TS Elliot
“At the Still Point of the turning world.
Neither flesh nor fleshless;
Neither from nor towards;
at the Still Point, there the dance is.
But neither rest nor movement.
And do not call it fixity,
Where past and future are gathered.
Neither movement from nor towards,
Neither ascent nor decline.
Except for the point, the Still Point,
There would be no dance, and there is only the dance.”
This poem by T.S. Eliot is beautiful and quite profound – – and it’s also an effective spiritual practice!
Let’s unpack this poem to understand the spiritual practice that’s embedded within it.
The “Turning World” refers to the ever-changing world of form embedded within time and space. This is what we call “the world around us.” Sometimes it’s referred to as the “real world.”
However, from the Buddhist perspective the world that we see, touch, and taste is a world constructed by our senses; primarily by thought. This perspective is backed up by science.
When we observe the world around us, we experience constant movement and change. When we observe the world within, we also experience constant change.
Like most of us you probably identify with thinking. Your sense of self is primarily a mental self. This self is known as your ego identity. It is who you think you are. The ego self is comprised of thoughts, emotions, sensations desires and memories, it’s made up of moving parts-- in fact, the parts are constantly moving.
However, it’s possible to discover that within you that never moves: The Still Point.
How to find the Still Point? It is that part of yourself that is aware of the Turning World – within and without. It is that which observes. Some call it the Observer or the Witness.
This Witness is untouched by anything that it observes. It is timeless. It is formless. It does not exist in the dimension of time or space.
And yet, except for this point there would be no awareness of the Dance. Awareness is both in the Dance and is apart from the Dance. It’s that part of yourself that dances and knows that you are dancing. It is that part of yourself that knows that it knows.
Except for this Still Point of awareness there would be no awareness of the Dance; and without awareness of the Dance there is no Dance.
All that moves depends upon that which never moves. The earth spins on its axis, but the axis never moves. A playground teeter-totter can move up and down almost endlessly, but the fulcrum never moves. The pendulum moves back and forth indefinitely but the point of suspension never moves.
A mindfulness practice that I often recommend is to notice everything that you’re aware of – seeing, hearing, sensing, thinking and then be aware that you are aware. Rest in that which is aware. Rest in the Still Point within the turning world of the senses. This is the Observer.
Initially, you may find the Observer sometimes becomes entangled with thinking. You may find that the Witness is observing the Dance when suddenly it finds itself on the dance floor totally identified with the Dance – forgetting that it’s the Witness.
For example, you may find that you are residing in the Witness as you go about your day when somebody says something that triggers a strong emotion within you, and you become totally identified with that emotion. Perhaps you’re dancing with anger---- and then you’re identified with the anger.
As soon as you are aware that you’re caught up in the anger, take a few moments to breathe and to sense your body. Do not judge yourself for what happened. Simply return to the practice of being the Observer, the Witness. Don’t analyze or try to control your experience, simply be aware – – and know that you are aware. Imagine that you are at the center of a merry-go-round. You are simply standing still and watching all the thoughts, emotions, sensations sounds, and sights move around you.
However, sometimes the Witness and the Dance collapse into one another such that the two become one and the same. This is different from becoming unconsciously identified with the Dance and being controlled by it, rather this is dancing consciously with the Dance at the Still Point; the Observer and the observed become one.
This is referred to as flow or being in the zone, it has the characteristics of effortlessness, an altered perception of time, and the melting together of action and consciousness. It’s a rather blissful state!
But first you become the Observer, the Witness. To do this you must become aware that you are aware. Then become aware of that which is aware. And then be that which is aware. Become the Still Point; and then Dance!