A Record of Meetings held by P.D. Ouspensky - HolyBooks.com

By reincarnation you mean in time—by calendar and clock. But with alittle more knowledge this does not work. You have got to get rid ofcalendar and watch. Man dies and time is going. It is impossible. Onemeans time, another means different attitude to time.Q . What is the substitute for calendar and clock, if any?MR. O. No substitute.Q . Is it possible to have emotional feeling in idea of recurrence?MR. O. Yes, it is possible. Particularly if one has even some recollection.I don't mean everything. But even slight memory can give interestingemotional understanding.Q . How dependable is that emotional feeling?MR. O. Different for different people. For one person it can be dependable,for another it means nothing.Q . A person who remembered everything would feel that everybodyaround him was dead. That would be an uncomfortable feeling.MR. O. Dead and buried and question is finished.Q . When you throw calendar and watch out, do you mean that everymoment is permanent?MR. O. No, I don't mean that. That would be theory, philosophy.Q . Wouldn't there have to be some change in order to throw timeout?MR. O. I don't know. You make deduction. I spoke of calendar andwatch and you want to throw time out.Q . Can one prepare oneself for recurrence?MR. O. Why? Theoretically speaking. But how? This is a good question.First question that can be answered. How? Suppose in a certain lifeyou want to do something and you find you cannot do it. This needshelp. If you cannot physically get this help, you begin to think aboutit. And you realize you have to prepare for this help the life before.This life is too late. This is the situation.Q . Do you mean feel what one can do in next life?MR. O. Next life is too late. Life before is only chance. Think about it.Perhaps you missed some opportunity.Q . Can we only think of past life in relation to mistakes made in thislife?MR. O. If one finds one cannot do something, he thinks of previoustime when perhaps he could do it. Or perhaps he couldn't. Think whatthis implies.