To Ravi: Arbitrariness of Time (Lunar or Any Other Construct)

[Guest guest]

Om Namah Shivaya, Ravi

 

Since you asked I will explain my "apparent"

criticism of the lunar calender

 

My "apparent" criticism appears to be

"your "conception".

 

If you read my email to Ardis carefully

it is (GeorgeSon) who defended the lunar time

fiction. I contend that ALL notions of

"time" are metaphysically fictional.

 

For practical purposes time is necessary.

If Amma comes to San Ramon at 7:30 pm

it would not make sense to arrive at 2:30.

Timekeeping is relative and things wont

work for practical purposes without it.

Timekeeping whether it be lunar or chinese

or Jewish is very useful in the empirical sense.

 

During the exchange with Ardis/Pahari Maa

this Brother contended that Sri Ramakrishna

was born on March 1 in honor of the lunar

calender. This shows I had no disrespect

for the lunar calender (in fact I used

it as the cornerstone of my contention)

 

I attempted to communicate to Pahari Maa that

we need not get caught up in the illusion

of Calender perse and recognize instead

that ALL "timekeeping" is a bit of a fiction.

 

Swami Gautamananda Maharaj is current

President of the Ramakrishna Math in Chennai,India.

He attended Amma's Religious Program during

her 50th Birthday. (BTW does Amma really

have a Birthday?)

 

Can the ancient One in human form

be measured by 53 circulations between

earth and sun?

 

Swami Gautamananda once wrote:

 

"If life is a time-bound project, then what is 'Time'?

'Time' may not be more than a relative phenomenon. It

depends on the position from which one looks at it.

The theory of relativity clarifies the idea to some

extent. Suppose a person is sitting in the compartment

of a running train. S/He sees that the trees at a

distance are also running, in the opposite direction.

Same is the experience with a person who is travelling

in a boat--the sceneries on the banks seem to run

backwards. The truth is that we are in a moving or

ever changing locus called life. Vedanta postulates

'Time' as the Avidyâ (Maya or Ignorance) itself. In

the Shvetâshvatara Upanishad Brahman has been

described as the Locus for 'Time' which itself is

Avidya (Jnah Kala-kalo). Therefore, the Devi Mâhâtmyam

praises the Mother Power (Shakti) as having the form

of all the divisions of 'Time'

(Kalâ-kâshthâdi-rupena). The Chhândogya Upanishad

talks about kâla (Time) being dependent on the Sun.

The Earth, along with us, is moving and we think that

the Sun is doing so. But for one who realizes Brahman,

there is no such kâla dependent on the Sun for

him/her; s/he goes beyond the relative. S/He achieves

Self-Effulgence. Therefore, the calculation of day,

night etc. is in respect of this relative experience."

 

This is the Vedanta view, Ravi Son.

I confess I am a Vedantist.

 

This is what I meant.

 

With Love,

 

GeorgeSon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

What a great quotation from Gautamananda Maharaj. Thank you, brother.

 

 

On Mar 3, 2006, at 10:52 AM, GeorgeSon wrote:

 

>

> Om Namah Shivaya, Ravi

>

> Since you asked I will explain my "apparent"

> criticism of the lunar calender

>

> My "apparent" criticism appears to be

> "your "conception".

>

> If you read my email to Ardis carefully

> it is (GeorgeSon) who defended the lunar time

> fiction.  I contend that ALL notions of

> "time" are metaphysically fictional.

>

> For practical purposes time is necessary.

> If Amma comes to San Ramon at 7:30 pm

> it would not make sense to arrive at 2:30.

> Timekeeping is relative and things wont

> work for practical purposes without it.

> Timekeeping whether it be lunar or chinese

> or Jewish is very useful in the empirical sense.

>

> During the exchange with Ardis/Pahari Maa

> this Brother contended that Sri Ramakrishna

> was born on March 1 in honor of the lunar

> calender.  This shows I had no disrespect

> for the lunar calender (in fact I used

> it as the cornerstone of my contention)

>

> I attempted to communicate to Pahari Maa that

> we need not get caught up in the illusion

> of Calender perse and recognize instead

> that ALL "timekeeping" is a bit of a fiction.

>

> Swami Gautamananda Maharaj is current

> President of the Ramakrishna Math in Chennai,India.

> He attended Amma's Religious Program during

> her 50th Birthday.  (BTW does Amma really

> have a Birthday?)

>

> Can the ancient One in human form

> be measured by 53 circulations between

> earth and sun?

>

> Swami Gautamananda once wrote:

>

> "If life is a time-bound project, then what is 'Time'?

> 'Time' may not be more than a relative phenomenon. It

> depends on the position from which one looks at it.

> The theory of relativity clarifies the idea to some

> extent. Suppose a person is sitting in the compartment

> of a running train. S/He sees that the trees at a

> distance are also running, in the opposite direction.

