time, death and karma are three things which balances everything in life. these three fair parameters are applied to everybody without any discrimination. they are the three great judges of the world. thank god, you cannot bribe them or postpone their effects. otherwise the divine justice would also have got corrupted in this kali yuga.
in sanskrit language, time is described with a very meaningful word. it is called as ‘kala’. in sanskrit one word has many meanings. the word ‘kala’ is used to describe time as well as death. it depends in which context you are using the word kala. so sanskrit verses can have different meanings. sometimes they are written so intelligently and cryptically that the same verse can have different meaning depending upon the capability or the depth of the person reading it. thats why sometimes it is easy to manipulate and distort the meaning of sanskrit verses to suit your purpose. since i am writing about sanskrit, so i must mention that it is one of the most beautiful and scientific language of the world. according to scientists it is the best language for computers. it is called as divine language (language of gods).
when you use the same word for time and death then its very meaningful. because death can come any moment. it always comes in present moment and never in future. each moment is like a mini death because your time in this lifetime is very limited. every moment it is decreasing and you are coming closer to death. from the moment you are born, you start your journey towards the death.
another similarity in death and time is cyclic order. unless you realize your true nature you are going to be born again. the whole effort of eastern wisdom is to break the cycle of life and death. ancient sages also said that creation and dissolution of the world is a endless cycle. there were many world (srishti) before us and there will be many world after this current world dies. to know more about hindu view of time read this excellent article on time in hindu website.
the only way to prepare yourself for death is to live life consciously, intensely and with totality. if you can live life with totality then death will be not be painful. living in present moment is the only way to live. living in past or future is like wasting your precious time.
5 lessons to learn from time:
1. time waits for no one
don’t postpone doing good things in life because time is not going to wait for you. if you want to postpone then do it with bad things. never take time for granted. don’t kill time because when you do this then you kill your opportunity to experience life.
life is an opportunity to prepare yourself for facing death consciously. for that you should live life consciously, intensely and with totality. if you can live life with totality then death will not be painful but a opportunity to grow or to make sure that your next birth is higher or even a possibility to attain to moksha. living in present moment is the only way to live. living in past or future is like wasting your precious time.
2. time is a great leveler
one who is rich today can be a poor person tomorrow. so never be arrogant and egoistic. you never know how time will change for you. one of the very beautiful and touching bollywood movie ‘waqt’ is made on this theme.
3. time is every changing
“suchness”was one of the essential message of gautam buddha. suchness means accept the things as they are. don’t try to change the world because it will change on its own. instead try to transform yourself. because with your inner transformation the world around you will transform on its own.
4. time is relative
einstein theory of relativity – if you are waiting for a good news then time will move very slow. but if you are going through a bad phase then time runs very slow. in hindu scriptures this was always known and accepted without any questioning. e.g it is said that one second of lord brahma is equal to crores of human years. in simple words it says how you perceive time is different for different people and different dimensions (or worlds). lord brahma life must be very intense and he must be creating so many things which a normal human being will do in million life times.
another quality of time which i have experienced while attending meditation camps is that when you are deeply rested or totally relaxed in a place then you feel that i am living in this place for many years. but in reality you are there for just few days. so when you are totally relaxed or present in the moment then you live more life or you experience life more deeply. the lesson is to live intensely and with totality to experience life in all its colors.
5. live in the present moment
time is always ticking and moving. the only way to live life is moment to moment. because you can only live one moment at a time. so don’t waste your time thinking about past or worrying about future. live your present moment well and the next moment will take care of itself. the best way to live present moment is to be ‘here now’. bring mindfulness in your life. be more loving with everybody. be more creative with your time and energy.