Dr. Vijai S Shankar MD.PhD.
Published on www.academy-advaita.com
The Netherlands
26 November 2018
Ancient Times
“Here and Now”
The knowledge of ancient times indicates a period of time belonging to the very distant past which is no longer in existence. The term ancient times refers to individuals in the modern time-period.
Similarly, ancient time indicates individuals in ancient times - a period of time belonging to the very distant past which is no longer in existence to them. This signifies that the knowledge of the modern time-period will be ancient to individuals in the future time-period.
The knowledge of ancient times did not exist in primitive man, who was yet to have knowledge of time or thought. Primitive man was merely moving in the present time-period, which is the timeless and thoughtless ‘here and now’, without knowing whether the period was ancient, modern or that he was moving.
Wisdom reveals that at any point in life both ancient times and the modern time- period are not an actuality in life. This is because every moment in life is a timeless and thoughtless period, which is the ‘here and now’ and is merely moving with intermittent, illusory thought of numerical time.
This signifies that whatever has happened in ancient times also happens in modern times, but in an evolved state, albeit illusory. This implies that the knowledge of ancient times, albeit illusory, is also the evolved knowledge, albeit illusory, in modern times.
The evolved knowledge of modern times would not exist if knowledge did not exist in ancient times. Similarly, the modern-time, evolved knowledge will be ancient to the evolved knowledge of the future.
Similarly, the evolved wisdom of the modern times would not exist if wisdom did not exist in ancient times. Similarly, the modern-time, evolved wisdom will be ancient wisdom to the evolved wisdom of the future.
This is indicated by the wisdom of ancient times that man is not the doer. This is corroborated in Bhagwat Gita chapter 3 verse 27, which declares that man is not the doer. Kenopanishad verse (1.3) declares that Word and mind cannot access the Absolute One. Sri Adi Shankaracharya has declared that man is not the doer in Nirvanashadakam and Sri Ramana Maharishi has declared that what is meant to happen, albeit illusory, will happen.
The wisdom of modern times, which is the evolved wisdom of ancient times, that corroborates that man is not the doer is as follows: Brain scans reveal that decisions happen seven seconds before man decides. The scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences reveal that human decisions are made seconds before humans become aware of them. In the study, participants could freely decide if they wanted to press a button with either their right hand or left hand. The only condition was that they had to remember when they made the decision to use either their right hand or left hand.
Using FMRI, researchers scanned the brains of the participants to find out if they could predict which hand the participants would use before participants were consciously aware of the decision. The results, by monitoring the micro patterns of activity in the front-polar cortex, were that the researchers could predict which hand the participant would choose seven seconds before the participant was aware of the decision. Wisdom reveals that this is proof that man neither decides nor predicts nor predetermines. Wisdom reveals that even the movement of the hand to press the button happens and the brain does not make the movement happen in the moment.
Wisdom further reveals that the thought to do and the doing happen for understanding to happen that only moving is in every moment and that every moment is only moving. Also, for wise understanding to happen that moving in every moment is instinct and that instinct cannot be controlled by man or his brain.
The enlightened realise that man is not the doer because he is only moving and not doing. Furthermore, that his thoughts of ancient, modern and future times are illusory and not real.
The enlightened also understand that the ‘here and now’ is timeless and thoughtless and will always be timeless and thoughtless eternally.
Author: Dr. Vijai S. Shankar
© Copyright V. S. Shankar 2018
Editor’s Note:
Let us appreciate the presence, albeit illusory, of the concept of time, be it ancient time or modern time. These terms usefully define the age in which man lives or lived. Whilst man lives as he or she does, the presence of an orderly system for daily living in a community is wholly dependent upon this concept being treated as a reality. Without it, how would buses and trains provide a regular, albeit illusory, service? For how long would a person cooking an item of food know to apply the heat? The existence and stimulation of world records in competitions depends on time. Where would carbon-dating go for the historians and archaeologists?
With the understanding of the wise, time is appreciated as an important control of events, albeit illusory, in the community of men and women. But without this understanding mankind will never live in the ‘here and now’ of life itself.
Julian Capper, UK.
German Translator‘s Note:
Dr. Shankar shares in this article the timeless Here and thoughtless Now. However, with words that stand in a temporal context that is modern today and will be ancient in the future. This reveals the relativity of the times. From this point of view it becomes clear that wisdom also develops evolutionarily. Dr. Shankar's comprehensive work reflects the most detailed contribution to wisdom in human history to date, in the world language of modern English. This overcomes esoteric teachings that, written in ancient languages, are no longer accessible to a broad readership.
Marcus Stegmaier, Germany.