An eternity in every instant

[Shang Li]

"I am centered, I am ready master." I hear myself say, my voice seeming to me to lack the required confidence in my ability. I see master Shinmen's blade clear it's saya and begin it's lethal ard for my chest, far to fast to parry or avoid. I start to move, obviously too late. Then it happens, the cherry blossoms falling in the courtyard freeze in their decent, my own movements slow down to a crawl, alongside the movement of Mastier Ichiro's blade. I realize that if I let myself fall straight backward, the attack will miss. I begin to move, fighting the panic of seeing my movement be so painfully slow, I fail. there is a loud his followed by two thumps as my top-notch lands next to me as a white hot flash shoots up my spine instead of across my chest, telling me both that I have survived the day's lesson and injured myself in my abrupt sitting. Even through the pain I cannot help but smile, soon I will be tought the inner secrets of the art, the secrets that elevate a true master so very far above a mere warrior like myself.

"During the moment while you were busy imagining yourself a Master, Ito, you were oblivious to my next two strokes, one to sever the bicep of your sword arm and the other to sweep your head from your shoulders." Of course that damnable old man was not satisfied with my performance, my best ever. "Go sit in the snow for a while, Ito, and think of what you saw, what you did. I saw the flicker of real understanding in your eyes for the breifest moment, when you can see the eternity in every single moment you live, and savor them all like fine women, then you will be ready to become a master."

Crestfallen I walked out of the training hall and winced as I lowered my unbeleivably sore rump into the snow. Although I was unable to repeat the earlier sense of forever, I drank deeply of the crisp night air, the snow gently falling around me, The moon gently lighting the courtyard. Then it struck me - the cherry blossoms I had seen drifting through the air could not have fallen from a tree in this season.

I still have not learned to hold that state of awareness from moment to moment. Yet still I savor every moment of which I am aware, even if I do not have an eternity to take in each of them.

[Ron Caliburn]

Maybe you're trying too hard. Deal with the moment that is, instead of trying to change it into the moment you want.

[Cybermancer]

I don't really see the problem with using the past to make the present the one you want.

But there is something to what Mr. Caliburn says. There is only the current moment. Both the past and future are illusions. Tricks of perception rather than reality.