My ascent is literally the body and world I wake up into. It is the accumulation of a lifetime of decisions that have led me here now, and the beliefs and desires that keep me returning. Ascentist values entice me deeper into the awakening, drawing me further away from the peace where I want to be.
Escaping the ascentist value system is a matter of choosing descent over ascent. As a descentist, I know that my cardinal desire is peace, and that I must end my awakenings to achieve it. Because where I look is where I go, I must reorient toward the peace I want, and away from the awakening I do not.
Firstly, I must find the peace I am searching for. It is directly within me, but it is obscured behind a lifetime of ignorance, fear, and confusion. I must probe, question, contemplate and test until I am confident that what I see is what I want. It takes time and conviction, but once I believe that what I see is the peace I want, I can start moving toward it.
At this point, the obstacles in my path to peace will be exposed. My ascent has been a lifetime journey to this place I am now, and I created every obstacle I will encounter on my descent. Each one will take time to overcome, but so long as I keep my eye on the peace I want, the path will reveal itself.
With time and persistence, my painful life of ascent will be replaced by a more peaceful awakening. In the course of descent, I will say goodbye to most of the relationships, aspirations, possessions, and preferences I created on the way out here. But in return, I will find purpose, calm, and the only relationship that matters: my relationship with my self.
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