Study Notes
PARAGRAPH 35
The original status is that of the Reality timeless and spaceless; Space and Time would be the same Reality self-extended to contain the deployment of what was within it. The difference would be, as in all the other oppositions, the Spirit looking at itself in essence and principle of being and the same Spirit looking at itself in the dynamism of its essence and principle.
EXPLANATION
What is the relation of Space and Time to the Divine Reality? The Divine Reality is in its original status timeless and spaceless. We live in a world of Space and Time. But Space and Time are no different from the Divine Reality in essence and principle.
Space and Time are nothing but the self-extension of the same Reality. Through Space and Time the Divine Reality deploys what is contained in it.
The difference is, the Spirit in its original timeless and spaceless status is looking at itself in essence and principle of being. The same Spirit is looking at itself in the dynamism (becoming) of its essence and principle in Space and Time. Former is static and the latter is dynamic.
Space and Time are our names for this self-extension of the one Reality. We are apt to see Space as a static extension in which all things stand or move together in a fixed order; we see Time as a mobile extension which is measured by movement and event: Space then would be Brahman in self-extended status; Time would be Brahman in self-extended movement. But this may be only a first view and inaccurate: Space may be really a constant mobile, the constancy and the persistent time-relation of things in it creating the sense of stability of Space, the mobility creating the sense of time-movement in stable Space.
EXPLANATION
Space and Time are the names given by us for this self-extension of the one Reality. How do we conceive of Space? We see it as a static extension. While fixing ourselves at one particular point in a place we see the other points as extensions from that point. Here all things stand or move together in a fixed order.
How do we conceive of Time? We see Time as a mobile extension which is measured by movement and event. For example, one may say, “I am walking for one hour.” Space would then be Brahman in self-extended status. Time would be Brahman in self-extended movement.
Yet this conception may be only a first view and inaccurate. Space need not be static; it may be really a constant mobile. For example sitting inside the train we feel it is stable and yet in reality, it is moving. The constancy and the persistent time-relation of things in it creates the sense of stability of Space. The mobility creates the sense of time-movement in stable Space. For example we say, to go from place A to place B it takes one hour.
Or, again, Space would be Brahman extended for the holding together of forms and objects; Time would be Brahman self-extended for the deployment of the movement of self-power carrying forms and objects; the two would then be a dual aspect of one and the same self-extension of the cosmic Eternal.
EXPLANATION
Space would also be conceived of as Brahman extended for the holding of forms and objects. Time would be conceived of as Brahman self-extended for the deployment of self-power carrying forms and objects.
Space and Time then would be a dual aspect of one and the same self-extension of the cosmic Eternal, the Brahman.
PARAGRAPH 36
A purely physical Space might be regarded as in itself a property of Matter; but Matter is a creation of Energy in movement. Space therefore in the material world could be either a fundamental self-extension of material Energy or its self-formed existence-field, its representation of the Inconscient Infinity in which it is acting, a figure in which it accommodates the formulas and movements of its own action and self-creation.
EXPLANATION
How do we regard a purely physical Space? We regard it as a property of Matter. But we know that there is no such thing as essential Matter. Matter is a creation of Energy in movement. Going by this fact, Space in this material world could be a fundamental self-extension of material Energy. Or it could be self-formed existence-field of material energy.
Space represents the Inconscient Infinity in which the energy is acting. Space is a figure in which the energy accommodates the formulas and movements of its own action and self-creation.
Time would be itself the course of that movement or else an impression created by it, an impression of something that presents itself to us as regularly successive in its appearance,—a division or a continuum upholding the continuity of movement and yet marking off its successions,—because the movement itself is regularly successive.
EXPLANATION
As the Space accommodates the movements of the action of Energy, Time would be itself the course of that movement. Or else it is an impression created by the movement. Time is an impression of something that presents itself to us regularly successive in its appearance. For example we measure the Time in days by regular sunrise and sunset caused by earth’s rotation. The year is marked by recurrence of four seasons.
We find in the movement of Time a division (day and night) or a continuum ensuring the continuity of movement. Though there are differentiations in successions (summer, autumn, winter, spring) the movement is regularly successive. There is some regularity in successions.
Or else Time could be a dimension of Space necessary for the complete action of the Energy, but not understood by us as such because it is seen by our conscious subjectivity as something itself subjective, felt by our mind, not perceived by our senses, and therefore not recognised as a dimension of Space which has to us the appearance of a sense-created or sense-perceived objective extension.
EXPLANATION
Time could be a dimension of Space necessary for the complete action of the Energy. But we do not understand it that way. Because we perceive Time in our subjective consciousness (as against objective seeing & feeling by our senses) as a subjective thing in itself. Time is felt by our mind and not perceived by our senses. Therefore, it is not recognised as a dimension of Space. Whereas, the Space creates the appearance of a sense-created or sense-perceived objective extension.
PARAGRAPH 37
In any case, if Spirit is the fundamental reality, Time and Space must either be conceptive conditions under which the Spirit sees its own movement of energy or else they must be fundamental conditions of the Spirit itself which assume a different appearance or status according to the status of consciousness in which they manifest. In other words there is a different Time and Space for each status of our consciousness and even different movements of Time and Space within each status; but all would be renderings of a fundamental spiritual reality of Time-Space.
EXPLANATION
The Spirit is the fundamental reality. Then Time and Space must be conceptive conditions under which the Spirit sees its own movement of energy. That is Time & Space are concepts created by the Spirit for its own movement. Or else they must be fundamental conditions of the Spirit itself. They assume a different appearance or status according to the status of consciousness in which they manifest.
This means Space and Time are not the same throughout. It varies with the states of consciousness we are in. Even within a status there are different movements of Time and Space. For example when a yogi attains a transcendent consciousness Time and Space do not exist for him or they become still. In a yogic consciousness one can live in the past, present and future at the same time. As one rises in consciousness he can rise beyond the physical space and enter into the subtler worlds above.
All are expressions of a fundamental spiritual reality of Time-Space.