The path of irrationality, interestingly enough, has fostered the development of multi-dimensional gnosticism (or multi-dimensional culturalism). For in opposing the continuation of reason and gnosis, this path also limits itself. By placing wisdom beneath power, the communion between wisdom and the spiritual world is severed—a communion that is one of the very qualities that makes us who we are. What we face now is a completely different landscape, one utterly contrary to the ideals of the gnostic-centrists and the vision once imagined by the classical rationalists. The classical rationalists had hoped to found their systems on a kind of metaphysical faith, not merely on logic.
And so, we are left with this conclusion.
—Life must save itself.
An immature example of this is the outline of the Crowned One’s address to the second Top Conference, also known as the second volume of the Fire Thief manuscript. Regardless of the intense pessimism it contains, it remains predicated on the assumption that Rational Form’s greatest enemy is itself. That Rational Form will bring about its own destruction.
Life can only save itself, and thus this salvation is transient. This salvation is born of instinct, not nobility. It is here that we need the Wanling, for without the Wanling, we cannot unify life with the will of life. As for objections to this view, I confess to the Wanling that I believe the ultimate target of opposition—whether from life itself or from certain regimes of Reason—is not the existence of the Wanling, but the existence of the Wanling Sect. In other words, what they oppose is a figure that unifies all things. But if what the Crowned One says is true, this is not the end point. The so-called self-salvation of life that he advocates requires all living beings to unite and form an indivisible alliance. Yet the ultimate goal of this integration is not to have an audience with the Wanling, but to place the entire history of life firmly within his ’hands’. This viewpoint still falls under rationalism, but at the same time, it is a radical form of abolitionism that has, in fact, destroyed the theoretical foundations of rationalism itself. As is well known, the Crowned One has always called himself an inheritor of classical rationalism, not its progenitor. One of his most ardent supporters, Kara＜, then the editor-in-chief of *Xunqu*, even wrote a book proposing that the Crowned One’s philosophy was a tribute to and endorsement of the Secret Alliance’s philosophy. If that is truly the case, then it must be the purest, most active, and most fervent form of support imaginable: for this ’support’ existed in the Alliance for less than two hundred Central City standard years before its proponent personally conquered the Great Moon with his ’hands,’ caused a moonfall, and completely eradicated the last remnants of the Secret Alliance’s Promotive School, which had perished in the first War of the Dao. This clearly gives us ample reason to study him.
In short, this is the misfortune of classical rationalism. It failed to birth a more brilliant rationalism, instead becoming a breeding ground for gnostic-centrism. It did not find hope within Rational Form, but instead caused its own slow demise. It did not find freedom, forgiveness, love, and sincerity, but instead sank into the mire of individualism.
To put it simply, from the perspective of classical rationalism, our contemporary society is seeking a good outcome through evil means. Therefore, it has abandoned the search for true value. In the present age, to be reborn from the fire after the inevitable death that is to come, we must reforge classical rationalism. Only by using the intellect correctly and appropriately to understand profound principles and truths can life be saved. In the present age, we must conduct a serious reckoning with existing classical rationalism—a reckoning with all the cultures that have existed since the founding of this Alliance—despite the great prosperity they once created. Fortunately, both Silver Moon Eleventh and Water Stone-Silver Radiance have agreed that a new type of gnosticism or rationalism is a new historical necessity. Power-Fence has also proposed that we must take responsibility for the tragedy of modern gnostic-centrism. I confess to the Wanling that now is the opportune moment to create it. This new gnosticism, I confess to the Wanling, ought to have its own unique qualities. It must both take responsibility for all the aforementioned tragedies and connect with history, while also creating something the likes of which history has never seen.
This new form of gnosticism must bring with it a pure atmosphere, one in which all the functions of classical rationalism can be restored. It must reshape the spiritual world of all life and other sublime realms. It must not be a state of isolated, individual life, but a state of life that remains open to supra-rational existence, to divinity, and to the Wanling. In practice, it means the legitimization of worldly work. It can help us reduce the invisible traps in the spiritual domain, prevent us from being seduced by a part of the spirit but not its whole, and stop us from being dragged into a state of eternal, stagnant immaturity.
This new gnosticism will help us find a path more suited for life. It will attract more participants to undertake this painful but hopeful responsibility. And within practical morality and society, it signifies a more profound and comprehensive presentation of life’s glory. It will allow us to transcend, to one day be able to stand respectfully among the Wanling. It will enable society to aspire to a heroic set of values. This should not be seen as a simple regression to a primitive illusion, but as an enlightenment achieved after overcoming suffering—a virtuous moral act.
This intellectualism—one that considers life as a whole, with both its natural instincts and its transcendent existence—will not create obstacles to accepting divinity. I confess to the Wanling and humbly name it "Multi-dimensional Intellectualism." This will be a "multi-dimensional" and progressive concept, one that does not contradict the core tenets of the Wanling Sect. I confess to the Wanling and humbly submit that this is consistent with the true essence of Mage Red Stone’s philosophy. I am pleased that many of my fellow believers agree on this point.
In this new Multi-dimensional Intellectualism, two dimensions will exist simultaneously.
One is eternal life. The other is the glory that life manifests through creation within history.