The concept of time in Theravada
 

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I remember hearing the expression "beginningless time" a lot in Tibetan Buddhist teachings and I wondered if there was something similar in Theravada.

Here's an example from Tibetan Buddhism.. ..

"Because we have had a selfish point of view throughout beginningless time, we experience the sufferings of the six realms and are unable to liberate ourselves from samsara."

Source = http://www.kagyu.org/kagyulineage/lineage/kag01.php

Sounds like this: "If I have endless lives to live why should I worry about... one day, one day... the Dhamma will come to me." But even when time seems to be endless/beginningless it is about us to understand dukkha (the first noble truth) and so, despite of the seemingly endless nature of time, cease dukkha.

The suttas state: "This samsara is without discoverable beginning". But I suppose it seems reasonable to argue this does not mean there is beginningless time. It possibly just means the starting point is unknown.

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Beginningless time also means this very moment, and more precisely, this very moment as being inseparable from the past or future, which do not exist, and this very moment actually having no duration whatsoever, so it is 'beginningless".

If you think about it, everything only exists in this present moment. Linear time is merely a mental construct, a way of putting events in a certain order. Anopther way of thinking about this, is "everything that is going on in the whole universe is only happening right this second" (this may not be accurate according to modern physics, but it is a great meditation on time).

Thanks for the input fojiao2, but I wasn't meaning the present moment. This following quote was the context I had been familiar with, and I was just curious to know if the same terminology occured in Theravada too :

Buddha of great compassion, hold me fast in your compassion. From time without beginning, beings have wandered in samsara, Undergoing unendurable suffering. They have no other protector than you. Please bless them that they may achieve the omniscient state of buddhahood.

With the power of evil karma gathered from beginningless time, Sentient beings, through the force of anger, are born as hell beings and experience the suffering of heat and cold. May they all be born in your presence, perfect deity." (from a Tibetan Buddhist prayer to Chenrezi the Bodhisattva of Compassion)

http://www.dharma-haven.org/tibetan/...padme-hung.htm


I would have liked to have seen some excerpts from Pali Canon suttas showing something similar, if anyone had any direct references.


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Assu Sutta (SN 15.3):

"At Savatthi. There the Blessed One said: "From an inconstruable beginning comes transmigration. A beginning point is not evident, though beings hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving are transmigrating & wandering on..."

It doesn't have the prayer aspect, notably.

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Thank you for the reference, Dave - much appreciated ! http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...lies/hands.gif

Hello all,

This may be of interest - a perspective from the Abhidhamma:

Abhidhamma Studies - Chapter 5 – The Problem of Time by Nyanaponika MahaThera
http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/abhistudy.pdf

with metta
Chris

Hi Chris,

I have only read brief excerpts from Abhidhamma in the past - thank you for the reference.

with kind wishes,

A-D http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...lies/hands.gif