Beginningless Time

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  One of the most fascinating concepts in Buddhism I have encountered in my readings is the concept of "beginningless time." Time that stretches on to an eternity before the present moment.  

 

    Beginningless time is a hard concept to grasp for humans, since every human being alive has a clearly defined beginning. Even the universe itself had some sort of beginning, although we do not have a complete grasp on the complexities and intricacies of the beginning of our universe. 


      As a result, the concept of beginningless time is foreign to many of us. Something that we have a hard time wrapping our heads around.  The concept of beginningless time opens the door to the idea that consciousness and willful entities of all sorts, human or otherwise, have been "doing this forever."


           In other words, conscious beings have been interacting with each other, competing and forming relationships with each other, for truly an eternity already, let alone the eternity that is to come.


     In kind of an interesting coincidence regarding Buddhist philosophy and teachings, given the Buddhist idea of "the middle way," if time is beginningless before and endless from this point on, then the present moment would be in the eternal middle of time. The present instant of time will always be right in the middle of eternity.


       This is not a very Christian concept, but I do see one aspect of the bible talk about an eternity before the current moment. Psalm 90 makes the statement, "from everlasting to everlasting, you are God."


      In Christian theology, the concept that God has always existed and never had a beginning is not a concept of too much controversy. It is widely accepted and isn't considered heretical.


    God is the one thing that needs no beginning.  God is truly beginningless.  In fact, many Christian theologians would consider God to be a being existing outside of time and space. As a result time has no power or governance over God. God is what has power and governance over time.


    From my perspective, in the realm of eternity, that realm of abstract forms and ideas, that realm of God, time has no relevance or authority. Entropy is not a factor in eternity. This truly timeless place is not governed by decay and is perfectly separated from the decay and entropy and death of the universe which we humans are in.


     As a result, this timeless and infinite realm of God is distinctly separate from the concept of time itself. It needs no beginning, nor no end. It just is. God needs no beginning nor no end. He just is. 

 

   Beginningless time may not be the most accurate description of the state of God and that abstract realm of existence. Static eternity, where the concepts of a beginning or an end are unnecessary, irrelevant, or inapplicable may be a more accurate and fitting description of the infinite realm of God.

Comments

  1. LaurisJanuary 22, 2021 at 8:12 AM

    Indeed, the fact that something has always existed seems impossible to avoid if one ponders the topic deeply. But the inconceivability of it just drives me nuts! I want to understand HOW can it be so, but I can't wrap my mind around it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Plovs30January 26, 2021 at 5:57 PM

      It's an extremely complex topic. The human mind was not meant to comprehend a lot of complex issues, concepts and systems to an absolute. We are just not that advanced. Some have a better grasp than others, but time is a hard concept to understand to a completeness

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