Dr. Vijai S Shankar MD.PhD.
Published on www.academy-advaita.com
The Netherlands
22 March 2018
Actuality
“Certainty”
Every man and woman is convinced of the actuality that they experience in whatever they do, speak, think or hear. This conviction further convinces every man and woman that they can do, speak, think and hear as well in daily life. They are certain of this actuality in daily life.
The certainty of this conviction, however, contradicts the conviction of the enlightened, because the enlightened have proclaimed that man is not the doer. This signifies that man is certainly not the speaker, thinker or the listener/hearer as well.
If man and woman were certainly the doers, they would be certain of whatever they do, speak, think and hear. They are certain that they are the doers because the thoughts of what they do, speak, think and hear are in their memory and also that they do.
So what could be the understanding that does not contradict the enlightened is the question?
Now, though man and woman are certain of what they do, speak, think or hear because of their memory and also that they do, there is no pre-thought that indicates with certainty the exact thoughts of what they will do, will speak, will think or will hear!
Man and woman know with certainty the actuality of the exact action; know with certainty the actuality of the exact, spoken word; know with certainty the actuality of the exact thought; and know with certainty the actuality of the exact words heard only after they happen.
This signifies that the memory in man and woman does not inform with certainty the actuality of the action that they will do in any moment before the action actually happens in the moment.
It also signifies that man and woman do not know with certainty the actuality of which word they will speak in any moment before the word actually is spoken in the moment.
It further signifies that man and woman do not know with certainty the actuality of which word they will think in any moment or hear in the moment before the word actually is thought or heard in the moment.
The most important thing to understand is: Vegetation and animal kingdom were in the moment much before man was in the moment. This signifies that man does not make any moment in life. This signifies that the intelligence in life in the moment has not only manifested man within it, but also everything that is within any moment.
Since the certainty of the actuality is within the moment in life, it implies that the intelligence in life manifests the actuality which is within any moment. This proves that man is not the doer, speaker, thinker or the listener. That man is the doer, speaker, thinker and listener is albeit illusory.
Author: Dr. Vijai S. Shankar
© Copyright V. S. Shankar 2018
Editor’s Note:
Neither man nor woman makes the moment in which they live and breathe, nor the moment in which actions and experiences take place. Nevertheless, we are convinced that we experience the actuality of the experiences and actions and even the actuality of the deeds we are certain that we are performing. Neither can the actuality of understanding these words of the wise be experienced. Understanding may or may not be realized.
Julian Capper, UK.
German Translator‘s Note:
Everything that you know about yourself and tell others about yourself are stories that are constantly changing. Therefore, from time to time they seem strange, as if they were invented by a writer to describe a character. And yet man believes that his stories are the reality about him. In a job interview, for example, one tells one's own life story in a way that suits the job. You just leave everything inappropriate. Or you tell something that you might even call a lie. But the real story about a human being does not exist. What we consider real about us and the world, as Dr. Shankar revealed in the article "Reality", is illusion.
Marcus Stegmaier, Germany.