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

10 February 2018

Birth of Thinking

“Subtle movement”


A man or woman takes thinking for granted. A man or woman believes that he or she can think either a letter, word or a reason by thinking. A man and woman are convinced that they can think by thinking.

The enlightened have, however, indicated that man or woman is not a thinker. They have declared that thinking happens to man or woman, but man and woman believe that they can think by thinking.

So what is the understanding of the wisdom of the enlightened that man and woman are not the thinker though thinking happens? How could this be understood by man and woman is the question?

Now everything in life is in movement, because life moves spontaneously, uncontrollably and unpredictably. This signifies that any movement in life is spontaneous, uncontrollable and unpredictable.

Now the intellect is a movement as well. The intellect has many functions within it and all functions are a spontaneous, uncontrollable and unpredictable precise movement in intellect as well. One of the functions of intellect, which is a movement, is thinking.

As a letter evolved in humans and the intellect evolved further, the belief that humans could think a letter evolved as well. The belief is, however, not the truth because humans do not make the intellect move.

As many letters evolved and the intellect evolved further, the movement of thinking evolved as well. Humans believe that they can think any letter by thinking. The belief of humans is, however, not the truth, because humans do not make intellect move and thinking is a function in the movement of intellect.

Therefore, a letter happens spontaneously, uncontrollably, unpredictably and precisely when it is meant to happen. This signifies that thinking a letter is a function in the movement of intellect, while humans believe that by thinking they can think a letter.

A word is a collection of letters and, as a letter is sound, a collection of sounds appear as a real word, albeit illusory. As a word evolved in humans and the intellect evolved further, the belief that humans could think a word evolved as well. The belief is, however, not the truth, because humans do not make the intellect move.

As many words evolved and the intellect evolved further, the movement of thinking evolved as well. Humans believe that they can think any word by thinking. The belief of humans is, however, not the truth because humans do not make the intellect move and thinking is a function in the movement of intellect.

Therefore, a word happens spontaneously, uncontrollably, unpredictably and precisely when it is meant to happen. This signifies that thinking a word is a function in the movement of intellect, while humans believe that by thinking they can think a word.

Therefore, the function of thinking is a subtle movement of intellect. The moment when humans believed that by thinking they can think a letter is the birth of thinking. The enlightened have rightly proclaimed that man is not the thinker.

Author: Dr. Vijai S. Shankar
© Copyright V. S. Shankar 2018

Editor’s Note:
In these articles, gifted to each one of us as we grow in the process of evolution, Dr Shankar shares his deep understanding of the beliefs that govern the lives of every human being. Men and women have won respect and have been awarded prizes for their contributions to the communities in which they live – and quite rightly so. Thus, the conviction in man’s worth as a thinker in resolving problems and in advancing the cause of science - to give just two examples - has become firmly rooted. And yet our understanding of the proclamation of the wise that man is not the thinker gradually matures.
Julian Capper, UK.

German Translator’s Note: 
Thinking is normally just used to live daily life. Only a philosopher thinks about thinking. But even the philosopher is convinced that he or she can think. Therefore the wise alone think deeply about thinking. And share with everybody the true nature of thinking as Dr. Shankar in the article “Birth of thinking“. A required reading for every deep thinker, illusory it may be! 
Marcus Stegmaier, Germany

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