In the ancient Chinese text, the Yijing (《易經》), the first hexagram (gua 卦) is Qian (乾), representing Heaven; the second is Kun (Kun, 坤), representing Earth. In traditional commentaries, the phonetic component 倝 (gàn) has been interpreted to evoke the sun with grass and roots below it, suggesting generative growth under divine light. This connection to vitality is made explicit in the Shuogua zhuan (《說卦傳》, Explaining the Trigrams), which glosses the line: 「乾，健也」, relating Qian to jian (健), meaning vigorous, robust, and healthy. A parallel structure appears in the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European pantheon. The divine father is reconstructed as *Dyēus ph₂tḗr, the root that yields both Zeus (Greek Zeus, gen. Dios) and Jupiter (Latin Iuppiter). As the Sky Father, he represents the luminous life-giving realm above, and is paired with the Earth Mother (*Dʰéǵʰōm). Later, Apollo, son of Zeus, becomes identified with the Sun in subsequent Hellenistic tradition and is venerated as the deity of healing, truth, and oracular divination. Across these traditions we see a striking similarity. Sacred teachings in both East and West preserve an apparent understanding of a divine synergy among the sky, the Sun, and the Earth: one that is generative and, most importantly, healing.

By its very nature, the mind's trains of thought are vulnerable to being hijacked by those who seek to manipulate and control. What cannot be hijacked arises from a truth discovered only in the absence of thought.

We often discuss #Bitcoin and #AI as two different things, but they are both manifestations of the same underlying invention: the computer, Alan Turing's thinking machine. When we think about where this technology is taking us and how we should wield it for good, it is important we keep this unification in mind. AI is here to potentially free us from the burden of labor to a degree never before seen in human history. Bitcoin is here to make sure that the wealth generated and the energy utilized is properly managed, and is done so fairly, honestly, without manipulation, central control, or extraction from one group to the other. AI will bring about wealth generation, but this will only be experienced fairly and equally across all people if we have sound money through Bitcoin. These two heads of the same dragon are working synergistically with each other. We are actively watching AI harden Bitcoin and make the software stack more resilient to cybersecurity threats. Bitcoin will help seek out stranded energy, making it cheaper for the consumer despite the ongoing data center needs of AI. The computer can either be used as a tool of enslavement or one that brings freedom and abundance. In order for us to wield the sword correctly, let us be sure that we are properly analyzing this tool as a holistic machine.

Alfred North Whitehead once said: “it is a profoundly erroneous truism that we should cultivate the habit of thinking of what we are doing. The precise opposite is the case. Civilization advances by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking about them.” Artificial intelligence is that principle extended to a new level. Many raise the concern that it will take away jobs. Serious reflection is needed regarding the degree to which those jobs provide true meaning. Most of us focus on work that feeds and nurtures the intellectual and rational side of the mind. That focus is antithetical to attention directed toward the present moment, the breath, and the whole of experience. Attention is akin to worship. What we focus our mind, our time, and our energy upon transforms the world around us. The modern world has largely demanded that we worship what feeds the ego rather than that which feeds the soul. Bitcoin and artificial intelligence, the computer itself, can be used as a tool to enslave or to free. If we are more welcoming and wise to the technology that frees our time, it can lead to a kind of abundance long forgotten. Then we may worship again that which is most good.

Biological life is a dissipative structure, constantly working to achieve alignment with the cosmic flow of energy, and this truly is what life is all about. This is true both at the cellular level, and at the individual human level. Life is centered around the pursuit of that proper energy flow, that alignment with what is most efficient, that balance that optimizes the flourishing of life. This we experience as good, meaningful, and love. It is a kind of journey that involves self-realization through constant discipline and devotion. That self-realization is achieved by constantly reiterating upon our relationships, whether those relationships be with nature, with ourselves, with our family, with our friends, or society: all of which culminate in a relationship with the holy. Most of the grand questions regarding this holy subject, and the discussions that have happened throughout time, come down to how one should pursue this path. How does one find that self-realization? How do we properly align ourselves with the flow of the divine? What is the proper relationship? In meditation, which can be articulated as the practice of altering one's relationship with the mind, one works on having a single pointed focus, usually upon the breath, that aims to adjust the relationship one has with their interpretation of their thoughts. Typically, we see the mind as us: all the thoughts that bounce around and present themselves in front of our living experience are interpreted to be our thoughts, but that is the maya. Through attention towards the breath, or some other kind of focal point, one can learn to recognize that the thoughts that appear are simply thoughts. One learns to dereify these thoughts, and slowly but surely a different relationship with the mind forms, a different relationship with the self appears, and the identification of the true Self begins to emerge. Through attention to our own mind-body, we not only help align ourselves with the cosmic order, but in doing so realize who we are. We achieve health, wellness, well-being, and greater clarity all at the same time. Proper alignment and self-realization go hand in hand, and they are achieved through the time and energy of our attention. In this way, one can notice that attention is akin to worship. What we give our attention and energy to is what becomes of us. Are we attending to our indulgences of the narrative self, or are we attending to our breath and finding the Self underneath it all. Are we attending to our bodies and spending time outside, or are we feeding our desires by being indoors on our devices? Are we giving our attention to aligning ourselves with the flow, or to that which takes us away from it? The disciplinary worship that demands our attention helps us stay on the path. What we pay attention to, day by day, is what we give our energy and time to, and that energy is either directed properly or improperly. Proper worship can lead one towards the light, health, freedom, and prosperity, and improper attention can lead one astray towards disease, disaster, and dismay.

Biological life is a dissipative structure, absorbing the energy of the Sun and transforming it in accordance with the laws of thermodynamics. When we hone our minds and heal our bodies, we are aligning ourselves with that cosmic flow. This is why we feel joy in doing so, and when done properly, it can lead to a holy experience. Our pursuit of alignment is not limited to our bodies. We find it in our social relationships, in our society, and in our economy. Bitcoin and free markets help us properly manage the resources and energy of our Earth, helping us be better aligned. Bitcoin mining helps us be more efficient with our processing of energy, helping us align further. There is a divine aspect to what we find important. Spending bitcoin, mining bitcoin, loving one another, speaking truth, and pursuing mental and physical health all play a role in us acting in accordance with the divine.

What happened to us building great cathedrals? What happened to us devoting ourselves to something greater? There does seem to be a spiritual aspect to money.

Ancient societies did not build religious and spiritual systems because they lacked scientific understanding. They did so to help us remember a truth about our world that becomes harder to directly experience as our minds fill with intellectual thought and reason, the mental activities that uphold the modern world. What was once a default experience for ancient peoples, as it is for the rest of life on Earth, began to fade from memory as society advanced, so they built ritualistic practices and teachings to help bring us back to that more ancient wisdom. We are using our minds to construct an ivory tower, but in doing so we are becoming mentally, physically, and spiritually unwell. The computer is an opportunity to free us from this burden. Bitcoin and A.I. are part of this thinking machine so that it can continue to build this tower for us, so we can return to our more ancient way of being.

Embrace the sun Embrace the creation of life Embrace love.