Article By Deepa Roongta

“How much time he gains who does not look to see what his neighbour says or does or thinks, but only at what he does himself, to make it just and holy.” ― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations.

‘What is the most precious thing in life’?

Is it life, health, monetary success, family, friends, material possessions or time?
Is time valuable? It is often said that time is money. Is that the only value of time?

In today’s age of Kalyug, time is not valued in the right way as life is considered to be one big party. The most important aim in life for most of the humanity in today’s age is to earn lots of money, so that the never ending needs of the human lower self i.e. desires are constantly met. Today most of the people are a part of a big rat race, where everyone’s running without knowing their purpose and direction, as they have lost touch with their real human self and are mindlessly doing things as everyone else is doing it. Their entire lives are spent in a completely disconnected, superficial way.

Ignorant of the fact that real happiness lies within each human being, people search for happiness in the all the wrong places. As a result of that they move ahead externally, by possessing more and more material wealth but internally they are the same, as they were before i.e:confused, stressed and unhappy and their small moments of illusionary happiness are dependent of external things like people, material wealth, situations etc.

Time pass or killing time by indulging in activities with no real meaning and without knowing why one is doing it has become a common phenomenon in today’s age. Since time is not valued in the right way, it is spent either with the aim of earning lots of money, only to fulfil material desires or by doing day to day tasks without reflecting on them. By killing time and by not using it in a meaningful way on a day to day basis whether at workplace or at home, people are losing out on a beautiful opportunity which every human has. Spending time doing things mindlessly is not a way of life but an illusion to which most of the humanity in today’s age is ignorantly addicted to.

As a result even a small challenge/setback in life is considered to be bad by most of the people and it leads to stress, fear and hopelessness. The idea of a good life is considered to be a life without any challenges where people can be in their comfort zones, catering only to the needs of the lower self. It’s sad that today people remember the divine only when they face challenges and offer prayers to have a long life, free of challenges and full of material wealth.

Is this the right way to live life? Is this the reason sun comes out every day morning and happily performs his duties, so that humans can enjoy and kill time. Is that the purpose of nature, which serves humanity unconditionally every day, without asking for anything in return?

In this entire creation of which we are a part of, each element is performing its duty without fail, except humans who think that it’s their right to enjoy without doing any productive work for the betterment of the world and the humanity.

The truth is that time is the most precious thing humans have but sadly the least valued. Material possessions are valued more than time. Time cannot be only be valued against money. The real value of time is the inner growth which humans can experience in this life. Each and every individual has an opportunity to grow, evolve and become a better human being who shares the values of love, beauty, goodness, fraternity with his fellow beings on earth.

The reason time is not valued in the right way is because most of the humanity in today’s age doesn’t know the real meaning and purpose of life and this entire creation which they are a part of. In this age of materialism they have lost touch with the timeless wisdom present in ancient scriptures all across the world, which talks about life, its meaning and purpose. All the great and wise men and women since time immemorial had reflected on these principals and laws of life which helped them to fill their hearts with true love for humanity and they became channels to express this wisdom through their beautiful actions and teachings.

To live life is an art and one needs to learn it in order to live a meaningful, content and happy life. To know about life is a lifelong education process, not limited by age, which can help one become a better human being, who lives harmoniously with his/her fellow beings in this creation. It’s an education process where one learns, reflects and practices the knowledge mentioned in philosophical texts, so that one become that knowledge and live it each day of his/her life.

Once an individual starts living a more meaningful life, he/she will start removing the layers of conditioning accumulated with time from the mind and realise that life is a journey with a purpose beyond satisfying the needs of lower self, i.e.: desires. He/she will realise that the true growth in life comes from facing challenges and that’s the only way to evolve and become a better human being. One will feel more connected to life and will have a need to participate in life rather than being a spectator who just wants to be entertained. He/she will start valuing life in the right way and hence use the limited time one has in the best possible way.

The best use of one’s time as a human in this life is to understand true meaning of life and feel more connected to life by reflecting and acting on the treasure of the timeless wisdom which has been preserved and passed through ages. All actions which one performs, from his/her daily work to earn livelihood, to watching inspiring movies, listening to soulful music, travelling and connecting to the beauty all around, helping people in need by doing volunteering acts, reading stories of hope, love and strength etc, spending time with loved ones, learning and developing his/her skills by pursuing art and science should be guided by a feeling of unity with life.

Once an individual starts spending time more consciously, he/she will realise that there is so much one can do in the limited time he/she has. This process of inner change and growth will help one become more content, happy, connected and full of love and inner joy that one can share with everyone around him/her and help life achieve its real goal.

Let me have no other aim than Nature’s aim; no other plan than the plan of God; no other love but love of man; no other will than the will of eternity: N.Sri Ram

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