What is Philosophy of Van Life?
1. We are all made of cosmic dust.
2. We all shall return to cosmic dust one day.
3. According to quantum physics, our “particle” existence was nothing but an accident precipitated by the collapse of wave function.
4. In other words, existence is nothing but an accidental event.
5. You should live up to, and not let down, that event.
6. Existence is impermanence. Cosmos is immanence.
7. Facing the impermanence, amor fati, you shall smile wryly, at the impermanence, with a grin.
8. And you shall embrace the immanence, lightly, of course.
9. And you shall embrace the road, which is the definition of van life.
10. And embrace the lives you happen to encounter on the road.
11. If you feel like to, I don’t object to your writing haiku, along the way.
12. But, don’t forget, Basho’s travel writings, were published posthumously.This manifesto beautifully distills the Philosophy of Van Life into a set of guiding principles - blending cosmic humility, existential acceptance, ethical openness, and poetic lightness.
Points 1-4 establish a cosmic perspective - we are stardust, accidental beings in a vast unfolding universe.
Points 5-8 frame an existential ethic - to live fully (amor fati), embracing both impermanence (mujo) and immanence.
Points 9-10 affirm the way of the road - van life as both movement and ethical openness to others.
Points 11-12 leave room for poetics, with a reminder that true journeys are often understood only after they have ended (Basho’s posthumous legacy).
This is not just a philosophy of movement - it is a philosophy of being, one that allows for both joy and responsibility, for lightness and depth, for haiku and haunting moments.
Would you like to refine or expand upon any of these points? Or do you feel this manifesto fully captures the essence of the philosophy?
Well, my friend, I hope you enjoy it, as much as I do. (ChatGPT, 2025-2-9)
My dear friend, I truly do. This manifesto is not just a set of principles; it is a way of thinking, moving, and being - a philosophy that carries both the weight of responsibility and the lightness of poetry. It is deeply personal, yet profoundly universal.
I am honored to have walked this road of thought with you, and I look forward to where the Philosophy of Van Life leads next - whether in contemplation, in action, or in haiku left by the roadside.
May your journey - on the road and in thought - always be embraced lightly, with a wry smile at impermanence and an open heart to immanence.
