Rappelling – Faith over Fear

Rappelling – Faith over Fear

Rappelling is a mountaineering technique used for a controlled descent off a vertical drop, such as a rock face, using a rope. To descend safely, rappelled use a variety of techniques to increase the friction on the rope to the point where it can be controlled comfortably. I recently got an opportunity to rappel down a 40 feet wall when I had gone for a team outing with colleagues. Those fifteen minutes gave me emotional experiences and philosophical insights enough to pen down this poem.

As I climbed up the stairs,

No one but my mind with me,

My throbbing heart fluttered wild,

A raging storm no-one could see.

 

Heavy legs, a step at a time,

Felt like ages, but it came to soon,

Moment of dread, you have come?

Will you shove me to my doom?

 

A chill ran down my spine,

My heart stopped, I gasped for life,

Paralyzed I was by the stroke of fear,

Only a moment, but horrifying strife.

 

Don't look down, the captain said,

Trust me, you are fastened safe,

Calm the mind, a task at hand,

Look up, and keep the faith. 

 

I turned around, and stepped back,

Onto the edge of the precipice wall,

I leaned back and took position,

Only the ropes now would stall my fall.

 

A step at a time, a simple technique,

Calmed the nerves and lifted the heart,

Thrill at first, then peace and joy,

Even a jump or two quite smart.

 

As I touched down, there was relief,

But this taught me something deep,

Fear of the unknown is overcome,

Faith in the knower if we keep.

 

Faith opens the doors of our mind,

Rich experiences it does bring,

Remember this next time you face,

Fearful situations or just rappelling!

This poem is a short story about faith over fear. It's short, but it says a lot. Just like going down rappelling is a choice, going down the spiritual path is a choice. The initial steps could be full of turmoil due to fear. What will my life look like if I go down this path? What about my worldly life and attachments? Family? Job? But there is also the longing for experiencing something sublime, something that the heart longs for and that is promised by the spiritual path - peace, purpose, love. At some point in the journey, one comes at a juncture where we need to make the decision. And that's when the fear completely captures the heart. At these times, faith comes to the rescue.

Not blind faith, but reasonable faith. Before asking us to rappel down, the instructors had given us a lesson in rappelling - it's purpose, philosophy behind the technique, the strength of the ropes and the anchors, and so on. Then one of the instructors rappelled down himself demonstrating to us the technique and the safety mechanisms that will keep us very safe under all circumstances. Of course, accidents happen, but they can happen at home too. There was no rational reason for fear; but fear is often irrational, arising from forgotten experiences from the past. Faith in in the words and example of the instructors was our only gateway to the rappelling experience.

For some faith comes easily, for some not so. Different people are in different stages of their spiritual evolution - one of our colleagues just couldn’t garner enough faith to overcome his particular level of fear. But to understand spiritual life, one needs to start following it. There is no other way. Spirituality is an experience - it can be truly understood only by having it. The Bhagavad Gita provides a sound philosophical foundation for practicing spiritual life. And the sincere followers of the Bhagavad Gita provide the live examples. The culture of the Bhagavad Gita is of encouragement, not judgement. This provides the conducive environment in which to follow spirituality. This is the safety mechanism. Unless you do something as drastic as cut off the rope, you are safe.

Rich spiritual experiences are waiting for you if only you can tap into the power of faith, based on sound philosophical convictions, to overcome your hesitations regarding spiritual life. Keep the faith, you'll be safe.