: 1. The Absolute

1. The relationship between reality and the absolute is the universal problem of spirit.

2. Depending on the answer to this problem, the fate of the very authenticity of spirit is decided.

3. If reality as a whole is indeed the absolute, then spirit is ephemeral.

4. This conclusion is inevitable, since the character of spirit lies in its claim to a certain exclusivity.

5. This exclusivity of spirit consists in its non-identification with the elemental forces of global inertia.

6. Thus, spirit, as an active principle, stands in some opposition to reality.

7. In respect of absolute reality, such opposition would be reduced to an empty illusion.

8. In this case, reality would include spirit as an extension of its all-encompassing rest.

9. The nature of spirit would then have no fundamental qualitative difference from all other aspects of reality.

10. This means that all the difference between the non-spiritual and spiritual would be reduced to a difference in degree.

11. In this case, the spiritual would be the active essence of the non-spiritual, the maximum of that inertia which characterizes reality.

12. For such a spiritual principle, the very idea of its exclusivity would be essentially impossible.

13. Thus, the position of spirit's independence from reality itself indicates that reality is not absolute.

14. Reality is that, which possesses feeling¹Feeling (principle of feeling) — Переживание (принцип переживания). Untranslatable term, especially when it should be contrasted with 'experience'. Equal to German 'Erlebnis'. Could be translated as 'living feeling'; most popular technical translation of 'Erlebnis' is 'living experience'.Перейти, or in relation to which feeling is possible.

15. Any possible state of reality is ultimately based on the principle of feeling.

16. Thus, reality as a whole is nothing more than the total expression of the principle of feeling.

17. Consciousness, knowledge, and experience are the three modes of manifestation of this principle.

18. Consciousness, in the broadest sense, is how reality views itself in all its particularities.

19. This vision in fact embodies reality's universal opinion of itself.

20. Knowledge is a particular and relative manifestation of consciousness, inherent to a certain layer of reality.

21. Knowledge embodies the status of a certain layer of reality according to this universal opinion.

22. In experience consciousness manifests in the most elementary way.

23. In the broadest sense, experience is the internal subjective taste of the ontological situation.

24. The possibility of feelings is the boundary between what is and what is not.

25. The principle of feeling dominates the entire ontological sphere.

26. This means that only that which relates to feeling has existential status.

27. Feeling, as an absolute criterion of reality, always contains a reference to this.

28. In other words, the factual fabric of any feeling is always the actuality of here and now.

29. Thus, the reality (which embodies the principle of feeling in totality) is always this.

30. The constancy and omnipresence of this prevails over the hierarchy of all planes that make up the global whole.

31. The hierarchical layers of reality are not so much closed, independent spheres as they are different projections of the relationship of a single reality to itself.

32. These layers could be seen as different directions of looking at the same reality, from a single point.

33. The quality of this is completely unchanging regardless of the direction of looking.

34. It is this quality that gives all directions of looking uniformity and consistency.

35. Thus, reality turns out to be the infinity of this, directly open and accessible to itself in all its aspects.

36. The ultimate metaphysical result of reality's relationship to itself is its global immanentism.

37. The essence of the opposition of spirit to reality, as this, lies in the fact that spirit carries within itself the thought of something other.

38. In its most general form, this thought implies that which is not controlled by the principle of feeling.

39. That which is outside the relation to feeling, abides outside of experience, knowledge, and consciousness.

40. From the point of view of the principle of feeling, OTHER is exactly that which does not exist.

41. The negative status of OTHER in relation to the principle of feeling is expressed in that OTHER is given through the absence of feeling, in null experience.

42. Thus, reality built on the principle of feeling cannot carry even a hint of the thought of OTHER.

43. Concerning OTHER, reality rests in perfect peace of ignorance.

44. Since the thought of OTHER is the essence of spirit, its opposition is nothing else than an orientation to out-of-reality.

45. Spirit opposes reality precisely because the principle of feeling is hiddenly limited by its ignorance of OTHER.

46. From the point of view of spirit, the immanent this, as the most universal aspect of reality, is always and exclusively not-other.

47. In other words, reality cannot be absolute, because spirit assumes something else apart from it.

48. It means that reality isn't endowed with the quality of abundance.

49. The self-sufficiency of reality does not in itself imply its abundancy.

50. This self-sufficiency is, essentially, a hermetic sealedness from which the thought of OTHER is excluded.

51. The self-sufficiency embodies the perfect fullness of reality in relation to itself.

52. This perfect fullness coincides in principle with the all-encompassing sphere of the possible.

53. However, the possible always presupposes impossibility as its metaphysical alternative.

54. This alternative immediately subtracts the quality of abundance from the sphere of the possible.

55. Abundance is that which requires nothing OTHER apart from itself.

56. Thus, the quality of abundance can be attributed only to the genuine absolute.

57. Since the self-sufficient fullness of reality is not absolute, the absolute that abides in abundance is unconditionally extrareal.

58. The sameness of the real and the possible presupposes the sameness of the absolute and metaphysical impossibility.

59. Since reality is determined by the principle of feeling, in regard to the absolute the pure and simple absence of feeling should be assumed.

60. Thus, the absolute is totally OTHER, having no contact whatsoever with reality.

61. Reality, as the integral unity of all modes of existence, is devoid of the non-existent absolute.

62. Ultimately, reality is the metaphysical expression of this non-existence.

63. Spirit stands in opposition to reality because it is oriented toward a perspective of luxury, inherent to it alone.

64. This luxury can only be embodied as an absolute abundance, impossible in reality.

65. Therefore all the self-sufficient fullness of reality, from the point of view of spirit, turns out as the immensity of its inner poverty.

66. Since reality knows nothing about OTHER, everything it knows about itself is, from the point of view of spirit, devoid of any value.

67. By its principled orientation, spirit is not in solidarity with any feeling of reality about itself.

68. From this point of view, any feeling always finds its final grounding in total cosmic arbitrariness.

69. Reality's universal opinion of itself is determined only by the decree of this arbitrariness.

70. Ultimately, the all-encompassing self-consciousness of reality is characterized by a fundamental unspirituality.

71. Reality as a whole abides in a profane sleep.

72. The abyss between the real this and absolute OTHER is the abyss between an inescapable dream and a complete awakening.