Space And Time: The Endless Mystery That Makes Us Small

Have you ever wondered why two people born in the same year, in the same place, never meet? And why do some encounters happen as if by chance? The answer lies in two dimensions: space and time. Thầy Thích Chân Quang opened up a profound perspective in his dharma talk, Space And Time.

Space Can Be Measured, Time Cannot Be Touched

Space is a location, while time is something no one knows. We can measure space with a ruler, but we cannot do so with time. The teacher taught:

A clock measures itself; a clock does not measure time at all. Its hands tick because they are measuring themselves, but time is invisible and no one can touch it.

We only see things changing, and based on the changes of all things, we come to understand that there is something called time. But time cannot be touched, cannot be seen, and knows nothing. Though invisible, it is very real, like a phone signal — you cannot see it, yet without it everyone would be crying.

The Art Of Space And Time

Every form of art is based on one dimension. Painting, sculpture, and architecture are works that stand still in space. Music is different — it moves through each second, each minute, and if it stops, the music ends. But there is one art form that combines both, and that is dance. A dancer moves through space, following the rhythm of time in the music. Understanding space and time helps us feel more deeply about art, and about life itself.

To Understand A Person, Consider The Context

In daily life, to determine an event or understand a person, we always need both space and time. The teacher reminded us that when commenting on someone, if we speak in general terms without connecting it to the context, it is very easy to judge wrongly:

When we speak about a person, when we comment on someone, we must say where, at what time, in what year, on what day, and because of what circumstances, what situation, that he became hot-tempered.

For example, someone may be labeled a thief because of something that happened at age seven, but that was only a playful child who did not yet know right from wrong. The teacher also told of a monk who was called "angry and deluded" for once standing with a staff to resist those attacking the temple — but in that situation, it was not greed, hatred and delusion, but courage. Time passes and circumstances change, so judgment must be based objectively on space, time, circumstances, and psychology.

Meeting Each Other: A Wondrous Destiny Or Karmic Conditions?

Many people are born in the same year, but do not meet because they live in different places. Even living in the same district, if the timing differs, they may still not meet. The teacher pointed out:

To meet each other, two factors must come together: time and space. But is that easy? Is there anything more? There is still a secret governing factor — the conditions (dependent origination) from many, many lifetimes and eons.

It is not by chance that today we sit here together in this dharma assembly. In past lives, we were once brothers and sisters, practicing together, making vows together. Therefore, entering this space, let us cherish one another, and not let this wholesome karmic connection go to waste.

Infinity In The Scriptures And The Limits Of The Mind

The Avatamsaka Sutra and the Lotus Sutra speak of immeasurable numbers, like the sands of the Ganges River, where each grain of sand becomes another Ganges River. Our minds do not have the capacity to imagine this. Science has only vaguely touched upon the infinity of the universe, yet the Buddha spoke of it thousands of years ago. However, we should not strain ourselves trying to comprehend the infinite, or our heads will break. The teacher told of a monk who asked the Buddha about the origin of the world, and the Buddha rebuked him:

O foolish one, if a person struck by a poisoned arrow goes searching for who shot it and with what, he will die before he finds out. First, pull out the arrow.

Do not overload your mind with infinite questions. We only need to understand what is sufficient for practice: that there is rebirth, and there is cause and effect (karmic law).

Living Fully To Practice, Preparing For The Next Life

Science does not prove, it only witnesses. Samsara (cycle of rebirth) is the same — there is already much evidence. Knowing there is rebirth, we prepare for the next life — planting wholesome seeds so that the next life may be more perfect. The teacher said: "This life has things that do not go as we wish; we gain this and lose that. Knowing this, today let us build wholesome seeds so that in the next life we may meet each other as beautifully as in a dream."

But why are we limited within endless space and time? Because of the ego. Self-grasping and ignorance make us small and narrow. To reach the infinite, it is not through knowledge but through practice to realize non-self (anatta). When non-self (anatta) is complete, we become absolutely small, and that is precisely when we become absolutely great, encompassing the entire universe.

Let us stop asking infinite questions. Let us live ethically, practice non-self (anatta), and prepare for the next life with wholesome seeds planted today. For a single moment of enlightenment can bring us into touch with the boundless. Homage to Our Original Teacher, Shakyamuni Buddha.