What is the difference between knowledge, intelligence and self-realization?

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Transcript

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Words in the Gita say like, we have study intelligence, we have realization of the self and we also have sputna jnana, spiritual knowledge in general. So what do these refer to precisely? Okay, so you could put it in three different things over here. If you consider a flashlight, say we are searching in the dark or something and then we have a flashlight.
Now, if somebody, if you want to, if the hand is moving very much, we can’t focus and see anything. So first of all, we need a flashlight to be able to find something. Second is that we need to have some broad knowledge of where to find it.
If I have lost a key and it’s dark all around. Now, if I have lost it in my home and I’m searching in my office, I just have broad knowledge of where I’ve lost it and broad knowledge of what it looks like. Without that, I can’t find it.
And then eventually, I find it. That’s when, now I’ve got it. So with this perspective, the spiritual knowledge is like the broad map of the inner world.
It’s knowledge, jnana, the inner territory. Okay, this room is here, this is over here, this is over here, this is over here. So for example, Krishna says that we have the, our inner world is three level.
It’s body, mind and soul or gross matter, subtle matter and spirit. So this is broadly spiritual knowledge. This is the jnana, which is like the map of the territory.
Then steady intelligence. Now, intelligence is more like a flashlight. Knowledge is like the map.
When we are going on a journey, we use the intelligence to search. So Krishna says the intelligence is steady when it doesn’t get shaken too much by this or that or so many things in the world. So for example, this theme of Siddha Pragya comes repeatedly in the second chapter, when he says, दुखेश्वनु दिग्नमना सुखेश्वगे तस्प्रह वीतराग भयक्रोध सिद्धिर्मणिवुचिते यह सर्वत्र ना विस्नेह सत्तत् प्रापेशुभाशिवं ना भिनन्दिति न द्वेश्टि तस्यः प्रग्याः पतिष्रिता यह सर्वत्र ना विस्नेह सत्तत् प्रापेशुभाशिवं ना भिनन्दिति न द्वेश्टि तस्यः प्रग्याः पतिष्रिता प्रजहाति यदा कामान सर्वान पार्थमनुवरान आत्मन्येवात्मातुस्यः सिद्धिर्मणिवुचिते So basically what he is talking about is, in this world, there are many things which will capture our attention.
Broadly speaking, things that capture our attention fall into two categories, temptations and tribulations. When something promises a lot of pleasure, I want that right now. Or somebody threatens something, threatens a lot of trouble, that also consumes our attention.
So Krishna says first, in 55, He says when describing the characteristics of Siddhaprabha, Given of Serial Intelligence, just don’t take the outer world so seriously. All the desires for enjoying outer pleasures, don’t take them so seriously. Focus on inner contentment.
And once you start focusing, once you don’t take the outer world too seriously, then both outer pleasures and outer troubles, you don’t take too seriously. It’s like, say, suppose somebody is watching a cricket match and they take the cricket match very seriously, then both the win and the loss they will take seriously. But if they don’t take cricket itself seriously, then neither the win or the loss they will take seriously.
So Krishna is saying steady intelligence means that understand that matter and material things, both pleasures and troubles, they are not very substantial. So focus the torch on spiritual reality. So steady intelligence means that like if in the dark we are searching, the flashlight might show many interesting things.
But don’t get caught in everything that looks interesting. Focus on what is important for you. So the knowledge will tell, ok, this is the treasure you are looking for.
Now you may say, oh, this rock also looks nice. Maybe there’s a cave over here. Now you focus on what you’re looking for.
Let me complete this. So knowledge is, if you see in the 18th chapter, Krishna talks about knowledge in the three modes and then he talks about intelligence in the three modes. 18, 20 to 22 is knowledge.
18, 30 to 32 is intelligence in the three modes. And the broad way he differentiates it, knowledge is more in terms of how we take in the outer world. Intelligence refers to how we act on the outer world.
So knowledge is, we have Jnanendriya and Karmendriya. So knowledge is, how you take in information from the outer world, that refers to knowledge. And Karmendriya and how we act with the Karmendriya, that is buddhi.
So sthita pragya or sthira buddhi, all that refers to how we act. Now, once you have a map, we have a tall flashlight, then eventually we move till we find the treasure. Now that treasure, finding the treasure is self-realization.
So self-realization means understanding our own spiritual identity and understanding that we are part of a whole. So the Bhagavad Gita’s broad understanding, if you see 15, 7, Krishna will say, mamai vamisho jeeva loke jeeva bhuta sanatana. Because all living beings are my parts.
They are eternally my parts and if they become separated from me, they become fragmented from me, then manah shasthani indriyani prakriti sthani karshati. That they become tormented by, they become dragged here and there by the mind and senses. When they become disconnected from me.
So the way I put this was, be a part, be not apart. So be not apart from Krishna. So these three, they come together in this way.
Knowledge is the map, intelligence is the flashlight and knowledge is broadly how we have the overall understanding of the territory. Intelligence is how we act in that territory, how we use the karmendriyas and then what we find by that, what we realize is the experience, what the treasure that we discover, that is sakshatka, that is self-realization. So ultimately to understand the self.
Now this is talked about in many places, but if you read 620-23. 620-23, that is the Samadhi verses that describes how yatra uparamate chittam niruddham yoga sevaya yatra caiva atmanatmanam vasyanatmanitushyate The idea at that time Krishna says is that the mind stops getting captivated by outer things and turns inwards and starts delighting inwards. And when it starts delighting inwards, what does it mean? Again Krishna says that all that he talked about the siddha pragya earlier, the equipoise amidst externals, this will come naturally to you.
Initially it is done as an exercise. Don’t take the outer world so seriously. Don’t get so carried away.
But eventually it will become natural. It’s like somebody is very interested in cricket, but they say I don’t want to be so interested. So I’ll not hear the scores.
I’ll not talk about it. I’ll not get so involved in it. And gradually if we, not just we don’t get involved in it, but we also get involved in something constructive.
Eventually we will not take care, we will not bother so much about it. So that means in the Bhagavad Gita for the sadhaka and the siddha, you could say there is a prescription and there is a description. So what is the prescription for the sadhaka? What is the prescription for how a seeker should live is also a description of how a seer naturally lives.
So for one who has attained self-realization, all this will, equanimity and all this will come automatically. But for those who are seeking that, equanimity is to be cultivated.