Time
The eighth causative substance in Vaisheshika; a force that produces change, used as a marker for creation, maintenance, and destruction, measurable in terms of prana (breath cycles).
Time (Kala) — The Force of Change
Kala (Time) is the eighth causative substance in Vaisheshika. Time is a force that produces change, and we use it as a marker for change — when we measure time, we measure change. It is a cause of creation, maintenance, and destruction.
The function of the doshas is related to time of day. For example, 5:00 AM or PM is associated with vata, and 9:00 AM or PM is associated with kapha. The time of day produces a different style of function in the body.
Time can also be measured in terms of prana (breath). One prana equals one breath (one inspiration and one expiration). Fifteen prana make one minute; 900 prana make one hour; 21,600 prana make one day. The faster the rate of respiration, the shorter the span of life; the slower the rate of respiration, the longer the span of life.
There is chronological time and psychological time. Thought takes place in psychological time — since thought builds on memory and memory is accumulated past experience, time is the movement of the past into the present and future. Psychological time is the movement of thought. If one enters the inner space beyond thought, one goes beyond psychological time.
Source: Textbook of Ayurveda: Fundamental Principles, Chapter One: Shad Darshan (Six Philosophies of Life)
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