Dr. Vijai S Shankar MD.PhD.
Published on www.academy-advaita.com
The Netherlands
22th June 2018
Time and Space
“Fire, water, air and earth”
A human being takes life for granted. He or she also takes time and space for granted and does not realise the significance of time and space as regards to life, because every living and non-living entity is in time and space.
A moment in life is vast, whereas a moment in the mind is an imaginary time-realm. The moment in life signifies that a moment in life is spread all over in every speck of life.
Now, a moment in the mind with imaginary time-realm can occupy only one thing in the moment and not two things in the same moment. This implies that a moment in the mind cannot occupy fire, air, water and earth in the same moment.
The enlightened have, however, proclaimed that the five elements fire, air, water, earth and time/space are in every moment of life. As time and space cannot be separated, the elements time and space are one and not two.
Now, there are numerous elements in life. There are also numerous: objects; species of vegetation; species of animal, fishes, birds, reptiles and insects. There are numerous human beings as well.
In all these numerous entities there is various variety as well, such as size, shape, form, colour and consistency. In addition, all of them are made up of the numerous elements found in life.
The important point to understand is that, since all need time and space to exist in the moment and they do exist in every moment in life,the five elements need to be present in the moment.
Since all the numerous variety need space to exist, it is evident that the moment ‘now’ in life is not limited to space. It signifies that the space of the moment ‘now’ in life is whatever the size, shape, form, colour and consistency is of objects, vegetation, animal kingdom and humans.
If the space of the moment ‘now’ is limited, neither the numerous entities will exist nor could the variety of the entities exist. The enlightened have rightly proclaimed that fire, meaning heat/ light, air, water and earth are present in every moment of life.
Author: Dr. Vijai S. Shankar
©Copyright V. S. Shankar 2018
Editor’s Note:
Man lives in a diminutive world of his or her own. This is the habitat of the ego whose way of life and requirements for living are limited by the boundaries set by personal targets and ambitions. Fulfilment of these has become the central focus and will not brook any opposition or failure in accomplishment. The intelligence of life has thus transformed appearance for mankind, albeit illusory, into reality. So it is that the guidance of the wise, as in this article, reveals for every one of us, who listens and comes to share this deep understanding, the truth of the moment that is. We are indeed fortunate and grateful for the guidance that never wavers.
Julian Capper, UK.
German Translator’s Note:
How strong is the belief that man can fulfill his goals and wishes! That this all takes place in time and space is forgotten in everyday thinking. The sages remind us of the foundation of all being, the temporal and spatial framework of earthly existence without which none of this would be possible. The frame is unlimited.
Marcus Stegmaier, Germany.