Hundred Questions - Spacelessness (la-makan)
Spacelessness (la-makan)
Q81 Where is spacelessness? What is it and what are its quality and reality? Please explain in detail.
A81 The first part of your question is incorrect, because spacelessness means there is no space, and if there is no space, the question of "where" is inapplicable. It is in a non-spatial state. It is spaceless in the sense that its attributes are contrary to space. That is, its attributes are spiritual.
With respect to the rest of the question: "What is it and what are its quality and reality?" it should be known that just as matter and body are in space, in fact they themselves are space, similarly, non-matter, i.e. the spirit and its concept are spaceless or non-spatial. Thus the spiritual world is spaceless or non-spatial, which can be observed not only after death, but even in this life.
Just as space cannot be separate from body, rather, they are one and the same thing, time is also not separate from the body rather it is produced by the rotation of the body. Therefore, when this universe will be extinct not only the body, but time and space will also be extinct. This shows that time and space are linked to the body. Thus, as the soul is spaceless, it is also timeless.
In order to understand the reality of la-makan or spacelessness, an easily intelligible example is that of the world of dreams. When a person sees a dream, he does not go anywhere, he is only in a non-spatial state. He turns to his soul, which itself is non-spatial, therefore whatever he experiences in that non-spatial state is found without matter. This shows that the things in the spiritual world, namely the real, non-spatial world, are not like material things in this world. There is found their essence, i.e. their spiritual forms, just as in a dream everything leaves its body and appears in its spiritual form.
By the real, non-spatial world (asl la-makan) is meant the all-embracing spirit, which is called the Universal Soul. The same is the spiritual world and the world hereafter. In this world all things are of a spiritual nature. Paradise is also in it. It is living and knowing.
We have said earlier that as the soul is non-spatial so also it is non-temporal. This means that everything of the world is beyond the confines of time. There is neither past nor future, the state or quality of time is like that of the present. Therefore, it should be said that there it is immovable time, which is called dahr.
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