‘ Vyarth ki baaton mein samay nasht nahi karna chahiye …’

Swamiji says …

” We derive great pleasure and joy in whiling away time in non-stop gossip, catching up on the neighbourhood and office grapevine, indulging in some completely undesirable, scandalous talk – ‘ Vyarth ki baatein kartein hain !’ – as we are not only curious and consumed with the desire of knowing about the personal affairs of others, but also, for some inexplicable reason, experience a strange sense of gratification in watching time pass by, as it slips through our fingers, without any feeling of remorse or regret …’aur samay ko nasht kartein hain! ‘

“All that we need is the slightest of distractions to divert our attention from the task at hand, and draw us towards anything that is worthless and meaningless. We are so besotted with all the insignificant trivia around us that it appears to be as rejuvenating as fresh oxygen for a few of us, and brings a whiff of fresh air to our otherwise self-proclaimed ‘ever so boring lives!’ Thus we try to escape to this world of nonsensical rubbish that is fabricated by us – as often as we can – by losing the required perspective of what should be done by us at the right time, forgetting completely that time is in a constant state of motion, and every second lost by us – is time, that is lost forever. But do we give time its due ? Do we value time and give it the respect it should be accorded ? ”

“The irresistible temptation of spending a few hours extra, now and then, in an absolutely futile, meaningless manner can be so strong and enticing, that one could develop an attitude of laxity and lethargy towards his work – result – oriented and concrete work, and tend to forget about the commitment that we need to put into the work that we do – as it plays a major role in building our lives. Work that should be attended to immediately or completed by a certain period of time takes a backseat, as one’s priorities begin to get misplaced and he/she starts resorting to the oldest trick in the book by pushing things forward for either the later part of the day, or for the next day, or for the day after next … ‘Woh aaj ka kal kar deta hai, aur phir kal ka parson!’ The process of postponing, procrastinating, and delaying begins from thereon. He begins displaying traits of his foolhardy behaviour and tries to oversimplify things by reassuring himself … ‘If not today, I will definitely complete the task tomorrow!’ But when, and if that day will ever dawn finally, is known only to him!”

“One can literally see him trying to feel desperately sure and secure with the insincerity of those hopelessly deceptive words, ringing clearly in his ears, even as he says them to himself ; and then he accepts them as honest, truthful words – but by then it is too late, as before long – postponing things becomes a regular habit with him. He is ready to handle the pressure of the incomplete work, hang above his head like the Damocles’ sword, but will not miss out on an opportunity to while away time in needless ways.”

” ‘Time flies’ are words with which we are very familiar, but it seems that some of us, unfortunately, are under the misconception that time is at our beck and call , and that clocks will stop chiming at our command, and start ticking again at the snap of our fingers. The case, in fact, is reverse. It is we who are governed by time. But are we willing to accept this reality, or will we continue to treat time with apathy and arrogance by taking it for granted? The choice is ours to make.”

“We must make an attempt to catch every fleeting second – the way we used to catch butterflies as children – lest they fly away, and convert them into colourful moments of creativity and optimal utility. Time is precious. The moment that has passed by, is lost in eternity, never to return, nor to be relived by us ever again as it has registered itself in the echelons of time, that is now our past. A fruitful, rich, worthy past – could make ‘time’ itself feel proud of us, as we had utilised it in the most rewarding manner ! ”

“ We all are participants in the race against time because of which…’Samay ka sadupyog kar na bahut zaroori hai… Har kshann ka mahatva samjho…Sirf baatein karney mein samay nikal jaata hai !’ While many of us are petrified at the prospect of running out of money one day – what could be truly terrifying is when one needs and requires time, he finds himself in want of it , and has none left to invest in meaningful activities that can help him in his overall growth – personal, as well as, professional. At times, parents are unable to devote enough time to their children, as they are busy socialising. Some students do not give enough time to their academics, as they are distracted with their friends and gadgets. Some officegoers could be spending more time chatting with their colleagues, pushing deadlines further ; rather than finishing their work early and spending more time with their family at home or pursue a hobby. Time is passing by faster than we think it is, but we are yet to awaken to the reality of this truth in our lives. If there is one thing that is truly limited in life – it is time, and we must thus invest every moment of it wisely.”