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One instant is eternity; by Wu Men (Hui-k'ai) (1183 - 1260) Timeline English version by Stephen Mitchell Original Language Chinese Buddhist : Zen / Chan 13th Century One instant is eternity; eternity is the now. When you see through this one instant, you see through the one who sees.     -- from The Enlightened Heart: An Anthology of Sacred Poetry, by Stephen Mitchell Amazon.com   / Photo by Tobyotter /	Recommended Books The Enlightened Heart: An Anthology of Sacred Poetry, by Stephen Mitchell The Gateless Barrier: Zen Comments on the Mumonkan, Translated by Zenkei Shibayama The Gateless Gate: The Wu-men Kuan, Translated by Robert Aitken The World: A Gateway: Commentaries on the Mumonkan, Translated by Albert Low
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Commentary by Ivan M. Granger

I was a typical Aries kid growing up, always leaning into the future minute. The present made me itch. It took a desperate moment of spiritual exhaustion in my early 30s for me to finally drop the reflex to rush forward and just, finally, sit and settle into "this one instant." My inflated fantasies about myself collapsed and I came to a full halt. I figured that maybe this little moment was all I had. I fell silent.

Slipping into that tiniest space of "now," an amazing thing happens -- it opens itself up into a timeless vastness.

Finally we see. Well "we" don't see... The person you thought you were isn't even there to look; instead, there is some great, clear, steady sight that sees through us. And in that still, living moment, we participate in that seeing.

Eternity isn't somewhere far off in the future. It is, and always is, right here and right now. Nowhere else.

See if you can squeeze into the tight space of this very moment. See for yourself.

Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are Copyright © 2002 - 2011 by Ivan M. Granger.
All other material is copyrighted by the respective authors, translators and/or publishers.