Time

Time makes many appearances in the works and life of James Joyce (when beginning his schooling, aged six-and-a-half, a teacher asked how old he was. "Half past six" he said, and this became his nickname for a while) Then again, possibly this can be said of most of us, if we work at all. Nowadays time is ubiquitous. It dictates when we rise and when we can retire to bed; it can makes us "late" and often it seems to stand between ourselves and fulfilment. Linear time.

In a past blog I spoke briefly (time wise) of a "bluffers guide" to Finnegan's Wake and I really had, at that time, no intention of downloading it, even at the small price demanded. But after giving consideration to dinner parties and the need to impress I began to see that a few bluffs would perhaps be beneficial to an upwardly mobile Pure Lander. So I have invested my money and had my "15 minute guide" to the Wake.

Bluffers?

I was surprised. It was a fine little introduction with sections on the what, why, where, who, when and how of Joyce's book (if "book" indeed be the word) One particular sentence that caught my attention (aka "just take what you need and leave the rest") was what led to this particular blog.

To quote:- "Time can be defined as that which keeps everything from happening at once." 

Bill Cliett, the author of  the 15 minute guide, does in fact precede those words with if,  so  obviously he did not see such a definition as totally exhausting all the possibilities of Time. But I was quite taken by the words; they drew  me in and I saw at once the potential of future bluffing at Dinner Parties and even of Blogs. But bluffing or not, time and all things West began to occupy my mind.

Time casting a shadow?

There is a fine little quote from the pen of St Augustine on the subject:-

 "For what is time? Who can  readily and briefly explain this? If no one asks me, I know; if I wish to explain it to one that asks, I know not; yet I say boldly that I know, that if nothing passed away, time past were not; and if nothing were, time present were not. But if the present, should it always be present, and never pass into time past, verily it should not be time, but eternity"

St Augustine, perhaps pondering on the nature of Time

Mentioning eternity, often I think that many have absolutely no grasp of eternity at all. Eternity for some would seem to be merely endless time, time going on and on and on. One prominent Christian evangelist once said, when it was suggested that he might well become bored in heaven, that he could not envisage becoming so as "there would be work to do for God". Astonishing.

Which makes me think of an old story, of a man who dies and finds himself in a land flowing with milk and honey, where virtually all that was needed just grew on trees. Plus a servant on hand to supply all else. Well, what a life! But eventually it all began to pall just a bit and at last the man said to the servant:- "Please can I just have one or two tasks to help me fill the day?" Alas, the servant replied that such was the one thing he was unable to provide. "Then I think I would rather be in hell" the man said, to which the servant replied:- "Where do you think you are then?" Which has its lessons. (Maybe there will be work to do for God!)

Not always so easy to tell the difference

James Joyce spent seventeen years writing Finnegan's Wake. His much loved wife Nora referred to it as his "chop suey" book, and asked him "Why don't you write sensible books that people can read?" A good question, and maybe she had her eye on the potential Royalties. But no matter; Joyce, undeterred, stayed up long into the night while writing it, often chuckling merrily to himself. 

A typical Irish folk band

"Lots of fun at Finnegan's wake" as the old Irish folk song goes.

Is our own life "fun"? Joyce referred to Finnegan's Wake as being in one sense a dream world, and used a newly coined word "nightmaze"to describe it; therefore, a nightmare with the suggestion, or at least the possibility, of being unable to find our way out. 

Though just perhaps it is not really a case of trying to find a way out ?

A nightmaze?

Pure acceptance seems, at least to me, to take the linear direction of "time" out of the equation, yet without eliminating transformation. I remember again the words of Lama Govinda,  that "the only extension to the present is intensity".

What exactly is "intensity"? Straining the will to deepen commitment to a path; trying harder; making constant resolutions to change? For me it never seems to work. But in letting go, in acceptance and gratitude - no matter what the moment holds - strangely, over time, transformation can  be recognised and known beyond all calculation.

"Intensity" and gratitude?

Related Quotes:-

When a hideous man becomes a father
And a son is born to him
In the middle of the night
He trembles and lights a lamp
And runs to look in anguish
On that child's face
To see whom he resembles.

 (Chuang Tzu, translation by Thomas Merton)

The best use of life is love. The best expression of love is time. The best time to love is now.

(Rick Warren)

Nothing endures but change

(Heraclitus)

Our real journey in life is interior: it is a matter of growth, deepening, and of an ever greater surrender to the creative action of love and grace in our hearts.

(Thomas Merton)

A world of grief and pain
flowers bloom -
even then

(Issa)