Welcome to Day 22 of our 40-Day retreat.
We have been spending many days discussing the Intellect which is a very important subject. I don’t think we will ever stop discussing the intellect in one way or another. Today, however, I want to take another view of the intellect, and that is when it becomes an obstacle to itself. Although it is a very powerful instrument, it can also be a very powerful obstacle. I really think that this point of view is an extremely important one.
Can the intellect really become an obstacle?
Sometimes this obstacle can be so subtle that we don’t see it. It is hidden from our view. We may say it is like a blind spot. If something is a blind spot and we don’t see it, then that’s a very difficult and undesirable position. Let’s us talk about it today so we can have a clearer idea, and perhaps we will be in a better position to see if it exists within us.
I have been discussing with you how powerful the intellect is as the primary tool of intelligence. It gives the ego great power. It allows the ego to even manage the different centres. The power of the intellect comes from the power of the sixth centre between the eyebrows. It is associated with the brain at the physical level, so it is a powerful centre.
Feeling of self-righteousness- an obstacle
One of the major obstacles on the journey is the feeling of self-righteousness. Because of the intellect we feel so powerful that we think we know more than those around us, and we make the ego stronger by adopting this point of view. It leads us to think in many cases that we are right and others around are not. When this happens it prevents true listening. When we hold our point of view very strongly thinking, “I am right” we listen less to others because we don’t value their point of view. In some cases we may not listen to others because we do not think that they have a valuable point of view. That can be a dangerous position.
Superiority complex- an obstacle
It can also be seen in those who think that they are disciplined or follow a good path, and everybody who is not on that path is less worthy. So they think they are more favoured in the eyes of the Universe, and that they are part of an elite group and others are not. They may seek special position, “I need to sit on this chair. I need to be addressed as ‘So and So’.” They may demand a certain kind of treatment because they think that they are superior and so they separate themselves from the rest, holding an inferior point of view of them. This divides and isolates us, and takes us further away from the truth. Of course, you know this is contrary to the truth that we are all part of one Being, one Self.
Proud of your humility?
A typical example is, when you are so proud of your humility that you are sure you are the humblest person in the group. It is very difficult to see that, as pride can be so deep and subtle that one can think one is humble, and adopting a very humble view their “I” can be so strong in pride. But of course, this can lead to difficult and painful times when a person is forced to shift from this point of view, and life forces you.
Ego becomes a stumbling block
Those who think that they are always healthy may suddenly become sick. But they have not created good relationships with others, so they are all by themselves. Nobody wants to be with them, yet they need the help of those around. They never took time to create relationships with those who seemed too simple or low for them. Others even have the sense of feeling that “I will never get sick; I will never get old; I will never be without.” Then life humbles them. Life, as you know, is the greatest teacher. There is the saying the higher you think you are, the harder you will fall. This is an example where the ego becomes a stumbling block on your path to development.
Another example is when you begin to experience the pleasure and the power of the journey. When you begin to explore your total being, you begin to become a very powerful person. When you develop powers of concentration, focus, expanding your view you become a very powerful person developing a strong mind and being able to achieve things. Then all the wonderful goals that you embraced of wanting to help humanity or being charitable could disappear.
You think, “Why should I give things away? Now that I am getting so much and becoming so powerful, why do I need to give up this office? Why do I need to control my diet? I can enjoy food – all kinds of food now that I can acquire it. Why do I need just one house? I need a house for others also to enjoy. I can bring my friends.”
Be aware of worldly temptations
In developing inner power, we can become so tempted by the world when we become more powerful. So instead of becoming more selfless we become more selfish. It is like those who are praying to God to have a successful little business. They are saying their prayers everyday when business begins to become successful. Then they think, “I use a lot of my power in this. Maybe, I don’t need to pray, it is my power.” Then as they continue to develop their business, the praying is forgotten. It does not seem necessary anymore because now life is going well.
