Eternity is timeless. This is not within the confines of time. Even so, being eternal is to be reckoned with the endless flow of time. The course of time obviously in its wake consists of countless moments.
Granting this fact, some extraordinary moments occur when the manifest divine treads on this earth. Such moments obviously are frozen across the flow of time. Such frozen moments are but eternal in the real sense, though could be a little while for the person actually passing through such moments. The individual treasures and cherishes such moments for all times, and records them in his heart and soul. Also they become part of immortal history, to be savored by one and all.
When we see the various manifestations of divinity, their physical form is but time bound. Yet their presence is felt always and ever. Such is the case of Jillellamudi AMMA, more formally revered as the incarnation of goddess Raja Rajeswari. AMMA’A physical form is marked from 28th March 1923 till 12th June 1985. The relevance of these points is merely for the sake of chronology. Reality is that AMMA had been there prior to March 1923 and shall ceaselessly continue to be there even after June 1985, despite this recorded span.
At one point, AMMA conveyed to Sri Govindarajula Dattu garu an old devotee of AMMA, that SHE saw him serving food in a choultry near Mangalagiri quite a few years ago. To view this literally, such a moment referred to by AMMA happens far before HER advent on to this earth. When AMMA said so, Sri Govindarajula Dattu garu conceded this fact and accepted it. This shall vouch for the others who were present then and those who accept this recorded fact that AMMA had been there much prior to March 1923 too, though not cognized by us in the physical sense.
Now quite a few devotees who visit the sanctum of ANASUYA ESWARALAYAM indicate that they are able to perceive and visualize AMMA in form, quite likely the mystic form and recount their experiences many times. This fact also has to be conceded beyond any doubt.
Reason being AMMA herself told us that she is not confined to the physical form on the cot at Jillellamudi giving audience or moving amidst the devotees and other inmates of the House of All. SHE affirmed that her presence is limitless, boundless, all pervasive and beyond the time frames as known by the mortals..
Further, AMMA also assured all the devotees, deemed her children that SHE continues to be there for us and no one ever feels that they are missing AMMA. This is also now quite well known and a matter of common knowledge that AMMA continued expressing her motherly concern and bestows her attention, showers her love on all even now. If so it can never be construed that AMMA is bound by time. Nor HER existence is within the confines of time.
This is the paradox of eternity as applied to a divine manifestation like AMMA. The living moments during the physical form are also considered eternal and even HER being considered timeless, both before the divine advent and even beyond the physical form. This is not merely a perception but an actual experience for the living devotees even now. No one ever disputes this ever vibrant, living fact of AMMA’S eternal presence nor doubts the same.
How to explain this given situation? First and foremost cosmic power is timeless. Such force exists always and never within the bounds of time. So also the life force, time and creation are timeless. Cosmic force being the cue that conducts all this mega process, is ever there. So called time frames in our reckoning are only for the sake of understanding or identifying the events or parts, which are but minute points in the process. Any living being appears on this time flow and his span is measured by birth and death.
Even so, when cosmic force by itself assumes a human form, and descends as divine manifestation, it cannot be viewed within a time frame. Simply this very same entity has been there before the divine descent and continues to be there even after the exit of the physical form. Such entities continue to be eternal and leave their blazing trail on the sands of time, though not restricted to the time flow.
This is the eternity of AMMA which consists of moments recorded during the physical form and continued presence ever before and ever after. The so – called exit and entry into and out of this world are only for our understanding and identifying the divine entity. The physical form is very much needed for the lesser beings to bow, worship, identify and seek AMMA’S grace. Otherwise, in the true conceptual or spiritual sense, AMMA has been there before, with physical form in the noted time span and continues to be so ever after, for all times to come.
The crux of this issue merits some more clarification or elaboration. Ordinarily for the being his time is split into various stages of boyhood, analysis. youth, old age and so on. He grows, changes, at times, evolves rarely and finds his end after the passage of the given life span. The changes brought by time over his mind and physique are apparent and self evident to see for one and all around. Such individuals can never be an exception in the wake of time. He lives by the same, changes with it, decays and exits as per the dictates of time.
In the case of the divine entity, perfection within is throughout visible for one and all to see. As time changes, they do not change within. The cosmic force for which the physical form is only an entity for cognition may change; the inner core hardly ever changes. Nor the divine prowess and inherent vibrant nature hardly ever changes. When this is the given fact the eternal being or timeless existence of such divine manifestations gains credibility and wider acceptability.
