Connect Your Intellect and Devoutness

There was a fire in the jungle where a blind man and a lame man were entrapped. Both were desperate to get out of jungle. They were crying and shouting for help but no one could hear them as they were deep inside the jungle. The lame person says that he is unable to run as he has only one leg. The fire was spreading fast and getting closer to him. It would not be easy to escape, because he could not run. The blind man says, “I can run but I cannot see in which direction I should run.”

Both men come up with a brilliant (Intellect) plan that they could work together and help each other escape from the raging fire. The blind man asked the lame person to climb on his shoulders. He said, “You become my eyes and I’ll be your legs”. Soon they managed to escape from the jungle and thanked each other. If they had not worked together, both would have succumbed to the fire.

In this world there are two types of persons

There are those who live by heart; they are blind. Others live by their intellect; they are lame. They can see but they cannot run. Those who are living by heart can run but they cannot see. There is a third category of people who live by keeping a balance between their heart and intellect. Then there are those who live their life immersed in the love for their Divine. For them, life is an opportunity to celebrate and praise God. For them material obsessions are meaningless. They surrender their heart unconditionally to their God but they do not use their eyes.

Those who live by intellect may have great ideas and plans but they cannot achieve them alone as they are not runners. They are lame. Similarly, the devotees who are lame will chant and sing God’s glory but may not attain God because they are not chanting with their heart. All they know is what to chant and how, how to sit and pray. But those who do the same with their heart immerse in the Divine love and unconsciously start to sway and dance and get ecstatic. As they sing, they reach the state of bliss, their destination, God and merge in Him. They realize God.

In real life, the people who have strong intellect and good ideas may achieve a lot in this lifetime. They have smart minds but they remain lame because they have not yet connected their heart with their intellect. You see all kinds of persons in society. Such people may reach their goals but may not be able to progress any further. They remain wherever they were. In order to reach the realms in life one must make work worship, live with balance, connect their own heart and intellect.
It is thus important for the knowledgeable, the wise to have devotion and for the devout to have intellect. Let both of them work like parts of one smart device.

intellect and devoutness

In this way both intellect and devoutness would complement one another and create a whole and integrated person. Then it will not take long to reach the goal. If a man is wise and devout, he will not disintegrate or wander. Even if a devout person knows very little, his persistent devotion and prayers will help him realize his hidden potential, bring new ideas within and help him succeed in this world and beyond. But it is important to note that if a devout person gives up easily and doubts the power of his prayers or efforts then he will remain incomplete.

Therefore, never allow doubts to take you over. Break and go beyond doubts, otherwise you will be like the thinking person during the First World War. When this war broke out, conscription was introduced. One person, who was given to excessive thinking and less action, was recruited. He was brought and made to wait. After sometime he was presented to the commander. The commander ordered, “Turn left, turn right, move forward, and turn back.” That man turned neither left nor right; neither did he move forward nor turned back. He stood still in the same position.

What’s the matter?

The commander asked, “What’s the matter?” He replied, “I do not do anything without proper thinking. I act only after I have understood clearly then I decide whether to turn left or right. First explain to me why I have to turn left and why left, why not right. And then after turning right I have to turn left and then stand straight. Instead of making all these turns and coming back to the same position, I am better off standing as I am right now.”

The commander called out a peon and asked him to take that man to the kitchen. This man is not good for the military. He seems a little crazy but he can work in the kitchen. The man said, “I am not crazy, I work after careful thinking. I work logically.” The commander said, “Fine, go to the kitchen, sit there and decide.” The peon took him to kitchen and left him there. The commander followed him, and said, “Pal, since you do not wish to turn left and right, here are some peapods for you to shell. Sort them out into these two baskets. Place big peas in one basket and bigger ones in the other basket. You have to do this task only.”

The man stood in the kitchen looking at the baskets and the peas. The commander returned after two hours and saw the man standing idle. He asked, “Why have you not done anything?” The man replied, “you told me to place big peas in one and the smaller ones in the second. But some peas may be of medium size also. You have not provided clear instructions as to where to place them. Once I know, I shall start shelling the peapods.” Now the commander held his head in frustration and concluded that the man was beyond reform. In fact, he was trying to instruct the commander.

There are some people of this sort as well. They contemplate and overthink their entire life: they create confusion for themselves and for those around him. Such people do not reach anywhere. And some persons are so blind that they are not ready to think anything. They will believe fake information and trust it blindly. This is the most dangerous and can cause more harm than benefit. Let your eyes be open and let your feet be ready to run. One should be ready to move in the right direction with open eyes. Those who can move in this manner can swim across the ocean of the world.

Therefore, it is said here by Adi Shankaracharya, “May I swim across the ocean of the world! O Beginningless, endless Parmatma! Kindly do something for me. Show Your grace so that I attain my real well-being and really, meaningfully recite and repeat Your name.”