Aboriginal Quote by Huston Smith
“...yesterday and today and tomorrow are not an arrow that shoots from past to present to future; rather all tenses, and sleeping and waking, mix and cohabit in an atemporal duration beyond clocks and calendars. The Aboriginal world began long ago when the Ancestors sang in Dreamtime the cosmic rhythms that give shape to the things we see, and it is the beginning right now, when a living Tiwi sings the Dream songs that continue, or are, the world.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The World's Religions, Huston Smith, 1999
Time is not linear; past, present, and future coexist in a timeless flow, reflected in Indigenous Dreamtime narratives.
In simple terms: All moments exist together, not in a line.
Key Takeaway
Embrace the present as part of an eternal whole.
Themes
time
indigenous spirituality
philosophy
existence
Mood
contemplative
reverent
Type
philosophical
spiritual
When to use this quote
- personal reflection
- meditation
- cultural study
- spiritual practice
- creative writing
Key Concepts
Dreamtime
atemporality
cosmic rhythm
Questions to Reflect On
- How does seeing time as atemporal change your daily choices?
- What does Dreamtime teach about continuity?
A Different Perspective
Linear time view may oversimplify complex temporal experiences.
