Reality as I see it: IV- On attaining lift

On attaining the Lift

22nd Feb 2007

Usha wrote in reply: “I could easily relate myself to level 2 of your graph. Eventually I should be able to upgrade myself into the level 3. But how? I think you have the answers to all the questions that would arise in us after we read this article. But do you have some routine we could follow to get to level 3? Please suggest”.

I do not think I have all answers. To pretend to have all answers would be unparalleled arrogance and unmistakable ignorance. From what I feel, I could certainly try to assist.

Before we explore answers to this question, let us understand whether it is at all necessary to operate at the Level-3. Madhu, my erudite friend of mine protested at this idea dubbing it as an exercise in self-centredness. He feels it is escapism from the realities and complexities of the day-to-day living. Some others have stated that ‘I would rather like to be happy here and be of some help to others..make their life better, happier; rather than bothering about something about which I have no certain idea’. Let us try and understand these perceptions because they are real and genuine concerns.

Why should one operate at Level-3

Suppose we are flying in an aircraft and the pilot has the choice of flying at 3 levels: At 1500 mts, at 5000 mts and above 10,000 mts. Which option should he take to reach the destination?

It is thrilling to fly at 1500 level – you see the trees and houses as miniatures; you can see the clouds flying past you; you can swerve around adventurously; and you can see the whole ground from a grand new perspective like a painting. But you also run the risk of hitting against the tall buildings, mountains. A person operating purely at the body level is running his life like this – thrilling but dangerous, not only to himself, but to the fellow beings. He thinks that he is enjoying, may be he does too, but at a grave risk of not reaching his destination. This is the body level in the BSC.

If the pilot flies at 5,000 mts, he is not hitting against the tall structures, but he is flying rough – hitting against air turbulence and air pockets. The journey is not only very uncomfortable, but also expends a lot of fuel. He is not flying efficiently and would certainly take much longer to reach the destination and at a greater cost. A person operating in the Level-2 of the BSC is like flying the aircraft at 5,000 mts.

Finally, the plane flying at 10,000 mts plus – is flying steady, travelling faster (because there is less friction) and with lesser fuel. As a result, it is reaching the destination speedily and safely. The person operating at the 3rd level of BSC is steering his life high above the turbulence created by the worldly issues.

You can see that operating at Level-3 is NOT shying away from the goal of life; in fact, he is moving steadily at his goal without getting stuck in the emotional muddles. If the goal of his life is to do social service, he can excel at it only when he is professional about it. Efficiency comes out of professionalism; whereas, an emotional approach clouds perceptions, decreases clarity and dissipates positive energy. Flying high above the emotional entanglements is necessary to efficiently achieve even the physical objectives of life. There is therefore a serene unification of the physical and metaphysical objectives at Level-3.

Level-3 existence is not working for one’s own salvation. In the Level-3 existence there is no scope for selfishness. The foundation of Level-3 is to realise the artificiality of the boundaries between people. It is to know that you are very much a part of an unending cosmic cycle and to play your role to the perfection. And to understand that you are here with a purpose; and to complete it, without being stuck in the middle.

How do we move up?

If it is in the best interests of one’s own life to lift oneself to a higher level, then the question arises as to HOW? Let us follow the aircraft example. Think that you are the pilot of your own life and you need to reach a destination (which you alone would know). Your plane will lift up only if the ‘lift’ generated by the displacement of the air by the wings exceeds the gravitational ‘pull’. When you are trying to lift oneself, you are overcoming the gravitational pull exerted by the earthly elements and the worldly issues.

It is worthwhile to revisit the basic physics involved in creating a lift. We know that when the wing slices through the air (as shown in the picture below), the displaced air passes over the wing and is bent down. The bending of the air is the action. The reaction is the ‘lift’ on the wing.

The ‘air’ here represents the aspirations, desires, emotions and demands emanating from the body. The air is thickest at the ground level. That is, closer you are to the earthly elements, more attached are you to the worldly possessions and the greater would be the strength of the demands made by these bodily elements. If you fly closer to the ground, you run the risk of hitting hurdles, air pockets and may, in fact never reach the destination. What is needed is to slice through these demands and create enough ‘drag’ that would produce the ‘lift’. In effect, we are using those very physical elements to create the required drag and lift to raise ourselves above them.
We know through Physics that the lift of a wing is equal to the change in momentum of the air it is diverting down. Momentum is the product of mass and velocity. The lift of a wing is proportional to the amount of air diverted down times the downward velocity of that air. For more lift, the wing can either divert more air (mass) or increase its downward velocity.
What does this mean in real life? We need to slice through the bodily demands denying some while accepting some. As you go along life, the physical senses are constantly throwing up attractions at you. Suppose you are at a website reading something. You are constantly bombarded by the pop-ups that would try to take you into some other website. Some times you get tempted, click on the link, and the original link is lost. If we are serious about our work, we ignore the pop-ups and pursue our study. The ‘lift’ is created only when you are able to say ‘no’ to the attractions that come your way. It is created when YOU are in command of your life (not your BODY). Every time you exude warmth to fellow beings irrespective of their origin, forgive people who make mistakes, smile at enemies, cut out emotions from relationships, raise above jealousy, control your anger, give to others without seeking anything in return, relate without selfishness, overcome possessiveness & greed, remain calm & contented – you are slicing through the ‘air’.
All this will be possible only when you are able to look deep within you in complete silence; close your eyes and see the bright light and feel one with it; recognize the duality between the Body and the Spirit with in you.
Coming to the aircraft example, physics tells us that the wing acts as a scoop diverting a certain amount of air from the horizontal to roughly the angle of attack. The amount of air intercepted by this scoop is proportional to the speed of the plane and the density of the air. Speed of the plane requires power. This power is supplied by the airplane’s engine. Thus, the power needed to lift the aircraft is proportional to the load (or weight) times the vertical velocity of the air. The more turbulent the air or more baggage to carry, more power it would require to lift up. What is this trying to tell us?
Lifting ourselves up needs spiritual power. Although the spiritual power is spent through the life’s journey, just as we can refuel aircraft, we can recoup this power by regular ‘sadhana’ or practice. (I do not refer to religious rituals, which are the weakest machines in the spiritual gym; but to meditation). Just how much of power is needed depends on the circumstances in which you are placed. If attractions are strong, the power needed would be more. Like a trained pilot, one should be able to assess this requirement oneself. One thing is clear. It is not going to be easy.