Art of Living: The Seven Levels of Existence

What is an existence and what value does it hold in our lives? According to Goethe, "The whole art of living consists in giving up existence in order to exist." As analyzed by Ms.Valentino's 11 AP English class, it seems like existence is defined by two interpretations, the literal existence of one's life and the figurative existence in embedded in our memories. However, according to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of the Art of Living foundation, there are actually seven levels of existence.

1) Body: A precious gift from Mother Nature, the body is the most physical form of existence. Created from millions of cells, elements, atoms etc, the body is faced with physical limitations such as disease and fatigue. The body is commonly known as the capsule for our souls; however, our bodies are often easily sacrificed.

In "The Crucible", the body level of existence applies every living person in the story. When Salem women confess false witchery, they are doing so to save their body, their physical existence.

2) Breath: Most people are not aware that they breathe so much on a daily basis. However, the important act of breathing is the first and last act of our lives that determines our existence. For every emotion in the mind, there is a corresponding rhythm in the breath. For example, anger produces twice the amount of breaths as happiness. In addition, breaths affect the physical state of the body. Those who are happy sense expansion, while those who are depressed sense contraction.

Again, each person in "The Crucible" exist on the breathing level. Mary Warren gasps for air at the thought of selling Abigail's secrets, while Judge Danforth maintains his calm disposition when he sarcastically shuts Parris up.

3) Mind: Mind, also known as our consciousness, refers to one's ability to observe and express. Human mind seems to be weak, despite its capabilities. Why do we allow our minds to become puppets controlled by the acceptance or criticisms of others?

Victims of the witchcraft accusations often let their minds be controlled by society's expectations. People were led to believe that God would not accept their existences if they did not conform to the rules; as a result, many lost the ability to think rationally and gave in to the mental pressure. For example, Mary falsely accuses Proctor of controlling her because she fears of being ostracized by Abigail's group.

4) Intellect: Intellect refers to our judgments, arguments, and the conflicts we face. Intelligence allows us to understand how life functions in society; as a result, discrimination and stereotypes occur.

Abigail demonstrates use of intelligence in "The Crucible". She understands that the only way to obtain John Proctor is through manipulation of society's corrupted legal system. As a result, Abigail cleverly uses innocent children and justice-vowing judges to eliminate women like Elizabeth Proctor.

5) Memory: Like a hard drive for a computer, the memory is capable of storing past ideas and situations, though they are usually unpleasant. Memories can be passed down from one generation to the next, thereby enforcing the idea that memories live on.

Proctor decides to give up his "existence" to preserve his goodness through memories. He gives up his life so that in the memories of Salem's people, he was a good man who died to end the chain of witchcraft accusations.

6) Ego "I": The more knowledge one gains about the world, the bigger his ego becomes. Man loses his innocence and becomes stubborn, insistently proclaiming that his ideas are correct. The more ego a man has, the more ignorant he becomes to reality.

Proctor sees through Parris' inflated ego. Indeed, Parris goes so far to state that he was "a graduate of Harvard University", a man ordained by God, and therefore, better then the people in Salem. However, Hale trumps Parris, as Hale has fought with demons and carries heavy books around to prove his knowledge. Oh wait, don't forget Judge Danforth, who has overlooked far more court cases than Hale, thereby making him the rightful bearer of Justice to all in Salem.

7) Soul/Self: The stable reference point of our lives. It seems as though everything in life is changing, from the mental conditions of our mind to the physical capabilities of our bodies. So how do we know who we are? Through our "self". Self teaches us the parts of ourselves that do not change. The more we know about ourselves, the less likely we will be influenced by outside stimuli.

"I have given you my soul; leave me my name!" Proctor states that he has given his "self" to Salem--this means that he has lost sight of who he really was in the hysteria, and could not differentiate between what was considered good or bad. However, Proctor relinquishes his soul for his name, or memory; he gives up an idea of who he is so his name may live on in goodness.