An infinite path... Posted by Lori on June 09, 1998 at 20:05:07:
Categories: Ritual, Learning
The symbol, most easily catagorized as a wheel, is made
up of a circle and straight lines which intersect each
other at a designated point in the middle. I believe
that an ancient saying from Buddhism(?) helps to
clarify said symbol.
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single
step."
There is a group of monks who live in the Far East. As
a type of initiation into the group, each young man is
given the task of runner. Every day for a year he wakes
at dawn and runs up a mountain, where he prays and
meditates. Upon finishing his meditation, he runs back
down the mountain. He is going nowhere. Even though
his path covers a great amount of distance, he is no
further from the beginning than when he started.
However, just like in a circle, the experience itself
is what is important, not necessarily where one ends
up. The spiritual plane the young man rises to, along
with the discipline of learning dedication and faith
even though it promises no definite outcome, is why
the process exists.
The symbol shows a path with many opportunities for
shortcuts. However, in taking the shortcuts, one
misses out on the importance of the experience, and
ends up in the same place he or she started.
The same can be said for life. A child's first steps
mark the graduation from an entirely dependant state,
to one where a life is forged. Shortcuts to a "happy"
life can be taken, but in reality the path within one's
self, a circular path in which the person can never be
truly finished, is what needs to be completed. That's
the journey. It's what's important, not the end
product.