How is the intelligence connected with the heart?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
So thank you very much. Shri Prabhupada, the key. So how is the intellect connected with the heart? For me, if I am not intellectually satisfied, my heart doesn’t feel satisfied.
How can I go beyond this platform? Actually, for people who are of an intellectual nature, the way to the heart is through the head. So it’s only when we are intellectually convinced about something, then we can commit ourselves to it. We can do it.
And even for those who are not intellectual, some level of intellectual understanding is good. Because all of us will be subjected to feelings. The feelings will make us move up and down, up and down.
But if our intelligence is steady, then we will stay fixed in that activity irrespective of how we feel. So in general, basic level of intellectual understanding and conviction is essential for everyone. But for some of us, a higher level of intellectual conviction may be needed.
Because we are intellectuals. So then we have to find out like-minded devotees who are also intellectual and get explanations for them. So some of us, if we associate with those who are non-intellectual, then they’ll say, you know, why do you have so many questions? Can’t you just chant Hare Krishna and be happy? It doesn’t work like that.
It just doesn’t work like that. Actually, we need answers. So if we need answers, it’s not that they are wrong and we are right, or we are wrong and they are right.
It’s just that different people have different needs. So we have to find in the association of devotees, those devotees who are intellectually oriented and associate with them. Rupa Goswami says that, sa jatiya ashe bhagwat bhakti sangh.
That means he says that we need association of devotees who are like-minded. And in that like-minded association, our enquiries will not only be answered, but they will be appreciated. And those who are intellectual, they can also become good speakers, good sharers of Krishna Bhakti.
In that sense, it is valuable. It may be our need, but it is also a valuable asset in the service of Krishna. At the same time, we have to know that Krishna ultimately lies beyond the intelligence.
Jiva Goswami says that the very meaning that Krishna is supreme means that he is superior to our intelligence. If we could understand everything about Krishna with our intelligence, then our intelligence would become supreme. So Krishna’s supremacy means that he is superior to our intelligence.
And that means that on the spiritual path, our intelligence should be like our minister, not our master. A minister is someone from whom a king takes advice, takes counsel. And the minister often gives good advice.
But a master is someone who controls. So we do use our intelligence, but we understand that the intelligence is the intellectual faculty alone cannot provide me all answers. I need ultimately to practice.
Some things may make sense immediately. Some things may not make sense. But I have to keep practicing.
And by that practice, we will get realization. So if certain limbs of Bhakti, the core principles of Bhakti, definitely we need to get intellectual conviction. But some aspects, if they don’t make sense immediately, we shouldn’t let that lack of understanding become a block in our practice of Bhakti.
We can just suspend judgment about some things and keep practicing Bhakti. And as we keep practicing Bhakti, we may have associated the right kind of devotees who will provide us the answers. Sometimes just by purification, certain realization will come and we’ll get understanding.
So, to summarize, intellectual conviction is a need, it’s an asset in the practice of Bhakti. And it is, it can inspire us, propel us forward. But if it becomes a roadblock, then we should put it aside and keep practicing Bhakti still by knowing that Krishna ultimately lies beyond the intelligence.