S/V Wand'rin Star: November 2020

First I must give thanks to Thomas Logan who introduced me to several books during our early years that stimulates the mind and encourages questions. Our generation, as most, searched for the answers to the challenges they inherit from the previous generations. It's the age old quandary of what am I doing here and how do I proceed. So certain books like Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, (which of course stimulated research on Buddism). The Teachings of Don Juan and a text on Quantum Physics, among other readings that might lead to a direction.

Given the predicament of the covid-19 crises it seems that we again have time to think about such things and the idea of "Time" has naturally come to my mind for not so unique reasons. I again turned to looking at a couple of sources. I recently watched a documentary on Albert Einstein. Time is one component of the essential theory's to our modern age.

To put time into human terms though takes a bit more so Buddhism again provides the best complement (I believe ) to the complexity of Quantum Physics. The following was taken from a Buddhist website that I misplaced the link to : (just Google Zen Buddhist explanation of time)

Very basically, in most schools of Buddhism, it is understood that the way we experience time -- as flowing from past to present to future -- is an illusion. Further, it could be said that the liberation of Nirvana is liberation from time and space.

"Time is not separate from you, and as you are present, time does not go away. As time is not marked by coming and going, the moment you climbed the mountains is the time-being right now. If time keeps coming and going, you are the time-being right now."

As for time being illusory and the universe being nothing but a series of separate "instants," like frames in a movie, that's basically correct. Everything we call "the past" is, literally, nothing but present memories. Likewise, everything we call "the future" is nothing but present memories inverted, or rearranged, to form a prediction or expectation. The appearance of "time" is little more than a trick of memory, as the Avatamsaka Sutra (Flower Ornament Scripture) says. You can easily discern this for yourself: simply figure out what it is you consider "the past" and "the future." You will discover that it is nothing but thoughts--nothing but memories, nothing but expectations, nothing but mental commentary. It's "all in your head," so to speak. There's really no such thing as time. There is really only Now--an eternally present Present with no beginning and no ending. Everything is completely new, distinct, and original every instant, with no real "change" or "motion" at all. The mystic-philosopher Heraclitus, explaining this point, said, "A man cannot step in the same river twice."

Zen Buddhism, in particular, stresses this very significant insight. Here's the Sixth Patriarch, Ch'an Master Hui-neng:
"In this moment there is nothing that comes to be. In this moment there is nothing that ceases to be. Thus there is no birth-and-death to be brought to an end. Thus the absolute peace in this present moment. Though it is at this moment, there is no limit to this moment, and herein lies eternal delight."

When you transcend your thinking mind in the realization of your own pure, timeless, ever-present Awareness, then the illusion of time completely collapses, and you become utterly Free of the samsaric cycle of time, change, impermanence, and suffering. This, my friend, is nothing at all to be "depressed" about! Rather, the fact that your own Buddha Mind exists beyond time, in THIS very moment, is itself the key to your permanent and eternal (timeless) Liberation.

I recall some college course that discussed religions and when we got to the Buddhist religion I remember the professor remarking that "all events in time are equal" Meaning that no moment in time is any more important than another. He went on to talk about the music of the Buddhist having no crescendos or decrescendo. All moments in the music piece are of equal importance. I certainly do not regret participating as fully as possible in the Western music, especially Jazz. It is easy to appreciate the value of meditative sounds.

As the Admiral and I are both approaching our 7th decade in these bodies, looking in any direction it is certainly difficult to find a moment more important than another. There are many blessings given to use in this time of Pandemic. The small stuff has found its equality with all those other things that we thought were so much more important.

Moments of October & November