Circle with many centres and no circumference.
A reflection on Haruki Murakami's story "Cream".
My discovery of Murakami started with a collection of stories “Third person singular” and I’d say it was one of the reads that struck me the most in the recent years.
I said to myself that If I would start writing something I would probably adopt a similar tone, as it feels so warm and inspiring, so simple and friendly.
I relate a lot to his sense of mysticism, which feels so real and present in the here and now. Some critics that I came across used such words as “fantastic” when talking about his work, but i feel it differently. To me it’s a subtle sense of mystery that is very grounded. It is not about something that is beyond, but it is about spiritual experience that is possible in the immediate reality.
So in the very first story from this collection, “Cream”, a young boy has a strange encounter with an old man, who asks him to imagine a circle with many centres and no circumference. You are not quite sure if the old man is real, but this is exactly how Murakami creates this sense of a mystical experience, he does not give you a key on how to interpret it and he uses a friendly and as-a-matter-of-fact tone.
I was mesmerised by this symbol of a circle with many centres but no circumference. It struck me as something so familiar and warm. Instantly, I remembered Tomas Mann’s Joseph from “Joseph and his brothers”, who felt about himself as the centre of the world, and yet neither would reproach him being insolent or snobbish, everyone was falling in love with him for his kindness. I’d say it is his awareness about him being the centre of the world that separated him from other characters.
I guess for me it is a symbol of our universe where every single part of it is the Centre and every single consciousness is the heart of all creation and there is no end to this sphere. Why should it be a sphere though and not a rectangle ? I actually want to write about it as well, but I will do it later.
I was thinking about all this while driving to the airport and noticed the Turkish flag, graciously floating in the see of traffic.
I am not entirely sure that this visual is well connected to this text, but I guess the Turkish flag is also the centre of the universe and time visibly slowed down around it as it should in proximity of a strong gravitational field.
Music: Lucy Gooch. “Stalagmites & Helectites”.
My Friend,
The flow of your writing is quite impressive and thought-provoking. I haven't read the book, but sometimes certain concepts and thoughts deeply affect me as well. The following thoughts are the ones I had after reading your writing.
The idea of something having many centers and no circumference reminded me of the form of a sphere. The sphere allows us to transition from a two-dimensional thought system to a three-dimensional thought system. This actually creates differences, despite having similarities at the center of the thought. When we look from the right, left, up, and down, we see that the center doesn’t change in a two-dimensional plane, but once our viewpoint changes, the center also changes in a three-dimensional space. When I look at the sphere from the front, my center is in front, and when I look from the right, it's still in front. However, although the position doesn't change in the two-dimensional perception, it does change in the three-dimensional environment. In this way, at every point I look, the center changes. (It is infinitely centered). Its circumference, though the same, changes. For example, if we consider the world as a sphere, from the north, we would see an area covered in whiteness, but from the equator, we would see mountains, greenery, and blue. This property is not shared by triangular, rectangular, square, or polygonal structures.
Then, this idea seemed a little absurd to me :) I had used an explanation to define human thought: "Unintegrable integrals." This concept means that even though a thought or structure moves as a whole, the fact that each part forming that structure is either moving or static causes it to move in the form of a wave or a flag (Turkish flag). The force given by the movement allows the form to change without losing its integrity. While the continuous movement leads to changes in form, the unbroken connection between the parts allows the whole to maintain its existence.
At this point, two questions come to mind. The first is: Does the change in form occur because of the internal structure and flexibility of the form itself, or does it continuously change due to an external force (such as wind)? I think both happen at once. Just like life and death.
Another question is the concept of "emptiness." This concept is not the same as nothingness or void. In order for the flag form to form, there needs to be emptiness around it. Because movement is only possible in emptiness. A small explanation of emptiness: It is the situation left behind by the change of position of existence after a certain period of time.
What impressed me in your flag explanation was the feeling it created in me. The form changing with chaos and still taking on a meaningful shape. I think this idea resonates with my perception of the universe: Even though time and gravity around it cause chaos, it still maintains its meaningful integrity.
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Friend Faruk :)