Hayagriva: Plato states that time began with the creation of the material world. And how does this comply with the Vedic statement that time is eternal?

Prabhupada: Yes, time is eternal. The present, past, present, the three features of time, it is relative. What is your past or your future, that is not past, future, of Brahma. Brahma lives for millions of years. So within millions of years I had many past, present and future. Present…, past, present and future is relative according to the person, but the time is eternal. That is the point. It is clear? The past, present, future is relative according to the body. Otherwise time is eternal. Time has no past, present, future.

Hari-sauri: That means like time is actually like presence?

Prabhupada: No. Presence… It is always present. Say just like a small germ, he lives for three minutes. So his past, present, future within few minutes, while I am living. So I am not within his past, present and future. Therefore past, present, future is relative. My past, present, future is different from the past, present, future of a small germ. That is the idea.

(From a conversation regarding Plato)