Freedom beyond Time

Beyond impermanence

One of the great advances in modern physics is the clear demonstration of the elasticity of time with respect to space, mass and velocity. In other words, there is no such thing as an absolute, objective time that we are so conditioned to take for granted. As Albert Einstein captured it succinctly:

“Time and space are modes by which we think, not conditions in which we live.”

Movement of time changes relative to spatial location, mass and velocity of the object under measurement. Therefore all notions of past, present and future are only relative to a given location.

What this demonstrates is that there is no such thing as an absolute chronological time, let alone the imagined psychological time due to wallowing in the past or anxiety about the future.

Also the only true function of time in science is demonstrated to be entropy which is the famous second law of thermodynamics. It simply states that the entropy or disorder of a system increases with time due to dissipation of energy.

So all we find fundamentally is assembly of molecules constantly in the process of entropy. Therefore it is also easy to conclude that there are no fixed objects but only a constant process of flux which is entropy. In other words, there are no entities but only processes.

Then it is also tempting to stop with the conclusion that everything is impermanent and there is only a series of happenings. This is a common trap due to taking entropy which is an empirical fact as the absolute truth. Any teaching that stops with impermanence lays great emphasis on the need to be constantly aware of the happenings because there is no fixed truth in the impermanent nature of all things manifest in gross forms as bodies and objects or subtle forms as thoughts and emotions. While it is tremendously useful to see the fact of impermanence and that there is no fixed truth in anything that is perceivable including ideologies and philosophies, it is important to proceed further with the inquiry as to whether there is a truth that transcends the impermanence of manifestation.

It is empirically true that there are only a series of happenings. But from the absolute standpoint, one has to question whether there are any happenings even? Isn’t order/entropy only a product of observation/perception? If so, how can we talk of happenings without perception which is memory?

To put it differently, without an observer, are there any happenings at all? In scientific terms, since all happenings are only an increase in entropy, the question is, is there any entropy from the standpoint of the most fundamental particle, if there is such a thing. Whatever is as the fundamental essence, simply is. The highest teaching therefore is that there are NO happenings either. All of time and all of space and all events is then only an appearance.

The following quote by Ramana Maharshi summarizes it very nicely:

“Whatever you see happening in the waking state happens only to the knower, and since the knower is unreal, nothing in fact ever happens.”

To say nothing ever happens means the observer creates not only the apparent timeline but the apparent happening too. Without a perceiver (knower), there is no perceived. Thus the universe is only a perception, not an actual fact. When the triad of perceiver, perceived and perceiving is then looked into, they are all seen as only apparent constructs.

Another important point to notice is that all that is said about time is also true about space. In fact, space and time are effectively interchangeable and fundamentally the same thing as per theory of relativity. Therefore both space and time are perceptions and not fundamental nature of truth.

So the real question then is, in what light is the appearance of time, space, events and their impermanence observed? We recognize that very light to be our essential nature as Awareness. This is the ground of our being that is actionless, movement less and event less. It simply is. This is the deepest insight that true inquiry leads us to, transcending even the recognition of impermanence.

And the net of this insight in one word is freedom.

All apparent perceptions including the body, the world around, all of space and time takes care of itself guided by the intelligence that is manifested in these perceptions. The source of all the perceptions and intelligence is unaffected and that is the core nature, true Self, of all beings. So freedom is not to be realized through time, practices, experiences etc but a direct recognition of the true nature of who we are. While all perceptions starting with the body, the world and all round seen in time and space are constantly in flux and impermanent, the very light of Awareness through which these are observed is unchanging and found to be our essential nature.

To take perceptions as objective reality results in separation between the subject and the object causing desire, fear etc. To discern correctly the impermanent from what is our true nature as the unmoving Awareness is to discover the space within that is unaffected by the impermanence of the manifest. As we recognize and abide as the light of Awareness in which things seem to come and go, we find the space of true silence and peace. Then outer actions go on without the cloud of identification with the actor which is to live in freedom.