समय के समक्ष
In the Presence of Time
~ Gurumayi Chidvilasananda
Each morning, I look out my window at a lake. Depending on weather conditions such as wind, rain, or sun, the lake will be as smooth as a sheet of glass, or it will have small or large ripples dancing across the surface. And yet I know that deep down under the surface of the water, the lake is calm and still.
When I contemplated “the currents of time,” I realized that, like the lake, my mind is also affected by outer conditions—emotions, thoughts, people, and situations. However, through meditation, chanting, and other practices of Siddha Yoga, I can reach the deep stillness beneath “the currents of time”—I can reach the Self.
California, United States
“The currents of time” immediately brought to mind for me the image of the ocean. As someone who surfs, I know that currents can be very helpful, making paddling “out the back” a lot easier, but they can also be dangerous, taking one adrift if not careful.
This analogy helped me understand that in life one can be pulled in many directions—by both external and internal causes. It is up to me to pause, exercise discernment, and decide which current is beneficial for me to follow and which one is not.
Throughout the day, when faced with decisions, I can ask myself, “Where is this current taking me—toward the Self or away from the Self?” And then let the answer help me progress in my life and in my sadhana.
Coburg, Australia
This teaching reminds me of a time I swam in the ocean and found myself in an undercurrent that would have swept my body away with it. No matter how hard I may have tried to swim against it, I would have just exhausted myself or started a panic response. But I have learned from those who know about ocean patterns to go with the current, not against it, and once the current subsides, to swim to its side. This is what I did.
Similarly, in the invisible “currents of time,” I have learned to go with what I cannot control and to be aware when a particular current drops away. As a mother, I had to go with “the currents of time” when they showed me that my children no longer needed me in the way they used to. Instead of “swimming” against it, I had to allow for new currents with new directions to emerge.
South Melbourne, Australia