On individual vs. communal research

[pillarofruin]

Some people begin, as alchemists, by wanting to honour the divine that they see everywhere in this world. Some people begin by glimpsing the divine and wanting to transmute this world into it. To begin by raising what is below, or bringing down what is above-- depending on one's temperament, one impulse or another may be dominant

Comments

[thewishfire]

But the worst danger, I think, is forgetting that these two processes can and must be undertaken together.

Hmm, that's... perhaps part of the meaning of "as above, so below", right? That whatever is done above must also be done below, and vice versa? That if you want to change one thing, you can't neglect the other?

I think I sort of understand what you mean... if all you cared about when it came to the below was bringing it up, then you'd just sort of be at risk of neglecting it and treating it badly until it was what you wanted it to be, right? But if you only cared about the above in terms of what it could do for the things we know now... I don't know, that would seem... very limiting... like bringing everything down to your level, going against the flow of transformation, maybe?

Haha, I always learn so much from your lectures, sensei. You're so strict, but... I always come away feeling like I was told something I really needed to know.

[pillarofruin]

That is part of it, yes. But also, we must remember the power of what we're accomplishing. The ability to change the world so fundamentally must be taken with an equally strong understanding.

Remember that, Vayne. Using a power strong enough that it changes the very nature of things, so that even the balance this world rests on is capable of being upset, may be devastating if not tempered with divine perfection. It isn't something you can be complacent about using.

[thewishfire]

Devastating.... Ahaha, no one ever tells me things like this. I mean, I know Jess is liable to blow things up sometimes, but the idea that what we're doing could be dangerous.... I mean, it's such a positive thing, isn't it? Transcendence... making the world a better place... it all just feels so pure and beautiful. I guess I never thought of it like this before.

A power that strong... yet not tempered with divine perfection.... Can such a thing even make sense...?

I will remember, though, Isolde-sensei. Thank you... I don't know what I'd do without your teaching.

[pillarofruin]

It is always the imperfections that cause problems, not the transcendence itself. Living in an imperfect world is what really causes the problems; we want to improve things, yet improving something halfway, or failing to take into account the reactions it will have with its surroundings, is not really perfecting it.

Can such a thing make sense? I hope that it couldn't happen. That would, of course, be ideal.

[thewishfire]

I think I get that.... Until you're really there, you have to be careful. Not to assume too much about your own ability to know right from wrong....

Especially if what I'm going through right now really is to do with my alchemy... I'll be careful not to make any assumptions.