Dr. Vijai S Shankar MD.PhD.
Published on www.academy-advaita.com
The Netherlands
13th May 2016
Thought
“Emotions”
Man’s daily life is governed by thoughts. Man needs thoughts to understand not only his and others’ daily activities, but also his or her relationships with others and his or her near and dear ones. Man is also able to recognise situations and behaviour in relationships only as thoughts.
Man is also affected by thoughts. This means that thoughts affect his or her normal, mental composure in daily life with regards to relationships in particular and less so to daily activities.
The uneasiness or discomposure is recognised as displeasure, discontent, discord and even anger, which are emotions. Man or woman is neither happy with these thoughts nor wants them. He desperately tries to regain his composure and may or may not be able to bring about the thought that leaves him composed.
There are two points that need wise consideration. The first point is: It is obvious that only one thought is present in one moment and not two thoughts, because it is impossible to think two thoughts in the same moment. Similarly, only one meaning is present in one moment and not two meanings. It is also obvious that only one moment is present in a moment and two moments cannot be present in the same moment. This implies that the presence of a thought and its meaning in the same moment is illusory and not real.
The second point is: A thought, for a moment to be present, is absent, but a moment is present, which implies that a moment is not brought by a thought, but happens faster than a thought. Similarly, a thought for a certain thought is also absent, yet the certain thought is present in a moment. This implies that a thought for uneasiness, discomposure, displeasure, discontent, discord and even anger to be present is absent. Therefore, any one of them is present in a moment, but it is not brought by a thought; yet it is present.
The emotions, which are thoughts and are present in a moment, happen. Emotions, as thoughts, do happen for the drama of life to go on. The moment this understanding of ‘thought’ happens, he or she will not blame themselves or the others for whatever they do or do not do.
A thought, however, is illusory transformation of subtle sound. The enlightened have rightly proclaimed that life will go on the way it is meant to go on in every moment, albeit illusory.
Author: Dr. Vijai S. Shankar
© Copyright V. S. Shankar 2016
Editor’s Note:
Just as a pilot guides a ship on a voyage, keeping the captain aware of the hazards he must avoid and the obstacles he must manage for the sake of all the passengers, so man is compelled by the thoughts that are constantly being triggered in his mind. They have become the pilot that may determine the course of his life. Or so he may believe and accept. On other hand, life may draw him or her towards the thoughts of the wise. In this way let him realise the composure of life present in every moment.
Julian Capper, UK.
German Translator’s Note:
Thought is not as powerful as man believes it to be! If it were, why are we not able to have the positive emotion we would like to have every moment? If we have one emotion there is no space in the moment for a thought to come in and change the emotion. Only afterwards the thought happens that the emotion should be different or better. It may be simple, yet a deep explanation of the enlightened is helpful to understand clearly in daily life. Let us read this article diligently in order for guidance into life to happen.
Marcus Stegmaier, Germany.