:: Article 6

There is always a difference between chronological and psychological time and a correct understanding of both will go a long way in living a peaceful life. J Krishnamurthy often used to stress the distinction between the two in his talks. We always believe that there is a tomorrow where anything can be achieved. This is obviously true, but the question is – Is it true of everything. We need to go to college tomorrow: and we will,. There is chronological time involved there. But is time required to change psychologically and this is the subject matter of this article. We are jealous today and we pledge to overcome it tomorrow. The question is – is there physical time involved there. Can we become better tomorrow without understanding what we are in the present moment? I believe that all our tensions and worries are because of this psychological postponement and the false belief that time is required for us to change. We can observe this phenomenon commonly in our spiritual endeavours. We honestly believe that there is a distant goal to be achieved and take up spiritual practices that will supposedly help us reach the so called state of enlightenment. After years of practice we tend to become more frustrated because the goal seems to ever receding. Disillusioned with our current practice, we grope for a better one and pursue the new system as diligently as the old one only to find out that no system can take us an inch closer to the goal. This is a classic case of psychological postponement.

To change internally, no time is required. By positing that I am bad today but will become good tomorrow is merely an illusionary stance that we tend to take. If it has to happen then it should be instantaneous. This may seem rather illogical to many of us. But check out whether any change within you has happened in gradation. Even if it does there are always the seeds of the past lying dormant within us. We normally find true changes happening within us only when there is a crisis. When there is no time to think or postpone. A robber did not become a Valmiki through thought or practice. It happened. In atomic physics there is a concept called mutation. It means a change without a trace of the past. Psychologically we must mutate, there should be no graduality to it. Chronological time plays no role in it. And there is way we can force this change.

It is the ego that creates this need for physical time. The thought structure which we call the ‘me’ seeks permanency. Hence it projects everything in the future. And wherever there is a future, time gets involved. Not understanding this we get caught in a vicious circle of seeking and achieving. Let us live in the moment. All is right now. Relax and allow the cosmic will to unfold itself. This is true enlightenment. Don’t worry about time.