Danda 1995 - Suhotra Maharaja Archives

TIME PERCEPTIONQuestions from Rohita dasaJune 14, 19951) Please explain to me what does it mean that the soul absorbs himself inBrahman - this state is said to appear when one is grossly covered by the modeof ignorance, at which time the soul in the body is practically "inactive;" forinstance in deep slep or other unconscious states.2) Further I'd like to ask you how is the state of consciousness related withtime. I mean that sometimes one feels a long time having passed away as amoment, or else he considers a short time as an eternity.Answer by Suhotra SwamiJune 14, 19951) You are indicating a specific sort of Brahman absorption. Now, it could besaid that one who is always remembering Krsna is absorbed in Brahman, becauseKrsna is the supreme Brahman. But you are concerned with the soul's enteringthe state of *susupti* (deep sleep). As is stated in gita, the material energyis also known as maha-brahman. This maha-brahman is the acit-sakti (energy ofunconsciousness) of Lord Visnu, who resides in the heart as Paramatma. When onepasses into dreamless sleep (total unconsciousness), that means the soul in theheart is merged into the the acit-sakti or maha-brahman of Paramatma.2) Time in the material world is relative.What follows is the accepted scientific explanation of the word "relativity:" inthis material universe, nothing is at absolute rest, everything is in motion; sotherefore when we wish to describe the relationships between things in thisworld, we must take into account that all things are in motion.That taking into account of the motion of all material things is calledrelativity. For instance, according to relativity it is just as correct to say"the train is moving away from the station platform" as it is to say "thestation platform is moving away from the train." This is so because it cannotbe proven that the station platform is at absolute rest. Both train andplatform are in constant motion, even when "at rest." So relativity describessuch relationships mathematically; mathematics is actually defined at "thescience of relationships." As we find in the SB 3rd Canto chapter about thecalculation of time from the atom, "time" is marked according to relativemotion. Every movement of one thing relative to another takes time. That giveseven a neophyte a fix on Einstein's concept of "space-time." Time is motionthrough space. And this motion is relative. So one sense of relative is as Ihave explained, that you can say the train is moving away from the station, oryou can say the station is moving from the train. So you can say "this period ofpain seemed to last a long time" when according to your watch it was only 3minutes; and you can say "this blissful visit to Vrndavana dhama seemed to beover in a few moments" when according to your watch it was 3 weeks. Your watchis not absolute. Whether 3 minutes is "short" or "long" or 3 weeks is "short"or "long" is a matter of point of view. The timespan of your whole life in thatbody is from one point of view just an instant. From another point of view itlasts for aeons.