5. No Space, No Time
(Darshan given on January 26th, 1998)
Swamiji: …because David Boehm's principal was, according to the theory of quantum mechanics, that any event taking place anywhere takes place everywhere at the same time, without any distance of time. Einstein did not like that. He said, “I cannot believe that one event is taking place everywhere at the same time without distance,” because he was the propagator of relativity theory. So he posed some questions on physics. Einstein posed some questions which David Boehm could not easily answer. Boehm felt within, “What is this? With great caution and clarity of perception I have concluded the outcome of quantum mechanics. Now I am feeling that I am not able to answer this query posed by Albert Einstein.” He was dejected, and went away. The whole night he didn't sleep. He says in the early morning he suddenly woke up: “Oh, I found the answer.” He ran to Einstein, “I found the answer to your query!” and he had a very logical explanation of the position maintained by quantum mechanics he posed before Einstein, and to which Einstein could not give a clear answer. And Einstein said, “I agree with what you say, but I don't like it.”
Visitor: God doesn't play with dice.
Swamiji: “I cannot answer you, but I don't like it.” That's all he said.
Another visitor: But how is it possible that one thing arising at a particular place is arising everywhere at every place?
Swamiji: Because there is no distance in the universe. Distance does not exist. No space, no time.
Swamiji: The universe is one compact whole. It is a single universal organism. You and I and everything are included in it as integral parts. So you need not use the word 'God'. If everything, everyone, is integrally, organically related to the whole cosmos, what would be the experience of a person in this context of integral relationship to the cosmos? What would one feel at that time? What would one feel?
The feeling of one's isolation from the cosmos will be contrary to the facts of nature. The whole of spirituality is only this much. The whole of yoga is only this much. It is the conscious affirmation of one's identity with the entire creation, and then everything gets set right.
Visitor: I agree. But how do you integrate in this concept the evils, the wars, the concentration camps and the slaughtering of people?
Swamiji: The consciousness, this is called meditation. Consciousness, which is tied up to the individual body located apparently in one place, should be, with the effort of will, transferred to the centre of the cosmos, and you feel yourself as if located at the centre of the cosmos. Instead of looking at the world from this location where you are now, you look at yourself from that centre, so that you will become an object of perception to the universe, rather than you becoming a subject of perception to the world. The universe existed first; you came afterwards.
Visitor: You mean by meditation you avoid all the evils of the world – greed and power and all that?
Swamiji: Everything is included in that one tapestry of universal inclusiveness.
Visitor: Also the evils?
Swamiji: You have to use your willpower a little bit to imagine this. You just see that you are not even an inch apart from the universe. There is no distance of one millimetre between yourself and the cosmos. Even the word 'distance' should not be used. It is an inappropriate word. What is the distance between the hand and the body? There is no distance. If this consciousness could appreciate this matter and centralise itself in what you call cosmic consciousness, every problem will be set right by the forces of nature.
Visitor: So the man is separated from worldly consciousness, cosmic consciousness.
Swamiji: We are, unfortunately, habituated to feeling separation from nature. This is the whole tragedy of life. Nature has no sorrow, nature has no pleasure, nature has no aims and objects. It just is. And if this pure is-ness becomes a part and parcel of our existence, we become practically eternal Being. There is no need of speaking much about this. Inconceivable though, it is the masterstroke of human duty. This is the highest duty of everyone. He becomes immortal because the universe does not die. It is an immortal existence, and so is the one who is inseparable from the universe.
You need not have to open your eyes and look at the universe like that. You are included in that, so why do you look at it like that? Rather, it should look at you because you are a latecomer and it is the original.
Visitor: I feel like that, but I'm just looking for the reasons for the evils.
Swamiji: Just imagine, for the sake of illustration… You are sitting here. Just imagine the whole universe is seeing you. What would be the opinion it is holding about you? That is the real personality of yours.
Visitor: The universe is too big to think about me.
Swamiji: What would the whole universe think of you? That is your real nature. What other people say is no good. It is of no use. Let the whole cosmos, with all its millions of eyes, look at you and pass a judgment: Here is a man. What does it say? Does it say you are a poor fellow, or it says you are really a great fellow, a great person? If the whole universe, with all its millions of eyes, appreciates you as one of the stalwarts of creation, you are really that. Otherwise, if you feel a humble and simple man, nobody wants you, then it is a very great tragedy.
We must be very courageous always, very satisfied and happy, and be sure that the universe is with us. In other words, God is with us. What is the meaning of saying “The kingdom of heaven is within you”? This is a statement of Christ. This is another way of saying the whole universe is you. Here is the whole of spirituality, the whole of yoga, the whole of mysticism, the whole of anything worthwhile. We need not go into large tomes and books for study.
Visitor: Could you explain the evils of the world – greed, jealousy, hatred, and all that – which is not part of the concept of God?
Swamiji: That means you are not seeing things from the point of view of the universe. You are seeing from the point of view of yourself. It doesn't exist at all. The vision has to change.
The snake is not afraid of the snake, the lion is not afraid of the lion. Somebody outside them is afraid. So you are afraid of everything, but that fear goes if you have united yourself with that.
Another visitor: With that?
Swamiji: With anything that is outside you. Let the outsideness vanish. Let the object become the subject, as they call it. Here I mean, by the object, the whole universe, not any particular object.
You practise this meditation and see what transformation takes place in you. This is not a question of discussion. You must actually do it. If you deeply, soulfully, from the recesses of your heart, put forth effort to transform your consciousness to a universal existence, you tell me after one month what difference it makes to your life. You will not open your mouth afterwards because of the joy that emanates from inside. You would like to be alone and not talk afterwards.