Time
Hi everyone,
I got back a couple of days ago from the USA retreat. It was truly amazing and very, very motivating. A big thank you to everyone there!
In discussing retreat impressions with others and after reflecting upon what the retreat taught me I feel I learnt a lot about time by doing the practices, hearing the talks, and observing myself.
Time is really precious – far more than I knew before.
We have this life for only a little while and it doesn't matter who we are, we do not have an infinite amount of time. It's a grim thought and something I had known before, but perhaps I never felt it so deeply until recently.
Our lives exist within time. Every event that happens to us is brought to us through time... but time also takes these things away from us. Once the instant passes it's locked in the past.
It makes sense, then, that since all the self-discovery and learning that we can do takes place within the present moment that we make the best use of every situation that comes up... because once a situation is gone, it's gone.
At the end of our lives, all that we can really hold onto is the stuff that can't be taken by time. That stuff is consciousness and it is eternal.
Tomorrow is not soon enough - only now is. On the retreat, there was something I really wanted to do, but told myself, "I'll do it tomorrow." As things turned out, circumstances arose and I never got the chance to do this thing that I wanted to do...
I see that my general attitude in the spiritual work has often been, "I'm working... I'll get there if I just keep at it." But really, given how short life can be and how much there really is to do, I must work much harder.
Okay, so the above was pretty grim. The intent wasn't to be grim, just to reflect upon these things.
On a lighter note, I also gained some insights on how totally amazing and wonderful it really is to be in the moment.
Just being in the here and now, aware of the information from our five senses, not caught in daydreams or negativity, is something totally overwhelming. It's scarcely believable all that we can be perceiving just by being alive and aware. It's wonderful to be in this state and when we're like this, we can truly benefit from all that time brings us and although the events may be gone, we can keep eternally the valuable teachings that are part of every moment.
If we are aware within a moment then we can also say that we truly lived in that moment, having appreciated it fully - truly seeing all that there was, hearing all that happened, etc. Then even mundane things like brushing teeth or eating can be beautiful.
I want to greatly intensify my spiritual efforts so that I can experience the wonder of the instant and so that I don't find myself letting time go wasted...
Much strength to all!
Mike
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Hey Mike, I just wanted to
Hey Mike,
I just wanted to say thanks for posting this.
All the strength,
Gabrielle
Hey Mike, I would also like
Hey Mike,
I would also like to thank you for posting this, its so easy to forget how quickly time passes. I mean you could spend half an hour doing something and you will never get that time back. And all these half hour blocks make up or lives. Before you know it, its very easy to have wasted the day- month-year.....
Your right, its is grim, but we need to have grim reminders of the consequences of our actions so that we will use time wisely.
Its great to hear that you did well on the retreat :-)
Keep the strength going!
Thanks again
Hello Mike Thanks for all
Hello Mike
Thanks for all your posts.
They are very enjoyable, insightful and always help me to take stock and review how I am doing.
All the best,
Layla
Great retreat! Beautiful
Great retreat!
Beautiful place and very inspiring - my regular life brings a lot of challenges , but i read, study and practice and wish to do more despite all.
Group strenght is much more rewarding.
In Light
Julita
Wonderful Post .... Loved it
Wonderful Post .... Loved it ..
Peace and Love
Hey MikeL, It's so weird
Hey MikeL,
It's so weird that you posted this now and that I read it at this time! I just decided this morning that I'm jumping back in and giving it my all. I was just thinking..."I hope this is all worth it". Your post is inspiring.
It reminds me of a saying when I was involved with Mary Kay many years ago.
"If you don't take the time, time will take you."
Dusty
Hi Mike, Thank you too for
Hi Mike,
Thank you too for your post - it's something that's really important for me to keep in mind...
I especially liked your description of the wonder of being in the present moment. It reminded me of the video that has just been posted on Master Belzebuub's site - "A Weekend Meeting 2008" http://belzebuub.com/aweekendmeeting2008 The second video on this page particularly highlights the beautiful and precious nature of being in the moment, and helps us to understand the simple but profound rewards that are there for us, when we really apply this.
Thanks again,
Vicki
Hi Mike, That was very nice
Hi Mike,
That was very nice and uplifting. I have some familiarity with Surah 103 of the Quran:
Pickthall:
Time
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
1. By the declining day,
2. Lo! man is a state of loss,
3. Save those who believe and do good works, and exhort one another to truth and exhort one another to endurance.
AYA:
The Declining Day, Eventide, The Epoch
In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
1. By (the Token of) Time (through the ages),
2. Verily Man is in loss,
3. Except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy.
An interesting and very important problem I seem to have been working upon, is the discretion between true belief and faith.
I think I have arrived at a
I think I have arrived at a possible solution. The words "those/O you who believe" in the Quran refer to Faith, as well as something intimate to the heart. I now take "believer" to mean "practioner of pure science": "Pure Science is only within the reach of those who have the inner mind and of those who unfold among triangles, octagons and squares..." (tRotD, p105)
Hi all, Thanks for the
Hi all,
Thanks for the comments; I am glad they were useful for you.
Nice quote, Dusty. Short, to the point, and really gets to the essence of time.
Thanks for the quote from the Quran, Asim. From that I also get the understanding that it is really only those of us who diligently work that may be spared… the rest of us may be quite out of luck, just wasting our time :-(
All the best to all!
Mike