Dr. Vijai S Shankar MD.PhD.
Published on www.academy-advaita.com
The Netherlands
17 April 2018
Togetherness 2
“Unconditional love”
Every man and woman by applying reason and logic conclude that they are separate from another. Every man and woman by applying reason and logic conclude that they are separate from their surroundings as well.
They also conclude by applying logic and reason that every action they do is separate from the other actions they do. They also conclude by applying logic and reason that every action they and others do has to comply with what each believes is acceptable and expected of them.
If the actions do not comply with personal acceptance and expectations, they feel separate from the actions. Also, if the actions do not comply with social etiquette, they feel separate from each other.
If what each does is acceptable, which is expected of them and by society, each loves the other and feels that they are together and not separate from each other. This signifies that the love they have for each other is conditional. When conditional love is absent, varied emotions of varied intensities come into play.
When emotions come into play, promises and reassurances also come into play and the sense of togetherness is displayed, which is temporary. Until, that is,what each does is neither accepted nor expected by the other.
The phenomenon of apparent, temporary togetherness is the belief in society, which is accepted as togetherness in every society as well. Genuine togetherness, however, is in every moment of daily life, according to the wise in society.
To the enlightened in society togetherness is in every moment of daily life. So, what is the understanding of the enlightened that makes togetherness genuine and present in every moment of daily life, is the question?
The enlightened understand that those we meet in any moment in daily life are the only people we could meet and not anyone else beside them. They are grateful to the intelligence in life for that because they understand that they do not make any moment in daily life, which contains those we meet.
The enlightened understand that the actions anyone does, albeit illusory, in any moment in daily life, are the only actions that could happen and not any other action beside those. They are grateful to the intelligence in life for being able to see the action, because they understand that they do not make any moment in daily life.
The enlightened understand that the emotions, albeit illusory, in any moment in daily life, are the only emotions that could be present and not any other emotions beside those. They are grateful to the intelligence in life that they can witness the emotions, because they understand that they do not make any moment in daily life.
This is the deep reason and logic with which the enlightened live in togetherness and unconditional love with whomever they meet. When society understands this, society too will live in togetherness and unconditional love with whomever they meet.
Author: Dr. Vijai S. Shankar
©Copyright V. S. Shankar 2018
Editor’s Note:
Are there some people in our daily lives that we would like to meet and some we would rather not meet? Are there some actions in life that we approve of and some that we do not? Are there some emotions in our daily relationships that we would like to experience and some that we would not? When understanding matures through the intelligence in life that man does not make the moment, so will the realization that the people we meet, the actions that we see and the emotions that we experience are contained within the moment. They could not be other than they are. Understanding this ushers in togetherness. Such togetherness has no touch of conditions; only gratitude and love.
Julian Capper, UK.
German Translator‘s Note:
When we meet someone, we spontaneously decide whether we like each other or not. In the course of time we get to know each other better and the togetherness grows or not. On closer inspection, it becomes clear that we like each other because of the commonalities in beliefs and personal preferences that we can detect in each other. The differences, for example concerning a certain belief, can be overcome by the attitude of tolerance. Then, however, it is precisely this tolerance that we share with the other that gives us a sense of commonality and togetherness. Tolerance is far from acceptance. And acceptance is far from unconditional. Tolerance turns into intolerance, acceptance turns into rejection. Every condition can also once not be fulfilled. When two egos meet it is always dependent on conditions whether we feel to be connected or not. The sages, like Dr. Shankar in this article, illuminate the superficiality of mental togetherness with deep logic and reason. This reveals the inseparability of life in all its expressions, unconditional love and true togetherness. This togetherness is not based on reciprocity to happen, but solely on the understanding of the individual.
Marcus Stegmaier, Germany.