The Gravity of Being

Sept. 20

The other day, I was speaking about sensing the gravity within my own Being. 

Someone asked me exactly what this means, to sense the gravity of Being.

In order to approach this question, it helps to understand gravity from a new point of view. Gravity isn’t just a physical force that exerts itself from one object to another depending on its mass. Gravity, in terms of metaphysical humanism and inner spirituality, is the force of concentration of Being.

 Of course Being has mass, among other things. It’s substantial, and one of the results of the concentration of God’s love into relationship is an increase in mass. But to understand it from this mechanical point of view alone would be to miss the entire point of existence.

We live within a play of forces. All of those forces arise from love; yet they have many different natures, which are referred to as the Names of God. The Names indicate the various different natures. None of these names or forces are entirely mechanical, because they all arise from a conscious source, that is, God.

Now, sensation is a force within us. It is part of our Being. We anchor ourselves within sensation. Anchors are weights; and weight is a function of gravity. Therefore, perhaps we can begin to understand that sensation itself is a function of gravity, that is, the force of concentration of our Being.

 This is why it’s important to gather ourselves and sense our inner gravity. Of course the metaphysics of it are interesting to those who like such things; but the practical experience of an inner gravity is a phenomenon of a different order than our thought about it. If we approach our inward sensation of Being with the right degree of intimacy and sensitivity, we will begin to sense the actual action of the concentration of Being within our sensation.

 Now, this action is always taking place in one way or another. But we are almost always unconscious of it. To become conscious of it, to be able to actively — as opposed to passively — participate in the action itself is an important step that we must learn to take. This active participation does not consist of interfering with the force or directing it, but rather coming into relationship with it with intelligence and respect. I need to see it for what it is: the action of force from a higher level within me. Becoming aware of this may help me to understand my place; and the better I understand my place, the more possibilities I have for my own intelligent and compassionate development.

 Of course this idea of understanding my place has something to do with the force of concentration of Being, that is, gravity, because I form a microcosmos within myself, and bring it into relationship with the macrocosmos. My place is a very small one; yet like a tiny dog, I think I'm very large and important. I yap at everything that comes towards me as though I were in command of the situation.   

All this yapping prevents me from seeing my place. I've planted my feet in my imagination rather than my inner gravity; and I go outward from my imagination. 

If I plant my feet in my inward gravity, the gravity of my Being, and then allow life to flow into me, it’s a very different proposition.

I think you get the idea.

May your heart be close to God, 
and God close to your heart.

Lee

Lee van Laer is a Senior Editor at Parabola Magazine.