Time Dimension
We are supposed to be the time keepers to the Buddhist world at large but do not seem to have any idea about the concept of time and its prudent use.
Are we able to manage the present (moment) wisely?
Let me state some philosophical and Abhidhamma concepts about time and its origin and then diverge to astrophysical concepts.
"It is now held that each series of events has its own time order, and it is difficult to relate the one to the other since there is no standard time"
The Mysterious Universe
"We cannot give what may be called absolute dates but only dates determined by events. We cannot point to a time itself but only to some event occurring at that time".
Bertrand Russell
Buddha’s Interpretation
The knowledge of the external world
Samaye niddisi cittam cittena samayam muni
Niyametvana dipetum dhamme tatha pabhedato.
By the Time the Sage described the Mind
And the Mind he described the Time.
All the Dhamma (mental or otherwise) classes are portrayed by an order of such a definition envisaged in Dhamma.
First two of the above statements refer to the external world and events in general and only the Buddha referred to the internal working (world) of the mind in relation to the relative concept of time.
Ceylonese are known for poor time management and time wasting. Even the nature's call of poor gecko (hoona) is not spared. With Avurudu (New Year) gone by an oblique reference to mundane affairs of conventional time and adopted time is worth pondering.
In physics time is a concept but not something substantial like momentum, gravity and electro-magnetism. It is concept that is vital for referring to relationship of moving objects. If there are no moving objects and space between them the time would become more abstract than what it is known today.
In Abhidhamma connotations the time can be only related to the timeless Samsara and that is also in relation to the mind (not to the body or perceived soul -Anathma) and its working (Anitta) in the Sansara Cycle (Dukka-or the unsatisfactoriness) and not vice versa. Any other relationship or relevance of time is of mundane nature.
This is where I have to pose a question, however open ended it may look like to our venerable monks who are advising the political forums what right they have and what authority they have on such a mundane (quite at variance with Buddha's teaching) affair as time and its reference to a standard (GMT) and its practical usage?
There is evidence to suggest that even the great civilisations of the Incas, Mayas and Aztecs stretching back 1000 years B.C also had invented calendar with 18 months and who can dictate that only Sackra's have the sole authority in the modern world?
My attempt here is partially to rectify this anomaly with some reference to Abhidhaama Philosophy of time for an apprentice and a wayfarer of Dhamma. True Buddhists have no problem with time and its concepts and aeons and Kalpas but it is the modern but misguided Buddhists who venerate some of the Vedic doctrines and driving nuts in our polity.
In Sansaric terms time is limitless and it can be related only to mind and its working on world of phenomena guiding the Kamma Principles and nothing else. Its only relevance is to the Kammic energies and their vagaries that express themselves in this world and beyond. The celestial world has no relevance to Mind, Kamma and Sansara except it is (whatever the worldly body one is reborn or habituate) transient (Anatta) spacial relationship in whatever existence of Bhava (Jathi- or Life) in the Sansara Cycle until it is terminated by one's own will and sustained effort by following the eight fold path laid down by Buddha and followed by his (eight fold) disciples.
Only relevance of time for Buddhist is do not waste it (time) on mundane affairs and astrology but strive hard on following the path of deliverance.
"Appamado Amata Padam" is a statement par excellence.
The only way (Ekayana Magga) is meditation whether it is Samatha or Vipassana Bhavana.
Any Buddhist monk who is propagating astrology in one form or other is one who is not versed in Dhamma and misguided and wasting lot of time in the Sansara Cycle.
The two words that come across in Buddhist scripture is Samaya that is related to the working of the mind and the other is Kalo (duration) which is denoted in reference to any event (Yuga in Sinhala) and is a concept as is in modern science and any other rendering is Vedic in origin and has neither Buddhist relevance nor importance.
I leave the reader to decide who is in the right tract and who is on the wrong tract any further discussion is waste of time and diverging from my original tenents of the Way Forward as a Buddhist in this modern world.
Violence
It appears to me none of the religions except Buddhism abhor the violence that include self inflicted violence. What I mean is the suicide bombing in the name of religion or terrorist cause. Destruction of life whether it is self or otherwise and all beings is alien to Buddhism.
This is where Buddhism stand alone in high ground.
This is where we have to define the role of a suicide bomber in the modern society. There is no justification for the existence of similar entity and for that matter intolerance or discrimination of any human being for his or her origin, class, creed, religion, race, sex and whether rich or poor.
We are at a cross roads.
There is alarming trend of religious fanaticism and atheistic views raising their heads.
This is where the Buddhist moral principles should stand erect and relevant. They are strikingly different from all modes of other religions where it is espoused that killing oneself for the sake of a religion or sect (there was a similar sect-Ishihara- in Japan) is as the supreme sacrifice and results in being born in heaven.
This is a myth we must dispel with utmost vigour.
This is happening in Ceylon too but for a different reason and goal. Labile children with childhood trauma are selected and indoctrinated to take life for a course which they themselves cannot enjoy in return. The fallacy of this inhuman misdemeanour has to be born clear of all religions. The religious leaders and dignitaries have failed in their duty and the present political systems, whether authoritarian, capitalistic, communist, religious or liberal systems have failed to deliver any form of organisation except further division. Devoid of human values (we may call it moral principles) the perceived global village is collapsing.
Divine Abode
The four sublime states of mind described in Buddhist psychology the loving kindness (Metta), compassion (Karuna), altruistic joy (Mudita) and equanimity (Upekka) are the very essence of humanity that is lacking in the modern world.
Why these Pali words do not have a place in Oxford or Webster's dictionaries is an indication how the world politics are shaped up in the current century.
There is no English synonym for Avihimsa (world sans violence) and that is how the Western Democracy has evolved. From Romans to modern day Mandela the way of dealing with crisis was absolute violence without recuperation. Only now there is some form of dialogue emerging but with Western Bias. Instead, hate, vengeance and violence are the operating themes of the world be that it may be terrorism or state sponsored violence sanctioned by the UNO.
The Suttas description of development of these supreme states is as follows.
" There, O monks, with mind full of loving kindness (compassion, altruistic joy or equanimity) pervading in one direction, then a second direction, then a third one, then the fourth one, just so above, below and all around and everywhere identifying himself with all, he is pervading the whole world with mind full of loving-kindness with mind wide, developed, unbounded, free from hate and ill-will."
Thereafter he follows the same theme with compassion, altruistic joy and equanimity.
It is said that in this country there were hospitals caring for animals. The decadence that has set in our society and world at large has to be reversed. We must not let the politics, economics and business mechanisms to decide our future however powerful they are.
They are not the only stakeholders.
Silent masses without a voice is quite evident after the tsunami episode. We must be self critical of our failures. We must be mindful and expose the changes that is currently taking place globally due to unsustainable scientific and economic exploitation of the third world.
The Way Forward
The world and all beings big or small need kindness, compassion and freedom to live with dignity. Live and let live should be the only currency for the modern world and why all the religions and religious sects (except perhaps Buddhism) are failing to arrest these dangerous trends is the question the UNO should be asking itself?
17th April, 2006
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