What If Time Is The Way Our Thoughts Are Organized?
But is there a better way?
In a recent edition of Rupert Spira’s newsletter, he describes responding to a question from a woman whose inquiry began with the observation that time is “the way thoughts are organized”.
You should know that Rupert is a British spiritual teacher and author known for his clear, compassionate exploration of non-duality, the understanding that our true nature is pure awareness, not the body or mind. Non-duality means not two; there is no real separation between you and anything else. Rupert suggests that the sense of being a separate self is an illusion created by the mind… and that there is only one reality, one consciousness, appearing as all things.
As Rupert’s conversation evolved, it started to address some practical considerations. He writes, “If time is simply the mind’s way of organizing experience, then our happiness need not be invested in the past or the future. We explored how happiness is not something acquired through events, achievements or relationships but is the very nature of our being – always present, always available. When this is recognized, the search for happiness in external circumstances begins to falls away. The future is no longer a pursuit but a space in which the peace and causeless joy that are already present can be expressed. You now use your happiness in service of the world rather than using the world in service of your happiness.”
Lately, I’ve been considering just how many layers of other people’s beliefs are present within what we assume to be our own identity. Your parents, teachers, siblings, friends, politicians, employers, TV personalities, screenwriters and many others have all joined forces to teach you stuff that may or may not be true.
Some examples:
Winning is everything
You gotta be tough to win
Your country is best
Your religion is best
To be loved, you must be successful
Only good people go to Heaven
Time moves in a linear manner from the past to the future
In our society, time is used as mechanism to control individual desires. (“You gotta work hard to get what you want.”) When we think about what we want, we project our needs into the future.
“I want to find my soulmate” occupies the next five or ten years of your life.
“I want to be managing director” organizes the next decade of your life.
These are both examples of seeking fulfillment outside of ourselves. But if we accept Rupert’s assertion that peace and joy are already present, it becomes logical to stop using thought—and by extension, time—as a vehicle for happiness and/or fulfillment.
By the way, if you are resistant to this possibility, it might be productive to ask yourself why. Is it because you have factual proof that it is impossible… or is it because inside you are layer upon layer of beliefs that conflict with this possibility?
Just because someone told you something when you were eight—and you believed them—doesn’t mean it’s true.
You can learn more about me (and get in touch) at Kasanoff.com.