Mechanical Advantage

[sdi]

Suppose you have a long rod, fixed at one end but freely swinging at the other. You wish to move the end of it some distance. If you grab the end and move it directly, you need to move your arm that distance to move the rod's end the same distance; but if you instead grab the rod in the middle, you only need to move your arm half as far to accomplish the same. This is because the rod, here, is acting as a lever; by grabbing it in the middle, you gain mechanical advantage, and can accomplish the same action with less effort.

Now, suppose you wish to make a change here in the material world, at the extremity of the cosmos. Is it better to make your efforts here, in the material? Or is it better to apply those same efforts partway "up" the cosmos in the world of spirit? ...

Spirituality is not and cannot be escapism, where one runs away from the world; rather, it is a means of embracing the world and attempting to engage with it more effectively. Heaven is not where you bliss out forever: it's where you see your hard work make more of a difference.

Comments

Re: I don't mean to nitpick...

[sdi]

Though, if you do want to consider the spiritual parallel to the "greater effort for greater speed" analogy, it occurs to me that Lafcadio Hearn's got you covered...

Re: I don't mean to nitpick...

[next_migration]

You come up with so many amazing insights and references! Thanks very much for pointing this out; it is lovely (if also somewhat disturbing).