Sunday, August 4, 2013

The Illusion of Time versus Living Moment to Moment

The Illusion of Time versus Living Moment to Moment

Have you ever said or heard someone say " I can't believe it.... I can't believe this happened..... I just saw him the other day..... I mean I just saw him the other day....how?

We are literally shocked every time we hear of tragic news as if nothing ever terrible, bad, upsetting, disturbing would have ever happened again since the last time you heard horrible news.

We actually say "how could it be? How could this have happened? Some of us have said a number of times.

On the other side of the coin - the one whom tragic news has occurred in one's life - like our situation....Life dramatically changed in a split moment - never would we have a care free moment again - boom -all of a sudden- in one moment.

In one moment ....... life as you understood it, knew it, experienced it - changes as if this moment has absolutely nothing to do with the 10,000 moments leading up to it. But it is not "as if" it absolutely doesn't.

Like when you got fired, like when someone broke up with you, like when your best friend completely betrayed you, like when your parent died, like when you received the news about a life threatening illness, like when ....... fill in the blank

What does one moment really have to do with another moment? Nothing! but here is where the rub is -the illusion. .... the illusion of time.

Time which was created as part and parcel with "nature" intrinsically reflects a property that we see as cause and effect- when x occurs there is a direct consequence/or correlation" .......in this world. Where more often I do this (x) and  (y) occurs. I hit the ball in such a way and it flies in such a way -there are properties in which the world works

Cause and effect occurs enough to count on it -base our decisions around....it becomes the foundation of our entire operating philosophy - it is the ultimate God of logic - Cause and effect gets us out of bed, gives us a reason to try. begs us to put in the effort- many of us much of the time operate within the sphere of "if I just d a,b,c - the result will be d,e, and f"- Right? finish these sentences  - finish high school so you can ...... finish college so you can ....get a job and go to work so you can .....date so you can..... marry so you can have ....

Cause and effect runs the world until it doesn't. It happens enough so you are under the impression it does and you live by it but it really doesn't.

We don't know people who are smart who can't make a living? We don't know people who seem dumb  but yet hit it big? Ugly, seemingly unsuccessful people who get married and incredible charming people still dating? I can go on and on but I hope by now you see what I am saying without spending more time on the idea that although it seems that life does operate on a cause and effect basis it really doesn't. I am certainly not saying that you shouldn't use cause and effect as a big consideration but don't make it your God - don't make it the arbiter of your moral development, goals and your highest aspirations.  

Time is the culprit- it creates the illusion that moments are strung together and that each moment leads to the next moment. That the prior moment will be predictor of the next moment. We live with this, count on it -and as I said above make our entire operating philosophy around it.

Yet...... everyone seems to know the real truth when they say " man plans and god laughs" who hasn't said that?  What they mean by that is sometimes you can plan all you want but .....stuff happens.......in the very next moment.

What is the real truth behind moments? Is that although God gives us a system we call nature, and part of that is cause and effect and it is normal and natural to make logical decisions upon it - the truth however (and like it says in the morning tefillah) that God creates the world -moment to moment - every moment is created new-its just that moment after moment within nature appears like it's jot and that the next moment is a predictor of the next moment. But we all know the truth it's not.

One moment is not necessarily a predictor of the next moment.

If this is true what I am saying then why does God create it in this fashion?

We would never get up in the morning and put in any effort unless we thought we had a control of our outcomes-

Let's get to the bottom line

If we are able to reach the understanding that life is created by God moment to moment and we can be in the moment and experience that moment in the moment then we have the ability to be thrilled with life - every moment and all it contains is a gift. We can't take the next moment for granted -because there is no guarantee. We only have the moment in front of us.

We can only do the best we can - the Torah teaches us that the results aren't in our hands. Each moment brings with it the result of whether we are successful or not, it worked or it didn't . The next moment is not in our hands.

Our choices are in our hands....grasping the responsibility of choice in the moment is greatly enhanced when you understand that that is all I have.

be in reality embrace and cherish the moment - appreciate the gifts - shake yourself out of illusion....... that you have all the time in the world.....you don't

seize the moment -

live life behind the curtain

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