The subject of Forced Descent, introduced in the writing on
Euphoria, provides another look at the involuntary nature of our
daily lives. ("Man cannot do.") Forced Descent does not just
describe the crash landings of euphoric enterprises. It describes
the inevitable, synchronized crunch of the great gearwheels of
life over which we have no control and through which we must
pass, clutching our frail hopes and dreams. Will we somehow
escape from this pulverizing? We will not. Might not an exception
be made just for us, because we are--well, special and fragile
and oh-so-precious? There will be no exceptions.

"This world, O Brother, abides with no one...
It has cherished many like thee, only to slay them."
--Sa'di, The Gulistan

If escape is not an option, what can you do? You can take full
responsibility for what is about to befall--accept that you are
doing it to yourself. In the Fifth Way, this is called Voluntary
Descent. It is a gigantic topic, and this will constitute only a
very brief introduction.

Definition of Individual Responsibility

In Forced Descent, you are the victim of whatever happens next.
In Voluntary Descent, you decide to become the recipient of
whatever happens next. You will be one or the other!

What if a bullet is fired at you? Are you to take split-second
responsibility for having shot yourself? Ultimately, the answer
is yes. You will be either recipient or victim of that ballistic
impact. This is the Fifth Way definition of Individual
Responsibility--"you are the victim or recipient of whatever
happens next." We are responsible for everything that happens to
us, whether we like it or not. It is not a matter of
philosophical debate.

If you don't choose victimhood, you must assume full
responsibility--and swiftly, in the instance of the speeding
bullet or the impending car crash.

The concept is familiar to many martial arts, and certainly in
the advanced degrees. The adversary's blow is not simply blocked
or avoided, it is welcomed and accepted. One must react faster
than the attacking arm or weapon, move within its arc, if
possible, and redirect the energy as if one was recipient of the
strike, rather than victim.

What happens if the stakes are raised--from friendly competition
to life vs. death? Judging from the films of Akira Kurosawa,
before each duel a samurai would prepare by welcoming the
inevitability of his own death. Indeed, the greatest samurai
would be seeking that death from one opponent to the next. Ridley
Scott and company embraced this samurai credo in the splendid
film, Gladiator. Maximus, the hero, seeks his own death in the
gladiatorial ring from the initial contest--and is ultimately
rewarded. No matter how terrible the forces arrayed against him,
Maximus advances stoically to meet them.

Cosmic Judo

In the extremity of Crucifixion, Jesus cries out: "My God, my
God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Followed by: "Father, forgive
them." Forced Descent is turned Voluntary.

This is judo on a cosmic scale, moving forward to embrace the
adversary's blow, reversing the flow and using it to one's own
ultimate advantage. It is the tactic of warrior saints and holy
martyrs who forsake vengeance and forgive those about to kill
them. It is unthinkably beyond us, yet we raise monuments to such
indelible instances of Voluntary Descent.

But how can we possible use Voluntary Descent in our day-to-day
life?...

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Learning To Do