What is difference between the mind and the intelligence?

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
Question, what is the difference between mind and intelligence? Answer, the mind is the reservoir of desires, memories and experiences. The intelligence is the faculty for discrimination and decision making. So, the mind is like the multimedia computer with its screen where inputs from various sensors are brought together, integrated and displayed.
So, if we compare our current existence to a virtual reality, the person who is observing the virtual reality may be a pilot who is doing a flight simulation using virtual reality setup. So, the pilot observing and participating in the virtual reality setup is the soul. Now, the computer screen on which the image of the war field where the fighter pilot has to simulate action in terms of attack is the mind and the character with which the pilot identifies, that means the pilot is in a particular area in the virtual reality and then there is a plane in that area which is flying overhead and there is a pilot inside that plane, that’s a virtual pilot.
So, that virtual pilot with which the pilot identifies is actually the intelligence. That means if you are watching a movie, the movie screen where we see the movie is the mind and the central protagonist, the hero in the movie with whom we identify is the intelligence. So, Srila Prabhupada’s scholarly scientist disciple, Uttakarma approved Dr. Michael Cremo has written a book called Human Devolution in which he gives a Vedic alternative to Darwinian evolution and therein he explains that based on the fourth canto description of the Puranjan metaphor, Puranjan allegory rather, it’s a story with a message.
So, there King Puranjan identifies with his wife. So, the wife is actually said to be material intelligence and Puranjan is the soul and both of them they try to enjoy. So, using this analogy, using this allegory, the whole concept of virtual reality has been developed by him.
So, constitutionally both the mind and intelligence are made of the same subtle substance in the sense that they are both, they are both subtle. The word substance when we use it is not exactly in a gross sense like earth, water, fire, air. There are different substances but in the subtle level the primary difference between the mind and intelligence is in terms of the functionality.
But this functional difference is so great that there appears to be a lot of, as I said, on the computer screen when the fighter pilot is fighting. So, now we say that there are four options. Maybe when he sees the target and he sees an anti-aircraft missile shooter leveled at him and the pilot, then he has four options.
Maybe instead of shooting at the intended target he can drop a bomb or shoot the anti-aircraft missile itself or second is he can try to just make a U-turn and flee before the anti-aircraft missile hits. Third is that he can just become a beginner, zigzag course and hope to avoid being hit by the anti-aircraft missile. Fourth is he can just act as if the anti-aircraft missile is not there and just speed across with the primary intention of reaching the target and bombing the target.
So, now these four options, this is a hypothetical example, are presented within the virtual reality of the computer. So, these options are presented by the mind. The virtual reality of the computer is computer screen wherein the options flash up.
That is like the mind. So, mind presents various options. So, for example, you are hearing this podcast.
So, at that time the mind may say, this is interesting, let me hear this. This all seems so, this seems just like science fiction. This doesn’t make sense.
I have to do so many other things. I am getting tired. I need to sleep.
So, the mind will present so many options within us. Now, depending on how strong or how weak our intelligence is, we choose an option. So, the chooser, the decision maker is the intelligence.
But the choice provider is the mind. Now, if the intelligence is not spiritually trained, is not spiritually refined, then the intelligence will often choose the option that is materially most attractive, not the option that is spiritually the best. And this way the person can get misled.
But the essential difference between the mind and intelligence is that the mind is the choice provider and the intelligence is the chooser. So, of course, the mind and intelligence both are activated ultimately because of the consciousness of the soul is projected into the subtle body and through the subtle body into the gross body and the gross world around us. So, we could say ultimately that it is the soul which is the doer, the soul which considers various options and the soul which chooses one of those options.
The soul’s consciousness is what enables everything to happen. But at the same time, there is a system, there is a mechanism, there is a structure through which the soul’s consciousness gets rooted. And in that structure, at a subtle level, the mind is the choice provider and the intelligence is the chooser.
And the whole process of bhakti is meant to at both the mental and the intellectual levels, beyond, of course, the spiritual level. So, at the intellectual level, we make our mind intelligence strong through the study of scripture and through the purification that comes by sadhana by which we get enough strength to make the right choices. So, the intelligence becomes strong and becomes a wise chooser.
And also with the process of bhakti, the mind becomes purified. So, when the intelligence is purified, the intelligence is not inclined to make wrong choices. And when the mind is purified, the mind will not provide wrong choices only.
So, for example, a person who has got the higher taste of prasad may be tempted by more sweets or more opulent food, but the person will not even consider eating meat quite often. Why? Because one has become purified so that is no longer included among the mind’s choices. So, when we chant Hare Krishna and our mind becomes purified by the chanting and remembrance of Krishna, then the choices provided by the mind will also stop being so gross and will become purer.
And this way, the process of bhakti will become