Dr. Vijai S Shankar MD.PhD.
Published on www.academy-advaita.com
The Netherlands
13 February 2018
Birth of Reason
“Gross and subtle”
A man or woman believes that he or she has a reason to do, speak and think anything. A man or woman also believes that they have a reason for what or why others do, speak and 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 a reason for doing anything or for anything that 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 a reason, though speaking and thinking a reason 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 make reason in that moment. 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. Neither man nor woman makes thinking happen.
As evolution evolved thinking, it evolved reason in the movement of thinking by the intellect. It is evident that man and woman, only by thinking, can think of a reason to do, speak or to think.
Reasoning evolved after evolution had evolved the function of identifying in the human mind. As identifying evolved in humans, thinking a reason for that which was identified evolved as well. For example, thinking of a reason for identifying a primitive container.
By reason primitive man and woman understood that a container can be used to collect water to drink. The moment thinking happened to primitive man and woman that a container can be used for collecting water, it was the birth of subtle reason in humans.
Similarly, the moment speaking happened to primitive man and woman that a container can be used for collecting water, it was the birth of gross reason in humans.
The phenomenon of identifying and reason is observed in a modern child. The child identifies different shapes of wood and places a square block of wood over another square block after initially placing any shape over a square block.
Therefore, birth of subtle or gross reason is a function of intellect in the movement of evolution. Reasoning still is a function in the movement of intellect and neither man nor woman makes reason happen.
The enlightened have rightly proclaimed that man is not the doer, speaker or thinker.
Author: Dr. Vijai S. Shankar
© Copyright V. S. Shankar 2018
Editor’s Note:
As the young boy was sitting on the rug, he started playing with the jigsaw puzzle. He first saw the whole picture of the puzzle and from the pieces scattered over the rug began to make a similar picture. Neither did the different shapes of wood fit together, nor did the emerging picture match. However, as his realisation of what was happening grew, so the shapes began to fit and an identical picture to emerge. It was a beautiful moment in the birth of reason.
Julian Capper, UK.
German Translator’s Note:
A reason is the hallmark of intellect. Whatever man does, he or she is asked “Why did you do that?” It is, however, remarkable that actions, albeit illusory, happened to primitive man before a reason happened to him or her. This signifies, that man is not the doer, though he or she has many reasons for their actions. What a paradox! – which is not a contradiction, if explained deeply, as in this article “Birth of Reason” by Dr. Shankar.
Marcus Stegmaier, Germany.