Advaita Vedanta's view on time?

[Guest guest]

Hello,

 

Here's something that always boggled my mind. From some views I came

across time begin at the moment of the big bang. However, before

the " time " of the big bang, wasn't the universe shrinking? Therefore to

me it seems to be possible to describe events and a time period before

the actual big bang.

So was there a beginning to time? If not, how did we arrive at this

present point in time? Or is time perhaps actually an illusion?

 

Thanks

 

Laksamanh

[Guest guest]

it is an unending cycle? right?

a.v.krshnan

 

phap44 <phap44 wrote:

Hello,

 

Here's something that always boggled my mind. From some views I came

across time begin at the moment of the big bang. However, before

the " time " of the big bang, wasn't the universe shrinking? Therefore to

me it seems to be possible to describe events and a time period before

the actual big bang.

So was there a beginning to time? If not, how did we arrive at this

present point in time? Or is time perhaps actually an illusion?

 

Thanks

 

Laksamanh

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answers - Got a question? Someone out there knows the answer. Tryit now.

 

 

[Guest guest]

--- >As mentioned by some of the members of advaitin@

is there no time before big bang?Is there any begining (ADI)and

ending (ANTAM)to this universe.?Big Bang is one of the event.All of us

know that A.D.(after death of christ)is only a conventional Reckoning

of Time only.This is all Relative.There is No Absolute " Time " .Perhaps

Time is " BRAHMAN " .

ANANTAM KHALVIDAM BRAHMA.There is no Absolute Time or Absolute

SPACE. EINSTEIN also expressed the same view of TIME SPACE continum.

sastry

Hari OHm

>

>

>

> Answers - Got a question? Someone out there knows the

answer. Tryit now.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Namaste all

 

This question on the origin of time is as old as Time!

 

May I reproduce below two paragraphs from my book " The Ten

Commandments of Hinduism " on this topic?:

 

Link of the word 'padma' with Time:

 

In all of Sanskrit literature from Vedic times and Indian

mathematics writings, single words have been used to denote the power

of ten. The list as given in Lilavati goes up to the 16th power of

ten. In this sequence mahApadma stands for the 12th power of ten and

so is a trillion (million millions). A day of BrahmA is called a

kalpa; it is 8.64 billion years.Each day of BrahmA has a name. This

day of BrahmA in which we are living is called sveta-varAha-kalpa.

The scriptures talk of only 25 or 30 such days of BrahmA with names.

So the order of 100 days of BrahmA is probably as far as we can go

even by scriptural imagination and loftiest vision of the Seers. This

gives 864 billion years. The next bigger power of ten is the twelfth

power of ten. This is maha-padma in the nomeclature listed. Thus the

word 'padma' indicates the origin of time in the sense it goesas far

back as 100 days of BrahmA. This link of 'padma' with the concept of

time gives the following esoteric meaning of the word 'Padma-nAbha'

which is one of the thousand names of the Almighty and is counted

among the most important twelve names out of these.

 

Esoteric meaning of 'Padma-nAbha':

 

Since BrahmA the Creator springs from the Divine Navel ('nAbhi')

and 'padma' stands for the concept of Time, the word Padma-nAbha

symbolically states that the Transcendental Supreme is the ultimate

source of Time. It is from that Ultimate Divinity that mAyA the

Cosmic Delusion starts and that is thorigin of Time. There is no way

by which we can pinpoint the origin of Time. The question itself is

ill-posed, says Advaita.Time is an off-shoot of mAyA and being within

mAyA we cannever get to understand the origin of Time. The word Padma-

nAbha says that until we reach Him we cannot hope to comprehend the

origin of Time.

 

PraNAms to all advaitins.

profvk

[Guest guest]

" Since BrahmA the Creator springs from the Divine Navel ('nAbhi')

and 'padma' stands for the concept of Time, the word Padma-nAbha

symbolically states that the Transcendental Supreme is the ultimate

source of Time. It is from that Ultimate Divinity that mAyA the

Cosmic Delusion starts and that is thorigin of Time. There is no way

by which we can pinpoint the origin of Time. The question itself is

ill-posed, says Advaita.Time is an off-shoot of mAyA and being within

mAyA we cannever get to understand the origin of Time. The word Padma-

nAbha says that until we reach Him we cannot hope to comprehend the

origin of Time. "

 

 

V. Krishnamurthy,

 

This makes sense and I really appreciate your replies (and everyone's

as well). I was thinking last night as well (by the way I don't know

much at all about Advaita), if Brahman is pure awareness. And if the

only thing that truly exists is this consciousness. That's means

there's no distance, by this I mean one can't measure the physical

dimensions of pure awareness. And without distance, time can't be

calculated, or time can't exist without space. So time truly doesn't

exist and is another illusion of maya?

