The Meaning of Time

"Time is money" but unlike money you can't get it back. Once the time is gone, it's gone forever. But there is something unique about time. Most of us know that time is eternal. We don't know when it started or came to being and we can't know when it'll stop or cease to exist. Each and every moment of time is essential and loaded with limitless possibilities. 

 

If we contemplate it, we get to know that everything takes place in time. Nothing can happen outside time. 

How?

Let's go deeper. Try to remember a pleasant memory. Now you remember that. That memory was an event in the past and past is a component of time. Thus, memories are in time. Your actions, their results, everything occurs in time. But what is this time?

 

Time itself is a memory, it is a healer, it can give you happiness or take it away from you (it depends on your state of mind). It is something you cannot escape. It is always there whether you notice or not. This time is not there on our watches or mobile screens. The time we see in a clock is a measuring unit and represents one aspect of the real time. 

 

Although, time is taken to be eternal but eternality itself is measured in terms of time. For instance, in Indian Philosophical system of Advait Vedanta and other classical schools, eternal or nitya is explained as something which was there in the past, is in the present, and will be there in the future, i.e., Trikālābādhita sat. Briefly, something that exists in all three spans of time, namely, past, present and future.

 

Due to our intellectual limitations, we cannot understand these metaphysical concepts in totality. Let's see the importance of time that we understand. When we are happy we claim time to be good. When in pain and misery the time turns bad. But this goodness and badness has nothing to do with time. Time is above everything material. It is beyond human being's control.

 

Time operates itself (there is a possibility that God controls time but for today I'm looking at time as autonomous). It aids in arrangements of events for a better life experience. It is necessary to keep the things in order. It is essential for the survival of rational beings. If there is no check on time, things will flow randomly and earth will become a live example of chaos. As everyone will work according to their personal time and not the universal time given in our watches.

 

The beauty of time is that it is always moving forward. It is unidirectional. German philosopher Leibniz said that "time is uniform and homogeneous". It is always in flux. Time, though, beyond complete grasp teaches us an important truth about life, i.e., change. A constant movement. No stopping. Just continuous motion. You can't see it. You can't touch it, but feel it everyday and every time.

 

We want good times to arrive because time changes. We wish for bad times to pass away because time flows. Time is the harbinger of change. And we need to understand this principle of life. Nothing is permanent in this world. Due to limited knowledge of time itself, we cannot say whether it is really eternal or not. Time is too vast. Whether we can know it wholly or not is itself a mystery. However, we can apprehend its meaning and significance in our lives, and make our lives better by learning the transitory nature of things and not getting attached to them. 

 

I would love to know what your thoughts are regarding time. Feel free to pour your heart in the comment section below. Light and positivity to all!