We need to approach this question of being not only spatially, but also in terms of time. Our everyday experience provides a wedge for doing so. Strictly speaking, every moment of our lives is a dying; the I of that moment dies, never to be reborn. I endure through the moments-experiencing them, without being identical with any of them in it singularity. Hinduism carries this notion a step further. It posits an extensive self that lives successive lives in the way a single life lives successive moments.
The inquiry into our existence should not only consider our spatial reality but also the temporal aspect of our lives. Each moment we experience signifies a departure; the self that we are at any given instant does not persist into the next. We continuously experience life, yet each moment is unique and transient. Therefore, we endure moments while remaining distinct from them, emphasizing the fluid nature of our identity over time.
In Hinduism, this concept is further expanded, suggesting that our existence resembles a continuum where a grander self undergoes numerous incarnations, much like an individual life continuously unfolds through successive moments. This perspective encourages us to reflect on the nature of existence and identity, highlighting the cyclical flow of life and rebirth.
