On Energy

2 November 2019

A survey asked if I felt happiness looking back at life. What? Undeserved luck, unexpected disasters, inspired celebrations, fair solace, or my regrettable behavior locked in the past? Relief and remorse. Cogitation draws energy. Getting out of bed in my morning mood, I imagine others have energy: unfortunately, they’re probably not the majority. Why? Energy produces work. In fact it’s a unit of work. What comes between us and our proper work? Energy can be transferred between bodies, places, other energies. Sometimes it’s called a unit of change. Change is implicated in the Buddhist idea of suffering, even when the change is welcomed. Stillness contains energy; death releases it in a series of breakdowns and transmutations.  What channels most energy? Whether to fear God, or enjoy God forever? Granting that ‘fear’ means ‘reverence’ and ‘forever’ is subject to change (transfers of energy) how best to glorify God? So much knowledge, so little wisdom. Gesture is life. Signs are indications, or they may be miracles. On this All Souls Day I think of energy still in motion. If energy is a unit of work, what’s a unit of rest? Do we need a unit of play?

On Light Lifting: How Hard Do You Work?

The Melbourne Cup favourite, Admire Rakti, returned to his stall after finishing last in the race, and suddenly died. Due to his previous wins, the horse was carrying an unusually heavy 58.5 kg, although the weight itself was not apparently implicated in his death. An autopsy discovered a rare condition called ventricular fibrillation, an abnormal heart rhythm that may occur in athletes — humans as well as horses — in which the heart is unable to pump blood leading to collapse and death. The very strength of his heart and the speed of the race might contribute to the electrical imbalance that led to Admire Rakti’s heart failure.

            Is it possible to be too strong?

            Racehorses are born and bred to run under a set of strict conditions. They’re carefully vetted as valuable animals whose fate may be involved with millions in money. Things like weight and distance, age and form are considered in assessing a horse’s suitability for certain races and tracks. Admire Rakti had just won the Caulfield Cup which led to the extra .5 kg he was carrying.

            Is it possible to be too successful?

            I once met at a day care centre a lady called Alice, only 48 years old, yet unable to take care of herself because of her damaged memory. Alice, a school cleaner, had a heart attack at work. Now she couldn’t be left alone to make a cup of tea. But she had some memories. “I didn’t know how hard I was working,” she said. She said it again and again; she couldn’t remember she’d already said it once.

            Do you know how hard you’re working?

            We’ve spoken of the heart in the body: what about the other heart, that rules your emotions? Can the mind break, the heart break, the spiritual commitment even break? Is it possible to work too hard?

            Jesus invited the crowds that came out to see John the Baptist, the people so heavily burdened, “Come to me, and I will rest you.” It’s not the giving of a rest that’s like a cloudy feather bed where you can lie down and go to sleep. It’s the order of a master to his slaves who’ve been doing some heavy lifting: sit down and take a spell. He works them; but then he rests them.

            Heavy lifting can be sustained for only so long. Extreme speed, success, achievement can only win for so long. Unlike many masters, he respects their limitations. Do you respect your limitations?

            Heavy lifting seems to be much admired these days. We’re not supposed to have limitations. What about some light lifting?

            We could respect the rhythms of our minds and hearts and even our souls and spirits. Is it really necessary to move so fast? It’s very unlikely that you have to run like a racehorse. Nor do you need a penalty weight following your latest success. The practice of something tending to failure might be good for you: I play the piano, despite having a pinched nerve in my neck, which guarantees me a little wholesome failure every day.     

            I can recommend light lifting. Do you know how hard you work? Jesus had another idea. Take a rest, now and then.