An asset beyond Time
The rollicking monks outside reminded me of the joy of yesteryears. Still, I felt sullen- a fear gripped me. I wondered what tragedies await me even as I enjoy life now.
Then, in an instant, I felt peaceful- a silent reassurance filled my mind; I, like the other monks, have an asset that helps me cope with the vicissitudes of time.
The attentive practice of Japa meditation helps one improve awareness- we see ourselves from a realm of no-time. The two-hour practice is all about your private time with Krishna, the Supreme Lord, who appears in this age in the form of sound vibration. The sound of the mantra transcends matter- it transports you to the spiritual dimension where Time is conspicuous by its absence. The Bhagavad Gita explains (15.6), “That supreme abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by fire or electricity. Those who reach it never return to this material world.”
The reason why chanting of Krishna’s Holy Names helps: the names are non-different from God, and when we chant, we are connecting with Him. If you are in the presence of the Supreme Lord, there is no scope of fear in your life. You transcend all material, turbulent emotions during the period of attentive chanting.
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead is certainly not known to everyone, but He is mighty and influential. Therefore, although the serpent of eternal time, which is fearful in force, endlessly chases everyone, ready to swallow him, if one who fears this serpent seeks the shelter of the Lord, the Lord gives him protection, for even death runs away in fear of the Lord. I, therefore, surrender unto Him, the great and powerful supreme authority who is the real shelter of everyone.” (Srimad Bhagavatam 8.2.33)
Chanting of Hare Krishna helps our soul- the timeless self- connect to eternal God. The soul is beyond the body that’s subject to destruction by time. Just as the driver is separate from the car he drives, or you are not the clothes you wear, the soul is different from our perishable body. When we chant the Holy Names of God attentively, we enter the space of this continuous existence. Then, the body’s inevitable destruction and the drama that unfolds over time in this world ceases to bewilder you. Your consciousness is like a stable boat that remains in the ocean of this world, where the gushing waves of tragedies and surprises, doesn’t enter you; you are in this world, but you don’t belong here.
To experience spiritual happiness, one has to stay present- in the now- to his spiritual practices. That’s a preparation to enter an undying space, even as death and suffering perpetually loom around the corner.
