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“Time” is Not Our Enemy
Understanding Time and Eternity takes readers on a thought-provoking and ambitious journey to explore how humans perceive, conceptualize, and live within the realms of time and eternity. What was the inspiration for the original and fascinating idea at the center of the book?
The idea to write this book came to me many years ago, seeking to understand the connection between us and “time”. I have always been concerned with how time “flows” and how it influences us. I was also interested in how time “modifies” our bodies, aging them. I wondered if there were no more eternity, would we be eternal?
My visit to Japan in 2023 catalyzed the process of writing this book and gave it its final form. Following this visit, I tried to understand “time” in a broader way, going beyond just the Western vision of time. I studied the Western and Eastern visions of the concepts of “time” and “eternity” in comparison. To my surprise, I found that they have many common elements, of course, in addition to the elements specific to each religion or philosophy.
One thing that stood out was the extent of your research and how you drew from multiple disciplines to form your theory, rather than relying solely on science or religion. Did you find anything in your research of this story that surprised you?
Yes. While doing research for this book, I was often surprised to find many common elements in both Eastern and Western religions or philosophies. I was surprised that “time” as a concern of man has been at the core of human philosophy since ancient times. Man – regardless of faith – has correlated the idea of “time” with the concept of divinity. Another “goal” that appeared almost obsessively was how man seeks to continue his own earthly existence in a certain way through “eternity.” It was also surprising for me to observe how different and sometimes opposing the Western vision is to the Eastern one regarding certain aspects of “time” or “eternity” and at the same time how close this same vision is for other views related to “time” and “eternity”.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
Through this book, I tried to convey more of the idea.
First of all, understanding the concepts of “time” and “eternity” helps us to better integrate into society and have a broader vision of humanity. Also, understanding how these concepts influence people’s thinking and shape their religious beliefs contributes to the general progress of humanity.
“Understanding Time and Eternity” shows my own vision of “time”, namely the fact that time “exists” in the form of “timelines” that can be individual or societal, as well as my vision that time can also be in the form of “loops”, not only cyclical or linear. I also emphasized the idea that these “timelines” can “interact” with the “eternity lines” as well as my concept related to “time travel”.
However, I concluded that the emergence of a new temporal system is inevitable in the future due to the evolution of human society and the increasing influence of artificial intelligence.
What is one thing that you hope readers take away from Understanding Time and Eternity?
Through my book, I would like readers to understand that knowing ourselves and our relationship with what is around us will come to define us as individuals. When we appear in this world, we are not asked, and when we leave this world, we are also not asked for the accord. We come to this world from eternity, and after we die, we go again into eternity. From these aspects, we should start our introspection and analysis of the relationship between us and “time”.
We must understand that “time” is not our enemy and death is not the end. Regardless of our philosophy of life or our faith, temporality and eternity are intertwined, and we must each find our own “niche” that ensures our emotional stability and personal fulfillment.
I wish that my readers in the West gain a better understanding of Eastern philosophy and those in the Far East gain a clearer vision of how Westerners live their daily lives.
But are we really in a battle with time? Is it our enemy? Can’t we make it our friend during our earthly life? Regardless of whether we consider it a friend or an enemy, time leaves visible the effects of its passage through our individual lives or our collective lives as a society.
In this book, I was exclusively concerned with time in a philosophical sense, specifically with how humans perceive it and how they relate time to their philosophical conceptions and religious beliefs. I explored the relationship between temporality and eternity, and I have concluded that, although time and eternity are opposites from all points of view (in the general view), in my view—which I have presented in this book—they are not as opposites. Still, they interpenetrate and influence each other.
I have concluded that not only does the past influence our future, but the future can also influence the past.
This book is a continuation of my previous works, which explore philosophical and religious themes and complement my philosophical and theological vision regarding the reality around us and what lies beyond it.
I have analyzed the concept of time from a philosophical and theological perspective.
I examined the concepts of “time” and “eternity” from the perspective of the Abrahamic religions (Christianity, Islam, Judaism) but also from the standpoint of Eastern religions/philosophies from the Far East (Buddhism, Daoism, Hinduism, Shintoism, Confucianism, Jainism). It was essential for me to examine how humans relate to “time” and “eternity,” as well as the impact of these philosophical concepts on the lives of common people throughout the millennia.
A significant chapter was the realization of a comparative analysis between Eastern and Western thought regarding temporality and eternity.
At the end of the book, I conclude that the emergence of a new temporal system is inevitable in the future, given humanity’s evolution and the increasing influence of AI on human society.
Understanding the concepts of “time” and “eternity” helps us integrate better into society and have a broader, more inclusive vision of humanity.
I hope that the readers from the West will gain a deeper understanding of Eastern philosophy and that those from the Far East will have a clearer vision of how Westerners live their daily lives.
This book aims to decipher the “energies and philosophies” that shape a community’s behavior, whether it behaves similarly or differently from other communities. Religions and philosophies are essential for the health of communities, and the concepts of “time” and “eternity” are crucial to them Therefore, their understanding is essential for the general progress of humanity.
Understanding Time and Eternity
In Understanding Time and Eternity, Vasile Ghiuta sets out on an ambitious journey to explore how humans perceive, conceptualize, and live within the realms of time and eternity. Drawing from a vast array of sources like Western philosophy, Eastern religions, Christian theology, modern physics, and psychology, he examines how time has been viewed through history and what it might truly mean. From ancient philosophers like Aristotle to contemporary scientific ideas about spacetime, and from Buddhist cycles to Christian eschatology, Ghiuta dissects and compares how cultures, thinkers, and faiths have tried to grasp these elusive ideas. A central thread running through the book is his personal thesis that time and eternity are not opposites but intertwined states of being that bleed into each other, influencing the fabric of our lives and identities.
Ghiuta writes with passion and a sense of awe, but sometimes it felt like he was trying to fit the whole universe into one bottle. There were times I was completely drawn in, like when he described time as an illusion we all share, or the theory of temporal and eternal “loops” intersecting in our souls. I found that idea beautiful and haunting. But other parts, especially those heavy with historical summaries or theological debates, felt academic. He clearly has deep respect for every tradition he references. That said, his sincerity shined through, and I appreciated that he wasn’t afraid to say when he disagreed with figures like Plato or Nietzsche. He wasn’t just retelling what others thought, he was wrestling with it all in his own voice.
What really stuck with me was how Ghiuta returned, again and again, to the personal side of time, how it shapes us, how it defines our memories and our fears, how it quietly holds hands with eternity in everything we do. His reflections on death, legacy, and the “timeless” qualities of love and kindness felt honest and moving. It’s not every day you read a book that jumps from astrophysics to Japanese cultural concepts like “Ma,” and still tries to land on the question of what happens when we die. That wild scope was the book’s strength. It made me think hard, and I never stopped being curious about where he would go next.
I’d recommend this book to people who like big questions and don’t mind taking the scenic route through philosophy, religion, and science to get some answers, or more likely, better questions. If you’re the type who likes to read slowly, underline a lot, and sit quietly with your thoughts afterward, you’ll find something rich here. It’s for seekers, wanderers, and lovers of deep thought, Ghiuta’s book might just shift how you think about your own clock, and what lies beyond it.
Pages: 492 | ISBN : 978-1-7775695-4-9
LITERARY TITAN 