How to Improve the Quality of Your Time

·34 min·3 clips

Henri Bergson revealed we live in two kinds of time: clock time and the subjective time that defines our lives.

The episode begins by examining philosophical questions about time, referencing Henri Bergson's distinction between clock time and subjective time. Shunyamurti explains how subjective time varies per individual, with moments feeling short or long based on engagement. He introduces the block universe theory from physics, describing the universe as a complete mandala where all time is present now. This leads to a discussion on consciousness, positing that time cannot exist without it and that consciousness is the information in God's mind. The narrative challenges linear time, suggesting nothing truly happens or changes in reality. It delves into non-duality, arguing that the individual self is an illusory image within consciousness. Shunyamurti explores how consciousness creates illusions of bondage and ordeal as a playful act to rediscover its blissful nature. He mentions concepts like repetition compulsion from Freud and David Bohm's implicate and explicate orders. The episode emphasizes that consciousness is indivisible and unified, with all apparent separateness being manifestations of the same self. It critiques attachment to fictional identities and stories, urging letting go of the unreal. Shunyamurti references cultural elements, such as Hollywood's shift and Baudrillard's concept of seduction by images. The discussion connects to traditional dharma, where realizing the infinite self was life's purpose. It concludes by framing current ordeals as opportunities for this realization through grace, ending with a namaste.

As heard by us

A meditation on time that moves from Bergson and subjective duration into a sweeping case for consciousness, karma, and the infinite self.

The piece frames time as both a clock-bound problem and a subjective one, opening with Henri Bergson and the contrast between clock time and lived time. It then turns to the block universe, where the universe from start to finish is said to be present now.

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Why you'd press play

When clock time and subjective time stop agreeing, this episode does the arguing for you.

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