I found David R. Loy’s explanation of time in relation to the individual in Chapter Six of Money Sex War Karma to be helpful in deepening my understanding of the interdependence of all things. To even use to the word thing seems out of place since I now know that nothing in reality is separate. “The ultimate truth is realizing the way things really are, that they are not separate from each other and therefore are not really things in the usual sense” (Loy 38). Loy argues that too many of us humans live with the mindset that we are separate from time. Therefore, we allow ourselves to believe that time is something to be grasped, used, and owned. We enter the destructive cycle that we can never have enough time and become fearful of losing that time. Yet, Loy, taking on the Buddhist perspective of time, encourages us by revealing that time and eternity are one. Since everything and everyone are interdependent, it is not possible to separate time from the individual. In fact, Loy argues that the world’s common approach to time as separate from the individual is a delusion. He believes that much of our suffering, if not all, comes from our fear that somehow we are losing our time. Loy ensures us that “nothing has a ‘self-being’ of its own apart from its time” (42).
Loy’s approach to looking at time in relation to the individual is quite foreign to the way our world, in particular our American society, works. As a result, it took me a while to understand this chapter fully. When I first read it, I was like, “Whoa! Hold up. This is not what I’ve been conditioned to believe”. Yet, Loy has a point. In fact, I think what he has to say is very true. I believe that we live in a world that has lost sight of the truth because we have become distracted by ourselves- our suffering, desires, successes, failures, etc. However, the truth remains, and Loy, in his book Money Sex War Karma has made an attempt to re-reveal the truth to us distracted humans. So, I agree with Loy’s approach to time. If I think of his theory in relation to what I believe as a Roman Catholic, it makes sense. As a Roman Catholic, I believe that God, whom is, was, and always will be, does not work on a time schedule. Since God is eternal, time, as our world uses it, cannot apply to Him. I always imagine myself getting to heaven, seeing Jesus face-to-face, and my life playing out before my eyes. Every moment and detail flashes from start to finish. The “movie of my life” that I have just seen is how God’s “time” operates. God catches every detail of my life, but, in His eyes, nothing falls into specific categories of time. The present and the eternal are one. This Catholic belief relates to Loy’s Buddhist approach to time. In a way, reading this chapter not only brought me back in touch with truth. It brought me back in touch with a concept explored in my own Catholic faith. Thanks, Loy.
Now that I have been reminded of what is true, what is there to do? Stop the nonsense, and enjoy the moment. That is funny. Easier said than done, I know. See, the problem is that too many of us spend our time worrying about the past and or planning for the future. If our present moment is consumed by worrying, planning, or both, then it is impossible for us to be fully aware of the present. Going along with the cliché, the present is a gift, how many of us actually “open” that gift by allowing ourselves to live in the moment? Loy makes the point that oftentimes the present moment is too uncomfortable for most people to enjoy. Yet, if more of us are aware that we are one with our time, we can live much more at peace. Since time and eternity are one in the same, and I am one with time, I should feel a lot more at ease. No longer shall I worry that I am losing my time because the belief that I am separate from that time is a delusion. I wish things could change that easily. So, I must start with meditation. Meditation deepens our understanding of the mind and brings us into touch with awareness. A disciplined meditation practice is a great starting point. From there, the story of my life unfolds. Now is the moment.
Works Cited
Loy, David R. Money Sex War Karma. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2008. Print.
No comments:
Post a Comment