Time...I deride

Part of my problem this semester is the fact that I feel like I have not been able to manage time efficiently, I have not been able to “get on task.” To mollify this problem, I recently resorted to purchasing a daily planner—as much as I hate the very idea of having my entire life jotted down on a piece of paper. Every time I think about a planner I think about Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk, in which the main character, Tender Branson, describes his daily planner in a most macabre manner. Every thing he is supposed to—indeed, even allowed to do—is written down in the planner which his employers keep by their phone. Imagine it, no variability, no flexibility—blah! Which brings me to my point, what exactly is the meaning (the point, even) of time and what is our hang-up with it?

I have been reminiscing about a recent conversation I had with some friends of mine regarding different dimensions. We live in a three dimensional world, while many people have postulated the existence of anywhere from 6-11 total dimensions. (A parenthetical aside: If the shadow of a 3-D object casts a 2-D shadow, is it not possible that ghosts actually exist in a fourth dimension and what we see is simply their shadows?) (Additionally this concept is not to be confused with the Tibetan Wheel of Life which states that there are 6 dimensions, each inhabited by different forms of life: Gods, Titans, Humans, Animals, Hungry Ghosts, and Demons. The Tibetan Wheel of Life can be taken as a literal meaning, or, as is more common, it can be taken metaphorically with each staging representing different values, moods, beliefs, and attitudes.) We live in our three dimensional world, but can see this fourth dimension of time. In fact, it may be that because this fourth dimension is so far beyond our own state of existence that it actually controls our existence. We cannot be said to live in a 4-D world because we do not have any control over time.

Maybe it was exactly this concept, our inability to control time, that Cassady was referring to when he said, “We know time.” And it is precisely this reason that leads inevitably to the death of everyone, no matter what we do. Kerouac understood the inevitability of this progression from life to death. This progression is also a central tenet of Zen Buddhism, the future is the future and no matter what we do it will come. Because of this, Zen focused instead on making the most out of right now—the concept of “Be here now.”

And now back to the introduction—my discussion of daily planners. The entire premise of daily planners seems antithetical to Zen because it necessitates an attempt to control time—“manage time” they call it. An utterly futile attempt at best.

Time time time

Is never on my side

(nor anyone else's)

Time, you I deride

Persuasive illusion

On which all life resides

Time time time

We're not waiting

Time time time

We're no one

(These last four lines are from an AFI song)