Dr. Vijai S Shankar MD.PhD.
Published on www.academy-advaita.com
The Netherlands

7 October 2019

Art (1) 

“Intelligence in life”

 

‘Anything and everything is art’- so the saying goes - but man, take heed, for there is also the saying: ‘the world is illusory’. If anything and everything is art, then ‘literature’ too ought to be art! 

How does man come to terms with these sayings and how could he understand that literature too is art? If literature is art, then there can be no separation between art and literature. 

They just cannot be separate, as there is no separation anywhere in life, nor can there be, because life is energy, which is continuous. Art is, therefore, all-inclusive and not exclusive, as it is thought to be.  

It only needs to be understood that literature is art and that this art, like any other art, is illusory and not real, for the world is an optical and auditory illusion of light and sound! 

Apart from the usual forms of art, such as painting, sculpture, dancing and music, let alone literature, one has to understand that thinking, speaking and doing is art too - in fact, very sophisticated art! 

Art in any form, including literature, whether taught or practised, is artificial art and not creative art. Creative art is that which happens to man spontaneously, uncontrollably and unpredictably for the first time; repetition or imitation by others constitutes artificial art. 

Of course, artificial art too happens spontaneously, uncontrollably and unpredictably to man, but he has yet to understand this. That man teaches, learns and practises art is illusory rather than real. This is because to teach, learn and practise, duration of time, mind with thoughts, individual and an act are essential pre-requisites that are absent in life.  Man merely believes that he teaches, learns and practises art and literature. 

Creative art happens when man is overcome by art. Art envelops man; he or she has no remembrance of how it happened to him, for he is absent while art is present. 

So what could this art be, which overpowers man, expresses itself through him, leaving him utterly powerless either to stop it, alter it or guide it? This art is the expressive movement of life by the intelligence in life. 

Life is a singular, spontaneous, uncontrollable and unpredictable movement, which changes as the speed of life changes. This change in the moment which is not recognised by the human mind is creative art by the intelligence in life and not by man.

The enlightened living life as it is in every moment is creative art by the intelligence in life.

Author: Dr. Vijai S. Shankar.
© Copyright V. S. Shankar 2019

Editor’s Note:
In the daily life of mankind, communication between individuals is, has been and always will be the sine qua non of its existence, albeit illusory. Thus, both speech and writing in all its forms employ the verb at the heart of its expressions. There is no verb, save perhaps one, that does not imply an action performed or to be performed by an agent, personal or impersonal. Furthermore, it may denote an action that has taken place, is taking place or is yet to take place. The inevitable presence of a pronoun preceding a verb, such as I  You  He/She/It, confirms the adamantine, yet illusory belief of man that man is the doer. This is so in almost every language under the sun. To understand, from this compassionate article, that the world in which we share every detail of our journey in life with the whole of nature and its family is a work of creative art is a remarkable insight. Man may no longer be destined to bear the burden of action, inaction and all that is implied for an eternity.  
Julian Capper.UK

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