Lame arrogance of the intellect

Modern education makes us intellectually strong. It develops our logical abilities and exposes us to many situations that make our perspective wide. I have no doubt that probably, intellect is our strongest tool to live well. However, with experience, I have seen many intellectuals to be quite dissatisfied with life. Many of them turn cynical to life as a whole and see negativity all around. They find the systems to be imperfect, society to be regressive, and life to be generally meaningless. 

Intellect has no center of its own. It can at best calculate, compute, and reason out. But it needs a center to make decisions. There are two possible centers. Most of the time, the intellect centers around cravings and aversions. It frames the logic to get what we like and to run away from what we dislike. If somebody has a craving for money, the intellect will frame thousands of logic as to why one should be rich. If one has a craving for power, intellect will frame that to be the most logical pursuit. If someone does not like meeting a particular person, the intellect will frame logic for the same.

However, very rarely, the intellect centers around the divine. In those moments, the intellect is not driven by the divisions. Divisions of rights and wrongs, good and bad. The intellect in those moments is driven by the oneness of the whole creation. It becomes abstract during those moments. Its fixation with a particular perspective disappears in these moments.

In sum and substance, intellect generally dances to the tunes of Chitta, which is the storehouse of cravings and aversions. Chitta has a huge kingdom like the kingdom of Ravana. It has captured our creative energy, as Ravana kidnapped Sita. Even if Lakshmana, symbolizing intellect, is connected to Rama, it is not possible for him to cross the ocean and find the whereabouts of Sita. Thus, intellect has its own limitations. It can not enter the world of cravings and aversions. So long as Chitta is full of cravings and aversions, intellect will keep dancing to the tunes of Chitta. So long as the Chitta remains full of cravings and aversions, whatever books we read, whatever discussions we participate in, and whatever nice thoughts we develop, our actions will be driven by the cravings and aversions.

The Lanka ruled by Rakshasas (cravings and aversions) is accessible to only Mana. When Hanumana, symbolizing Mana, fully centered around Rama, jumps over the ocean, it can reach Lanka. Similarly, when the Mana, centered around the breath, jumps over the ocean of thoughts, it reaches Lanka. On the way to Lanka, the world of sensations, it will find many hurdles. Many thoughts will disturb the process and many problems will appear to be huge and try to take the attention away. Like Sursa tried to prevent Hanumana from reaching Lanka. The more we think about them the bigger they will appear. The Mana just needs to ignore them keeping the concentration on the breath, like Hanumana ignored Sursa by becoming smaller and smaller. 

As Hanuman reaches Lanka, he is able to see different Rakshasas. Similarly, when Mana crosses the ocean of thoughts, it is able to observe the cravings and aversions in the form of sensations on the body. This observation itself makes them weak. The process of observation destroys their abode like Hanumana put the entire Lanka on fire. 

After the whereabouts of Sita are found, a bridge has to be built so that Rama and his army can reach Lanka. The bridge between the intellect and the Chitta is formed by stones thrown into the sea by taking the name of Rama. The deeds, without self-interest and guided by compassion and the welfare of others, are like these stones that float over the sea and form the bridge between the world of intellect and the Chitta. 

There are many past Samskaras of that divine connection in the Chitta of each one of us in the form of Vibhishana. This Vibhishana knows the secret to killing Ravana. Similarly, as the bridge between the intellect and the Chitta is constructed, the past Samskaras of oneness start guiding us on how to kill the Ravana inside. Till Rama enters the inner world of Chitta, one needs to work slowly and steadily to strengthen the inner Vibhishana, the samskaras of oneness and divinity. 

Once Rama, Lakshmana, and his army reach Lanka, Ravana is sure to be killed and the world of cravings and aversions is bound to be centered around Rama, the divinity. Vibhishana is bound to become the king of Lanka. Till that happens, intellect will continue to dance to the tune of cravings and aversions, and listening to Satsanga and reading good books alone is not going to help us come out of this mess. We need to develop concentration to cross over the sea of thoughts and witness the sensations on the body with equanimity. We also need to do selfless deeds in this world so as to build the bridge between the inner and outer worlds. We also need to strengthen the old samskaras of divinity, as Vibhishana kept praying to Lord Rama till Rama reached Lanka. And finally, inner Ravana has to be killed by hitting an arrow right at the naval. We have to target the core of the cravings and aversions. With this exercise, the intellect will get recentered to the divinity and we will get rid of the lame arrogance of the intellect.