Psychological time

[Guest guest]

Dear List,

 

I realized in meditation this morning, that the whole concept of

psychological time is utterly fallacious. It is a falsehood. Where do we

come by these ideas of "past" and "future," are they taught to us as

babies? Why do we think "time passes?" Passes where? There is nowhere

for time to come from, and nowhere for it to go. There is no time, period.

 

I can't quite describe how I came by this realization, or the meaning of

it. I was simply lying in the "corpse position" and meditating, and

listening to sound around me - and I realized that there is no time. It

first seemed that the "outside world" was moving in time, and I was not.

Later I realized that the duality of time had been broken. *Everything

happens NOW*.

 

This is a realization that has brought an amazing deep sense of peace, and

a freedom to act. It is as if I have been paralyzed my entire life by this

concept of time, unable to do anything because of some imaginary future or

imaginary past. This concept of time passing has to be the ultimate

prison. Who imprisoned us? Who breaks us out? How do we come by this

ignorance, that there is some sort of movement through time?

 

Puzzled,

 

Tim

 

-----

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[Guest guest]

> Tim Gerchmez <fewtch

>

>

> Dear List,

>

> I realized in meditation this morning, that the whole concept of

> psychological time is utterly fallacious. It is a falsehood. Where do we

> come by these ideas of "past" and "future," are they taught to us as

> babies? Why do we think "time passes?" Passes where? There is nowhere

> for time to come from, and nowhere for it to go. There is no

> time, period.

 

If mind is in a constant flux, it will crave for experiences. Because of the

accumulation of experiences, mind is changing constantly and this gives the

illusion of time passing by and change. If one is a witness of events, there

can't be the experience of time passing by. When duality ends

(moksha/nirvana) the notion of time will end too.

> I can't quite describe how I came by this realization, or the meaning of

> it. I was simply lying in the "corpse position" and meditating, and

> listening to sound around me - and I realized that there is no time. It

> first seemed that the "outside world" was moving in time, and I was not.

> Later I realized that the duality of time had been broken. *Everything

> happens NOW*.

 

Apparently a meditation proper (being the witness).

> This is a realization that has brought an amazing deep sense of peace, and

> a freedom to act. It is as if I have been paralyzed my entire

> life by this

> concept of time, unable to do anything because of some imaginary future or

> imaginary past. This concept of time passing has to be the ultimate

> prison. Who imprisoned us? Who breaks us out? How do we come by this

> ignorance, that there is some sort of movement through time?

>

> Puzzled,

>

> Tim

 

Patanjali calls ignorance, egoism, desire, aversion and fear, afflictions

(II,3) and in (II,4) it is stated: "Ignorance is the cause, the others are

the effects, whether they are dormant, weak, suppressed or aggravated.

Purohit Swami comments: "Egoism creates desire, creates aversion, aversion

brings on retaliation, man lives in fear of death, the main weakness of

flesh".

 

I remember a discussion with Sandeep at the NDS; he considered

identification the "culprit" of our seeming bondage. Perhaps this is true

while being a baby, on experiencing starting to identify with the mind-body;

any adult in this world, realizing no experience whatsoever can bring

lasting happiness and not knowing what to "do" could be called a victim of

ignorance.

 

In Holland, there is a saying (literal translation) "to get a cigar out of

your own box" which means, you get something you already have.

Self-realization could be called the cosmic version of that saying and the

funny thing is, everyone receiving the "cigar out of one's own box" is more

than happy to "receive" it.

 

Jan

[Guest guest]

At 01:09 AM 4/21/99 +0100, you wrote:

>"jb" <kvy9

>When duality ends

>(moksha/nirvana) the notion of time will end too.

 

I must have gotten a glimpse of Moksha early this morning. Whether it is

lasting or not is still undetermined. Nor does this uncertainty concern me

in the slightest. If it is not lasting, it will appear again. I find that

I seek absolutely nothing any longer, except perhaps to clear away the

remaining dross of ignorance hiding my true nature from mySelf, if this can

be called seeking.

>Apparently a meditation proper (being the witness).

 

That's the only kind of meditation I really do anymore. Simply empty the

mind and be the witness (with eyes closed, mostly to sound and to what is

happening with the body), without intrusion of thought. Ever since I

started this type of meditating, "spiritual progress" has occurred

unimpeded. Occasionally I will still do a "mindful" meditation as well,

but there's always a major element of no-mind/witness somewhere in the

meditation.

>I remember a discussion with Sandeep at the NDS; he considered

>identification the "culprit" of our seeming bondage. Perhaps this is true

>while being a baby, on experiencing starting to identify with the mind-body;

>any adult in this world, realizing no experience whatsoever can bring

>lasting happiness and not knowing what to "do" could be called a victim of

>ignorance.

 

Yes... and yet these dualities that begin to appear as we are infants and

young children seem to come "naturally." It does not seem to be a process

that is unnatural; they occur spontaneously, I think. This growing

ignorance (distancing from Ground of Being) seems to be part of the natural

process of maturation, in order to function in the world. Later in life,

it seems to be natural for the process to begin to reverse again. Some do

not experience any reversal until the moment of physical death. It seems a

very "individual" thing.

>In Holland, there is a saying (literal translation) "to get a cigar out of

>your own box" which means, you get something you already have.

>Self-realization could be called the cosmic version of that saying and the

>funny thing is, everyone receiving the "cigar out of one's own box" is more

>than happy to "receive" it.

 

Interesting analogy.

 

 

Tim

 

-----

Visit The Core of the WWW at:

http://www.eskimo.com/~fewtch/ND/index.html

Music, Poetry, Writings on Nondual Spiritual Topics.

 

Tim's Windows and DOS Shareware/Freeware is at:

http://www.eskimo.com/~fewtch/shareware.html