समय के समक्ष
In the Presence of Time
~ Gurumayi Chidvilasananda
Time, as we share its hours, minutes, and seconds, seems to me to be an artificial facade that hides the real “existence of time.”
It is when I am in contact with my divine nature that I perceive time’s true value. In this divine space, I see time as a river that flows toward the ocean, blessing the world with its water. When love flows within me and around me, then I feel “the existence of time.”
Rodez, France
The existence of time
I seek the space of silence in my heart,
full of simplicity.
There, I find that I am pure existence,
an essential quality of God.
I need nothing more, I feel fulfilled!
I share this same existence and simplicity
with plants, animals,
my loved ones…
all embraced by “the existence of time.”
Existence is my true worship of God!
Valladolid, Spain
For me, “The existence of time” points to a paradox. On the one hand, time exists—there is no way I can deny it. I can feel the dynamic movement of time through the traces it leaves in my life. It’s a reality I cannot always control, but I can learn how it works and how to manage it.
On the other hand, in my understanding, there is no time but the endless, timeless present moment, where the past is just a memory and the future is not here yet. Both the past and the future are thoughts I am having at the present moment.
I also realize how time can seem to be moving slowly or fast, depending on my perception and mood. Yet time also expands to infinity and dissolves into nonexistence in the timeless, present moment, where I experience no past, no future—no time at all—only the Self.
Georgia, United States