The three conceptions of time: chronos, kairos and eschaton, play a vital role in religious thought. The 'conventional' time, chronos, by which all humans organized their lives, can be regarded as a provisional order of arbitrary periods in a continuous present, a tool for further social organization and harmonious living. However, chronos can be transformed into kairos, a definite moment in this continuous present when the beings can really change their near and far future. in a eschatological view of christian theology, the kairos is determined by the eschaton, the third conception of time which relates to the time of the return of Jesus Christ, when God will come to install His Kingdom with those who deserve it. Therefore, the idea of the return of the Son of God and His Father to judge those who can live in His Kingdom emphasizes a commitment to be ready (without sin) to accept and be accepted to this Heavleny realm whenever it happens to come: "Now concerning that day and hour no one knows-neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son-except the Father only" (Matthew 24: 36). Furthermore, Jesus said "Then the sign of the son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the peoples of the earth will mourn; and they will see the son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other" (Matthew 24: 30-31). This is when everyday life is important to prepare for the coming of the Kingdom of God, living in accordance with Jesus' teachings and guidelines for a compassionate behaviour towards ourselves and others.
From a Buddhist perspective, Shakyamuni Buddha taught the importance of living an ethical life, guided by the precepts of the 'Eightfold Path' of the Fourth Noble Truth, namely: right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right effort, right livelihood, right concentration and right mindfulness. Following this path, the end of suffering is secured and, as a result, the ultimate liberation of this cycle of rebirths in Samsara. This cleansing of karma, which is defined simply as a cause-and-effect relaton, one is able to control your own path towards liberation. If you think, speak and behave compassionately, your positive karma derived from these intentional actions will be a compassionate one. Therefore, the main element in all karmatic relationships are intentions, it is not a matter of 'what' but rather a matter of 'why'. One must be really honest while acknowledging the intentions of our thoughts and actions and be ready to face the consequences. So, wholesome actions (guided by compassion) will lead us towards liberation while unwholesome actions (guided by selfishness, hatred and anger) imprisoned us in samsara with further rebirths in lower realms, having more difficulties to reach liberation. In sum, in Buddhism there is no separation between chronos, kairos and eschaton, because there is a continuous present that gave us always the opportunity to work towards liberation or not, depending in our intentions behind every actions. the 'eschatological promise' is not posited in a near or far future, but as part of a continuum of causes and conditions that all beings face throughout their rebirths. These two ways of using the three times have th ecommon idea of everyday work towards our spiritual development through compassionate thoughts and actions. Whether by cleaning our karma or by eliminating sinful actions, one can understand the urge of realizing that we all have the free-will to work towards liberation or the perpetuation of suffering.
Therefore, the spiritual paths taught by Shakyamuni Buddha and Jesus Christ, encompass the life as a sentient being in this Earth, along with the recognition and true awareness of our divine nature; one that binds us with that sacred which is invoked in different names, rituals and creeds. By doing so, everything can become what Mircea Eliade called a hierophany, a manifestation of the sacred in this world, our lieves are part fo a divine enterprise and the sooner we recognize it, the better we can act for our benefit and others.
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Hello,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy reading this article. But I was wondering about some things, Is the eschaton beacuse God is comming to the Earth? Because if this is the case what happens with the first comming of Jesus Christ,could it be a previous eschaton?
Hello Urapiti,
ReplyDeletethank you for your comments and questions. Regarding the first question, the eschaton from a theological perspective will be when the Kingdom of God is finally manifested on Earth, following what Jesus taught. So, the eschaton is that moment when finally the forces of good defeat evil and God establishes His Kingdom for the benefit of all. Thus, this leads us to your second question regarding the coming of Jesus Christ and the eschaton. The coming of Jesus as the embodiment of God, thus God incarnated (which this is a matter of further theological discussions), had more to do with first to establish a New Covenant and, then to set the context for the further establishment of God's Kindgom. So Jesus Christ came to save humanity from the burden of sin, by his sacrifice he established a New Alliance, a New Covenant between God and Humanity. It was not only betwen God and a 'chosen nation' (first Covenant with Moses) but the ultimate alliance between God and His creation. By doing this, the coming of Jesus Christ can be posited as a kairos moment, rather than eschaton, when humanity witnessed the establishment of the New Covenant and the promise of salvation through God. So, the Son prepared the house for the long-awaited return of the Father, seting the new rules and reminding the rest of the family to work together to clean the house by purifying, in the process, themselves through love and compassion.