Timeless Moments

Amongst the twenty-four principles that have formed this creation, time is one of the principles. Every moment, every single moment is important. Time is not elsewhere. It is here, now! The silent part of the Divine is known as maha kaala.

Shiva is known as Mahakaal. Mahakaal means great time. We often say, “I had a great time”. Isn’t it? Great time means the moments present in the timeless moments. When there is peace in the mind you will not sense the passage of time. When there is no peace in the mind even the two minutes that have passed by give you the feeling as though two hours were spent. Lord Shiva is also known as “Kaala Samhaara Murthy”. (It means the Lord who slays Time). How is it possible to slay time? It is possible by extreme bliss. When you are blissful you will not feel the passage of time. When you are not aware of the passage of time, then it is said that time has been slayed.

There is a close relation between time and sadness. When we are very sad, we perceive time to be too long. When you are happy you do not feel time. So what is happiness or bliss? It is our very self. That self is the Shiva tattva or the principle of Shiva.

Adi Shankara has sung in one song “Oh you foolish-minded people, do not search for your soul”. People wander to all kinds of places in search of the soul, for Shiva. Shankaracharya says that foolish are those who do not realize that “I am Shiva”. Do not see or think of Shiva as somewhere high up in the sky residing there all alone. Just peep into your self.

Usually when the word God is mentioned everybody looks up immediately. What is there up above? It only rains from above! There is nothing above. Everything is inside, neither above nor below. Looking inside or being inside is meditation.

When you look at someone close to you, your friend or somebody, what happens to you? Something happens inside you. You feel as though some new energy is passing through you. Capture that great moment. It is those great moments, which are timeless moments. Okay, you might have experienced those timeless moments by the presence of that person, that person might have brought forth those emotions in you. So what? Instead of getting immersed in that person or in the situation, just be with the spring of bliss rising up in you.

From despair to fulfillment: the path to sanyas

Maya means that which can be measured, that which draws you back into this world. Observe the Mayapati or the owner of Maya. Then that consciousness, that presence becomes predominant and your whole existence will be filled with that presence.

How many times in life you have experience this, “I am nothing. I want nothing”? When you are depressed you say “Oh! I do not want anything. Just leave me alone”.

When you have no enthusiasm you say that you do not want anything. That is of no use. In spite of having everything, have you ever contentedly felt “I do not want anything”? Or have you ever had some few moments where you felt “I have everything with me. I am everything”? If, in those moments of happiness and love, if you have felt that way, then you have had sanyas in those moments!

In this year, how many days were you in sanyas? How many days were you struggling, being caught in Maya? Turn back and remember this whole year. How many months, how many days, how many weeks you were in suffering? How many days you were in sanyas? Were you in sanyas at least for a few days? Even for a few moments if you live in the feeling that “I am nothing, I want nothing”, or “I am everything, I have everything”, you will gain good strength and peace in you.

Do not run away from anything. Do not reject anything. Do not go away from anything. At the same time let your attention also be on

the self. This is a delicate balance. That balance is yoga.