Time is not fixed. According to mundane truth—speaking of it from the point of view of worldly dharmas—everything exists. But in terms of the real truth, everything is empty. Nothing is indestructible; nothing lasts forever. As to time, there is no past, present, or future. As it is said, “Past thought cannot be grasped; present thought cannot be grasped; and future thought cannot be grasped.” Since the three periods of time cannot be grasped, time is also nonexistent.

For fifty small eons, Shakyamuni Buddha remained seated in silence, and the four assemblies—the Bhikshus, the Bhikshunis, the Upasakas, and the Upasikas—were silent for fifty small eons as well.

Because of the Buddha’s spiritual power, the strength of his spiritual penetrations, all in the great assembly were caused to say it had been as if half a day long. Although it seemed like half a day, more than fifty small eons had passed. Although it had been fifty small eons, it seemed like half a day’s time. Most people had that impression.

At that time the four assemblies were also able, because of the Buddha’s spiritual power, to see all the Bodhisattvas completely filling the empty space of limitless hundreds of thousands of myriads of millions of lands.

At that time the four assemblies of Bhikshu Sanghans, Bhikshunis, Upasakas, and Upasikas were also able, because of the Buddha’s spiritual power, to see all the Bodhisattvas completely filling the empty space. How many were there? They filled up limitless hundreds of thousands of myriads of lands. How many Bodhisattvas were there altogether? No one could know.

Speaking about the relativity of time, a day and a night in the Heaven of the Four Kings, the heaven we can see above us, is equal to fifty years in the human realm. The gods there live for five hundred years, so you can figure out how much time that is in human terms.

In the Heaven of the Thirty-three, a day and a night is one hundred human years, and the gods live for a thousand years.

When the Buddha was in the world, a believer in an externalist way once challenged Venerable Mahakatyayana, saying, “I don’t believe in rebirth. If it’s true that there is rebirth, then why hasn’t anyone who has died ever sent a message back to tell us about it?”

Mahakatyayana said, “Let’s take the example of a prisoner who has been put in jail. Is he free to send a letter home?”

“No,” said the nonbeliever.

“People in hell are even less free to communicate,” said Mahakatyayana.

“Well, what about the people in heaven? They’re free,” said the nonbeliever.

The Venerable One answered him, saying, “One day and night in the heavens equals fifty years on earth. Two days equal a hundred years in the human realm. Once they arrive there, first day they want to rest. The second day they want to get settled in, unpack their bags, make the bed, and rearrange the furniture. By the third day in heaven, they might think about sending you a letter, but you will already be dead. That’s because if they were to come back three days later, a hundred and fifty years in the human realm would have passed. How would you be able to see them?”

The externalist had no answer.

Therefore, time in the heavens and time on earth are experienced differently. A day and night on earth is equal to five hundred years in the hells. You should not be attached to time. Time is basically empty. People create their concept of time, but time itself does not exist. Its very substance is empty. Since it has no self-nature, no substance of its own, why be attached to a definite and fixed idea of time? 

To be continued