An Exquisite Lie: Zodiac (Still Under Construction)

The Boat and the Anchor

Prologue

THE BOAT AND THE ANCHOR

Life and existence-- both are mattering words that are understood by men.   

However, no exact definition for these words could be derived. They cannot be defined substantially. Not through science. Still, as a person is alive and existing, he could denote his own definition. Nevertheless, if a person is to define these words, he has to be alive and existing. It would be difficult for a person who is neither living nor existing to imagine what life and existence are. Difficult like for the blind to imagine the color blue. For instance, since I am living, I am able to write what thoughts I may have in mind; I could give my own definition.

Life and existence coincide together in this universe, but they are not interdependent. Life can occur without existence, and existence can occur without life.

Though difficult to imagine, a life without existence could exist. To live is not only to breathe and grow, or to need and want. A novel with its story could be alive as the characters take life by their selves without having to exist in this universe. As long as a being considers himself or itself to be voyaging towards a certain destination, the reason and purpose of his life, he or it is alive. So, life is a boat sailing through the universe, which is its ocean.

Every journey begins austere; the main character is introduced. Eventually, it blooms into complexity as it mingles with its environment; the main character meeting other characters. One life creates networks with others, obtaining more meaning. Then, the journey becomes a quest as the person finds purpose and dwells deep into his world to try and fulfill it. As he dwells deeper, he learns that his world is a vigorous ocean, and if he persists on continuing his quest, he might as likely be hurt. At this point, he could either end his quest or continue. Either way, he would die.

By continuing, all the dangers of the ocean are capable of destroying his boat, and that could kill him. If he survives, he would be able to reach his destination, and then die. However, he would die pleasantly for he was able to fulfill his quest with honor.

By choosing to end his quest, he wouldn’t be voyaging towards his destination any longer. So, he dies because he is no longer considered as alive. Even so, his death might either be temporary, if he realizes that he needs to continue with his quest, or permanent, if he gives up and die without even trying.

The reason why his quest became so perilous and seemed so difficult to fulfill is because he had been sailing with his anchor dropped hooking onto the seabed. The anchor is existence. Existence bounds life to the material world, hooking it to the reality. Without it, life would become unstable, nothing to support it on its journey.

Anchored to the material world, a person has everything it needs to survive; food, shelter, money, family, food, fame, and so on.  Still, this anchor confounded him, and it became a hindrance for fulfilling his quest. In some instances, he gets blinded by the pleasures that he is anchored to, and forgets all about his quest. If he learns to gradually let go of this pleasures and lift his anchor, his quest would be much easier and more meaningful. Yet if he stays, he is dead as well.

Death is only the intermediate between the anchored phase and the free phase of life, not the end of it. Through death, either by fulfilling or abolishing his quest, the anchor is automatically lifted. By then, he has only existed now. The boat sails freely, without direction. In this ocean where the boat sails freely, there are no more perils, but only if he has fulfilled his quest. If he died by abolishing his quest, his boat sails freely also. Just that it sails towards the perils of the ocean without any support or leverage.

This is my definition that may be persecuted or disagreed upon by others, but this is how life and existence appear to me. They appear to me as a boat and an anchor.