Frisbee’s Fleeting Flight: A Vedantic Perspective On Thoughts

A yellow disc spins across the sky, a fragment of the sun

Frisbee’s Fleeting Flight: A Vedantic Perspective On Thoughts — Image by Author.

I. Flight and Emptiness (Anitya Bhāvana)

A yellow disc spins across the sky, a fragment of the sun defying gravity. It whirls upon itself, tracing circles in the air like a crazed paintbrush. Its trajectory is a perfect arc challenging the mundane stillness of the world. A fleeting moment of ephemeral glory, before falling back to earth, a faint whisper on the grass. Yet in that vanishing instant, a riddle lies a solid object, yet evanescent, a paradox dancing on the razor’s edge between reality and illusion. Like a dream fading upon waking, the frisbee reminds us of the ephemeral nature of existence. 

Our thoughts, emotions, even our lives: mere shadows crossing the screen of consciousness, illusions deceiving us with their fleeting solidity. Joy and sorrow, love and hate, hope and fear: a vortex of sensations sweeping us into a relentless dance. Anitya bhāvana, the cultivation of impermanence awareness, invites us to observe this ceaseless flow with detachment and serenity. Like the frisbee rising and falling, our mental states fluctuate in constant becoming. Nothing is permanent, everything is in continuous change.

II. The Dance of Illusions (Śūnyatā Bhāvana)

The frisbee bounces on the grass, a flash of energy challenging the stillness of the ground. Rising and falling, spinning upon itself, a miniature dervish celebrating its ephemeral freedom. Each rotation is a silent mantra echoing the void permeating the universe. 

There is no “you” separate from your flight, nor does your flight exist without you. You are one, a single manifestation of energy dissolving in the very moment it manifests. Śūnyatā bhāvana, the cultivation of emptiness awareness, opens our eyes to the illusory nature of reality. Like the frisbee, we are made of emptiness. Our thoughts, emotions, and even our bodies: are mere illusions conjured by the mind. Yet we cling to these illusions as if they were real, suffering when they elude or torment us.

III. The Dance of Opposing Polarities (Viparīta Bhāvana)

The frisbee comes to rest gently on the grass, an immobile disc reflecting the clear sky. A moment of stillness after the storm, an oasis of peace amid the chaos of the world. In this dance of voids and solids, of illusions and realities, lies the key to serenity. Viparīta bhāvana, the cultivation of inverted vision, invites us to dance with the cyclical nature of our emotions. 

Just as the frisbee flies high and inevitably falls, every emotional state, however intense or oppressive, contains the seed of its opposite. Paralyzing fear, for example, hides the bud of boldness waiting to bloom. Oppressive sadness, when viewed with wise eyes, can transform into fertile soil for compassion. By learning to recognize this dance of opposing polarities, we can defuse the impact of negative feelings and embrace inner balance.

We are the Consciousness that takes Polaroids of reality, in this case of the scenes with the frisbee —  Image by Author.

And…so?

We are the Consciousness that takes Polaroids of reality, in this case of the scenes with the frisbee. The Absolute Reality concealed behind everything and that puts the eye in the crosshairs, encompassing it in a single, multifaceted photograph. As cosmic photographers, our Polaroid is not a simple image, but an act of awareness. 

Every shot is an expression of the individual Self (Atman) uniting with supreme Reality (Brahman), revealing the interconnectedness of all things. Advaita Vedanta, the non-dual philosophy, teaches us to recognize this fundamental unity permeating every aspect of reality. All is One.

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