Whatever phenomena arise from a cause:

Their cause

& their cessation.

Such is the teaching of the Tathagata,

the Great Contemplative.

- Mv I.23.5

My thesis is that non-reductionism is a confusion; and once you realize

that an idea is a confusion, it becomes a tad difficult to envision what the

universe would look like if the confusion were true.

- Excluding the Supernatural, Eliezer Yudkowsky

I should be more grateful. I dug myself into a hole, and coming out would have been excruciatingly painful, had it not been the teacher, the teaching & his disciples.

Once, The teacher exhaustively enumerated all viewpoints that were not his teaching (DN 1). The purpose was assist in abandoning all views that go against the teaching. We will concern ourselves with only one viewpoint category, which reductionism is a part of. Of course, overcoming reductionism will remove a great deal of perplexity. Even better, practice of dhamma in accordance with the dhamma will overcome all perplexity.

The viewpoint category is partial eternalism & partial non-eternalism. Reductionism, is partially eternalist & partially non-eternalist, where:

1) "the laws of the universe" are eternal

2) "universe" is made up of "ontologically basic" things described by "the laws of the universe". These "ontologically basic" things are non-eternal.

3) Thus, by implication, "universe" is as eternal as the "laws of universe". Indeed, they are in some sense implied to be identical.

And, now, to explain the teaching:

The teaching has very limited use of the words "universe" & "laws of universe". Phenomena, origination of phenomena, cessation of phenomena, path of practice leading to cessation of phenomena are much more important concepts.

1) Phenomena can go to an end.

2) Indeed, the origination of phenomena is so labeled because when it goes to an end, phenomena go to an end.

(i) when this is, that is

(ii) with the arising of this, the arising of that

(iii) when this is not, that are not

(iv) with the ending of this, the ending of that.

3) The cessation of phenomena is truth, unborn, unbecome, unmade, unfabricated, aging-less, illness-less, deathless, sorrow-less, undefiled, unexcelled rest from the yoke: unbinding.

(i) If origination & phenomena are destined to go to an end, one is a learner

(ii) If origination has gone to an end, but phenomena have yet not, it is release with reminder

(iii) If origination & phenomena both gone to an end, it is release without reminder.

4) The path of practice leading to the cessation of phenomena is the noble eightfold path - right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.

The teaching is complete. Reductionism can be abandoned in entirety using the teaching. Indeed, following the path to the end requires on to abandon reductionism in entirety. Reflect on phenomena, origination, cessation & path.

Do not try to "envision" cessation. Perhaps you see it as an empty jar. This is a mere fabrication & the truth is unfabricated. It cannot be envisioned (i.e., grasped). Instead, reflect on phenomena going to an end. Once you can do this, you will see why it is fruitless to "envision" cessation.

Is there phenomena going to an end without the origination of phenomena also going to an end? Reflect on this well, and you will abandon all partially eternal & partially non-eternal viewpoints (including reductionism).

Finally, as a bonus, read MN 1. The primary point, is that it is lack of comprehension of X that causes people to suppose things in X, things coming out of X. This means that it is lack of comprehension of the "universe"/"laws of universe" that makes one posit "ontologically basic" things in "universe", posit "ontologically basic" things coming out of "laws of universe".