Thus the divine manifestations like AMMA cast their shadow over the endless flow of time both before and after their physical form. Thus moments of their physical presence and also cosmic, divine persona are ever there for mankind and all existence. Hence both are eternal. Such is the unique eternity of AMMA though difficult to capture and sounds apparently contradictory.
To illustrate this intricate aspect of timelessness further, Lord Rama lived in the Treta Yuga and Lord Krishna’s being was in the Dwapara Yuga. Both spans are remote, distant points of time almost inaccessible for the ordinary person. Yet for the devotees of Rama and Krishna, and the truly committed faithful, the presence of Lord Rama or Lord Krishna is ever vibrant, meaningful and realistic even as of now.
If so, the fleeting momentary element of time is hardly ever applicable for their presence. Their eternal mystic presence to the point of being felt in real terms ever tends to be for the faithful and devout. Granting this, AMMA’S being could hardly be different to the posterity that is deemed ever as HER children. More so, because of the fact of being a mother, AMMA is ever more close to one and all as is the begotten experience even now.
Could this eternal being be put on a more rational, scientific premise? Presumably, and plausibly the answer is a categorical ‘yes’. The effort needs to be a little more articulate and well reasoned
It is commonly known that astronomical distances are measured in terms of light years. This measure is nothing but scanning the movement of light across the vast spatial distances between the planets of the universe. Light year(s) is nothing but the time taken by light which is the fastest known medium to reach the earth. Or, for that matter the concept indicates the time taken by light to move from one planet to the other, whatever is the planet.
Now to elaborate on the very same widely accepted scientific premise, the light witnessed on this earth now, could have been emitted or emanated from a distant planet years ago. The light that is seen on the earth at the moment forms the present on this earth, while the very same light is past on the planet where it emanated and future for any other planet towards which the very same light moves to be seen radiantly.
That is in the real sense; the essence of time is nothing but a macro, mega cosmic movement or process. It is not so much the day that is referred to in the almanac for our convenience. In the true sense time is a never ending continuum or singular flow. Time being truncated into the past, present and future is only viewing the same at different points of the endless flow by virtue of the location of the viewer. Otherwise it is the same singular, endless continual process. To be clearer it is the same light that is sighted at different points, regarded in the context of tense, present, past and future.
For the person endowed with the cosmic vision time is witnessed as the endless flow and not visualized in the compartments of time sequence and tense as we normally understand. That is for AMMA, the personified cosmic force, the whole essence of time, its true significance is perceived in its entirety. For AMMA, time is ever present. Such a concept of time is very much unlike that of the ordinary mortals.
It is seen by most of us while moving with AMMA suddenly she gets into a distant mood with a far away look giving us an unmistakable impression that though SHE is very much there physically granting the audience or blessing us, SHE is equally there at a distance attending to some others needs. This can be more evidently felt while strolling with AMMA, on the terrace when SHE used to walk up to the parapet wall, pause, stand there, look into the far beyond much unknown to us.
Obviously AMMA is watching some other yonder, distant phenomenon which quite likely is the future. Likewise, for the seer, or the evolved soul who could connect with AMMA at a level of consciousness, at times is enabled to see those distant phenomena from here, while being yet rooted in the present.
This is also likely to happen when grace bestows such vision on the subject.
This is the scientific rationale for the concept of eternity as applied to AMMA. The true essence of this eternity is embedded in the very meaning or essence of the concept of time itself.
As AMMA pronounced, ‘Time is but GOD’ or
‘TIME TOO IS GOD’. As is evident far too often AMMA and TIME are inextricably linked. Besides, AMMA’S sway over time is well recorded in AMMA’S story which is self evident; needs no additional proof.
The crux of the matter is the trinity time, cosmic force, divine entity are consistent, coexisting; verily ceaseless too. If so divine force, its expression in form, or cosmic force finding vent in human form are all to be deemed eternal. Eternity is their unmistakable fact and feature.
(Collated thoughts on the occasion of the 27th ‘Ananthothsavam’ of AMMA are included. Readers are requested to view the same with indulgence. This presentation tends to be abstract with little choice, though yet very scientific and spiritually authentic)