If we break
up the matter to its elementary particles and view all living and non-living
beings in context, then everywhere we find never ending chemical reactions.
Some are dormant and some are active. Some are manifested and some are not
manifested. All chemical reactions are referenced with time. For if there was
no time dimension then there would not have been any chemical reaction at all
or all chemical reactions would have folded at once in one moment. Since the
world is perpetual in the realm of our understanding, therefore it can be
easily said that each chemical reaction takes some moments to happen.
In the
billions of chemical reactions all over universe there are some chemical
reactions which are different and have something extra which all other chemical
reactions don’t exhibit. That is life. When such a reaction happens, we say
that a living being is born and when such chemical reaction cease to exist we
say that living being ceases to live – though the rest of the chemical
reactions keep on happening - as told in the second chapter of Gita by Lord
Krishna –
अव्यक्तादीनि
भूतानि व्यक्तमद्यानि भारत।
अव्यक्तनिधनान्येव
तत्र का परिदेवना ।। २८ ।।
All beings
are non-perceptible before birth, at birth they become perceptible and after
death they become non-perceptible again.
In such
successful special chemical reactions, when it starts, it takes some time
before the chemical reaction ends. Start of chemical reaction event in our life
is not in our hands and end of chemical reaction more or less is also not in
our hands. So we are actually recipient of a block of time till the end of the
reaction. How we pass these moments marking the beginning and end of chemical
reaction decide whether we are happy or not.
The time
between two events cannot be lessened and we have to live with it. It is we who
decide how we pass this time. So some pass it by indulging themselves in
hobbies, some by social work, some indulge in religious rituals, some for
earning money and luxuries, some don’t do anything and wait for the time to
pass, some indulge in activities which are antisocial and against the nature.
It is based on their mental makeup. The time pass methods largely depend upon
parents and circumstances till one starts treading own path. Thereafter the
time pass methods and actions should be channelized as per the mental makeup.
If they are not channelized as per the mental makeup, then the time pass
becomes difficult, dangerous and painful to self and others. As per the mental
make up the time can be passed by either reasoning (if one is a rationalist)
and seeking knowledge (not information), if one is more service oriented then
the time could be spent by doing unattached social service or to involve in
some kind of employment or self-employment. If one is more towards ritualistic or
religious minded then for him indulging in social rituals, prayers and chanting
become primary way of passing time.
Since we have
time at our disposal we should strive to pass this time in a way which gives
joy. If we don’t take control and wait for the time to pass then we are bound
to be plagued with unhappy and bad quality of life. The aim of each one of us
is to spend the time in such a way so as to maximize happiness and minimize
sadness and pain. To achieve this, select one of the three ways to lead the
life. To do this one has to discern his mental makeup. This can only be achieved
by spending some time thinking on self and observing oneself.
Animals also pass
the time but there is a qualitative difference between passing time without
knowing about it and spending time with full consciousness. It is difficult to
spend time if there is a mismatch of our mental makeup and our actions to fill
the moments staring at us. If there is a complete synchronization in the mental
makeup and our actions then the resultant passing of time is very joyous. So as
per the mental makeup one finds artists engrossed in art, scientist engrossed
in research, businessmen in business and so on. If one sees the path of each
individual from birth to death or from start of reaction to end of reaction, it
is only one common path - the path of passing time consciously. How one passes
the time, is of importance rather than What was done to pass the time. Every
passing moment should be filled with that conscious action which gives joy to
self and a remembrance to other. Once engrossed in such an action the time
passes on its own.
The moment
one starts feeling that time is not passing, one must stop and ponder. It
should be analyzed by none other than self and the reason should be found out.
Adopt a method of reasoning, service or chanting as per mental makeup,
situation and circumstances.
Sometimes we
get entrapped in such circumstances in life that we feel like trapped in
traffic jam. In traffic jam, although
the vehicle has power to propel and we have capability to drive, we cannot use
this power and capability to come out of traffic jam independently and we have
to negotiate the traffic jam with a slow boring run ahead. It is same for our
life. If we get entrapped in adverse situations we are forced to maintain a low
profile even if we have ability and talent, till the adverse circumstances are
mitigated. Let us call it a traffic jam syndrome. In case of traffic jam
syndrome - best is to keep chanting GOD’s name and wait for the opportune time.
So check
whether you wait for the day to end. In fact you don’t have to check it out.
You will feel it, if one is not comfortable passing each day. If the answer is
yes then, check the individual inclination and adopt path of reasoning or path
of service or engage yourself in chanting GOD’s name in which you have faith. Try
to get engrossed in whatever path one chooses. The proof of pudding is when
engrossed in the selected path, one remains happy and becomes unaware of time.
