Intellect and Wisdom

Intellect is local. Wisdom is universal. Two birds are sitting perched on a tree. The first bird is highly intellectual and claims complete understanding of mathematics, mechanics and science. A stiff wind blows. The bird computes the wind speed and wind loads on the tree trunk, gets the diameter of the tree trunk, obtains the modulus of elasticity of the wood and after some computations based upon the theory of solid mechanics, determines that the tree should be able to withstand the wind load and so happily chirps away!!

The second bird sees the wrath of the wind Gods and simply determines “I am out of here” and flies away to a covered cave. What the first bird did not take into account was that towards the very bottom of the tree trunk, some rats had been gnawing at the wood of the tree and had weakened the tree trunk. The wind was too much for the tree; the tree came down and the first bird exited the world. The first bird was intelligent; the second wise.

Wisdom does not require formal training in any field of education. It simply has been blessed on all living beings by the Divine. Intelligence in the modern world is measured by artificial test scores on stupid SAT, ACT, MCAT, LSAT and meaningless standardized tests. Wisdom is eternal. Wisdom of the ancient sages is valid even today.

In a broader sense, intellect comes in the way of Self Realization. The mind which plays the important role of enabling survival itself also performs the role of logic and reasoning which come in the way of sat-chit-ananda which is the experience of eternal bliss. To understand this, one can imagine the mind to be an extension of the five senses and consider it to be the master of the five senses. Anything that can be sensed by the eyes, nose, tongue, ears or the skin takes one away farther and farther from Self Realization. Not to say that the mind and the five senses have no place in life; they do; but they are a hindrance in experiencing the Divine inside.

In a deeper sense, the mind shoves the being deeper into Maya – the Great Illusion. Maya is also connected strongly with Ahankara – the Ego.

A man in a forest falls into a well and to protect himself holds on to a creeper. At the bottom of the well is a hungry crocodile. Scared, the man looks up and there is a beehive on a tree right above the well. From the beehive, drops of honey fall; the man opens his mouth and starts enjoying the honey. Two rats above keep gnawing at the creeper. The creeper eventually breaks and the agitated man becomes the meal of the crocodile. The illusion of the enjoyment of honey is temporary; the Enlightened man observes the temporary nature of all that is perceived including the body and remains unperturbed. Awareness is calming.