> Same is the experience with a person who is travelling

> in a boat--the sceneries on the banks seem to run

> backwards. The truth is that we are in a moving or

> ever changing locus called life. Vedanta postulates

> 'Time' as the Avidyâ (Maya or Ignorance) itself. In

> the Shvetâshvatara Upanishad Brahman has been

> described as the Locus for 'Time' which itself is

> Avidya (Jnah Kala-kalo). Therefore, the Devi Mâhâtmyam

> praises the Mother Power (Shakti) as having the form

> of all the divisions of 'Time'

> (Kalâ-kâshthâdi-rupena). The Chhândogya Upanishad

> talks about kâla (Time) being dependent on the Sun.

> The Earth, along with us, is moving and we think that

> the Sun is doing so. But for one who realizes Brahman,

> there is no such kâla dependent on the Sun for

> him/her; s/he goes beyond the relative. S/He achieves

> Self-Effulgence. Therefore, the calculation of day,

> night etc. is in respect of this relative experience."

>

> This is the Vedanta view,  Ravi Son.

> I confess I am a Vedantist.

>

> This is what I meant.  

>

> With Love,

>

> GeorgeSon 

>

>

>

>

>

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>

> Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha!

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Mata amritanandamayi

>

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>

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[Guest guest]

Namah Shivaya,

 

No problem. Some Vedantists fail to realize that "Time is unreal" is

not a philosophical comment it is experiential - it has to be lived

and experienced and it cannot be discussed or argued; it applies to

the spiritual dimension and not the physical. We all know sun rises in

the morning and sets in the evening, so time does exist. And for some

of us who are caught in the grip of time lunar calendar is it.

 

 

 

Ammachi, GeorgeSon <leokomor wrote:

>

>

> Om Namah Shivaya, Ravi

>

> Since you asked I will explain my "apparent"

> criticism of the lunar calender

>

> My "apparent" criticism appears to be

> "your "conception".

>

> If you read my email to Ardis carefully

> it is (GeorgeSon) who defended the lunar time

> fiction. I contend that ALL notions of

> "time" are metaphysically fictional.

>

> For practical purposes time is necessary.

> If Amma comes to San Ramon at 7:30 pm

> it would not make sense to arrive at 2:30.

> Timekeeping is relative and things wont

> work for practical purposes without it.

> Timekeeping whether it be lunar or chinese

> or Jewish is very useful in the empirical sense.

>

> During the exchange with Ardis/Pahari Maa

> this Brother contended that Sri Ramakrishna

> was born on March 1 in honor of the lunar

> calender. This shows I had no disrespect

> for the lunar calender (in fact I used

> it as the cornerstone of my contention)

>

> I attempted to communicate to Pahari Maa that

> we need not get caught up in the illusion

> of Calender perse and recognize instead

> that ALL "timekeeping" is a bit of a fiction.

>

> Swami Gautamananda Maharaj is current

> President of the Ramakrishna Math in Chennai,India.

> He attended Amma's Religious Program during

> her 50th Birthday. (BTW does Amma really

> have a Birthday?)

>

> Can the ancient One in human form

> be measured by 53 circulations between

> earth and sun?

>

> Swami Gautamananda once wrote:

>

> "If life is a time-bound project, then what is 'Time'?

> 'Time' may not be more than a relative phenomenon. It

> depends on the position from which one looks at it.

> The theory of relativity clarifies the idea to some

> extent. Suppose a person is sitting in the compartment

> of a running train. S/He sees that the trees at a

> distance are also running, in the opposite direction.

> Same is the experience with a person who is travelling

> in a boat--the sceneries on the banks seem to run

> backwards. The truth is that we are in a moving or

> ever changing locus called life. Vedanta postulates

> 'Time' as the Avidyâ (Maya or Ignorance) itself. In

> the Shvetâshvatara Upanishad Brahman has been

> described as the Locus for 'Time' which itself is

> Avidya (Jnah Kala-kalo). Therefore, the Devi Mâhâtmyam

> praises the Mother Power (Shakti) as having the form

> of all the divisions of 'Time'

> (Kalâ-kâshthâdi-rupena). The Chhândogya Upanishad

> talks about kâla (Time) being dependent on the Sun.

> The Earth, along with us, is moving and we think that

> the Sun is doing so. But for one who realizes Brahman,

> there is no such kâla dependent on the Sun for

> him/her; s/he goes beyond the relative. S/He achieves

> Self-Effulgence. Therefore, the calculation of day,

> night etc. is in respect of this relative experience."

>

> This is the Vedanta view, Ravi Son.

> I confess I am a Vedantist.

>

> This is what I meant.

>

> With Love,

>

> GeorgeSon

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>