Zero is an object.
An awesome construction of human
mind.
I know that I'm I bit odd ... I
suppose that you feel that too, by now. Still, I must say firstly that
zero is
indeed beautiful.
Just observe that zero is a line,
that is circular, closes within itself and therefore we can imagine that it
never closes: it just keeps moving within itself.
This is the first analogy that zero
has with every person: we look like something, but so often we are not (just)
what others see at first. We all require time, patience, experience in order to
actually see other people for real.
If zero is a line that stops exactly where it
started, then it is a closed object. Also, we may feel that it is
an entity that has little imagination ... as it didn't go beyond its starting
point! We may conclude that zero isn't
exactly bold!
On the other hand, if zero results of
a line that travels around itself ... there is movement there. Obsessive or
repetitive movement? Well, if we travel back and forth from home to work
everyday, on the same bus, on the same route it does not follow that the path
is the same. We cannot say that the journey is the same everyday and nothing is
to be gained or learnt. So: zero can be moving back and forth yet creating. Or not ... we don't know and that is part of the charming
character of zero.
There are situations in the human
life that relate. If you work with Math, like I have for over 30 years, you
know that practice is crucial. Practice means that you have to insist, repeat,
go over the same process many times. Your actions are repetitive (at times,
they are also obsessive) but there is strength in it, there is will power and determination,
there is creativity and art. There is
soul and heart although it isn't apparent.
In Yoga, the Sūrya
Namaskāra (Sanskrit for Sun Salutation) is a sequence of twelve asanas, which owes
its name for expressing devotion to Surya, the solar deity in the Hindu
pantheon. The term asana denoted the art of sitting still. More recently it describes given postures which are useful for restoring and maintaining a practitioner's well-being
and improving the body's flexibility and vitality. The Surya Namaskara can be practiced
at varying levels of awareness, ranging from that of physical exercise, to a
complete sadhana (a practitioner of sadhana is one who skillfully applies mind
and intelligence in practice towards a spiritual goal).
In Yoga, as indeed in Life,
is essential. Mindfulness
means that you are whole in the moment, with your body, with your heart, your
spirit.
My point here is that, in order to
achieve your best practice of Surya Namaskara, to relate personally with the
asanas, with the breathing, the process of release and relaxation you need to practice
on a daily basis. Furthermore, I believe that any form of inner,
personal growth and change, on any level of the Individual, occurs when there
is commitment. Thus, discipline, work, repetition are expressions of determination
and belief ... towards a goal.
In this sense, it makes sense to me that, whilst
zero is moving around and around itself, and indeed inside its own
zero might be doing just so:
working to find its better being, towards feeling Mindfulness.
Other analogies exist between zero
and the human being. For instance with respect to the position of zero relating
to other numbers. Notice the following (which you all know from an early age).
•
Zero
on the left of any number amounts to no change in that number significance. I
mean 01 expresses the same as 1 or 0001
•
Zero
on the right of any number other than itself (which is a curious fact) makes
quite an impact on the significance of the whole. It obviously occurs to you
the following examples: 10 is bigger than 1;
120 represents a reality different from that of 12 and ... the more
times zero occurs to the right of another number, the bigger it gets!
Consider for instance 100000, which in Math we
call 10 to the power 5 and we represent by
Does this characterization of zero
bring a lot to your mind? Don't people change their behavior, posture, action, opinion,
features , emotions, decisions ... when placed in relation to other people? It
might not be as clear as with zero: it isn't a matter of right and left,
strictly. And we can't describe situations of the human condition as clearly as
"person to the power another"
The most human characteristics in
zero are its tremendous strength and its absolute
neutrality. Zero is so close to us, people,
that strength and weakness are simultaneous, they exist in the zero always, at
all times. It's just that they manifest in different situations. Ring a bell?
Let's us see: as you recall if you
add zero to any other number c, the sum will return c. In math we write
and state
that zero is the identity element with respect to the addition, or the
addition's
I place no judgement here. Zero can
be seen as weak, having no character or opinion due to its property 0+c=c, for all number c. It can even be seen as an entity with no personality
or determination. It can be perceived as soft, not involved, absent, ignorant,
or political. But why not consider the possibility that zero is just quite? It
can be an entity that possesses inner space that allows others to talk, to
shout, to cry, to be themselves as raw as they need to be in that moment.
Zero's moment for this exercise is the addition.
In the human case it might not be as simple to define, characterize the moment
in which we have this ability to step out of our own importance and find
immense space to be with others.
Zero is also dominant, completely so.
Remember that when multiplying any number c by zero, we get
In Science, in Math, due to this
property of zero we call it the absorbing element
in multiplication
Once again, we often act like this in
our life towards others. We absorb them, we think of ourselves alone. But dominance
can also be crucial: I always think of a situation where you have to act in a
fire, for instance. You need to decide for your loved ones, your people, your
children, your pet ... you take the call, the responsibility, the weight.
The personality of zero comes across as it acts dominant towards any number regardless of its characteristics, in the situation of multiplication!
As indeed it is neutral with respect to all numbers,
in case of the addition. Moreover, observe that zero acts precisely the same
way, towards itself: it respects the neutrality and dominance when placed with
itself in the corresponding situation (sum, multiplication respectively).
This, to me, is the
Well, I don't know about you, but I've been
lost often in life. The feeling was that I was close to nothing. Nothing
springs to my mind zero, probably because I'm a mathematician. Hence I related, in some way, to zero.
Then I recalled that zero is weak and
strong. Neutral yet dominant. So I felt that I could emulate the zero's ability
to rise above and overcome.
Also, I realized that I need to
accept failure as much as success. I need to accept my shortcomings as much as
my strengths, abilities, skills. This amounts to honesty, to truth. It reflects
the ability to be whole and definitely grounds the path to recovery and/or to
personal growth.
As a final note, I would like to say that this work is an exercise of
imagination, art, logic, which applies very simple mathematical objects to Life
Mentoring. It is meant to be fun, cause reflection, to be informative. The
point is to see hUman issues under a different light, which could be considered
odd as I related people's characteristics, feelings, situations with properties
of the number Zero!
Please don't refrain from stating
your reactions on this work. I really appreciate it.
Artwork produced on 53, by Sofi Naik
Artwork produced on 53, by Sofi Naik
[3] Iyengar (1993: p. 22) in his English translation of and commentary to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali defines: Sādhanā is a discipline undertaken in the pursuit of a goal. Abhyāsa is repeated practice performed with observation and reflection. Kriyā, or action, also implies perfect execution with study and investigation. Therefore, sādhanā, abhyāsa, and kriyā all mean one and the same thing. A sādhaka, or practitioner, is one who skillfully applies...mind and intelligence in practice towards a spiritual goal.In http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadhana
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