“There is no permanence.”

– Utnapishtim

The statement “There is no permanence” is illustrated throughout the world we live in, our societies, and even the very fabric of our universe. Against the winds of time, no idea will survive. People do not live forever, and if no one lives to remember an idea, does the idea still exist?  Civilizations form, scatter, and reform, often in a cyclical nature. Even this, however, is just a speck of dust to the winds of time, and will cease to continue with the eventual death of the universe. Most of the theories predicting the behavior of the universe at the end of its life predict that no information in this system will survive. The time scale of the eventual “death” of the universe however, is far too large to compare to our relatively very short human life spans. Bringing it back down to earth, the weather, while cyclical, is constantly changing. The landscape, with enough time, also is in a constant state of change. We are all fated to die, and yet we are biologically wired in our brains to survive. 

How do we, as emotional beings logically reconcile the overall meaninglessness and impermanence of life with our aims to survive? We do this by trying to create a sense of order and permanence in a constantly changing world of ever increasing chaos. This sense of order and permanence is achieved through the creation of religions, institutions, and communities. We also do this through our pursuit of immortality. We organize ourselves into societies, forming civilization as we know it. First, we may look at the interpersonal relationships and communities we form to give meaning to our lives. Gilgamesh’s relationship with Enkidu grows to give meaning to his life, and is lost without it, when Enkidu dies. This loss is heavily emphasized through repetition, describing Gilgamesh’s appearance and current state after his journey to find Utnapishtim. Gilgamesh says this to Utnapishtim in response to his question regarding his purpose in looking for him:

 

“Why should not my cheeks be starved and my face drawn? Despair is in my heart and my face is the face of one who has made a long journey. It was burned with heat and with cold. Why should I not wander over the pastures? My friend, my younger brother who seized and killed the Bull of Heaven and overthrew Humbaba in the cedar forest, my friend who was very dear to me and endured dangers beside me, Enkidu, my brother whom i loved, the end of mortality has overtaken him. I wept for him seven days and nights till the worm fastened on him. Because of my brother I am afraid of death; because of my brother I stray through the wilderness. His fate lies heavy upon me. How can I be silent, how can I rest? He is dust and i shall die also and be laid in the earth for ever.’” 

p. 105-106, The Epic Of Gilgamesh

This demonstrates Enkidu’s importance in Gilgamesh’s life. After Enkidu’s death, Gilgamesh was lost and no longer had purpose in life. Enkidu’s presence allowed Gilgamesh to not fear death, and and to fight on. 

Another example of how people look for permanence and order is civilization and legacy. This is demonstrated in the epic of Gilgamesh near the end of the story. When Gilgamesh returns to Uruk, after failing to gain immortality. He says this to Urshanabi, the ferryman:

“Urshanabi, climb up onto the wall of Ururk, inspect its foundation terrace, and examine well the brickwork; see if it is not of burnt bricks; and did not the seven wise men lay these foundations? One third of the whole is city, one third is garden, and one third is field, with the precinct of the goddess Ishtar. These parts and the precinct are all Uruk.” 

p. 117, The Epic Of Gilgamesh

This demonstrates Gilgamesh’s understanding at the end of his journey that while he may not have achieved eternal life, he achieved a different type of immortality, by having him and his name live on through his legacy. Even now, 4,000 years after this story was written, he is remembered. To the universe, it may be a blink of an eye. But to humans, this is a very long time. 

We give meaning to our lives through the people we do so with, how we live our lives, and create permanence and order through civilization. However, we also give meaning to our lives through creating our own understanding of the universe, its creation, and its end. This is done through religion. Religions typically have an explanation for how the universe was created, and also have a belief in some sort of afterlife. This afterlife is a form of immortality, and how one will live in this afterlife is determined by how one lives their life. This allows people to give greater meaning to their actions in life. 

Through the attachment of meaning to our actions, and our seeking satisfaction through our interactions with others, we create a sense of permanence sufficient to allow us to go on, despite knowing that we will die and that nothing is permanent. The absence of absolute meaning outlined in the world for us, allows us to create that meaning for ourselves.