2/25/09

sometimes

you may need to spiral downwards to reach the center...

7 comments:

Bright Butterfly said...

true enough.
"When it is dark out you can see the stars." -Persian Proverb
In light of what you said, I now understand a new potential meaning of this proverb, which could be that only through tests (this sort of seemingly downwards spiral) that one reaches one's own "center" - that we can truly look within and discover our true nature more fully.

8&20 said...

bb: hmm. yes, that is what i meant by the analogy as well. i do not know if it is the only way to reach the center, that is, by spiraling downwards. still, it is one way :). and what is also interesting is that one never chooses to approach one's center thus. it is done for us somehow - know what i'm trying to say?

Nishant said...

another perspective could be -- reach the center after several iterations; with each we get closer...

Bright Butterfly said...

Nishant, that makes lots of sense to me. :) As the saying goes, practice makes perfect.

8&20 said...

yes, thanks nishant for that insight. "spiraling downwards" is so often used to describe a rapidly worsening situation, that the thought of spiraling to reach the center - a clearly positive goal - made me think a lot. must we always "spiral downwards" to reach our "centers"? probably not, i'm guessing. this reminds me of nikhil's recent post - that refers to how different people get started on their spiritual journeys...

Amrithaa said...

hmm...or like finding the center of gravity & hence stability by 'grounding' ...perhaps the downward-ness is in trying to reach a fundamental truth that lies at the heart ('bottom'?) of things? :)..couldn't resist the word play...

8&20 said...

this post is all about the word play, aa. i loved your comment here. entirely.

the center, the ground, the bottom, the core, the crux - all of that :).

zoning in, spiraling in, sinking, falling, etc. they all work :).