Dr. Vijai S Shankar MD.PhD.
Published on www.academy-advaita.com
The Netherlands
24 November 2017
Begin
“Where”
Humans are convinced that everything has to begin in order to exist. Humans also understand where everything that they know exists. Therefore, it is important to determine whether where anything that exists is where it begins.
To logic and reason, which is knowledge, it appears that everything that is known begins somewhere in order to exist. To the human eyes too where anything begins is obvious as well.
To wisdom, the conviction inferred from knowledge about where anything begins is, however, not the truth. Wisdom reveals that where anything begins cannot be determined.
Wisdom reveals that where the sun begins can never be determined and without sunlight life would not exist. This signifies that where life begins can never be determined.
Wisdom reveals that where a river begins can never be determined and without a river life would not exist. This signifies that where life begins can never be determined.
Knowledge informs and the eyes see that a flower begins as a bud in a branch and a branch begins from the roots. The eyes, however, cannot see the branch beginning from the roots.
Knowledge informs that roots begin from the seed, but wisdom reveals that from where the first seed could have begun can never be determined. This signifies that where any flower begins can never be determined with actual certainty.
Wisdom further reveals that the first seed from where the food that grows to feed every form of life can never be determined with actual certainty. This signifies that where vegetation begins can never be determined.
Similarly, where any form in the animal kingdom, which forms food for some forms of the animal kingdom, including every form in the animal kingdom, begins can never be determined.
Also, where the first human began can never be actually determined. Wisdom reveals that the world, man and mind is beginningless, but yet they all exist. This signifies that everything does not have to begin in order to exist.
Everything and everyone, including air, water, fire and earth is a manifestation of the intelligence in life and where the intelligence in life begins can never be determined.
Author: Dr. Vijai S. Shankar
© Copyright V. S. Shankar 2017
Editor’s Note:
The human mind is conditioned so that it cannot be content with uncertainty. Not knowing is a challenge to the mind. However, it is sufficiently well-endowed by the intelligence in life to ‘never say die!’ This being the case, no effort has been spared by man the scientist, man the doctor, man the philosopher, man the explorer, man the seer to come to know the beginning of things, however difficult or demanding this may be. Understanding the beginning of things, however, is man’s fulfilment. The words of the wise, gifted to man in this article, reveal that there is no beginning that can ever be determined. Life in all its forms of existence is beginningless.
Julian Capper, UK.
German Translator‘s Note:
The confusion that arises when a begin is taken for real in life, is endless in the mind. Life, however, as explained by Dr. Shankar here, is begin-less and end-less. This understanding reveals the confusion as illusory.
Marcus Stegmaier, Germany