Orange County Buddhist Church  

Time has a way of rushing by when one does not keep track of it.  Here it is, the end of March and time for this essay to be in for printing rather than for writing, as I am now. We call.it .time, and, of course, it is, by convention. Yet, if we think about it deeply, time is simply us becoming older and gradually succumbing to entropy, or disintegration. Some of us disintegrate more quickly than others, especially as we get closer to complete disintegration.  Like me.

Forgetting must be a symptom of entropy, if I’m not mixing metaphors. Sometimes I think I’ve had an episode of micro-stroke, or whatever it is called. Not only do I forget things I would normally remember, but I sometimes have trouble speaking or reading my sermons aloud. My tongue does not want to move as it used to. Or is it simply that I am getting older? Disintegrating. And when it is becoming apparent, it can lead to suffering if you are unaware of the Buddha's teaching of change.

In a sense, time does not exist separately outside of me. If I exist, time exists. Judging by the evidence, time exists even if I no longer exist, but not for me. Yet time is relative to space. I do not pretend to understand everything I am saying, but time speeds up or slows down depending on, or relative to, an object's position in space. But it also speeds up or slows down; at least it seems to, depending on whether we are enjoying ourselves or suffering. Or have the luxury of doing something before it is due or needing to get it done within half an hour, as this does. This, too, is a form of suffering. I hope this is making some sense.

Gassho,
Donkon Jaan, 
Rev. John Doami

Top of Page