Becoming the Flying Fish

Photo by Peter Parks

  “Behold now the hope or desire of going back to one’s own country or returning to primal chaos, like that of the moth to the light, of the man who with perpetual longing always looks forward with joy to each new spring and each new summer… deeming that the things he longs for are too slow in coming; and who does not perceive that he is longing for his own destruction. But this longing is in its quintessence the spirit of the elements, which, finding itself imprisoned within the life of the human body, desires continually to return to its source. And I have you know that this same longing is in its quintessence inherent in nature…”

~ Leonardo Da Vinci

 

We have already lived and continue to live in an unconscious realm of habitual patterns of thought, behaviors and action with only the occasional glimpse of our actions placed in a perspective that is more complete and accurate. We do not “just do the things we do,” there is a reason, or a web of intimately connected variables at work that we are often unable or unwilling to see. Much like the fish living in the fish bowl we go about our lives doing what we have always done without much thought as to why. 

It is the rare event for the majority of humans that walk the earth, and it is also the natural birth process of a hero, to work up enough speed and energy to finally break the surface of the water. It is then that we arrive; only to be confronted with the truth that there is far more at work outside our realm of experience than we ever understood was possible.

         

This image of the flying fish can be a helpful metaphor for our human experience. Indeed, our work is to become more like this interesting and graceful creature. We live and operate in the water, but inevitably we develop the aching realization and persistent awareness that something is going on just beyond our immediate sights. As this other possibility slowly spreads into our awareness it begins to disrupt our regular patterns of motion until we can not stand to ignore it any longer. To continue under these same old conditions and circumstances when we sense something else waiting is often the cognitive dissonance or crisis that we need to take action. 

To not take action, when we are aware of a different possibility is to live in depression and insanity. We can not continue to live the illusion with the same contentment we once did.  Much like the flying fish, after our first breach out of the water, there is no going back to water alone. We are continually drawn back to the surface and into a state of perpetual searching and exploration.

      

It would be a mistake to assume that this leap is some sort of final cumulative event. Knowing as little as we do about the vast unknown possibilities of the universe it would seem unlikely that there is only one defining moment or one “other” experience possible besides the one we are currently having. If anything, we have learned throughout the course of our lives that “this” or “that”, “yes” or “no”, “black” or “white”… although comforting answers, are finite extremes and are more likely than not to be very incomplete. Rather, it would seem more likely that there are limitless degrees between extremes and an unseen number of variables at work that could potentially manipulate outcome, effect the perception we have, and the reality that we experience. 

Subsequently, the direction we are able to swim, the doors that open, and how we explain what we find waiting for us can all change in an instant. Instead of thinking of this leap as just one moment in time, one main event, an experience of all inclusive enlightenment, what if we thought about it more like a continual exercise in curiosity (mental and internal), practice(action and external), discipline (mental and internal) and action (bringing to fruition). 

Instead of a one directional leap…perhaps it is time we began to think in terms of circles and curved lines, some that lead us back to where we were, and some that represent the completion of an old cycle and the beginning of a new one.

       

Life is a process of pool jumping if you will. One jump out of the water might give us a moment of clarity and an entirely new way at looking at the water once we return to it. At that point, most times, we do indeed return to where we were until we are strong enough for the next jump. What goes up usually must come down.

       

There are few things as beautiful as catching a glimpse of a huge fish as he bursts out of the water and flies through a swirling 7am mist into a quiet lake. As the summer sun begins to spread warm golden fingers over the earth, the glimmer of shiny fishy skin reflects a flash of color. Water droplets are pushed into the air and sparkle like diamonds as they fall away from the sleek body in flight and let go for a moment of the creature that is used to functioning primarily within their physical laws. There is a satisfying “plunk” as the fish splashes down and disappears again back into the depths of his mysterious watery world.

   

The one that has a chance to witness this exclaims with excitement, “Did you see that?” to the person sitting next to them, or they can hardly wait to share this moment with those that missed out. Though we might not be able to put words to it, or understand how something so small and seemingly insignificant makes any difference, in a very rooted and earthy way we understand that we have witnessed a moment that mattered. 

Something about it stirs a creature lying dormant inside our chest. Somehow we understand the significance and are moved. Regardless of the size of the fish or the length of the jump, when the surface of the water is broken and a creature leaps from what he knew into the unknown, it is always tremendously exciting and inspiring.

   

As a quick observation here as well, an experience like watching a fish leap is also a bit of a reality check. It is always a bit startling when he leaps and you realize that not only are you not alone enjoying a quiet lake but there is a flurry of activity going on just out of your sights in a world you have no practical access to or knowledge of. This creature has given you a reminder that life is active and that we share our world with a great many creatures we aren’t aware of or don’t realize we cross paths with.

