3.2. Practical and Transcendental Time (vyavahara kala, nishcaya kala)

In Jain philosophy,

‘kala usually means a period of time of some length, of which samaya is the ultimate indivisible unit. But, in common parlance, the word samaya is indicative of kala.’^[1]

We can say that kala is the practical time and samaya is the transcendental time.

Amongst all six substances the uniqueness of kala is that it does not have an asti (being, existence).

‘Because the other five substances consist of aggregate of units, they are in the form of tiryaka-pracaya-skandha (that which can extend in three dimensions is called tiryaka-pracaya) and extension becomes their natural attribute.’^[2]

For example the akasha (space) is spread vertically, horizontally and diagonally with its infinite space points called ‘pradesha’ and so do dharma dravya and adharma dravya.

‘Thus only kala is without pradesha i.e. space points. Just the present snapshot of kala has presence. Past is as of now wiped out and future has still not appeared. Present minute (samaya) is a solitary unit and in this way can't extend in three measurements.’^[3]

Perhaps this is the reason we, subconsciously, call time an illusion.

Albert Einstein once said,

‘Time is what prevents from everything happening at once.’^[4]

Again this is the beauty as well as the mystery of time that the practical time (vyavahara kala) is not the one that causes change as it seems superficial in comparison with the transcendental time (nishchaya kala).

‘Substances like jiva, pudgala etc. undergo transmutation every moment, that is, their modes go on changing every moment; this is caused by transcendental time. In other words, transcendental time causes changes in the modes of jiva and ajiva.’^[5]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

TETU. pp. 124

[2]:

TETU. pp. 125

[3]:

TETU. pp. 125

[4]:

https://in.pinterest.com/ (retrieved on 21/02/2018 @ 3 PM)

[5]:

TETU. pp. 125