समय के समक्ष
In the Presence of Time
~ Gurumayi Chidvilasananda
As soon as I read this teaching, I felt it reverberate within me. I thought of the many signs that time has left, including wounds I have experienced in the past—and I felt a lot of compassion for myself.
What has always been clear to me, however, is that it is through those “signs left by time”—those “wounds”—that I am able to see the light. I see them as challenges, for which I feel the support of the Guru. With the support of the Siddha Yoga practices and teachings, I try to understand these signs as opportunities for growth and not as calamities. Now, I look upon “the signs left by time” with tenderness and no longer with fear.
I know that all this is possible thanks to the grace of the Guru and to my own longing to follow my precious spiritual path.
Naples, Italy
“The signs left by time”: As time goes by, it leaves me with signs of God’s grace in my life. When I look back on difficulties, I see that things have a way of working out, sometimes over many years. I see the signs that the hand of grace has been with me throughout.
For example, some guidance Gurumayi gave me more than three decades ago came fully alive for me last week when I truly understood what it meant to apply her words in my lived experience. It is my understanding that Gurumayi installed this guidance within me so many years ago, as though it had been etched within me, so that it can become available for me again and again over time as a sign of how to live connected to grace and dharma.
California, United States
This morning, I woke up reflecting on an assignment from a recent training. I had been asked what I had learned about the subject of the training and about myself in the process. While in that mindset, I decided to read the teaching for today from Gurumayi’s In the Presence of Time before meditating.
As I pondered the meaning of “The signs left by time,” I remembered my uncle, who had passed away a few years ago. At that time, I didn’t visit him because of my new job, even though I knew he needed me. I now realize that although I can’t change what happened, maybe I can learn from it. It occurred to me that losing someone can be a sign. It can reinforce the fact that time is precious and should be used wisely.
Obing, Germany