Time: Even This Will Pass Away
I am not a philosopher, a thinker, a scientist or far that matter an intelligent person to make an attempt to define you, to comprehend you. I am aware, Prof. Stephen Hawking opines, you came into being at the very instant of the Big Bang and may be, you will meet your end at the instant of Big Crunch. Again with some perplexity, one more question, why, you did not exist before Big Bang or for that matter after Big Crunch you will loose your existence? Or may be, the Big Crunch will never happen, consequently, you will continue to move forward.
Let Prof. Stephen Hawking, Mlodinow and likes ponder over the questions. For me, you are undefinable and incomprehensible.
You have been my constant companion from the moment I came out of my mother's womb and you shall remain so till another mystery- " life"- leaves me.You are life's shadow. You vanish the moment life leaves. Your existence becomes meaningless then.I realise you were meaningless for me before my birth and you will be so after my death, the way you were meaningless for the universe before Big Bang and shall be meaningless after Big Crunch if at all that happens.
While saying so, I am aware, you are not only my constant companion but also my constant tutor, my life long teacher. You are the best gift that life has given me.
As a teacher the first lesson you taught me was to see your many faces and fathom your many moods ; sometimes your beautiful one when you are happy, then seven colors of a rainbow dazzle in a glittering sky or sometimes your ugly one when you are sad, then darkness surrounds and gloom descends; but never to succumb to emotions or sentiments associated with your changing moods, never to lose hope, never to feel dejected, never to despair and never to say 'no' to whose shadow you are that is life.You have taught me, whatever comes in my way; nectar or poison; I will have to allow it gracefully for you do not offer me an alternative. Graciously, you have shown your brighter side too. Each morning ends with an evening when the sun sets, and each evening ends with a morning when the sun rises. Change is the go of the universe, go of nature, go of the life too. You bring that change. You have taught me the eternal truth that nothing is permanent.
Even this will pass away, happiness or sorrow.
"Sukhaanupaatitam
sevyam
tathaa
dukhaanupaatitam |
chakravat
parivartante
dukhaani cha sukhaani cha ||"
Happiness and sadness in life rotate around like a wheel, wise men are those who retain equanimity in happiness and sadness alike.
You have taught me to accept happenings as it comes. With each passing moment the priorities of life changes. It was playing with friends yesterday, taking care of a family today and it will be something else tomorrow. In my association with you so far, so many incidents have happened- significant, not-so-significant and insignificant. You have taught me to filter those incidents and store in memory only those that were significant or pleasant. You have also taught me to ignore or not to ponder over such happenings that were painful or beyond my control and discard all negative thoughts and self-pity that creep in out of the happening that was painful or was out of my control.
You have also incubated in me another gem of the character, i.e. patience - the value of waiting for opportune time. I have realised even though 'waiting' leads to listlessness, uneasiness, anger, irritation etc. , it rewards in the long run. Patience always pays.
While teaching me the virtue of that gem of character " patience", you have also taught me the virtues of its opposite " haste". By seeing the going of the world while travelling with you over the years, I have realised that my " time" will be up to the moment life leaves. You have made me realise another eternal truth " Who has seen tomorrow for it never comes. Finish the job today. "I must, therefore, have to haste to achieve the goal set by you for me and finish up all allied jobs before my end comes. You encourage me, you motivate me, " Do not be static like a lake or even an ocean.Be dynamic,dynamic as a river or even as a forest stream, listless, flowing restless, cutting through mountains in ravines, passing through dense forests and arid deserts, bending this way or that way while negotiating obstacles, rising up the hillocks and falling down the waterfalls; in haste; always impatient to meet the goal,- the ocean."
Yes, I must haste, I must finish up my jobs now for next moment never comes.
That is what you are all about.
Your teaching is nectar, that gives hope for a tomorrow ( if at all that comes). That hardens me to stay on with you. While saying so, I must add, you are a tough teacher, a hard task master. And your tuition fee? What an exuberant tag on it? I am paying it day in and day out; since the time I came to this world; with all that I have in my possession,- physical or emotional.
Like a roadside sugarcane juice vendor, you bend me, you twist me, you crush me over and over, again and again to extract the last drop of my strength- physical and emotional, last drop of my patience and endurance, last drop of my calmness and composure, last drop of my courage and sacrifice and last drop of all other positive qualities that you have infused in me and you take that drops of juice as your tuition fee.
What a price I pay?
In the process, battered and beaten, while laying face down with mouthful of humiliation, dejection, completely drenched with a sense of defeat, crying in agony over shattered hopes and expectations, and searching for a compassionate face of your's in delirium, you appear ; you appear with all your glory, with all your benevolence, with the promises of a better tomorrow; bend down over me and whisper,whisper soothingly to rejuvenate my fallen spirit, " well fought my friend, well fought, the essential thing in life is fighting, fighting well, come on, get up, get ready for another challenge, for another struggle, for another fight . That is all that you can do, that is all that you have to do ".
Enjoy struggle, enjoy life.
What a lesson!
Time,
Every moment I see your rough face,
Every moment I see your benevolent face,
I enjoy every bit of it, sweet or sour.
I cherish you,
I praise you,
I sing your glory.
Thank you TIME for giving me a chance to enjoy life.
