Dr. Vijai S Shankar MD.PhD.
Published on www.academy-advaita.com
The Netherlands
24th May 2017
Complain
“Ungrateful”
It is impossible to live life without air. We do not make air to enable us to live life. Life has gifted air to us so that we could breathe and live life. Air is what it is and cannot be other than what it is. Air could be a gentle breeze or even a tornado. Who can we complain to if air is not what we believe it should be? Air could be what we believe it should be if we were able to make air, but we do not make air. So, it is impossible for air to be what we believe and expect it should be.
It is impossible to live life without water. We do not make water to enable us to live life. Life has gifted water to us so that we could drink water to live life. Water is what it is and cannot be other than what it is. Water could be a gentle rain or even a torrential rain. Who can we complain to if rain is not what we believe it should be? Rain could be what we believe it should be if we were able to make water, but we do not make water. So, it is impossible for rain to be what we believe and expect it should be.
It is impossible to live life without fire which is in every atom of life as light. Therefore, we do not make fire which enables us to live life. Life has gifted atoms as fire to us so that we could live life. An atom as fire is what it is and cannot be other than what it is. Fire could be a gentle flame or even a drastic, wild, forest fire. Who can we complain to if fire is not what we believe it should be? Atoms as fire could be what we believe it should be if we were able to make atoms, but we do not make atoms. So, it is impossible for atoms as fire to be what we believe and expect it should be.
We live the moment in life. It is impossible to live life without the moment in it. We do not make a moment to enable us to live the moment in life. Life has gifted the moment to us so that we could live the moment in life. The moment in life has air, water, fire and whatever the thought, action, subject or object is within it and cannot be other than what it is or what it contains.
Who can we complain to if the moment is not what we believe it should be? The moment in life could be what we believe it should be, if we were able to make the moment in life, but we do not make the moment in life. So, it is impossible for any moment in life to be what we believe and expect it should be.
Therefore, to accept life as it is and not to complain about what life has gifted you reveals trust in life. One who complains reveals that he or she is ungrateful to life for the gifts gifted to him or her by life or God.
Author: Dr. Vijai S. Shankar
© Copyright V. S. Shankar 2017
Editor’s Note:
Man is a traveller in life. Life has provided man with all that he needs to support and sustain his journey. There is no moment nor whatever may be contained within that moment that is not gifted to him or her by life. Understanding this is the beginning of gratitude to life and to the wise whose understanding reveals that this is so.
Julian Capper, U.K
German Translator’s Note:
Complaining about life is a supposedly normal part of man’s and woman’s life. But this does not have to be so. A deeper understanding could happen, if it is meant to happen. Until then, every complaint should be regarded as a chance for man and woman alike that the deeper understanding happens and complaining stops. Thank you Dr. Shankar for this deeper understanding of what makes our daily life appear so difficult: Complain.
Marcus Stegmaier, Germany.