TIME

"Time is too slow for those who wait, too fast for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice. But for those who love, time is eternity." – Henry Van Dyke

The spirit of time today is fast, narrow, and crowded—because it is not in the present moment. Yet, time is not as we perceive it; it does not contain a linear past and future. It is the mind that creates and defines time, measuring its quality and shaping its physical and metaphysical reflections. Our era is not one of deep awareness, being, or feeling—it is an era of thought. As a result, time is neither fully experienced in the present nor used effectively and meaningfully. This can be both positive and negative.

Past, future, and all realms exist in the now, within our energy field. However, to comprehend and powerfully utilize this reality, one must engage in mental healing, inner reflection, and slowing down. Those at the second level of Reiki understand the principle of distant healing: time, space, and matter are interconnected. They exist and do not exist; they are neither fully present nor absent. Every moment unfolds within us. Sometimes the past heals the future, sometimes the future heals the past, and all of it happens in the now.

Time is not something that "exists"; it is something that is created. Time is not something that "passes"; it is people who pass through it. Time is not what truly "is"; rather, it is an illusionary period granted to us to perceive what has been, what is, and what is continually becoming. Time also means effort and energy. It is doors within doors, dreams within dreams, paths within paths... It is a cycle where everything ripens, bears fruit according to its nature and destiny, and returns to its seed. Time is the Creator’s compassion, love, veil, mercy, and justice. It is about valuing your essence, recognizing yourself, and honoring what has been entrusted to you.

Everything, even the seasons, has its appointed time, its unique essence, and its necessities. To use time well means to place things in their rightful order, to respect the law of gradual progression. If we do this, time rewards us; if we don’t, the same time becomes our executioner.

We live as Buddha described: "The greatest illusion of humanity is thinking they have time." Each night, we close our eyes with the assumption that we will wake up tomorrow. But what if it were different? What would be possible? What holds us back, and what can we do?

How do we use our most precious resource—time—to create something else of value? What do we spend our time on, and in what manner? Are we managing time, or is time managing us? What are the causes and consequences of this? Are the tools we invented to "save" or "extend" time truly serving their purpose, or have they become counterproductive?

How does time feel when we are alone versus when we are with others? Do we focus on the quantity of time, or do we understand its quality? Do we prefer to forget certain things, to avoid remembering, to dwell on regrets, or to postpone? Do we metaphorically rewind or fast-forward time, trapping ourselves in an illusion? When we insist that something must either always exist or never exist, what are we really saying to life and the heart through the lens of time?

If time travel were to be discovered (which, in some ways, it always has been), what would we want to do with it? If we were to rate our life experience on a scale from 1 to 10, what would our score be at this moment? Have there been different scores in different time periods, and what criteria do we use to evaluate this?

If we were to encapsulate something in a single moment before leaving this world—something that would stay with us beyond this life—what would it be? If we imagined the touch of time on our lives through our five senses, what would its sound, color, image, scent, texture, and emotion be?

The current phase of our personal and collective journey—what wisdom is it urging us to master? These are powerful questions, rich in insight and healing. If you have your own reflections, please share them so we can contemplate together.

Only one who attains the wisdom of time can also gain the wisdom of life and death, achieving profound spiritual evolution. To grasp the wisdom of time, one must understand what is beyond the transient, for time itself does not mature us—only the eternal does. Yet, through the reflection of the eternal upon the impermanent, we transcend time and reach enlightenment.

For one who has been seasoned by the bittersweet lessons of time, eternity exists within moments, and moments within eternity. There is stillness faster than the speed of light. There is life within death. And indeed, “He is at every moment in a new state of creation.”

Time also affects our chakras differently. As we approach death, the lower chakras begin to close, shifting focus toward higher consciousness. Similar yet distinct shifts occur at birth and other transformative moments. I leave a deeper contemplation of this to you.

You may have heard of the concepts of tayyi zaman (folding time) and tayyi mekan (folding space), which are known to certain enlightened beings. This signifies a spiritual and energetic mastery that transcends time, space, and matter. For one cannot surpass the transient through transient means. Though we all have the latent potential to manipulate time and space, time itself remains a sacred gift—a privilege, a blessing.

Each new moment is a blank page. Let us first strive to fill it with something we would enjoy reading, to reflect on the parts we don’t, and to use time wisely on a material level.

Ahu BİRLİK