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

8 February 2018

Birth of Word

“Gross and Subtle”


A man or woman takes a word for granted. A man or woman believes that he or she can either think a word as a thought or speak a word. A man and woman are convinced that they can think and speak a word.

The enlightened have, however, indicated that man or woman is neither a thinker nor a speaker. They have declared that thinking and speaking happen to man or woman, but they believe that they can speak and think a word.

So what is the understanding of the wisdom of the enlightened that man and woman are neither the speaker nor the thinker of a word, though speaking and thinking a word happen? How could this be understood by both man and woman is the question?

Now, a word is made up of letters in the alphabet. A letter in any language is, however, only sound. Sound and movement are together and cannot be separated. This signifies that movement and sound are two sides of the same coin, called moment, because in every moment there are both movement and sound.

As evolution progressed, the movement of air in the blood-circulation evolved as sound and, as intellect evolved, the sound was recognised as sound. Later, as intellect evolved further, the sound was recognised as a real letter, albeit illusory. Similarly, as intellect evolved, sounds were recognised as sounds and later sounds were recognised as real letters, albeit illusory.

Further in evolution, the movement of air from the lungs evolved as sounds, which were recognised as sounds. Later still in evolution, the sounds were recognised as real, spoken, individual letters, albeit illusory.

As evolution evolved intellect, a collection of sounds were recognised initially as sounds and eventually as many, real words, albeit illusory, in the mind. Simultaneously, the same phenomenon evolved as sounds spoken and eventually as real spoken words, albeit illusory. 

What is important to understand is: Only a collection of subtle sounds appears as a real word, albeit illusory, in the mind. Similarly, only a collection of gross sounds are uttered which appear as real, spoken words, albeit illusory, to the mind.

The moment when man recognised a real word in the mind, albeit illusory, it was the birth of a word.

The enlightened have rightly proclaimed that man is neither the thinker nor the speaker, though thinking and speaking a real word, albeit illusory, happen to the human mind.

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

Editor’s Note:
The human being is pivotal in the process of evolution. His and her capacity, determined by an evolved intellect, to recognize real words in the mind – a phenomenon not shared with other living beings - heralds the birth of word. Notwithstanding the illusory nature of word, it illuminates the way towards understanding the enlightened.
Julian Capper, UK.

German Translator‘s Note: 
Every day words are used by every one without thinking. Words are taken for granted, as Dr. Shankar states in this article. What a miracle of sound words indeed are, is not taken into consideration in daily life. If it is pondered deeply in daily life, for such a man or woman daily life transform into a play of words spontaneously unfolding every moment of the mind. Even deeper understanding reveals the nature of a word, sound. The birth of word is admired more than the content of its meaning by such a man or woman. 
Marcus Stegmaier, Germany. 

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