Dr. Vijai S Shankar MD.PhD.
Published on www.academy-advaita.com
The Netherlands
26 February 2018
Birth of Knowledge
“Gross and Subtle”
Man and woman are proud of their knowledge and take knowledge for granted that they have learnt knowledge by effort and hard work. They also believe that anyone can learn knowledge by effort and hard work.
Man and woman also believe that by going to school and universities knowledge is learned. This is the knowledge that every man and woman has and they are proud to advise everyone of this knowledge.
The enlightened have, however, proclaimed that what is meant to be known by man or woman will be known by them. Furthermore, that neither man nor woman can learn knowledge or make knowledge happen to them.
So how could the proclamation of the enlightened be understood by man and woman is the question?
Now, knowledge is made up of words and the meaning the words convey. Now, a word is made up of letters in the alphabet. Now, any letter in the mind is subtle sound and any letter spoken is gross sound.
Now, wherever there is movement, there is sound. Therefore, the movement of sound first evolved as a single letter as the movement of intellect evolved in primitive man.
Similarly, all the letters in the alphabet evolved in the same manner as illusions of sound in primitive man. Intellect evolved the function to know as well and, when the function to know evolved, primitive man knew a letter and later letters in primitive alphabet.
Next, as the movement of intellect evolved, a collection of sounds as illusory letters evolved as an illusory word. Similarly, in the same manner, a collection of sounds as illusory letters evolved as illusory words. So, when the function to know evolved, primitive man knew a word and later words.
The moment when primitive man knew a letter in the alphabet of primitive language, it was the birth of subtle knowledge. The moment when primitive man spoke a letter in primitive language, it was the birth of gross knowledge.
This phenomenon of the birth of knowledge in primitive man is evident in the modern-day child. As a modern-day child grows, sound evolves first as a letter in the alphabet as subtle knowledge and later as gross knowledge when the child speaks a letter in the alphabet.
The child, like primitive man, does not claim that it has made a letter in the alphabet or a word. Only the modern man claims that he knows knowledge by effort and hard work.
The enlightened have rightly proclaimed that what is meant to be known by man or woman will be known by them and neither man nor woman can learn knowledge or make knowledge happen to them.
Author: Dr. Vijai S. Shankar
© Copyright V. S. Shankar 2018
Editor’s Note:
We expect that all children will grow up and learn what they need to know for their daily life. As their intellect evolves and matures, so does the body of knowledge that is particular to each one evolve and mature. This is no chance outcome of time, place or opportunity. The function of knowing, as revealed by the wisdom of this article, arises from the movement of intellect. Understanding this develops in the gradual process of maturity.
Julian Capper, UK.
German Translator’s Note:
Disappointment and the blame-game is the frequent outcome when children at school don‘t learn what they are expected to lean in the expected time and manner of reproduction. Low grades or even learning disability is attributed to the pupil’s lack of grit and denial of hard work. Or the “bad teacher“ or the “careless parents“. The wise, as revealed in this article by Dr. Shankar “Birth of Knowledge“ understand that acquisition of knowledge is not a matter of will and choice, neither of the teacher nor the parents and least of the pupil. Wise teachers and wise parents are, however, rare. Therefore the wise words of the pupil that he or she gives his or her best, oftenly fade away unheard.
Marcus Stegmaier, Germany.