 

I don't know though, I would like to hear everyone's thoughts.

 

By the way thanks for everyone's replies earlier about how Advaita

has benefited your life. There are big changes happening in my life

recently and I'm under some stress and many times worrying about so

many different things. The phrase shared by Krishnamurthy, " this too

shall pass, " I find has helped as well when I'm feeling overwhelmed.

Also thanks for your review on 5000 Years of Advaita, of all the

books I decided to purchase this one to learn more about Advaita

Vedanta.

 

Thank you

[Guest guest]

Laks,

 

One guy's thoughts. Not original with me, I assure you.

 

Right this minute, can I find where the past ended and the " present "

began?. I'm looking for it now, can't seem to find it. Oh, there it is!

Nope, too late. Okay. If I can't find where the present began and the

past ended, maybe I can find where the present ends and the " future "

starts. Okay, looking for it now. Hmmm. Can't find it either. Well...so

much for the past and future. The only " place " I can even think about

them is now. Any event from the " past " that I can recall is being

recalled now and since the event happened " now " , when it

apparently " occured " and I'm remembering it now, where is the past???

Same with the " future " . Any thoughts/images about the future can

only " happen " now. When I get to the future, which is impossible, I'll

still be now. Ha! Ha! Ha! What a grand joke! If only " I " could live

this! Actually, I'm living it all the time " I " just don't always know

it! Ain't this all a bunch of down-home fun?? Best wishes to y'all from

Texas!!!

[Guest guest]

hey Steve :

 

your post brings to mind the following Zen Koan :

 

Every Day Is a Good Day

 

Unmon said: " I do not ask you about fifteen days ago. But what about

fifteen days hence? Come, say a word about this! " Since none of the

monks answered, he answered for them: " Every day is a good day. "

 

love

 

 

 

 

 

advaitin , " otnac6 " <otnac6 wrote:

>

> Laks,

>

> One guy's thoughts. Not original with me, I assure you.

>

> Right this minute, can I find where the past ended and

the " present "

> began?. I'm looking for it now, can't seem to find it.

[Guest guest]

I read or heard from some source this joke: time was created so

everything wouldn't happen all at once! As good an explanation as any,

I think.

[Guest guest]

Prof.V.K ji's divine interpretation of Sri Vishnu's divine namavali

Padmanabha :

 

" Since BrahmA the Creator springs from the Divine Navel ('nAbhi')

and 'padma' stands for the concept of Time, the word Padma-nAbha

symbolically states that the Transcendental Supreme is the ultimate

source of Time. It is from that Ultimate Divinity that mAyA the

Cosmic Delusion starts and that is thorigin of Time. There is no way

by which we can pinpoint the origin of Time. The question itself is

ill-posed, says Advaita.Time is an off-shoot of mAyA and being

within mAyA we cannever get to understand the origin of Time. The

word Padma- nAbha says that until we reach Him we cannot hope to

comprehend the

origin of Time. "

Dear dear Professor-ji , your post also brought to my mind the

following verse from Sri Vishnu Sahsaranama !

 

Bhuta-bhavya-bhavat-prabhuh: The one who is the master and beyond

the past, present and the future.

 

In this context , may i also recall verse number 12 , chapter 2 from

the Srimad Bhagavat Gita ?

 

na tv evaham jatu nasam

na tvam neme janadhipah

na caiva na bhavisyamah

sarve vayam atah param ( ch 2 , verse 12)

 

Swami Chinmayananda's wonderful explanation :

 

It is not that at any time (in the past) , indeed, was I not, nor

were you, nor these rulers of men. Nor, verily, shall we all ever

cease to be hereafter.

 

Krishna here declares, in unequivocal terms, that the embodied Self

in every one is set on a great pilgrimage in which It comes to

identify itself with varied forms, temporarily to gain a limited but

determined, set of experiences. He says that neither He Himself nor

Arjuna nor the great kings of the age that have assembled in both

the armies, are mere accidental happenings. They do not come from

nowhere and, at their death, do not become mere non-existent

nothingness. Correct philosophical thinking guides man's intellect

to the apprehension of a continuity from the past --- through the

present --- to the endless future. The Spirit remaining the same, It

gets seemingly conditioned by different body-equipments and comes to

live through its self-ordained environments.

 

It is this conclusion of the Hindu philosophers that has given them

the most satisfactory THEORY OF REINCARNATION.

 

((((snip snipsnip))))))

 

Hence , we Say Krishna is

 

purnah suddho nitya-muktah. Name is full. As Krishna is full,

complete, similarly, Krishna's name is also full, complete. Suddha.

It is not material things. Purnah suddhah nityah muktah ! Krishna is

full, pure and eternal !

 

Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum !