The Expected Roles: Future as Architect, Past as Builder
In a typical understanding of causality, one might assume that the future, with its conditions, acts as the architect of existence, designing the forms and structures that will come into being. The past, then, would seem to be the builder, constructing reality based on the plans set forth by the future. This assumption aligns with the intuitive notion that the future, with its potential and unformed possibilities, dictates the design of what is to come, while the past simply lays the foundation upon which these designs are built.
However, this understanding is challenged by the more nuanced view of bidirectional causality, where the roles of the future and the past are not as straightforward as one might think. In this model, the immutable past, rather than the future, serves as the true architect of existence, while the future, through its conditions, takes on the role of the builder.
The Immutable Past as the Architect
The past, often referred to as the “Mother of All Things,” holds within it the record of everything that has ever happened. Every event, every form, every possible manifestation of existence is already contained within the past. This means that the past possesses the complete design—the morphology—of every possible existence. It is not merely a repository of what has occurred, but rather the blueprint for all that can ever occur.
In this sense, the past functions as the architect. It knows exactly how each form should manifest, how each event should unfold, because it has already witnessed these forms and events in their entirety. The past, being immutable, does not change, and thus it holds the complete and unalterable design for everything that can ever happen.
The Future as the Builder
Contrary to the initial assumption, the future, represented by conditions, acts not as the architect but as the builder. The future does not design the forms of existence but rather provides the necessary conditions for those forms to materialize. The conditions are the prerequisites—the fundamental building blocks that allow the designs of the past to come into being.
The future, in this role, is akin to DNA in a living organism. DNA does not dictate the precise form an organism will take; instead, it provides the raw materials—the proteins and instructions—that, under the right conditions, will result in the manifestation of the organism’s form. Similarly, the conditions of the future do not determine the morphology of existence but rather ensure that the right prerequisites are in place for the past’s designs to be realized.
The Paradox of Causality: Everything Has Already Happened
This bidirectional causality introduces a paradoxical understanding of existence. On one hand, the future provides the conditions necessary for something to happen or exist. On the other hand, the past already contains the complete record of everything that can or will happen. This leads to the realization that nothing truly novel is happening; every event or existence that emerges has, in a sense, already occurred within the immutable past.
The condition, originating from the future, acts as the catalyst or builder, ensuring that the circumstances are right for a particular existence to manifest. However, it is the past that dictates the exact form this existence will take. The design, the morphology, is already set in the past, and the future merely enables its realization.
Reversing the Expected Roles: The True Nature of Causality
In this model, the expected roles of architect and builder are reversed. The past, with its unchanging and complete record, serves as the architect, holding the design for all possible existences. The future, through its conditions, serves as the builder, creating the circumstances necessary for these designs to be realized in the present.
This reversal challenges the conventional understanding of causality, where the future is seen as the source of new possibilities and the past as a mere foundation. Instead, we see that the past, in its immutability, contains all possibilities, while the future, through its conditions, acts to bring these possibilities into the present.
Conclusion: The Interplay of Past and Future in Creating Reality
The bidirectional nature of causality reveals a complex and paradoxical relationship between the future and the past. The future, with its conditions, serves as the builder, ensuring that the prerequisites for existence are met. The past, with its complete and immutable record, serves as the architect, providing the design for all that can or will happen.
This understanding emphasizes that every form of existence, every event, has already been recorded in the past. The role of the future is not to create something new but to provide the conditions necessary for the past’s designs to manifest. Thus, the line of existence is shaped not just by the conditions of the future but by the immutable designs of the past, creating a reality where nothing truly novel occurs—only the realization of what has always been.