Hari Aum.
The yogis tell us that there are two broad sources of wisdom-- one is the intellect and the other is intuition. What is the difference?
The intellect of course consists of our ability to receive information, reflect upon and analyse it, and understand and utilise it (hopefully for the betterment of ourselves and others). It is a higher function of the conscious mind in the waking state.
Intuition, on the other hand, is more difficult to define and understand. We all have this ability to varying extents (and can develop it further). It is our capacity to know something without any external input. It is a sort of wisdom or knowledge that arises from within us, rather than from outside. It does not require or depend upon any information received via the five senses.
It is peculiar sort of conviction or feeling that something is true without the need for any outside validation (one has to be very cautious with this as one can easily mistake delusion for intuition-- this is where spiritual practice and honesty come in. Spiritual practice sharpens the mind; it cleans and purifies it).
Intuition is a divine quality; it comes due to the grace of God. It is given to us in proportion to the extent that we manifest the divinity within. It is received by us as a result of our ability to practice selflessness and surrender to the will of the Divine. And the knowledge received via intuition is also meant to be utilised in accordance with these spiritual values.
The pandemic has shown us just how fragile human life is. We have seen how a single virus can cause so much havoc and can affect millions of human lives. As humans, we tend to feel pride in our intellects, we tend to boast that we have conquered nature, that we are very advanced today compared to the civilisations of the past.
But it is not so. We may have developed our understanding of many subjects, it is true. But intellect and character do not always develop together. An intellect guided by a strong and noble character is a blessing. But an intellect that is based on an immoral and undivine nature can become a curse both for the individual and humanity as a whole.
We have seen and continue to see countless examples of this. Wars are often begun by people who regard themselves as very intelligent; sadly, history proves time and again, that those who begin wars are greatest of fools. The suffering that they ultimately create for themselves and others is immense. There is a price to pay for such mistakes according to the law of karma.
The pandemic has shown us how much we depend upon the grace of God. It is not over yet by any means but things are certainly better today than two years ago. We have vaccinations and medications-- the result of a combination of the application of human intellect and intuition, both being due to the grace of God.
We do not know what awaits us, what challenges will come next. One thing is certain-- we live in strange times. Truth sometimes seems stranger than fiction. It feels surreal to think that we have been living through a pandemic (if someone had told us this might happen five years ago, many of us would have laughed it off as nonsense and scare-mongering). Similarly, a bizarre and appalling war has begun this year, a war that has potential to escalate (as wars often do). On top of everything, the scientists tell us that climate change is a serious and real threat to our existence on this planet.
What shall we do when faced with all these challenges? Well, the yogis tell us to aim for the highest-- to develop our intuition, our intellects, by the performance of spiritual practices. This, they say, is the most effective way of handling these various crises, and more importantly, handling the crises within ourselves.
The human mind, as we all know, is hard work at the best of times. These external challenges can significantly affect our sense of wellbeing, our peace and happiness. And ultimately, as the yogis say, the greatest drive within all creatures is the need to be happy. So, to be happy, spiritual practice is a vital necessity. Every day, day-after-day, we need to do this, just like we eat and drink every single day.
Over time, as a result of our spiritual practices, we will find that we know what we need to know; our faculties of intuition and intellect will both develop. And the most important thing, perhaps, is the intuitive knowledge that we receive that we are not alone, that God truly is there for us. Like a caring mother and father, She/He watches, guides and takes care of us. He knows what is in our minds and hearts and is responsive to our needs.We may fall many times (it is human nature to fall). But it is not the falling that matters, it is the getting up afterwards that is the key to success in all aspects of human life (both spiritual and mundane).
The intuitive knowledge also comes to us eventually that the wisest thing is to surrender to the will of God in all things. We begin to realise that we do not know very much at all, and that our ideas about what is good and bad for us are often incorrect and misguided.
The best thing to do therefore is to ask God to guide us at every moment of our lives, and to bless us that our lives may be lived entirely in accordance with His will. In this way, we guarantee that our lives will be blessed (regardless of the various challenges that we may inevitably face).
Even when we intuitively know that surrendering to the will of God is the best thing for us, implementing this in our daily lives is not easy. Why? Because of the ego. The ego is that sense of individuality, which makes us feel separate from God and other beings, which thinks it knows what is best for us.
Our ego, individual self, likes to think it knows what is best for us. And so, surrendering to the will of God requires us to give up our ego, our personal desires and opinions. This obviously is not easy. In fact, the grace of God is required for us to overcome the ego.
Another major obstacle in surrendering to the will of God, are the five senses. The yogis describe the human being using the analogy of a person in a chariot yoked to horses (this is described in the famous Katha upanishad).
The chariot represents the human body, the reins represent the mind, the five horses yoked to the chariot represent the five senses. The charioteer represents the intellect, while the owner of the chariot seated within is the soul (Atman or higher Self).
The destination of the chariot is God. However, the five horses usually have other ideas. They are wilful and stubborn and drag the chariot down the lanes of sensual desires, while the intellect and mind helplessly watch and follow. To empower the intellect to wisely direct the chariot in the right direction, the grace of the higher Self or God within the chariot is needed.
In the Mahabharata, Krishna took on the role of the charioteer of His friend, Prince Arjuna. Although He had declared that He would not lift weapons and would only drive Arjuna's chariot, His presence and guidance proved to be the key factor in the victory of the Pandavas over their unrighteous cousins.
The battle in the Mahabharata is said to represent to represent the struggles and battle of human life, the inner battle within the lower self/ego and the higher Self/soul (which is one with God). The soul can only win this battle if the grace of God is invoked at every step in life.
When things go well in life, it is wise to remember that this is due to the grace of God (and not due to our own cleverness/intellect; that is a delusion that comes from the ego). When things appear to go badly in life, it is useful to remember that everything happens by the will of God and ultimately for the higher good. This approach is not always easy to practice, but is the goal of spiritual life.
There is a famous prayer from the Vedas known as the Medha suktam. It invokes the Divine in the form of the Goddess of wisdom and learning, Sarasvati. The hearing and recitation of this prayer is said to enhance both intuition and intellect-- please see the link below for the prayer (with translation in English):
May God bless us all with good intuition and intellect.
Om Sri Sarasvatyai Namah
Om Namo Narayanaya
Hari Aum Tat Sat.
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