Acharya Tulsi
Man belongs to the highest category of living beings in the sense that he possesses knowledge, ability to think and express himself and efficiency to accomplish his tasks. He determines his goal in the light of his knowledge and understanding. It is also his responsibility to mobilise the resources to attain his goal. Realising his responsibility, he puts in efforts and marches ahead with self-confidence. Sometimes, he goes ahead at uninterrupted speed and sometimes, he faces obstacles. Sometimes, he stops to take some rest because he is tired and sometimes, no one can stop him even if he is tired.
Even if the goal is clear, one is full of enthusiasm and has faith in his pace, he still takes time to reach his goal. In spite of the fertile soil, good manure, proper rain, high quality seeds, good sun, free air and the proper attention by the gardener, the seed does not grow into a tree in the fraction of a moment. It is a mythological belief that Chakravarti, with his supernatural power, sows the seed in the morning and harvests the crop in the evening. But even in this case, 12 hours are required. Nothing can be attained without the involvement of time. That is why it is necessary most of all to manage Time.
Time Does Not Wait
Time is like the flow of a river. It never stops. It always flows. It cannot be tied down. It can only be used. Time waits for no one. Only he who knows the rules about the management of time and works accordingly can put it to proper use. But today, this very thing is becoming very hard for man. He gets twenty- four hours every day. Days can be short or long. Nights also can be short or long. But the day and the night together make twenty-four hours.
Every man, who is born, has twenty- four hours of the day assigned to him. For some people, Time brings plenty and prosperity in their lives. Even after completing all their intended jobs, they have still time left to them. They never experience want of time. There are also some people who never find time to do any work. They plunge themselves with closed eyes in the blind race of the age. They do not even know which time is essential for them at that time. Such people can never know the value of time.
Mahavira's Warning
Bhagwan Mahavira was the last religious leader of the avasarpini period.[1]He was not the propagator of any sect, but of dharma. He was the propagator not of any established religion, but of a living dharma. He gave more importance to sadhana than on religious worship. A full chapter of Uttaradhyana is devoted to show the importance of time. Addressing his first disciple, Ganadhara Gautama, Bhagwan Mahavira said, "Do not be lazy even for a moment.[2]" This small advice from his guru became the most precious source of strength for Gautama.
Now the question is: Why did Mahavira give so much importance to Time? Why did he talk about it by mentioning Gautama's name? Mahavira was a respected man. Every word he uttered had a special meaning. Gautama was his favourite disciple. However, at heart, Mahavira made no distinction between those who were his favourites and those who were not. But Gautama was not able to erase that line of distinction. He had a personal attachment for Mahavira. In order that Gautama would stop regarding him with a sense of attachment, Mahavira exhorted him personally. He said, “It is with great difficulty that the soul is granted the human life. That life is attained after passing through nine valleys. There are five valleys relating to the rebirth in stationary jeevanikayan.[3] A soul comes out of those valleys after living in each one of them for an infinitely long period. There valleys are related to the rebirth as beings with incomplete sense organs in which they are required to live for a very long period. The ninth valley is for the subhuman creatures possessing the five senses. It is after passing through this ninth valley that one is born in the rare human life. You would have nothing but regret if you waste away that life without any purpose. That is why it is necessary to make the human life meaningful by knowing the value of Time.
Planning Time
I read the Uttaradhyana Agama. I also read the teachings addressed to Gautama. I recognised the value of Time and tried to explain it to others as well. For that purpose, I wrote a song:
“Those who understand the importance of the moment can open new avenues in their lives. It is necessary to plan time to inculcate new sanskaras.[4]"
Only the person, who understands the value of Time can plan Time. Without that understanding, there is no Question of planning Time. Rather it is likely to be misused.
Do not Postpone Jobs to Old AgeThose who do not make use of time in both worldly and extra-worldly matters, face the ruin and those who make its appropriate use meet success. From that point of view, it is necessary to keep track of Time. If this is understood in childhood, many new directions can open in life. I very often think that if I had understood the value of Time as a child and an adolescent, who knows how far I would have gone in life! I often wish that I should become a child again. But that would never happen. Although I did not waste my childhood, I was not able to utilize it as much as I should have done.
One more thing which needs to be known about time is that things can be done only at their appropriate moment. How can the thing which can be done in childhood be done in old age? Some people are of the view that children should not be initiated into a religious order. Their opinion may be justified from a certain point of view. But why do they forget that the sanskaras which can be inculcated in childhood cannot be imbued when one has reached the adult age? Educational development is also possible to a greater extent in childhood. How can seeds of virtues which can be sown during the impressionable childhood stage be sown during the adult stage when the mind is attuned to a rigid pattern of thinking?
Learning to Change with the Time
Time has its value only at the appropriate moment. There is a stage in man's life when he has no time even to sit and talk with anyone. There is a long queue of visitors for him. They are not given the appointment even when the matter is very urgent. But at one stage in life, man retires from all work. He has ample time at his disposal, but no one comes and sits with him to talk. That person finds such a situation unbearable, but there is no way he can change it.
Discussing that tragic situation in his life, the American President Nixon said, “When I was the President, countless people wanted to meet me. I was not able to spare time for them. Today, I am free all through the day, but no one comes to meet me."
Something similar happened in the case of Prabhudayalji. His house used to be crowded with visitors. He was not a leader. Nor was he in active politics still, he enjoyed tremendous influence. People came to him and sought his advice to solve their problems But then came a time when Prabhudayalji fell ill he had a paralytic attack. People stopped visiting him. He found himself in a vacuum and felt miserable on that account.
Prabhudayalji came to meet me, when I visited Delhi. He had become a mental wreck. I advised him to recite a particular mantra. He took the advice and continued to recite it all day long. He no longer felt he was in a vacuum. And he became happy and cheerful after that.
The purpose of narrating these incidents is to see that man changes his outlook. It would be wrong to presume that he would be in the same situation throughout life and he would continue doing the same work. Man can never be without work if he accepts the principle of adjusting the nature of his work according to the needs of the times.
Formula of Time Management
Irregularity in time is a weakness among the Indians. That is why the expression "Indian Time" has come into vogue as a matter of mockery. I feel quite ashamed whenever I hear those sarcastic words. The Western people are very particular in the matter of "time management". They stick to the given time. They do the job only at the appointed time. The foreigners come here to receive the training in prekshadhyan. They fix the entire routine for the duration of their stay and in accordance to it, they are able to make the full use of their time. That is why I often say that we must learn Time Management from the Western people.
Irregularity in time results in disorderliness in style of living. There is no fixed hour for going to sleep or far waking up. In that situation, the work between the time of waking up and going to sleep cannot be done in a systematic manner. Some people say, "We get up late because we go to bed late. Although our day begins late, we are not disorganised. Our daily routine is carried out exactly in this manner." Such people may be organized from their point of view. But when would they carry out the jobs to be done after waking up at dawn? How would they do those jobs? Those who are even slightly worried about their life and their health, should necessarily remember the formula of time management and feel themselves blessed.
