From beginningless time to endless future. http://amzn.to/2iZOLK7
Book: Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind
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Beginningless and endless time
Shunryu Suzuki uses a vast image in Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind. From beginningless time to endless future. Buddhist thought often describes time without a clear starting point or final end. Our individual lives appear as brief moments within this immense flow, connected to everything that came before and everything that will follow.
This perspective can feel overwhelming. Compared with endless time, a human life seems tiny. However, many people find it comforting. Our worries shrink when seen against such a vast background. A bad day or a failed project becomes a small ripple in a very large ocean.
What beginningless and endless time teaches
First, it invites humility. We are part of a long chain of causes and effects. Ancestors, teachers and strangers shaped who we are. Therefore, gratitude becomes a natural response to this interconnected view of time.
Second, it encourages responsibility. Our actions also shape the future, even beyond our own lives. For example, caring for the environment or teaching children creates effects that continue long after we are gone.
Third, it highlights the present. If time stretches endlessly in both directions, the only place we can act is now. Moreover, this moment is unique and will never return in exactly the same form.
Science offers its own version of vast time. The universe is around 13.8 billion years old, according to current estimates, and its future stretches far beyond.
Contemplating these scales can inspire awe and calm at the same time.
In the end, Suzuki’s phrase widens our view. Seeing life within endless time helps us hold problems lightly and treasure each present moment.
In short, vast time puts daily worries in perspective. Therefore, look at the night sky now and then. As a result, small problems feel lighter.
