Following last week’s Young Jains 7th International Convention Bridging the Gap, one of the delegates, Heena Modi, wrote about the question we kept being asked throughout the convention: “What Time Is It?”
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So here’s a few scenarios of which, hopefully, you’ll be able to relate to one.
When do I want to travel the world? Now, before I have dependents.
When do I want to wear certain clothes? Now, whilst I can. Before I look inappropriate in them.
When do I want to have a bambino? Soon, before I find it to hard to raise him/her.
When do I want to have savings? ASAP, so I feel settled.
When do I want to fall in love? Now, so that I can settle with him/her, travel, relax and then have a family.
When do I want to reflect about my spirituality? My atma. When I have time. When I retire perhaps.
When do I want to stop eating meat? Later, when I’ve lived some more.
When do I want to stop drinking? When I’m older.
When do I want to learn why Jains aren’t supposed to eat root vegetables? Much later! I don’t need to think about that now.
So throughout the Young Jains convention, we were asked ‘What time is it?’ The answer was and still is, ‘NOW’.
We don’t know what lies ahead of us. We don’t know which choices will be available to us tomorrow let alone in a few months or years.
Should we keep putting off what really matters?
The time is now. As Kavit, the President of Young Jains said, N.O.W. stands for No Opportunity Waits.
What time is it for you?