Principle 97
The Slingshot Principle
When NASA planned the New Horizons spacecraft to make its rendezvous with Pluto they decided they needed an assist or the trip would take an unworkable amount of time. To speed the craft on its mission they decided to first send it toward the largest planet in the solar system which is Jupiter. The plan was for it to approach Jupiter’s tremendous gravity and, as it swings by, the force of the planet’s gravity would produce a slingshot effect and speed the craft up around 9,000 extra miles per hour. This extra boost caused the spacecraft to arrive at Pluto four years earlier than would have been the case without the assist.
So, does this Slingshot Principle only apply to objects in outer space or is there a wider application that extends to us mere mortals?
Indeed it does apply to us humans. Let us use the Principle of the Law of Correspondences.
The small Spacecraft corresponds to the lone and weary pilgrim who is traveling to a far away destination of liberation. On his own through trial and error he makes some progress but often gets discouraged, feels alone, and sometimes it seems as if he is going nowhere or making little progress.
As he struggles forward, sooner or later he comes across another human who has greater gravity in certain areas than himself. This person corresponds to Jupiter.
This person has knowledge and understanding that is lacking in the pilgrim and for a time they will share the same orbit and gravity. When the sharing is complete the pilgrim will then break away on his own, not needing further assistance, and move with greater speed toward his destination.
Unlike the New Horizons spacecraft though the pilgrim has gained an added responsibility for receiving an assist. He exercises this by assisting others upon his way. Unlike inorganic spacecraft, living humans receive assistance through the Slingshot Principle and then give it back along the way. At one time they correspond to the spacecraft and at another time they become the Big Brother Jupiter helping a weary traveler to lift his spirits and speed up his journey.
Another difference is we humans have such a long journey home that we need a number of assists to enable us to complete the journey. We are assisted by one and then move on and, after assisting others with the knowledge gained, we then encounter another with even greater gravity who is able to assist us again and the cycle continues until the journey is complete.
For more on this subject go HERE to a previous principle.
I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.
Rabindranath Tagore
Copyright 2016 by J J Dewey
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