If we need to see intellectually before we can see visually, what about non-intellectual practitioners?

From Chiranjeev

The question is based on this article:

                 We need to see intellectually before we can see visually                

what about those people, who do Spiritual practices just as a tradition they learnt from their upbringing?? They don’t try to understand everything intellectually…

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
Question from Chiranjeevi Prabhu. What is the destination of those who practice spiritual life because of the tradition which they have got from their upbringing and don’t try to see things intellectually? This is based on article we need to see intellectually before we can see visually.
The answer depends on their level of practice. Many people who practice some kind of devotional life based on the upbringing and tradition, their practice is mostly cultural and often it may not be very committed. So, ultimately what one has to see is the transformation of the heart.
And if one is getting the heart transformed, one is actually bhakti pareesha anubhav rakti ranyatraja. Wherever there is bhakti, there is pareesha anubhav, there is experience of God and there is experience of God and that leads to rakti ranyatraja. One becomes detached from worldly passions and lives more a life in goodness and a life which is centered on God.
So, we cannot say that non-intellectuals cannot become serious devotees, definitely not. Even if they can be. At the same time, in the Bhagavad Gita’s 15th chapter, Krishna focuses if one wants to understand atma and the spiritual adhyatma tattva, then one needs jnana chakshu.
So, the last section of the Gita is focusing on the jnanis, 13th to 18th chapter and therefore his focus is on helping the jnanis or helping intellectually inclined seekers to recognize the need for accepting the intellectual framework. Earlier, Krishna is told in the 10th chapter in the Chittushloki Gita that he gives intelligence to his devotees. I mentioned this in 10.10 as well as 11.
10.10 and then then So, if somebody is sincerely practicing devotional service, Krishna will give intelligence to that person so that the ignorance that is there because of whatever past conditioning might have been there, that ignorance goes away. At the same time, just because somebody is non-intellectual doesn’t mean that person should remain ignorant about basic spiritual truths. Krishna Prabhupada would say that even an illiterate farmer in India knows about the basic principles of accountability for one’s action in terms of law of karma, is aware of the eternality of the soul and the reincarnation that happens to it over multiple lifetimes.
So, these are basic teachings which are there in the tradition and as a part of the upbringing. So, if somebody is just doing some rituals as a part of tradition and upbringing and one has not learned even the basic spiritual truths, basic philosophical truths, one may not be able to philosophically or rationally defend those beliefs in arguments, but as long as one knows these, then that basic knowledge of philosophy has to be there. Thereafter, one can go through life’s journey without losing one’s faith when some problems come up or when to our sense perception it appears as if spirituality doesn’t matter or Krishna doesn’t help.
These things can be temptations for a person because pratyaksha, the direct experience of the world is such that often the uninformed eye cannot see the role of God or even the need for God in the world and if one has to see that role and need, role of God and the need for God, one has to have jnana-yajna. Some people may have such intense devotion that they just serve the Lord out of love for Him, but most people, sadhakas are not at that level and that’s why if somebody is sincerely and devotedly practicing spiritual life without much intellectual understanding, we can appreciate the practice and recognize that that Bhakti Devi is independent of jnana and that there can be serious devotees who may not have much intellectual interrelations. At the same time, for most people, the intellect is helpful in enhancing one’s faith because often for people who are more intellectually inclined, the way to the heart is through the head.
When we are convinced about something, when we comprehend something properly, then we feel inclined to put faith in those things. So for ourselves, we should focus on trying to understand the philosophy to strengthen our faith and because the philosophy is connected with Krishna, understanding the philosophy is also a form of devotional service. As Krishna says in 18.17 in the Bhagavad Gita that one who studies this conversation is actually worshipping me with his intelligence or her intelligence.
Therefore, we respect all intellectual spiritual practitioners. At the same time, we recognize that the intellect can play an important role in stabilizing and strengthening our devotional service and using the intellect is also a form of devotional service and therefore, we follow Sri Aurobindo as an example of understanding the philosophy and emphasizing the philosophical understanding in our practice and outreach of Krishna consciousness. Thank you.