“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives,” says author Annie Dillard.

Goethe, meticulous about the passage of time reflects:  “Every second is of infinite value”  for one who captures it.

Seneca states that what we do each day figures the meaning of our life and calibrates the “relative” passage of time. He says, “ Life, if lived well, is long enough, ” and one can depart with a sense of contentment.

In his renown ouevre, the Divine Comedy,  Dante vividly depicts the states of souls and their dwellings in the other world. He alludes to the rewards and reprimands of the other world determined as a result of our conduct in life.

Most of us know the preciousness of time and try to manage it in optimum ways so as to serve our goals and to accomplish whatever our pursuit is in life. Yet we live as if we are never going to die. For example, I find myself flipping into the mindset whereby I am tempted to push off the end of my time far away, at least not within near sight and I am easily convinced that I have ample time for this and for that. On the instant, I hear my pleasure-seeking ego imposing me “ get the most of the day, don’t think about tomorrow now, enjoy while you can, life is too short for all that hassle, you think too much or why bother after all…don’t be stupid, just count the pleasures…seek to have more while you can…” In this illusory state, I may get swayed and end up spending a would-be-productive time interval of my day on unnecessary, valueless peddling which does not bring me one foot closer to my ultimate goal.

Even if I accept the fleeting, ephemeral quality of life on earth, I often find myself inclined to live as if I have countless numbers of hours and days. Overlooking the limited nature of time helps me to console the stress and the agony it puts on my psyche. It easily appeases me in my short-sighted bargain with time.

Science also keeps our hopes on the edge for prolonging life. The quest for finding the elixir of life since the ancient ages has now become the priority research topic. Living longer is aspired perhaps more passionately than ever since the highest amount of financial resources are now poured into immortality research.

Yet most of the philosophers and savants in east and west argue that a never-ending life filled with fast fleeting pleasures and the ups and downs of humanly sufferings could be tiresome and relentless for our spirit. It is the very awareness of our impermanence that gives our lives meaning, hope and zest to do well, to do what is good around us and to do it in good time. Their argument is based on the fact that it is in human nature to leave “ good traces, and heart-warming memories ” behind and that is the kernel in attaining happiness which lasts.

Ostad Elahi (1895-1974) , the thinker, jurist and master musician reflects on the passage of time and how we prepare ourselves during our lifetime :

Our life in this world is akin to a single night spent in a lavish manor or a meager inn: no more should we lose ourselves and revel in the luxury of the manor than become disheartened by the austerity of the inn, for in either case we are merely overnight guests who will spend the rest of our lives in another abode that we would do well to prepare for now. What greater joy than to enter a home in which everything has been provisioned for us; miserable are those who depart this world with no home or provisions. [1]

Ostad Elahi emphasizes that life on earth provides an auspicious field to plant our seeds — “the good deeds, good words and good thoughts ”— which are means to accumulate the “spiritual provisions ”we need to bring with us to the other world. Only then we can assure a plentiful harvest, a home well prepared in advance, filled with joy and abundance. He highlights an eternal life that awaits the soul, the quality of which depends on how we spend our time on earth.

The philosophy of Ostad Elahi does not exclude the material dimension of life nor does it impose seclusion. On the contrary, he suggests an active life in society, integrating work, socializing activities, balancing the care of the body and the soul, eating well.. He states that it is also essential to spare time for leisure to nourish our psychological well-being but all the while we should keep our ultimate goal in mind.

Everything that we engage in should benefit these four fundamental spheres: the material world, the hereafter, the physical body, and the soul. That is why we should avoid compromising our body, for example, like certain Hindu fakirs. These four spheres are on an equal plane, and it is our sound reason that must establish a balance between the interests of this world and the next, the body and the soul. If one were to solely pursue the hereafter and abandon family responsibility and worldly life, it would be wrong and contrary to sound reason. Likewise, it would be wrong to solely pursue the material world at the expense of the hereafter, or to seek both but to neglect the body. Similarly, it would defy sound reason to strengthen the body to the detriment of the soul, or to neglect the body and tend entirely to the soul. In short, establishing equilibrium among these four spheres leads to the formation of our sound reason, upon which our decisions should be based. [2]

For Ostad Elahi, the goal is to act in harmony with the virtues of a true human being and thereby set an example; and that is a true feat in today’s society.

A good example is someone in his early fifties, married, who is very active in work and who is efficiently managing his time. He is diligent in keeping his activities in each domain in harmony with his values insofar they serve his ultimate purpose in life one way or the other. He spends his time typically on these sub-categories :

• Work
• Timely updating files
• Family time
• Allocating regular time for healthy eats and sports
• Chores for the close ones like driving, arranging at home or office, assist in social gatherings, etc.
• Daily time for reading, music, natural meditation, etc. whichever is essential to his spiritual development.

Among his prominent characteristics and virtues are conscientiousness, organization, willpower, and faith which enable him to keep his goal in mind and to advance spiritually in parallel to his materialistic occupations.

Another example is from a different stage of life: An elderly woman who recently started to arrange the last part of her life with a remarkably realistic poise and maturity. She took measures to avoid possible financial hurdles, sorted out her inheritance, made the necessary legal arrangements, simplified her house and distributed her particular belongings to her close ones. Furthermore, she astonishingly completed the necessary procedures for her funeral. One day she said in all simplicity : “ I want to be serene in the last part of my life. Though I’m still in good health, I can see the effects of aging on my body…my aim is to be ready for death, to be well-prepared for the deliverance of my soul lightly…and when the time comes, I wish to depart swiftly and easily, without leaving behind any heaviness, or unfinished work for my family. ”

It is motivating to comport oneself on both spiritual and material dimensions. Taking care of the body and the soul  cultivates deeper meaning and hope. Then one can keep the good faith in the future and beyond, in the eternal. Our dwelling on earth is but a passage of limited time, a time to spend time wisely on being human. Despite all the adversities, the harvest of our efforts awaits us in the afterlife. After all a life that is lived good renders good.

Duygu Bruce

[1]  [2] Paroles de Vérité, Albin Michel, 2014. Paroles 2 & 41, English translation forthcoming.