Acharya Prashant explains that time is not merely what a clock shows, but is fundamentally rooted in human dissatisfaction and the sense of incompleteness. He defines time as the movement of the 'I' (the ego) towards a perceived state of fulfillment. This movement arises from duality, where the ego separates itself from the origin and interacts with nature (Prakriti). He distinguishes between chronological time, which follows the fixed laws of nature, and psychological time, which is driven by the ego's intentions and desires. While we cannot stop the physical flow of time, spirituality aims to dissolve psychological time by addressing the internal restlessness and the false identification with the body. He further clarifies that the past and future are constructs of the ego used for identity and seeking satisfaction, respectively. True 'present' is not a moment within the flow of time but is the state of being established in the non-dual truth, where the ego's constant jumping between memories and desires ceases. Acharya Prashant emphasizes that our perception of reality is always delayed and filtered through mental processes, making our experience of the world a collection of 'recordings' rather than direct reality. To live in the present means to be independent of time for one's identity. He concludes that spiritual words and teachings are tools meant to clear away false concepts; once their purpose is served, they too must be let go to reach a state of timelessness.
