A realization of time

     Time as I think is just a physical quantity; just like length or temperature or intensity of light etc. another physical quantity that helps us keep track of things, helps the physicists understand many a things, helps the layman to keep himself disciplined, helps the housewife keep to her daily schedule of when to cook food and when to clean the house and so many other people are utilizing this abstract physical quantity to add orderliness to their lives for achieving their goals. Last Sunday I wrote a post named life after life where this documentary with the same name put forth a point that after their soul was detached from their body, they could not feel the pain, they were blissed and there seemed to be no distinction of time and space for them, they were all pervasive through time and space. They refers to the people in the documentary who had near death experiences.

     When I asked Swamiji what did the person in the documentary mean by there is no time for them, he said that there is this chronological time which is there prevalent for them too but the scale is different i.e. a period of a year for the living person is just that of a day for a body-less soul. That apart, he gave me a new perspective to look at time. The chronological time is essential for maintaining a set standard for everyone but on a personal level, if you think, time is a projection of your mind. Observe that when you are doing what you like to do, what entertains you, charms you, titillates you, motivates you to work more, time flies by. But when you do something which you are forced or burdened to do, which you don't want to do from your heart, which is repulsive to you but you have to do it, time seems to have come to a standstill. Every moment seems stagnant. The same time which earlier flows by unconsciously, now seems to daunt you every other second. This is just a play of your mind. Time; for you, is a projection of how is your mind's state currently. This is a beautiful thing pointed out by him. Also if we make account of this and keep equanimity in states of joy and sorrow alike without being elated or depressed respectively, time would reflect a peaceful, serene picture similar to that of undisturbed water in a pond, without any waves or ripples! Hope to stick to this philosophy as much as possible.