As a child, my alarm clock was my sister rebelling at the top of her voice against the school-going ritual. Her cries informed me how late we were.
The speed of pens scratching the answer sheets would tell me how long I’d have to survive in the exam hall. I was a fast writer. Others weren’t.
The fiddling hands of my husband (then, someone I was seeing) showed me it was time for me to make a move.
I have never been a person who twirled at the clock’s hand (I had to give in to her though, cuz the world!). I was on time on rare occasions. Always bargained for more time in exchange for higher-quality delivery. Anytime I was questioned, I blamed it on my delayed birth. 😄
But, this newsletter is being written 2 days ahead of the plan, because…(next line)
For the longest time, I too have revolted against this absoluteness of time without realising that the clock is just one side of the coin.
There’s another.
A brief culture recap
Indians have always believed in 2 times – kaala and ritu (or bela).1
Kaala is usually thought of in terms of hours or peher. It’s absolute and must be followed if the societal order is to be maintained. Those who don’t or can’t pay heed to kaala perish. Yes, this is how our elders force us to subscribe to this concept. Cultural homogenisation at its peak!
Also, not their fault. They were conditioned to see tardiness as the shortcut to failure. Ritu and Bela are only pretty names.
In real, ritu/bela is interpreted as the moment. Like ‘the moment of truth’. The time that feels right. There’s nothing absolute about it; extremely uncertain and hence, we’re being warned against it. Unless of course, there’s a spiritual ceremony or ritual, where all must abide with ritu or be ready to bear the wrath of the Gods. So, ritu, in a way, is the spiritual element of time, its qualitative side.
This verse from Hitopdesha2 elucidates how timing is everything and if the right moment (ritu) is not seized with action, kaala drinks away the deed’s sweetness.
I dived deeper into this dichotomy of time and found that Bible3 too describes time the same way as Chronos and Kairos, the Greek gods of time. In fact, Kairos has been mentioned in the New Testament 86 times!
Chronos is depicted as an old grumpus with wrinkles and Kairos as a young dude with wings. Chronos manages routines, Kairos takes care of opportunities.
Do we pick sides?
Do we have to?
The world is a mixed bag of people who march to the clock’s tick-tock and others who shimmy on the emotional rhapsody.
Honestly, you can’t escape the tick-tockers if you’re employed in corporates, travelling or ordering takeout. I mean, we expect our washing machines to follow the time we set! The world is run, and will continue to do so, by Chronos devotees.
But, you could still shake your booty with Kairos here and there—the world could use more sweetness.
This song explains how:
Aanewala pal, jaanewala hai
Ho sake toh ismein zindagi bita do
Pal jo ye jaanewala hai
This song (I hate it) is also helpful:
Iss kaal-kaal mein ham tum karein dhamaal
The songs agree on one thing—Kairos is flighty AF, Chronos is sticky AF but Chronos can summon Kairos. You can run into ritu while hanging out with kaala.
Yes, yes, your perfectly-planned proposal got ruined by your ex’s illperfectly-timed call and the time-punching machine is a soul-sucking dementor. However, don’t be deterred by them. And, stop seeking perfection.
Not all frisbee matches with kids will be magical but have them anyway. Not all dinner dates will end with dessert in bed but plan them anyway. Not all drafts will awe everyone but write them anyway.
Kairos is known for sneaking up on folks. If you go looking for it, he’d meet you halfway.
Until next time,
Breathe in, breathe out…
Homework for you
Tell me about your moments with Kairos. Was it finding your favourite flavour of ice-cream in an unknown country or forgetting to eat it because the book was more interesting? I want to feature them in the coming issues.
I’m also intrigued by the genders these concepts were assigned, perhaps a topic for another newsletter.
Hitopdesha (translates to ‘beneficial advice’) is a collection of fables in Sanskrit that shares wordly wisdom on important topics in simple words. (wikipedia)
Kairos in Bible (wikipedia)
