Dr. Vijai S Shankar MD.PhD.
Published on www.academy-advaita.com
The Netherlands
3th June 2017
Deconditioned
“Mind”
The mind has evolved in humans beings. This is obvious because primitive human beings lived instinctively just as animals did and still do. Particular sounds evolved as illusory letters, words, language and eventually as knowledge in primitive men’s mind and continue to do so in modern man.
The process of evolution of knowledge has conditioned the modern human mind. The conditioned, modern mind refers to the thoughts of knowledge within it. The thoughts of knowledge include the feelings of the body as well.
The conditioned feelings are every emotion in every situation and circumstance in daily life, including the health of the body. These conditioned feelings are believed to be simple, complicated and sometimes even difficult to bear.
The human mind knows, in the process of evolution, the feelings as either knowledge or as wisdom. The mind is conditioned to believe that man has got the knowledge which is within it by his hard work and effort.
Wisdom, on the other hand, understands that knowledge in the mind has evolved to happen in the mind and man has not got the knowledge because of his hard work and effort.
The mind is conditioned to believe that every feeling has got a cause for it and that man is responsible not only for causing it, but also for bringing about an effect to rectify the feeling so that it is easy to bear, when it is hard or difficult to bear.
Wisdom, on the other hand, understands that cause and effect, which knowledge has, is not only illusory, but does not exist as an actuality. Wisdom also understands that man is not the doer and can neither cause a feeling nor rectify it. Wisdom understands that what is meant to happen only happens, albeit illusory.
Though a man or a woman understands wisdom, feelings sometimes become difficult to bear, because they are not accepted by the conditioned mind. The conditioned mind only accepts what it believes to be real. This indicates that the understanding of wisdom has not cemented in them as yet.
So what could the wise understanding be that would decondition the mind to accept a feeling of a situation or circumstance that is difficult to bear, because wisdom does not make the feeling of the situation or circumstance easy according to the mind’s preference.
So, is there anything that wisdom can bring to the feeling of the situation or circumstance which is difficult to bear is the question?
When understanding of wisdom cements, the mind is deconditioned to difficult situations, circumstances and feelings. Wisdom helps everyone to accept life as it is in every moment.
Author: Dr. Vijai S. Shankar
© Copyright V. S. Shankar 2017
Editor’s Note:
The wind bloweth where it listeth. There is no predetermined course for life. It is as it is; it flows as it flows. Man lives in that flow, which is spontaneous, unpredictable and unknowable. Neither man nor mind has met life; nor has life met man or mind. There is no other call. Understanding this is the beginning of wisdom.
Julian Capper, U.K
German Translator’s Note:
It seems easy to understand wisdom as long as life goes as the mind expect it to go. If something happens, like a disease, loss of possession or the death of a loved person, then the depth of wisdom reveals itself clearly. This article by Dr. Shankar “Deconditioned“ helps to deepen the understanding further, so that the reader may accept all the feelings and emotions that happen to the mind.
Marcus Stegmaier, Germany.