Dr. Vijai S Shankar MD.PhD.
Published on www.academy-advaita.com
The Netherlands
20 March 2019
Practice
“Makes Perfect”
Practice makes perfect means that it is possible to learn something or develop a skill if you practise enough. People often say this to encourage someone to keep practising.
Knowledge indicates that you learn and develop skill in order to attain or achieve whatever you want, like, desire or wish to possess. This includes talent in a variety of issues in life and not only the practice, but also what it promises to happen. The talent, however, does not happen to one and all, though they practise.
Beside the variety of issues in life, practice of meditation is encouraged to attain or achieve enlightenment. Men and women indulge in the practice of meditation the world over and it happens as well.
Wisdom of practice, talent, attainment and achievement, however, is not the same as that of knowledge. What is this wisdom is the question?
Wisdom reveals that a moment in life is not made by man and cannot be made by man. This is because the moment in life was much before man was in the moment and, therefore, it is impossible for man to make any moment in life.
Wisdom reveals that, within a moment, only a single movement is possible and neither two nor many are possible. This signifies that the entire life is a singular movement.
Wisdom reveals that the single movement in the moment appears as an illusory action, because action is made up of many movements whereas, within a moment, only a single movement is present.
Wisdom reveals that a moment in life is precise, because a moment is neither early nor late in life. Wisdom reveals that what is within the moment is precise as well and nothing besides what is within the moment, albeit illusory, can be present.
Wisdom reveals that what you are meant to learn you will learn because it is present in the moment and you do not make the moment in which learning and the learnt are present.
Wisdom reveals that what you are meant to practise, albeit illusory, you will practise because practice is present in the moment and you do not make the moment in which practice is present.
Wisdom reveals that what you are meant to desire, wish or want, albeit illusory, you will desire, wish or want in the moment and that neither you nor practice makes it happen, because you do not make the moment in which it is present.
Wisdom reveals that what you are meant to attain or achieve, albeit illusory, you will attain or achieve in the moment and neither you nor practice makes it happen, because you do not make the moment in which it is present.
Wisdom reveals that enlightenment will happen if it is meant to happen and it is not dependent either on you or on practice to make it happen. This is because enlightenment is independent and not dependent on you or practice.
Wisdom reveals that, if you think that you practise and believe that by practice you will achieve or by practice you will attain enlightenment, the belief prevents enlightenment from happening.
The enlightened live every moment as it is and understand that the labels within the moment are illusory and not real.
Author: Dr. Vijai S. Shankar
© Copyright V. S. Shankar 2019
Editor’s Note:
When Orpheus, son of Apollo, was leading his beautiful wife Eurydice, who had been bitten by a viper, back from Hades, the world of darkness, he was told not to look back at her until they reached the world of light. When his mind, full of doubt and unable to hold to his purpose, urged him to look back, she vanished. Human beings set themselves targets in their daily lives - emotional, intellectual and physical - and they strive to achieve them. Not yet able to understand that mind does not know life, they pursue mind’s goals. Mind, as explained by the wise, is not life, thus affirming the saying - ‘Man proposes, but God disposes’. Understanding this is life, the world of light.
Julian Capper, UK.
German Translator‘s Note:
The mind, which considers itself a doer, strives for many things, such as for example compassion, without suspecting its own limitations. The mind says that, especially in stressful situations, one should try to talk to each other lovingly and not hatefully, annoyed or rejecting. However, if it has not worked out once again, the mind says to itself, the attempt counts, that is what is important. Wisdom, as stated in this article on practice of all kinds, understands that it was not an attempt which the mind has under its control, as the word attempt implies. Wisdom understands that the quality of love in the words or their absence is an expression of the depth of understanding of life at that moment. Man has made neither the attempt nor the understanding nor the words, because everything is contained in the evolutionary moment and man obviously has no control over evolution. It is this understanding that matters, for then one is compassionate with oneself, especially when one does not satisfy one's own demands, and from this arises compassion for all others, while they do not satisfy the demands of one's own mind. Life makes no demands. To be compassionate with oneself and others means to flow with life. Patience is fundamental to man's evolvement towards wisdom and love. There is deep gratitude to the sages who, like Dr. Shankar here and elsewhere, accompany us on this path, albeit illusory.
Marcus Stegmaier, Germany