WEDNSEDAY WISDOM-II

INTELLECTUAL ACTIVITY :
The title is perhaps an example of self contradiction. Intellect and activity are usually at cross roads. Action of any kind is below dignity of the title " intellectual". I do not mean to be scenic. It is a matter of direct experience and inference too.
For sake of brevity let me explain that I am referring to BUDHHI by the term intellect and KARMA by the term activity. The intellect is compounded with mind, ego and consciousness to complete what is referred as subtle body of human being. The gross body is slave of subtle body. pampered,punished, directed, rested and many other things are always endeavours of subtle body,the mind playing the most significant part. That is why the mind is referred as the King of organs. The intellect is not required for every activity. Impulses are good enough to undertake them. The activity is calssified under five types. NITYA, NAIMITTIK, KAMYA, NISHIDHHA and PASCHATTAPA. The routine activities like getting out of bed, self cleaning, eating etc. are the first type of activities. Special occasions need special activities like festival, weddings etc. They are of the second type. Both these activities do not need special purpose or motive. The third type of activity is born out of desires and their fulfilment. If desires of two or more are at cross roads, there is fight. If they are synchronised then there is celebrations. The forth kind of activities are born out of jealousy, hatred etc. and destructive in nature. Some times the fifth type of activity is not considered as separate but by-product of the forth. If some terrible act is performed and if the person is repesnting then only it can mature for undertaking. Whatever may be type of activity, it is always propelled by mind and not the Intellect.

Vedic philosophy tells us that mind is Sankalpa-vikalpatmaka while the intellect is nischayatmaka . It is mind which decides what is liked and what is disliked. That is done by the tendencies accumulated through memories, either from this birth or previous ones. It judges every stimulus received by screening through sieves of likes and dislikes. The intellect on the other hand does not receive any stimulus, The analytical capacity will weigh pros and cons and decide what is good and not what is liked. The mind does not mind intellect as long as it does not interfere into it's sphere. The intellect may read, write, analyse, give lectures or do whatever so long as it allows the mind to go on its monkey business. For most of the people the mind and the intellect live in water tight compartments, not to be mixed. For the learned who wants to put into practice what he preaches two cannot be so indifferent. The mind who ultimately orders organs to perform must be brought under control of the intellect and asked to give up its instinctive ways. That does not happen. The intellect broods and the mind goes around doing monkey business ,That is the reason for the intellectuals are averse to activities. They understand futility of monkey business of mind but no determination to control it. Only rare chosen few have learnt the knack of bringing the mind under control of the intellect and order it to undertake the activities that are not dear but are duty bound. The duty not decided by any other boss but your own intellect. The joy can be found in duty if mind accepts it. The mind will accept it only when it is brought under control of the intellect.

Easy to say then do.

Arvind Khare
khare_am@yahoo.com
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