limpet mines

Limpet

Named after a mollusk of the same name, the limpet mine was used in a variety of battle settings from World War I onwards. Its most notable characteristic were the magnets that allowed the mine to be attached to targets before exploding. Ships, trucks and tanks were frequent targets. Daring was required.

Maybe it's a metaphorical stretch, but the limpet mine reminded me this morning of spiritual practice.

People attach themselves to the ship of salvation or relief and then put out of mind the object of the operation. The ship sails wonderfully through choppy and serene seas and the limpet sails with it. Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism and others ... all marvelous, powerful ships. It can be wonderful to find a ship with which to sail, a promise like no other. It might take some daring to attach this limpet, but the rooted stability and smoothness of the adventure is too magnetic to deny.

The object of a limpet mine is to blow its target to smithereens -- to sink this ship in the deepest of deep water ... leaving behind, in the case of spiritual practice, an oil slick of good habits and not much more. In a crescendo of sound or recognition, both mine and ship become nothing but boom.

But the effort NOT to accomplish the mission can be fierce. The courage it took to accept the mission is transformed into the insistence on not accomplishing the mission... spires and towers and meetings and incense and theologies and all the other rivets that hold the ship together ... so magnetic. Mission accomplished has turned into mission-most-assuredly-not-accomplished. A magnetic strangle-hold.

Moment after moment ... nothing but BOOM.

Yes, I guess it requires some daring, but what other option is there?

The lucky part is that, with or without help, limpet mines go off all by themselves.