Dr. Vijai S Shankar MD.PhD.
Published on www.academy-advaita.com
The Netherlands
28th November 2016
Unique
“Non-Identical”
Life on earth is made up of the living and non-living as well. The non-living, such as the elements fire, air, water and elements of earth, are present in the living and the non-living as well.
There is a variety of aspects in life. The variety includes nature, living species, non-living matter, shape, form, appearance, colour, texture, consistency, language, meaning, sound, light, traditions, culture, society, government, knowledge and wisdom.
The variety of intensities of every aspect of life makes everyone and everything unique. Unique means being the only one of its kind and this implies that the unique is unlike anything else.
But life has many things that are like each other, which implies that unique signifies that it is non-identical.
Now, similar aspects of life of varying intensities can be identified, which enable them to be described in order to determine if they are unique, meaning unlike any other. Therefore, identification is of paramount importance to determine whether any aspect of life is unique or not.
Now, if there were an aspect of life that could not be identified, it would make description impossible. But is there such an aspect in life is the question?
To identify anything, it should be seen, sensed and recognised. Now, everything that is known by man is seen, sensed and recognised in the moment. To identify and to recognise numerical time is needed and is essential.
The smallest unit of numerical time defined is one zepto second, which is one trillionth of a billionth of a second. But the moment zepto second also needs time to exist, which implies that zepto second happens and exists in units of time that are much smaller than a zepto second.
The unit of time that is much smaller than a zepto second is the moment in life. The enlightened have rightly pointed out that numerical time is absent in the moment in life and therefore thoughts as well. The moment in life is actually no unit of time at all. The moment in life is the timeless now.
As time and thought is needed to see, sense and recognise, it is impossible to identify or recognise the moment in life, which implies that the moment in life and whatever is in the moment is unique and non-identical.
Author: Dr. Vijai S. Shankar
© Copyright V. S. Shankar 2016.
Editor’s Note:
Man applies the description unique to a person, thing or action the like to which has never been observed or recognised or the like to which he/she has never observed or recognised. More often than not, however, the expression unique is applied as an exclamation of high praise. In this article, however, deep understanding of the expression unique (non-identical) is gifted by the wise to reveal that neither the moment in life nor whatever is in the moment is observable or recognisable. There is no existence of either the moment nor whatever is in the moment. This remarkable revelation is life’s own secret. The rest is illusion and it alone exists.
Julian Capper, U.K
German Translator’s Note:
Everybody wants to be unique. However, the ego wants to be something extraordinary. To be unique, the ego thinks special skills or achievements, money or power, beauty or bodily strength is needed. But we are all unique at any time in life! What a great insight, gifted in this article “Unique“ by Dr. Shankar, into life as well as the human psyche.
Marcus Stegmaier, Germany.