How Do I Find Relevance In An Impermanent Universe?

I do not have to have permanence in order to find relevance. I would suggest that you question people who ask you that as to why Permanence should be a pre- requisite for Relevance. To me, that does not make sense. Things are always transforming or changing: caterpillars become butterflies, eggs hatch into chicks, chicks mature into birds, pregnant women give birth and cease to be pregnant, babies are tiny and wind up growing into adults, rocks wear away with time, so no-where is Permanence manifest, and it think it is very foolish indeed to base anything on some purely metaphysical speculation such as non-existent Permanence. Now, change does indeed exist, and I think it makes much more sense to base your philosophy on Change and the various ways you adapt to Change. You should be able to find the real Relevance that really is there, for there is such a thing as Relevance: you yourself have some notion or concept of relevance and are using the word. The Universe being Impermanent should not pose a problem. Besides, you do not know if the universe is really impermanent as you have not been around that long, or if it too transforms at some point.

Since energy and matter cannot be created or destroyed, only made to change form, existence is eternal and uncaused. Your view is limited by perception which is constrained by the linear paradigm of material form and content that defines difference and appearances. The mind and it's perception does not register the formless nonlinear realm of context, which signifies essence, therefore it 'appears' to the mind that everything is subject to impermanence. Impermanence only applies to material form which is subject to sequential change in perceptual observation, not to essence, which is immutable and ever lasting.

It is a well established teaching in the East that identification with, conditioning by, and attachment to the material and worldly is an illusion and results in suffering. The material realm of form is only the superficial surface of existence, and is the consequence of the formless. The mind sees physical change as a 'this' becomes a 'that', going from 'incomplete' to 'complete' and presumes cause and effect has inherent reality because of perception's arbitrary selection of abstract point in the imagination label 'here' and 'there'. In reality 'here' is 'there', and 'this' is only becoming more 'this', going from 'complete' to 'complete', by the nonlinear process of emergence as potentiality fulfill itself and becomes the actual with every passing instant.

Everything is an expression of it's own fulfilled potential and simply 'is' what it is. Thus everything is it's purpose by way of being what it is, and is dependent on the entire history of existence to be what it is, without forms, labels, and descriptions. Impermanence is an illusion in the context of the "Oneness/Allness" of the totality of existence.

So, you find sunsets transient but the words written down by someone who has existed for even less time than the sun to be trustworthy? No wonder you are swimming alone on the ocean of doubt.

The problem isn't attaching oneself to things that change, the problem is thinking that we fundamentally aren't changing ourselves. When you were a kid, for example, you didn't think about liking a tv show for the rest of your life, you enjoyed the tv show because you liked it at the time. And yet, it was in not expecting to like that tv show in the first place that allowed it to make such an impact on your life. Even before you knew about that tv show, most likely it was being created in a place far away from your understanding so that by the time it arrived in your consciousness, you didn't even question how it came into being, you simply accepted it.

Now, because you are older, you've understood the concept of 'loss' but have yet to realize that loss isn't and never could be a permanent part of your existence either. To lose something means to lose something you've gained...but how could you have gained something if it wasn't for the lack of space it contained before you had it. It's like remembering leaving a restaurant without ever considering you had to enter the restaurant in the first place in order to get to the point to leave it.

But you leave your home to go to the restaurant. And then you leave the restaurant to go home. You can't get to the restaurant (and the wonderful meal waiting there) if you never leave home. And you can't feel the warmth of the blanket and the serene wallpaper of your home if you stay at the restaurant. Impermanence is how you find your next pleasure. What is the nature of relevance in sitting at home: getting ready to eat a wonderful meal at the restaurant you will soon be attending. What is the nature of relevance in eating at a restaurant: getting ready to leave in order to arrive back home and sleep soundly in your comfortable bed. You build relevance from the places you find meaning from...and you find meaning in those places by traveling to them and engaging them.

Just by searching for relevance means you are moving past the person who didn't look for it to begin with. Its like wearing a hat while looking for a hat.

Everything has relevance. Just because something is impermanent does not mean it has no meaning. Every kindness is relevant, every lesson is relevant, every gain and every loss is relevant in the here and now. Since the here and now is all we have on this plane, everything has meaning for our own spiritual growth.

That is why things have relevance, though obviously not outside the context of what is obviously human. If you mean this stops you from feeling though, then that is bad. When you finish lotr you are sad because you know that journey will never happen as it had. A lot of the songs you have heard probably had that in it. We become attached to things that eventually change, but we become attached to states of mind too, especially because we have control over them but only because of what we decide to do with ourselves. We can't always have our feelings verified. A perfect example of everything i've said that may seem completely random but.https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4hAgfkSmd0I

This notion reminds me of some of my reading on Buddhism. After reading 4 books on this religion and trying unsuccessfully to grasp what it is that was meant by transcendent (in their terms) and Nirvana I decided the whole notion was beyond me. As for the idea that happiness requires not developing any attachment, which I consider impossible, I decided that it is the ability to give up attachment without it destroying your life that was important (to me). Seeking for "permanence", which cannot be (but this does not imply that all is illusion and chaos), is an attachment that must be given up in my view - it simply is not reality.

I love my children and grandchildren - they provide me with a joy that I've never experienced otherwise. I also realize that one or more of them could die young of some disease but this knowledge can't be used to insist that I should not enjoy them (and have a deep and wonderful attachment to them) because things could change.

All of these things are relevant to the living of life. In fact, that is the only time they are relevant. I suggest that if you spent more time with your mind 100% focused on the present and less time dwelling in the past or worrying about the future, you'd find more joy and meaning in your day-to-day life. And, when things that you are attached to slip away, learn to rejoice in the good fortune that you were able to enjoy them at all instead of wallowing in sadness that they're gone. It's ALL in your head. It's all about attitude and thinking right.

Deep Thought took considerably longer in considering such matters. However, any answers seen in that context are meaningless as they are, by definition, impermanent.

"The Path of the Higher Self" relates to impermanence and how to deal with it.

Yes. Of course, as you say, it is a difficult and challenging task to find it.

Philosophically speaking, you have to do it in the same way my uncle does. If you want I can introduce my uncle to you.