Chogyam Trungpa describes the Setting-Sun mentality as one which believes completely in reference points

One believes totally that: one can use reference points to define oneself and -- further -- maybe some configurations of reference points will be more durable, and better, than others

Because of this, such a person is always trying to arrange for "better" reference points

This is dangerous, because the single defining characteristic of reference points is that they are temporary.

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The setting sun mentality is one which fears the basic ground of existence -- which is empty, beyond concept, beyond any sense of referentiality.

There is nothing to manipulate as a reference point there -- so one responds to it by trying to fill it with things-- with varying degrees of success

The coward lives in constant terror of space ... The coward is afraid of darkness because he can't see anything. He is afraid of silence because he can't hear anything. Cowardice is turning the unconditional into a situation of fear by inventing reference points, or conditions, of all kinds.

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Moral Relativity

In light of the transience of reference points, or that the only durable truth is transience of relative truth, it seems worth asking about morality.

If I identify as a Mormon, it would be moral for me to abstain from coffee and alcohol, abstain from food on the first sunday of the month, attain a marriage in the temple, and generally try to bring others into the faith.

That would be moral, in reference to the ethics laid out by the LDS Church

If I identify as secular Ex-Mormon, it would be moral for me to have coffee and alcohol as often as I pleased, to fast only for the health benefits, to experiment with hallucinogens and "alternative" spiritualities, and to generally try to bring those that are still Mormon out of their faith.

That would be moral, in (rebellious) reference to the ethics laid out by the LDS Church.

It could be moral to pull the lever in the gas chamber, in reference to the ethics of Germany's Third Reich.

It could be moral to machine-gun women and children from a helicopter, in reference to the ethics of the Vietnam war.

It could be moral say "please" and "thank you" and "you're welcome" and to keep one's elbows off the table, in reference to the ethics of polite society.

It could be easy to come to the conclusion that -- moral relativism prevails, and one can behave however one would like, in reference to the ethics of nihilism.

In all such cases, it seems like that could miss the point, because one is acting according to temporary reference points -- because one fundamentally believes that the reference points they use to establish their identity as a Mormon, Ex-Mormon, German citizen, American soldier, Polite Person, are all that separate them from oblivion.

Nihilism is another reference point, another strategy.

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How would you act, if you were really, truly aware of your own mortality?