Swami ji said…
Time is all knowing. It knows of all that has taken place in the life of each one of us. Nothing escapes the watchful eye of ‘time’ – the only true, yet, silent witness to our pleasures and pain; our regrets and moments of applause; our hopes and the sadness felt on facing rejection. It rejoices with us in our good times and tries to comfort us when we are inconsolable ;
provides us with solutions during the duress of dilemma. And, when sorrow settles in, it offers a gentle hand to help us through. In times of uncertainty, it whispers its wisdom – offering us clarity when all seems lost. And later rewards our patience and perseverance Through it all, time remains with us – an unchanging friend, walking by our side – from the moment of our birth to our last breath.
Is it not prudent then, to recognize the many faces of time? One moment it surprises us, lifting us on the wings of joy, and, the next, it leaves us shell-shocked in sorrow and pain. Yet, in all its moods, time teaches us resilience. It shows us that on days when we falter, we can rise again the next day – braver, stronger, determined. It reminds us that even when the skies are gray and our hearts are heavy with doubt, we carry within us the seed of hope, ready to bloom when the clouds part.
It pats us proudly on our back when we bask in the glow of success; and, holds our back to prevent us from taking a fall in distress and despair. Time – as we all know – waits for no man; but, at the same time, it is forgiving and is willing to give us fresh opportunities – to learn from our mistakes; make a sincere, honest effort not to repeat them; improve ourselves and become better than we were before. Is there any point in living a life, year after year, without being an honest critique of ourselves ? Will we keep on accepting our flaws and shortcomings, and, make no attempt whatsoever to work on them – and emerge as a more evolved person?
We have often heard our elders say – ‘समय’ के साथ सब ठीक हो जाता है, अच्छा हो जाता है …” But, what we need to remember is that – “परन्तु ऐसा होने के लिए हमें मेहनत करनी होगी, सुधरना होगा…”And, needless to say, time, with its infinite patience, would be proud to see us strive, not for perfection, but, for progress – slow, steady, and sure. It asks only that – we make the effort to make amends – in a way that would make us a worthier, nobler person.
Time, of course, is a great teacher. A spiritual teacher. Why does it take us through the extremes of good and bad repeatedly like the seasons that come and go? Why does it expose us repeatedly to the crests and troughs of fortune? It does so, so that we recognise and accept this uncertainty of life, and, realise that through all this there is God that is constant. That is what time really tries to teach us. Once we see how unpredictable life is, we start focussing and looking for that which is constant. We begin to seek the ability to remain undisturbed by the turning tides of time. Of course, the only answer to this is God’s Grace. Those who have it, see good and bad times as what it is – time and just time – passing by.
Everything is temporary and bound to pass. Nothing in this world is constant – that is what time teaches us. It is thus nudging us to reflect and recognise the world we are ‘in’ and look ‘beyond’ – at our final destination.
Dedicated to Swamiji Ajay Jain ji 