Dr. Vijai S Shankar MD.PhD.
Published on www.academy-advaita.com
The Netherlands
11 June 2019
Interest (1)
“To do”
Primitive man and woman lived instinctively until knowledge and memory of knowledge evolved in ancient humans. Similarly, knowledge of past and future evolved in ancient humans.
Primitive humans instinctively were interested in doing what they did every day even though neither knowledge nor memory had evolved in them. As knowledge and memory evolved humans had interest to do what they did every day because of memory.
The memory and knowledge of the past and future initially was of the day that passed and the day yet to come. Primitive man, therefore, had interest in what to do in the day and the next day yet to come.
As evolution progressed, the memory and knowledge of past and future evolved and ancient man had interest in what to do in the weeks, the months and the years yet to come.
This phenomenon of memory, knowledge, past and future is evident when the modern-day child is observed. The modern-day child initially knows a word and eventually knows many words and later recalls the words after memory evolves.
Later, the modern-day child has interest to do what it does every day and as evolution progresses the child has interest in what to do the next day and in the days yet to come.
Therefore, the modern-day man and woman are interested in what to do every day. If nothing is done by them in many moments of the day or for weeks, modern-day man and woman with knowledge are unsteady, impatient and overcome by unwanted shadows of emotions with a wide range of diversity and intensity.
But the wise man and woman of ancient times and of the modern day are calm, composed, steady and patient with trust in every moment of life and are devoid of unwanted emotions.
The wise man and woman are devoid of unwanted emotions because they understand that the moment in any day happens and that they do not make any moment in life.
The wise man and woman are devoid of unwanted emotions because they understand that what is in the moment in any day happens and that they do not make what is in any moment in life.
The wise man and woman are devoid of unwanted emotions because they understand that what is in the moment in any day cannot be other than what is in the moment.
The wise man and woman are devoid of unwanted emotions because they understand that they cannot do anything in the moment. This is because the moment happens much before they could do anything in the moment.
The wise man and woman are interested in the intelligence that makes the moment happen. The enlightened admire the moment that happens and accept whatever that happens in the moment.
Author: Dr. Vijai S. Shankar
© Copyright V. S. Shankar 2017
Editor’s Note:
This article comes unnervingly close to the emotions and expectations of daily life that every man and woman experiences. The firm belief that we have some control over what may happen or, worse still, that we have no control over what may happen is fertile ground for unwanted emotions. We have come to live with almost constant anticipation, as if we are treading on quicksand. Understanding the present moment, that is, and what it contains is the great gift of the intelligence of life. The wisdom of the enlightened, as presented in this article, is the steady ground for understanding. It opens the door to trust and acceptance of what life offers.
Julian Capper, UK
German Translator's Note:
As this article reveals, man's interest in what was, is and will come has grown evolutionarily, he has not created it by himself. When man's interest evolutionarily shifts from the content of yesterday, today and tomorrow to the question of whether interest and content is real or illusionary, a new perspective on his life and that of others opens up. The editor's note points out how the idea of being the doer determines and emotionally charges the interest in what is not, but only seems to be, that is, past, present and future. No one escapes the expectations of the mind that fuel his or her emotions, regardless of whether he or she thinks he or she is someone who has his or her life under control or not. The wise do not state that man can "not do anything" to create his future, which would leave him as a helpless creature, but that everything that happens is an illusion in the mind and not a reality in life. Only this clarity of understanding focuses human interest on the timeless Here and the thoughtless Now, where life flows.
Marcus Stegmaier, Germany.