Dr. Vijai S Shankar MD.PhD.
Published on www.academy-advaita.com
The Netherlands
17 February 2018
Birth of Cause
“Gross and Subtle”
A man or woman believes that he or she can think of a cause for doing, speaking or thinking. A man or woman further believes that he or she can think of a cause for what others do, speak or think.
The enlightened have, however, indicated that man or woman is not a doer, speaker or thinker. They have declared that doing, thinking and speaking happen to man or woman. But man and woman believe that they can think of a cause for doing anything or think of a cause for anything others do, speak and think.
So what is the understanding of the enlightened that man and woman are neither the speaker nor the thinker of cause, though speaking and thinking happen? So how could this be understood by both man and woman is the question?
Now everything in life is in movement, because life moves spontaneously, uncontrollably and unpredictably every moment. This signifies that any movement in life is spontaneous, uncontrollable and unpredictable. Man or woman, however, does not bring this movement about because they do not make any moment in life.
If man and woman were able to make a moment in life, they would be able to know the cause for doing anything. For the same reason, man and woman would be able to make thinking happen as well, if they were able to make a moment.
Thinking is a movement of function in intellect, which is spontaneous, uncontrollable and unpredictable and thinking happens in the moment and neither man nor woman makes thinking happen.
As evolution evolved thinking, it evolved reason as cause in the movement of thinking by the intellect. It is evident that man and woman, only by thinking, can think of a cause for anything. Reason evolved as cause in the human mind. As reason evolved as cause, it suggested what reason was implying, for example, the reason of a primitive container.
By reason primitive man and woman understood that a container can be used to collect water to drink. The moment reason evolved as cause that a container collects water, it was the birth of subtle cause in humans.
Similarly, the moment speaking happened to primitive man and woman that a container is the cause for collecting water, it was the birth of gross cause in humans.
The phenomenon of cause as evolved reason is observed in a modern child. The child, by reason, places a square block of wood over another square block and believes that square blocks are the cause of steady blocks.
Therefore, birth of subtle or gross cause is a function of intellect in the movement of evolution. Cause is a function in the movement of intellect and neither man nor woman makes cause happen.
This signifies that reason and cause are two sides of the same coin and the coin is the movement of functions in the intellect. The two sides of the coin are together and cannot be separated. This signifies that reason and cause cannot be separated.
The enlightened have rightly proclaimed that man is not the doer, speaker or thinker and what is meant to happen will happen.
Author: Dr. Vijai S. Shankar
© Copyright V. S. Shankar 2018
Editor’s Note:
The mind of human beings is conditioned to attributing whatever happens in life to a cause or identifying a reason for its occurrence. Blame, praise or criticism may be applied to colour the supposed human or other responsibility. The declaration that it is as it is may be taken to be an acceptable alternative. The wise, however, are sharing with us their understanding that there is no reality or responsibility of human or other agency. Reason and cause is a function of intellect. Man’s journey in life continues with the illumination of this wisdom.
Julian Capper, UK.
German Translator’s Note:
Whatever happens in daily life – the ego wants to know the cause. The event may be positive, then the cause is needed to repeat the positive event. Or the event may be negative, then the cause is required in order to prevent it from repetition. That cause is not an actuality, as shown by Dr. Shankar’s article, questions the belief that man is a doer fundamentally. Thank you, Dr. Shankar for explaining the wise statements of the enlightened in depth for daily life.
Marcus Stegmaier, Germany.