54 TheSpiritual Life.
of births and deaths. Theaspirant cries out
eagerly: "Howmuchcan I do,whatprogress
can I make,duringmypresentlife?" There
is no such thmgas a"present life"; thereis
but one life-past and future, with the ever-
changing moment that is their meeting-place;
ononesideof itwesee the past,ontheother
sidethefuture,anditisitself asinvisibleasthe
little piece of ground on which we stand.
There is but one life, without beginning and
without ending, the ageless, timeless life, and
ourarbitrarydivisionsofitbytheever-recurring
incidents of births and deaths delude us and
ensnare. These are someof the trapsset for
theSelf bythelowernature,whichwouldfain
keep its hold on the winged Immortal thatis
straying throughits miry paths. This bird ofparadiseissofairathingasitsplumesbeginto
grow,thatallthepowersofnaturefalltoloving
it,andsetsnarestoholditprisoner; andofall
the snares the illusion of Time is the most
subtle.
When a vision of truth has come latein a
physical life, this discouragement as to time is