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

26th March 2017

May or May not 

“Happen”


In daily life man or woman may or may not be happy. When they are happy daily life is normal for them and the next day is looked forward to as well. They are also able to advise those who are not happy that everything in daily life will be fine soon. 

But, if they are unhappy, the day is filled with uncertainty and a better day of certainty and happiness is hoped for. They are not only unable to advise those who are not happy, but are also unable to accept the advice that everything in daily life will be fine soon. 

So the question is: what is it in daily life that makes a man or a woman happy? Certainty of what may or may not happen in daily life makes a man or a woman happy. Similarly, uncertainty of what may or may not happen in life makes a man or a woman unhappy. 

The question arises as to what is certain in daily life, which a man or a woman could be certain of? The only thing that is certain in daily life is the moment in life.

A man or woman can neither make the moment nor a particular moment in daily life, because they would need a moment to make a moment. A moment always happens in life. Therefore, there is no question whether a moment may or may not happen. In daily life a moment happens with certainty, including what is in the moment.

A man or woman expects, wishes or wants certain, particular things to happen in life. If they do happen or they are able to do them they are happy. When  certain, particular things that a man or woman expects, wishes or wants to happen in life do not happen or they are unable to do them, they are unhappy. They fail, however, to understand that the moment in life always happens the way it is meant to happen, meaning it includes what is in the moment.

Man or woman cannot change the present after it has happened because the mind always reports what has already, may or may not have happened in the past and not what is happening in the present.  This implies that they cannot change what is in the moment either. What is in the moment is gifted by life and it is what it is meant to be for that particular moment.

Therefore, when understanding happens to a man or to a woman that what they expect, wish or want in daily life may or may not happen, they will always be happy in every moment of daily life.

This is the reason why the enlightened always point to accepting life as it happens, and that it is not wise to expect, wish or want what certainly should happen in daily life, because it may or may not happen

Author: Dr. Vijai S. Shankar
© Copyright V. S. Shankar 2017

Editor’s Note:
The understanding of the wise presented in this article could not be clearer. The words ‘moment’ and ‘happen’ are frequently articulated by every one of us every day and their meaning is comprehended, albeit coloured with individual aspiration: ‘wait a moment’; ‘Don’t worry, it will happen soon’. Our happiness or contentment, our sadness or disappointment have become hinged on the outcome of these words, albeit illusory. This article and this comment are gifted by life in this moment. Both man’s doing and understanding may or may not happen.
Julian Capper, U,K

German Translator’s Note:
This deep article “May or may not“ reminds us of the only certainty about life in the mind as thoughts is: That what happens is not certain before it has happened. Let us readers watch whether a deep understanding happens by reading or not – or better: not yet. Better say “not yet“ instead of “not“, because we never know! This is for sure.
Marcus Stegmaier, Germany.

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