Bitcoin Zen

What is going on and how can we be sure?

Rodrigo Benadon Oks
Sep 4, 2018 · 5 min read
The Place of Good Zen. Calligraphy by Zen Master Hakuin Ekaku, 1686–1768

The Japanese word ‘zen’ comes from medieval Chinese — pronounced chán in modern Mandarin—and it means meditation and contemplation.

It would be wrong to believe that just because we’ve understood the definition, we’ve understood Zen. This is a common logical fallacy called ‘mistaking the map for the territory’ that occurs when one confuses the semantics of a term with what it actually represents.

Truly understanding Zen—meditation and contemplation—must be hard. Otherwise, we’d all be enlightened sages with the secrets of the universe at our feet.

It occurred to me that we also mistake the map for the territory when thinking about Bitcoin. Many people confuse the definition of Bitcoin—peppered with technical soundbites—of what it could mean, instead of what it is. And just like Zen, the implications of what Bitcoin actually is are hard to grasp. Not to mention that Bitcoin is not a static thing. It continues to develop at an incredible speed.

What is going on?

Back to Zen. I wondered, what should we be contemplating anyway? And to what end?

Perhaps it has to do with looking with a special degree of care, and then shifting the focus towards the mind itself (thoughts and emotions). Because ultimately, after looking out at the world through the window, what else is there to contemplate that would be worth it?

As to the purpose of the contemplation and meditation, like in other areas of the human experience, I suspect it has to do with a very basic human need: to understand what is really going on, both out there and in our heads. We know that there’s a lot going on, and in addition, it seems that most of the really interesting stuff is invisible.

Quantum physicists contend that we cannot be certain that the world we contemplate is in fact there. In other words, we cannot be sure that there is an objective reality. We see what we see, and understand what we can. And we trust that everything will work out in the end. Even if we’re just biological creatures immersed in a complex cosmic energetic soup that we interpret through our senses.

Our lives develop normally and we don’t pay much attention to the nature of reality. In that sense, it appears that Zen presents an interesting opportunity.

Repetition spawns trust?

Aside from religious texts, much has been written about Zen. (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Zen in the Art of Archery, Zen and the Art of Cooking, The Way of Zen, Zen Dogs, among many other books.)

It seems the broader theme of many of these works is that a regular routine can reveal a magical, hidden, and profound dimension. The theme contends with the paradox that you can achieve goals when you stop trying to achieve goals. A state of detachment and unfocus, while still taking part of the activity, is what finally delivers the desired results.

J. D. Salinger’s character Seymour Glass applied one aspect of Zen archery to playing marbles, aiming by deliberately not taking aim. Not taking aim implies not being focused on the results and instead giving full concentration to the task at hand.

Maybe repetition causes a type of concentration that gives way to a deeper contemplation. And eventually, a detached state of trust. A trust in believing/knowing that things are. And they are, indeed, alright…

The resonance with Bitcoin is again remarkable.

Bitcoin Zen

Bitcoin’s proof-of-work algorithm is a Zen-like repetitive system. Transactions are validated by an empty-headed, single brute force activity. Blocks are mined in a kind of endless mantra. Full concentration on one task, with no room for opinions or superfluous thoughts while impervious to outside forces… Like in a meditative state.

The Bitcoin system tracks unspent transactions (balances) and moves value around on a decentralized, distributed ledger. It’s a mesmerizing, coordinated cryptographic dance. A level of coordination made possible for the first time by Bitcoin. Like synchronized swimmers but in pools all over the world.

The result of this choreography is the Bitcoin blockchain. In other words, the blockchain is the result, the consequence of running the Bitcoin software (which naturally includes blockchain technology).

Bitcoin is an incorruptible, censorship resistant database containing an agreed-upon state of what is. Unanimity. A state of trust of what has happened and is happening. Like in Zen, the Bitcoin blockchain is the result of contemplation and repetition. The agreement that the state of what is, is and that indeed, it’s alright.

If this isn’t Zen, I don’t know what is.

Like in contemplation and meditation, Bitcoin also has its distractions. For example, the scaling debate and the resulting Bcash fork. But in time, we snap out of the distractions and continue on our merry way.

Now we can stop focusing on how to achieve our goals. The system takes care of the how. We’re free to relax and know that we will achieve them.

Like our minds, Bitcoin is a connected, self-contained system, that can be observed and analyzed. We contemplate the Bitcoin registry to know what is happening without having to refer to anyone outside the system.

It’s not enough to believe in the system. If you want to participate, voting/validating the state of what is, you have to do the work and it has to cost you something (proof-of-work). Similarly, you cannot achieve a Zen state without putting in the effort.

There is no other way. You have to have skin in the game. Nothing can take the place of actually putting in the time. There are no shortcuts.

Bitcoin does not need to advertise itself and neither does Zen. Participants join and leave without permission. The system auto adjusts to accommodate new participants. Everybody observes the same truths. And no participant is above any other. The Zen state, or the state of Bitcoin, is not subject to opinion or interpretation of the truths.

Once these truths are recognized, they are self evident to anyone (with an internet connection).

We can finally be 100% certain that when we ask ourselves about the status of what are we doing, we know. For sure. All of us. Together.

Trust is liberating. Trust is a beautiful thing. And Bitcoin is a thing of beauty.

RB / @rbenadon

    Rodrigo Benadon Oks

    Written by

    There is no end to the within of things. The dreamer dreams, and the dreamer in the dream dreams.

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