K: I go to Madras—that needs time as today and the tomorrow. We can also see
that because there is time as the yesterday, today and tomorrow, one will be
different, one will change one’s character, one will become ‘perfect’.
P: It is easy to see that time does not bring perfection. But the nature of the
movement of thought, the sprouting, is a projection in time. I question the
distinction you make.
K: I know that physical time exists. Even if I do not think about tomorrow, there
would be a tomorrow. Why am I sure that apart from chronological time there
will be a tomorrow? It is fairly clear. This evening I will be going for a walk and
between now and the walk there is an interval of ten hours. In the same way, I am
something now, but I want to be something else. In that also time is involved. I
am asking myself if there is such time at all. If I do not think about the walk, or
about my becoming something else, is there time?
P: Certain measurements have to be made.
K: I need only physical measurement, not psychological measurement. I do not
have to say: I will become that; I will fulfil; I will achieve my ideal. All that
involves time. If it does not enter my consciousness, where is time? It is only
when I want to change this into that, that time comes into being. I have no such
desire.
P: So long as there is desire for improvement, a change for the better, which to
me is a fact, there is validity to the sense of time.
K: That is, two years ago, I did not do my exercises properly. In two years, I
have learnt, improved. I apply the same kind of argument to an inward process,
which is, I say: I am this but I will improve in two years time.
I know only physical time, and I do not know any other time. Why do you
have any other time except physical, chronological time? Why?
You see, what is really involved here is movement—the movement of
improvement involves both physical and psychological time. Is there any other
movement except the movement of thought? And thought which says: I have
been and I will become, is time. If thought functioned only in the movement of
the physical, would there be any other time? If there is no psychological being
and no psychological ending, is there time? We always associate psychological
time with physical time, and say: I will be. The verb ‘to be’ is time.
Now what happens when you do not want to do anything, one way or
another?
P: What would have happened if man did not have this movement of becoming
as time?