Dr. Vijai S Shankar MD.PhD.
Published on www.academy-advaita.com
The Netherlands
13th April 2016

Understanding

“Phenomenal”

Understanding is phenomenal meaning remarkable or exceptional, when it concerns two topics, one is knowledge and the other is wisdom. As far as knowledge is concerned it is taken for granted that hard work, meaning burning the night candle to study, leads to accumulating more knowledge.

To the majority more knowledge is phenomenal because more knowledge is believed to be wisdom. This is not so as far as wisdom is concerned: to wisdom more knowledge is nevertheless knowledge and not wisdom. Wisdom means a deeper understanding of the conditioned mind. This quality of understanding is what makes wisdom phenomenal.

The understanding of knowledge within the conditioned mind, regarding things that exist, is that they are real and, regarding duality, is that opposites are divided and the issues in daily life such as love, care and concern are based on conditions. To logic and reason in knowledge this is accepted and expected by one and all.

But the understanding within wisdom regarding the things that exist is that they are indivisible, though they appear separate and are illusory and not real for reason and logic as well, and the duality of opposites is indivisible and that the issues in daily life, such as love, care and concern, are unconditional.

Now, how could man understand that the things that exist are neither divisible nor real? The understanding of time and space and energy reveals this wise understanding.

Time and space are indivisible and, if they were divisible, neither time nor space would exist. Energy too requires time and space to exist, which implies that energy is indivisible as well. As everything exists in time and space and is energy as well, it implies that they are indivisible, but appear separate to knowledge. As every atom of whatever that exists is light, it implies that everything that exists is an illusory manifestation of light, but appears real to knowledge.

Regarding the daily issues of life and duality not only the above explanation is applicable, the issues of life and duality have evolved in the mind and they are what they are and nothing can be done about it. This implies that who anyone is at any moment is who they are and cannot be other than who they are. Knowledge expects everyone to be who they are expected to be, which implies conditions, whereas wisdom accepts everyone as they are and not as who they should be. This is unconditional.

Regarding duality, the opposites require time and space to exist and, as time and space are together, it implies that duality is indivisible and not separate, but appear separate to knowledge.

The understanding that whatever exists is illusory and duality is indivisible and that the daily issues of love, care and concern are unconditional is wisdom, which is phenomenal. It is phenomenal because man can neither control time and space nor evolution.

Author: Dr. Vijai S. Shankar
© Copyright V. S. Shankar 2016

Editor’s Note:
In commercial banking cash is king; in academia and science knowledge is king.
These principals stand and have stood as the guiding wisdom for men and women engaged in these and related activities for centuries. The knowledge gained through experience and study in these activities are the bywords for success.
However, public engagement in these activities requires the fulfilment of controls and conditions, often quite strict. Such is the status quo for the conditioned mind, a status that very few would oppose. Evolution is now revealing to man, through the wisdom of this article, a new level of understanding, which is indeed phenomenal. Men and women in their daily lives are blessed by this revelation.
Julian Capper, UK.

German Translator’s Note:
Understanding as knowledge leads to a phenomenon of ups and downs in the mind, a life experienced as waves – up and down between every opposite possible, such as success – defeat, happiness – sadness, rich and poor. Understanding as wisdom is not a wave but makes man surf the waves in the mind, up and down; this is the natural flow of life as reflected in the mind as thoughts of opposites. Understanding as wisdom is the surfboard to enjoy the ride of life on the raging river of ups and downs in the mind. More knowledge is not equivalent with wisdom. Dr. Shankar in this article “Understanding“, makes the difference clear between knowledge and wisdom. Both are based on understanding, however, they are different in quality and lead to different qualities of experiencing our precious lifetime.
Marcus Stegmaier, Germany.

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