week-3

A Time To Sow, A Time To Reap

Time is experience. Period.

King Arthur And Merlin
King Arthur and his knights once stopped at the hut where Wizard Merlin used to retreat whenever he wished to purify his soul. It was deep in the forest and only known to the wizard and a very few of his servants. But to his shock there was the king on a morning breathless from his hard ride.
How had he found him out? Before he could ask the vistor, the king came to the point. He wanted Merlin to pray for the success of the mission.
“What mission?”
“ Search for the Giant from Kilkenny, who had made off with Five Virgins of the Abbey of Armagh Edon !” Merlin opened the breviary to read a word of counsel. The king in mud spattered boots stopped and he said,” No you just speak to the light there.”
Merlin looked at the royal master with amazement. There was the candle with its flame and set on a curiously wrought silver candlestick. “ That fire is pure and holy!” the king exulted while the knights who had traveled with him dropped on their knees in deep reverence.
The king exclaimed reverentially that it was common knowledge that the flame was lit on that Easter morning while the Lord of the Days had risen. The king would have bowed before the candle but a wind blew and the flame went out!
Bfore the shocked king could react the host said,” That is nothing sire!”.
The knights were all in shock and dismay while Merlin relit the candle. He asked them, ” The flame is back.” He tried to pacify the visitors who would not be comforted. They all were certain : “It is an evil sign and our quest is doomed. That is for sure!”
Merlin asked them to prove that second flame was different from the earlier. The king admitted it was impossible to prove. “Rightly so,” the wizard said with an emphasis.
He asked a little later how did the king find him out.
“This hut is only known to me and brother Terence, who is my servant.”
The king with a laugh said,” I am the Lord of the realm and the Master. Ternce may serve you but you serve me. Is it not?’
Merlin nodded. The king said,” Terence knows who his real master is. He shall never disobey my command.”
Truth of nature is like King Arthur. We may speak of time as if something straightforward from our point of view. We speak only from our experience. But is it all time signifies?
Tailpiece: King Arthur can only speak from his point of view and his religious sensibilities. What does he know of the reality of the candle or the flame?
What is Time like? Time is like Terence, who must obey material nature, the physical reality of our universe.