(© T.J. Gray, 1968)I
The future should not be envisaged as some 'thing' that is awaiting us, any more than the past should be envisaged as some 'thing' that is gone-for-ever.
Neither has either come or gone, is either to-come or to-go, because neither is a 'thing' at all or has any objective existence whatever.
Both are what we call 'the present' which to us only appears to exist as an imaginary line separating two temporal states which we are obliged to experience sequentially. They are just Presence, which has for aspects 'past' and 'future' as a coin has head and tail.
II
The future is already 'now', has never been anywhen else, and will never go elsewhen. It does not exist as a 'future' at all, nor will it ever exist as a 'past'. It is entirely here now, always has been and will be 'forever' - in a time-context.
It is the 'time-context' which is imagined, according to which events are experienced in sequence. 'Sequence' appears to 'fly' and we call it 'Tempus'. Nothing else suffers any kind of displacement in Mind.
Note: 'Mind' here refers to the integrality of mind, whose division into subject and object produces relativity, 'future' and 'past' being relative concepts.
III
The centre of infinity is in all 'places',
And I am the centre of infinity.
The centre of intemporality is at all 'times',
And I am the centre of intemporality.Therefore here-and-there, near-and-far,
Are measurements from where-I-am,
And now-and-then, passed and to-come,
Are measurements of my presence-and-absence,
From my eternal centre.
