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

11 October 2019

Art (4)

“Intelligence in life”

 

Words are absent on the paper; what is present on the paper is black ink in various patterns. Visual familiarity of ink patterns gives rise to illusory words that bear illusory meaning. 

These patterns in turn constitute visual language. The writing is in fact not an act. It is just a phase of movement occurring in the singular movement that was meant to happen to man. This phase of singular movement appears as writing! 

Since writing is also part of the singular, spontaneous, uncontrollable and unpredictable movement, it is creative art! The crying of a new born is audible art to the new mother: it is language to the mother. 

The utterance of the first word by a child is heart-rending art to the proud parents: it is literature to the parents, just as a natural orator is mesmerising art to his listeners: it is literature to the listeners. 

The humming of a humming bird, the cooing of a peacock, the various sounds of nature are literature in the making, for these sounds will eventually transform and sophisticate to appear as letters, words and literature through man!  

The intelligence of life is not to be taken for granted. The intelligence is itself art! Literature, while it happens, is moving art, but as it becomes confined to the books and the shelves it becomes static art. 

Literature, which has become static art, can also become moving art temporarily when thinking, speaking and writing happen to exhibit literature of any type: classical, academic, religious, scriptural, spiritual and scientific.  

These are superficial types of literature in which man is commonly interested, because they are attractive to the ego. This kind of literature makes man think that he or she is a ‘somebody’ - a social identity. 

This type of identity is, however, artificial art, temporary and therefore illusory. A real identity is that which is eternal and does not change, but in life identities do change and man cannot think of an identity that does not change. 

In fact, an identity, which is known and does not change, does not exist at all. Hence, a real identity or real art is that which cannot be known. 

An enlightened realises he has identity that is meant only for others to know, but he has none.

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

Editor’s Note:
We are what we are; we understand what we understand. There is no fault or diminution, nor is there any implied. Nor is there a better place to be achieved. Man, as with the singular line of his predecessors, is on the pathway of life that is meant for him. Man’s world is evolving. Man’s appreciation of the world is evolving. Man himself or herself is evolving. It is a wonderful story, told by the wise, of the moving phases of evolution. Hearing this story is the art of arts. It is a true gift, albeit illusory.
Julian Capper. UK

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