Dr. Vijai S Shankar MD.PhD.
Published on www.academy-advaita.com
The Netherlands
8 October 2019
Art (2)
“Intelligence in life”
Life, which is energy, transforms itself from one form to another spontaneously, uncontrollably and unpredictably. This transformation process appears as various kinds of movements from rudimentary, as seen in lower forms of species, to the highly sophisticated movement of man.
It has to be understood that man is a sophisticated form of all species that have preceded him. It has to be so, for energy cannot be separated from one and the other.
All of man’s movements are, therefore, a sophistication of every movement that has happened before to all species. The transformation process of energy is creative art!
Some of these sophisticated movements have come to be known as ‘art’, such as painting, sculpturing, dancing, singing and music. In painting, one should observe that there is no gap between the painter, his brush and the canvas on which the painting happens.
One could never determine who the real painter could be. It could very well be the brush, the canvas or even man, as a single unit. All that can be said is that all of these, i.e. the painter, the brush and the canvas are moving as a single unit!
This singular movement, which cannot be determined as to when it starts or ends, creates an optical illusion that man as a painter creates the painting. This is not true. The painting creates itself!
The act of painting is, therefore, an optical illusion! Painting as an act does not exist for there is no numerical duration of time in life! This singular movement, which is not a solitary act, is art.
There is only a singular movement - and that is life. Life is art - every bit of it. The rising sun amongst the hills against the backdrop of a lake is art personified.
The setting sun beyond the horizon of the sea is magical art. The shimmering rainbow embracing a waterfall is art unmatchable. The twinkling stars, the shooting star and the blazing comet across the dark sky is art of the celestial kind.
The array of colourful fishes swimming under clear water is art - not to be missed viewing. The blossoming of flowers nestling in a valley in spring is a display of art. There is no lack of art in life!
The enlightened admire the creative art by life in every moment.
Author: Dr. Vijai S. Shankar.
© Copyright V. S. Shankar 2019
Editor’s Note:
The entire spectrum of man’s evolution presented in this article quietens the mind, which has been searching for answers to ages-long questions concerning the origins and the meaning of life. Did man come from the monkey has provoked many debates: there is a mountain of physical evidence? Man’s ancestry is now understood to be a single transformation of energy, albeit illusory – the creative art of life that knows no end and is a gift to genealogical study. Art and creative art is freshly illuminated here with wisdom’s deep understanding. Man can only wonder, as he may, at the artistry of the intelligence in life in gifting mankind – life’s creative masterpiece - with such an inspiring panorama. So it is that the relative, albeit illusory, points towards the absolute that is unknowable.
Julian Capper. UK