Dr. Vijai S Shankar MD.PhD.
Published on www.academy-advaita.com
The Netherlands
17 October 2019
What does Reality mean?
“Real”
Reality, as man has understood so far, means that things actually exist. They are to man a belief and an idealistic idea. But what is man’s proof that things actually exist?
The proof that things actually exist to man is the fact that man can see, hear, taste, smell, touch and speak about them. But this can only be a belief or an idealistic idea of convenience and not proof.
The sages have proclaimed that life is light and science confirms that everything in life is energy. This means everything that man sees, hears, tastes, smells, touches and speaks can only be energy.
It means that what man sees, hears, tastes, smells, touches and speaks is an appearance of energy. Science confirms that everything in life is made up of atoms and science further confirms that atoms, which make up every shape and form of solids, liquids and gases, contain energy too.
Experiences are real to man. The fact that man can think, judge and interpret is his proof that experience is real. The thinking process, judgment and interpretation, however, are expressed as words.
This makes it convenient for man to understand his surroundings. The sages have declared that everything is light. It is also a scientific fact that everything exists as energy.
This means that the thinking process, judgment and interpretation are an appearance of energy too. This means that the thinking process, judgment and interpretation are a form of energy-expression.
Now, what is the definition of energy and what could energy be? There are different kinds of energy, each with its own definition. Every form of energy is light and science has adequate proof.
Science also knows that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. This means that light can neither be created nor destroyed and is eternal.
Life, therefore, is full of energy, which is basically light. Light is present everywhere and man can never discover when light began or when light will end. Light, therefore, provides a definition of real, which means permanent and eternal.
Nothing in the world is permanent or eternal. This means that nothing in the world is real; it only appears to be real. This appearance of light as real things and thoughts makes it convenient for man to understand the world and his surroundings.
Life has manifested the world to appear real to man in order to provide him with an opportunity to understand life as illusory and not real. If the world and daily life were real, an identical day would happen every day, with identical thoughts, things and activities.
This is an opportunity to understand that the world and daily life would not exist if identical thoughts, things and activities happened every day. Life has manifested an illusory world and illusory, daily life so that daily life would be different every day and the opportunity to understand life would exist.
By understanding that the daily, illusory life happens without cause, effect or time, man will realise who he really is. So what does reality mean? Reality means that which is permanent and eternal.
Author: Dr. Vijai S. Shankar
© Copyright V. S. Shankar 2019
Editor’s Note:
There is the existence of make-believe composed of our dreams and imaginations. It is a game we love to play. There is the existence of make-believe confirmed by our senses. It is our real life, like it or not, albeit illusory. There is reality; it has no existence nor non-existence. Man comes to know the life into which he is born. It has a beginning – birth – and an end – death. Joy and grief embrace them. The wise reveal that the life man knows repeats again and again. Until .… until that is he happens to meet a wise man on his way. Thus, the deep understanding of the wise gradually transforms man’s understanding of illusory life, if it is meant to, so that man may come to realise who he really is. What a wonder of compassion.
Julian Capper.UK