TIME – AN ENIGMA

"Time is a created thing." - Lao Tzu

Time is generally perceived as a sequence of events occurring in an irreversible manner, moving from past to future. We have invented calendars and clocks to define time. But is the concept of time that simple?

Let us assume that all the clocks around the world come to a standstill. Would time also cease to exist? When we say, "We had a great time," does time have anything to do with it? When we say, "Time flies," what exactly flies?

Carlo Rovelli, a physicist, said: "This is time, familiar and intimate. We are taken by it. The rush of seconds, hours, and years hurls us toward life, then drags us toward nothingness... We inhabit time as fish live in water. Our being is being in time. Its solemn music nurtures us, opens the world to us, troubles us, frightens and lulls us. The universe unfolds into the future, dragged by time, and exists according to the order of time."

So, what exactly is the time? Does time even exist? Is time an illusion?

This question has intrigued the human race for ages. The quest to decode time continues in science, philosophy, and religion. Despite centuries of study, we still have much to learn about this elusive concept.

In 1905, a research paper by Albert Einstein shook the world. He proposed the theory of relativity. According to this theory, the passage of time is relative to the observer and depends on their velocity and gravitational field. This means that time can appear to move more slowly or quickly depending on the observer’s perspective. Some scientists believe that Einstein’s theory is based on linear time flowing from past to present to future, whereas physical reality is based on non-linear periods.

In 1927, Sir Arthur Eddington coined the term "The Arrow of Time." It implies that time moves only in one direction, unlike the dimension of space. Time apparently can’t travel backward. Time may be considered a fourth dimension of reality since it can’t be seen, touched, or tasted. We can only measure its passage.

In his famous book, The Order of Time, well-known physicist Carlo Rovelli writes: "If nothing changes, there is no time, because time is nothing but the registering of movement. Time, then, is the form in which we beings, whose brains are made up essentially of memory and foresight, interact with the world: it is the source of our identity."

Is Time Linear or Cyclical?

Time is linear when we think of the passing of events, such as growing from a child to an old man. However, some events happen daily in a cyclical fashion, like sunrise and sunset. In this sense, time is cyclical.

In Hinduism, time is perceived as both linear and cyclical. It encompasses four very long cycles called Yugas (Krita, Treta, Dvapara, and Kali Yuga). Yugas get progressively shorter in timespan. In Abrahamic religions, time is linear, beginning with the act of creation by God and culminating in an end time.

Whether time is a fundamental aspect of the universe, a human construct, or an illusion, one thing is certain: it is an integral part of our lives and our understanding of the world around us.

From the deliberations so far, we must realize that we all have an ultra-short time on this Earth. It is up to each individual to make the best use of the finite moments they have. Time management is essentially life management. Moments well spent make the journey of life buoyant and meaningful. ‘Well spent time’ is a personal preference, but one must be sure not to regret in the future for not utilizing time well. Remember, if time really flies, you are the pilot!

It would be worth heeding the words of Henry Rollins: "No such thing as spare time, no such thing as free time, no such thing as downtime. All you got is a lifetime. Go."

Let us take a step further and explore what ‘timelessness’ is.

Timelessness is experiencing ourselves in purity. If we can free our minds from ideas, beliefs, memories of the past, apprehensions of the future, and worldly attachments, then we become our conscious selves in the timelessness of presence. Real-time can take us to timelessness, and timelessness ushers us into the now!

To comprehend it further, let us look up what the Bhagavad Gita teaches us in chapter 2.20:

न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः ।

अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ॥

(The soul never takes birth and never dies at any time, nor does it come into being again when the body is created. The soul is birthless, eternal, imperishable, timeless, and is never destroyed when the body perishes.)

Elif Shafak says it very well: "Eternity does not mean infinite time, but simply timelessness."

To me, life is a student understanding the value of time, whereas time is a teacher enlightening the purpose of life.

 

 

Dr. HEMANT ANTANI