       

Until we are strong enough to “fly” longer distances and explore deeper than we have before, we will inevitably fall back into the same habits, or same way of seeing that we were already used to. Until the fish learns to fly or leap longer and longer distances he is only strong enough to experience this new awareness of life outside the pool in little bursts. Eventually, we will fly far enough to end up in a completely different pool…and then the process begins again as we explore our surroundings and are able to jump to the next and the next and the next.

   

It doesn’t matter that some fish will end up moving faster or jumping further. It doesn’t matter that some fish were born seeming to know how to use their fins to fly while others are unaware of this gift. What does matter is that we not judge another’s flight path or deem one jump to be more worthwhile or better than another. What does matter is that every jump is celebrated even if they are few and the fish never makes it out of the original pond. What matters is that we have respect enough to encourage and celebrate with others while at the same time understanding that the perception we have or the experience we think we are having will change.

   

With the next jump, what we thought was correct will turn out to be skewed. New awareness or consideration will cause us to reformulate old opinions and use different words to explain what has already happened. What we learn in the future will alter the way we view the past but ultimately the best and most challenging thing we can do right now is to stay in the present, taking these things into consideration and living peacefully with all creatures.

       

Becoming like the flying fish means we have discovered the gift of bridging the gap, of entering another dimension of experience and seeing the common from an uncommon perspective. We have come closer to the realization of the authentic self we were meant to be. Once that process begins to unfold and we find ourselves on that path, the entire world changes for us. 

Like the story of the bird and fish that fell in love, it is our challenge to move beyond impossibility. We must move beyond "either/or" choices, and the "yes/ no" answers that once gave us comfort. We are beginning the exhilarating process of learning to live in and navigate through many different worlds simultaneously in the present.

     

We are not just dealing with our five senses anymore or what we once believed to be true. We begin to work instead toward a new understanding that develops over time. This new way of being recognizes an existing connection to a universe of history and sacred story. It can also provide new a new lens for viewing the seemingly random and chaotic events that impact our choices. This new understanding brings with it a change in the way we process and live out our lives both at the individual level, and as a collective species coexisting on this magnificent planet earth.

         

We can no longer accept that there is a dualistic "heaven" and "earth" living separate and apart.  As we begin to recognize how heaven and earth collide, life becomes seasoned with splashes of divine perfection. Stories begin to unfold and communicate more about our human nature and experience than we had ever thought possible. Desperately needed guidance becomes available to us and we are no longer living life in the dark. 

Compassion, abundance, generosity, and beauty become the lens in which we experience relationships and the world opens up in surprising and interesting ways on a regular basis.

   

Imagine a life filled with adventure, flavor, love and beauty. Imagine a world that continually revealed mystery to us as we were ready. Imagine sensing a strong connection with the whole of life and being in community with other creatures in a way that promoted actions of responsibility and guardianship. Becoming the flying fish means we learn to access all of this and embrace the idea that the veil that seems to separate us is an illusion.

        

When we take that first step, everything changes. When you have seen the world in a different light, there is no returning to what we knew before with the same level of contentment. Even if we do return to the same pond that we leapt out of, it is never with exactly the same eyes and there is no way to prevent that strange feeling of discontentment as we work to understand what we saw, and what that means for us.

   

When we put out the call that we are ready to attempt our flight out of the water, a signal begins to sound. It resonates unheard, unseen and unnoticed to the five sensory human on the conscious level, but this sound or vibration coming from you acts as a sort of beacon to the masters that you are ready to begin and take responsibility for your training. It will awaken something in you that you were unaware of, and it attracts to itself exactly the teachers, situations and events that are necessary for you to experience growth.

    

It is like you have, for a brief moment, turned to face a version of what you are that is far more beautiful, magical, and terrifyingly powerful than you had ever imagined. An acknowledgment to this creature that you are now aware of its existence is all that is required to begin the process of it’s unfolding. Your acknowledgment is the season or the delicate condition that it has been waiting for to begin emerging from the cocoon of the unconscious life it has been confined to.    

By engaging this creature that is yourself, but a different self than you have understood until now, you have in effect said, “I am ready for you now...show yourself."  You have extended the invitation, and with great celebration, this version of yourself steps forward to travel with you in the discovery of what you truly are; a creature that was granted the gift of flight. It is now that the pages of the storybook flip open and you are handed a pen.  

P.S

I found this You Tube clip yesterday and plan to use it for the class that I teach. It relates to this post...and holds interesting similarity in imagery.


Click below to see how Louis Vuitton explains our life journey...and marvel at our collective unconsciousness as human beings. Symbols are powerful things. 


There is something about water and fish that speaks to us cross culturally. How can we be lonely when we see reminders of the same thing everywhere we go?


Life Journey