Nature of Reality-I

It is an undeniable fact that human thought is un-ending and forever continuing.  Thoughts are formed (or recalled in Socratic terms) after the combination of “learning” and “experience”. Our learning and experience of learning, while being “formed/recalled” is also at the same time modulated by the “kind of thought” that is “formed/recalled” at the very instance that learning is experienced. Thus, in a way one can look at “thought” as a complete system in that it exhibits the characteristics of both “cause and effect” together at the same time. Our formed/recalled thought may cause us to “learn and experience” in a particular way. At the same time, the particular way in which one learns and experiences is also a new “knowledge” that further shapes the form of thought.

Perception of our environment depends on this continued happening of “cause and effect” together. i.e., continued occurrence of thought. So to say, “life” means the continuous happening of “thought” in our minds. But at the same time on which such perception happens, our “incomplete” consciousness divides the “complete perception” of the thought’s cause and effect. This “complete perception” is constant and beyond time. Hindus would like to call this as “realization of the brahman”; the understanding of reality beyond the veil of illusion.

The goal of everyone is the realization of this brahman, the perception of complete reality, a perception to the extent that no illusion or superstition exists anymore that play havoc in the mind. However, this state can only be experienced and not explained, taught or passed on. All beings are constantly in flux where they are leading from one level of consciousness to another level of consciousness, with the complete goal of attaining complete consciousness of the Self/Brahman. The levels of consciousness that I mentioned in the previous sentence can be hierarchized based on how one approaches consciousness. This ability to hierarchize is what creates in people the ability to “discriminate”.

There is nothing called time, however each person is able to discriminate one moment from another because of this “innate” ability to hierarchize. One hierarchizes time (in the modern world) as “one second higher” than the “previous moment”. Thus time becomes essential for one to gain the perception of existence. Thought is able to discriminate and thus associate such “discriminated fragments” with “TIME”. 

So, in my opinion, “Life” is the ability to discriminate and perceive and understand time as a hierarchy of seconds; taken further, translated as minutes, hours, days and so on. Conversely, death is the not having of this ability. But then again, does this mean that “sleep” is “death” or something close to it. I say this because in sleep the perception of “time” also comes to a momentary close. That’s why, in dreams, the idea and perception of time is very slippery and lot of things happen over a small duration of time. As compared to the perception of time (as we know it now) in wakefulness, the perception of time in dreams is different and comparatively, the latter (against the former) can be expanded over several ranges (from infinity to any sub-division thereof). Thus, existence of dreams, tell us, that time (as we know it) is something which is a product of our “perception” as we have “objectified” it due to our incomplete consciousness. Thus, the very knowledge of “time” as opposed to the “experience” of time is what prevents us from knowing the Supreme Reality.