So this week, I'm taking the time to talk about the five descriptions of the dharma, in the famous expression. The dharma is well spoken by the Buddha. It is visible here and now. It is immediate invites us to see. It is onward leading, and to be known by the wise. And so today's idea of that it's immediate, the Pāli word is arc kellyco
A K long a, l, I K over a.
And it's a terminology of it is not in time, not of time. And so some people will translate it as timeless. But that suggests something that that's a wonderful experience, if we leave it just as an experience experience of being in a timeless moment. But sometimes, when the word timeless is used, it goes along with some idea that, that there's something there's a transcendent place that very far removed from this world here, kind of transcendent consciousness or something. And at least that's how I hear some people talk about it, it probably will have the more literal meaning is, rather than timeless, is not of time, in the sense of being immediate. And, and when the Buddha doesn't, when buddho kind of describes what he means by a Kalibo, this knot of time, he refers to it as the ability to be with the present moment, as it's changing, as it flows as it arises and passes. And this ability to really be in the present, not not in a static present, but the dynamic present. That's how it's immediate. So that's how it's a nod of time. Because the immediate flow, in the moment, it takes it takes time takes a little more different, more complicated or active activity of the mind, to have a sense of the past and the future and to bring it into the present, but the present by itself. And, and so with that said that it's called the dharma is a calico, the dhamma is not of time, because change, the seeing of change is immediate. It's part of the immediacy of attention here. And now. And, and of course, you can argue that, well, whenever there's change, there has to be some sense of time. But, but if you say immediacy in the immediate presence, really there, then there is the sense of watching, flowing with the changing nature of time. But what do I find even more interesting about this? You know, a kellyco, this immediacy, the immediacy of now the present moment, is that the human sense of how long the present moment is variable. I would say that for myself, if I'm playing ping pong, the present moment is quite short. But if I'm laying on the lawn in the park, and a nice day, looking up at the sky at the drifting of the clouds, going by the present moment, kind of has a feeling of being more extended, more relaxed, then the rapidity of the present moment in ping pong. And, and so there's a, a, it's somewhat subjective, this experience of what is the present moment, how long is it? How long is it extended? The William James American philosopher, called the present, taught refer to the saddle back of the present moment. You know, rather than being like that, it's less briefly for a kind of a Saddleback, it may be I don't know what comes and then it goes, like the bottom of a wave may be a trough. And so it is it extend up the sides of the trough of any period of time, or is it just the very bottom of the trough, and I think is ideas that extend somewhere in some indeterminate way of the edges of the saddle. And something like that. So, but again, what I find most interesting is that how we live our life, it can be seen in relationship to our sense of how long this present moment is. That when there's greed, when there's fear, anxiety, panic, when there's
hatred, these are emotions that wants something to happen right now, or feel afraid of something that's going to happen now. And off, sometimes there's a quickening of the mind quickening, sense of time quickening, or reactivity. And the faster the reactivity. It's the kind of like ping pong, it's, the faster the reactivity, the impulsive activity, the, you know, the, the shorter the moment is. And when there's a very short moment with that, very, like rapidity of things, we might not even be aware of time or the timeless presence, we might not be aware of the, you know, what's really going on. More importantly, though, I think, is that as that sense of time becomes more extended, and more leisurely, there's more space for the moment to be there. And so the present moment, you know, the, the trough of the way becomes wider, then there's more opportunity for some of the deeper reactivity responses, emotions that we have, that don't come from reactivity, but come from some deeper Wellspring within to operate. And I think so I, in my sense, that kind of not so not to make an absolute case for this. But generally, things like greed and hatred, anxiety
are, are kind of needed for human beings, in order to be able to respond quickly to threats to what's going on, that have to be immediately taken care of. And maybe that's one of the reasons why these emotions began for human beings evolutionarily. But when they're chronic and us and always there, it kind of leads to kind of stress and kind of rapidity and fast mind and a spinning mind. And probably a kind of tendency to create a lot of cortisol, maybe even adrenaline, stress in the body stress systems in the body stress hormones. And those limit our capacity to feel the emotions, the attitudes that have more to do with being relaxed, being at ease, maybe maybe have more to do with oxytocin or serotonin or different kinds of hormones and chemicals in us that require maybe a different kind of relaxation and ease to come forth. And so, qualities like generosity and love and kindness and friendliness. These these feelings belong to the world of extended time, where there isn't the rapidity and it's kind of like again, if you're you know, really maybe caring for someone who maybe is distressed or hurt or maybe someone who a child who's hurt that maybe the trials that hurts that badly but his upset, then the parent or the adult who's there maybe the person who's there is just there and extended way caring, giving lots of time and space, not kind of like you know, tapping the finger and say no, get over it, you know, and yes, I care for you and stop it because we have other important things to do. It's like okay, well, now we're here, someone who's dying and we're accompanying them their death. We're just there and, and hopefully, peaceful at ease, extended sense of time or When I've been with people who are dying, the present moment seemed very extended like a timeless present, that everything had stopped just there. And I'm tapping into something or what's arising inside me is very different than if I'm driving my car and crowded freeway and late for something, and it's small ghee and trying to find my quickest way that I need to get to where I'm going. That that tends to elicit all kinds of other emotions, feelings than care and love and generosity. So this idea of the Akali co the immediacy of now in this practice that dharma is immediate, it's now but in this extended now, in this more available and present, relaxed time, and I don't know if it's okay to say a leisurely present moment. And not because we are kind of bit basking in luxury, with leisurely press a moment, but rather, the relaxed and open here, and now with this allows for some deeper wellsprings of our life to appear, that cannot appear. If we're in the rapidity of greed, hate and delusion, the wanting that monkey mind that's reaching for the next branch before it has. As soon as it grabs one bat branch, it's reaching for the next branch, if remind is that they are always reaching, going, going going, it doesn't give a lot of room for some of the most valuable parts of who we are. And the valuable parts that don't seem to have any obvious monetary value or obvious status value or obvious, obvious value and getting what we want, maybe from life. But this deeper place that has lots of time, for time, where we give it we have a lot of time, for the immediacy of now for this moment. And this moment, just seems to be a to extend and maybe even extended become longer and longer. And then how long can it last this timeless now? For you? So the dhamma, the dharma is immediate.
It doesn't belong to time. And how long can you rest in this timeless moment? And can you extend it? And what are the benefits of that for you? And so I would suggest that this would be a great day for you to experiment with this. Take, take time to do this take time, maybe even put a timer on your, on your piano, if you have a clock you can time, maybe once an hour, randomly or something through the day. Experiment with giving more time making room pause to see if you can experience the extended present moment. You know, if you're playing ping pong, stop playing or the equivalent stopped doing it. And sit down and let there be an extended pause. Maybe as you have a cup of tea or something and see what's available to you. That's different than in the rapidity of some of the things that we're doing. What happens what shifts in you what comes so the dharma is a kellyco is immediate is now is not enough time. So thank you. And we'll continue this tomorrow.