Then in the pursuit of power and pleasure we forget who the giver of all things is really. Suddenly we become the doer; it is we who acquire it. We are the giver and we lose that connection with the Greater Power. So that’s another subtle obstacle on the way. When we become powerful we tend to drift away from the Source, and we acknowledge our own power instead of the Source. We feel very elated when people say, “Yes, you did a good job. You are the one responsible.” Those who are more aware will be careful about taking the praise. When you start taking praise it feels nice, it gives attention and power. This is very tempting so one has to be careful not to be caught in it.
Keeping a sense of balance
Another obstacle on the path of the intellect is losing that sense of balance. When you begin to develop the intellect very powerfully, you may tend to neglect other parts of your being - other energy centres within you that give you a sense of balance and wholeness. In your pursuit of power and pleasure, for example, you may forget your health. You may think, “My mind can keep me healthy. I don’t need to exercise. I am feeling fit. As you think, so you become. Why do I need to love? I can figure out things for myself. I don’t need to love or I can love who I want to. Love is a weakness; you become too soft.”
One might think that the lower centres are not so important but that the mind is more important: it’s all in the mind; it’s all about the mind. But you know how far that thinking can take you into becoming physically sick, losing friends and relationships, because you never learned how to use the heart in a powerful way. It is therefore extremely important to use this centre in terms of balance. Give importance to all the other centers and spheres of life and not get so caught up in the intellect. It is extremely important but is should work in balance with the other centers. It should be a good leader to the rest. One needs to be very careful of using the intellect.
Be open to different points of view
Another obstacle is when you hold on to a certain belief and you can’t let it go. You say, “Only what I think is right: my religion, my philosophy.” And that holds you in a limited point of view. You become inflexible. Belief is just one point of view and you need to open yourself to different points of view, especially when you are in the company of people who have other belief systems. You need to learn how to appreciate that and how to use the richness of that to include it in your own point of view.
Cultivate the ability to see unity in diversity or to even be able to work in an environment of diverse opinions agreeing to disagree, respecting the opinions and beliefs of others.
This is another important thing as different cultures, religions, philosophies, and ethnicities separate us. In a plural society we need to learn how to enjoy the diversity.
The way out is humility
The way out of this is humility, learning how to surrender, meaning to hold the intellect in a certain place where it is managed. Of course, you are going to use the intellect to do that too. Here you have to use the intellect to examine itself, “Am I full of myself?” And you need to be completely sincere in doing this. A good position to adopt is “I don’t know anything.” Even as much as you know intellectually, do not think you know everything about everything. You open yourself immediately to more points of view and more knowledge in every situation. Neither do you possess anything. Life does, not you. That should be the attitude. Everything belongs to the Universe “I am just the keeper, the guardian.”
The guide explores new ways of seeing
Then there is the idea of treating everyone with great respect, and as part of your own being; respecting different beliefs and opinions, and different cultures. That is the posture of the intellect. When the intellect becomes more powerful this is more difficult. Even when we know it, sometimes, there is the weakness of not being able to do it. That’s when it is extremely important to have help. This is an important point. When something is not in your view, you need to bring it in your point of view. When you are blind to something you need some instrument to help you to see it. That’s why sometimes we use the mirror; we want to examine.
When you can’t see it for yourself, you need to check with someone who is in a clearer space. Sometimes it is good to ask someone whom you respect, “Tell me what you see in my behaviour?” Then you get a chance to see areas that you may not see otherwise. So it is good to have a guide. Have someone you can speak with; someone you can trust. And begin to see yourself from another point of view. I find that always very interesting. You can learn so much.
The guide removes the blocks
I can speak very much on the intellect, and perhaps I did. It is a very important subject that is worthy of contemplation. You would not want such a powerful faculty or instrument to be an enemy to itself, to be an obstacle. So give this some thought. I am sure it is worthy of putting it into practice. Even if you can’t see where the blocks are, look for support, look for help that you may be able to see from a different point of view.
