Function of Intellect

Function of Intellect..................................Shrikant Soman

Sadhak : What is the proper function of the intellect? Is it a help or a hindrance to Sadhana?

Mother : Whether the intellect is a help or a hindrance depends upon the person and upon the way in which it is used. There is a true movement of the intellect and there is a wrong movement; one helps, the other hinders. The intellect that believes too much in its own importance and wants satisfaction for its own sake, is an obstacle to the higher realisation.

SVS Interpretation of Mothers Answer
We can not attach a fixed ‘label’ to the intellect as either a HELP or a HINDRANCE to Sadhana. It can be a hindrance in one case whereas it may be a help to Sadhana. It is relative to the person who is having and using it and also to the manner in which it is being used. The true movement of the intellect helps in Sadhana and the wrong movement of the intellect hinders Sadhana. As a general rule, any ‘egoistic’ use of the intellect is an obstacle to the higher realisation. This is the intellect which believes too much in its own importance and wants satisfaction for its own sake. It is a selfish manner and therefore not the intellect per se but the selfish manner in which it is being used is a hindrance to the Sadhana.

Mother : But this is true not in any special sense or for the intellect alone, but generally and of other faculties as well. For example, people do not regard an all-engrossing satisfaction of the vital desires or the animal appetites as a virtue; the moral sense is accepted as a mentor to tell one the bounds that one may not transgress. It is only in his intellectual activities that man thinks he can do without any such mentor or censor!

SVS Interpretation of Mothers Answer
We can say that this is a general rule and not just specific to the intellect alone. This rule also applies to the all-engrossing satisfaction of the vital desires or to the animal appetites e.g. sex, money, power, food etc. However, in these matters, we have our ‘moral values’ as a guide and it helps us to decide what is good or helpful for higher realisation and what is bad or harmful on the path. Unfortunately, in the case of intellect, we tend to slip out of this moral sense. We feel that in matters of intellect, morality has nothing to do or that it is outside the scope of moral values. This is the real problem.

Mother : Any part of the being that keeps to its proper place and plays its appointed role is helpful; but directly it steps beyond its sphere, it becomes twisted and perverted and therefore false. A power has the right movement when it is set into activity for the divine’s purpose; it has the wrong movement when it is set into activity for its own satisfaction.

SVS Interpretation of Mothers Answer
To put it differently, as a general theory, all the activities of any part of our being are helpful and conducive to our Sadhana which are within their proper place and play their appointed role. When they step beyond its sphere and become twisted and perverted – they become false. The cardinal test is this : Does the movement is serving the purpose of the divine or it is driven by selfish motive ? It is a right movement when it is set into activity for the divine’s purpose. It is a wrong movement when it is set into activity for its own satisfaction. The one is based on Vidya or true knowledge and the other on Avidya or the ignorance.

Mother : The intellect, in its true nature, is an instrument of expression and action. It is something like an intermediary between the true knowledge, whose seat is in the higher regions above the mind, and realisation here below. The intellect or, generally speaking, the mind gives the form; the vital puts in the dynamism and life-power; the material comes in last and embodies.

SVS Interpretation of Mothers Answer
Let us get to the root function of the intellect. The intellect is an instrument of expression and action. Like any instrument, it does not have any intrinsic label of good or bad. A gun for example, is bad in the hands of a terrorist and good in the hands of a soldier. Intellect acts as a ‘translator and interpreter’ of higher regions above mind to help the lower regions of our being ‘understand’ the messages of true knowledge or Vidya. The intellect, as an instrument of the mind, gives the form to the Vidya. The vital part of our being puts in the dynamism and life power to make it a living entity. The material world which is at the lowest level, gives it a body and solidity. This is the place of intellect in the overall scheme of our being. It is for us to make best use of this scheme for our progress on the path towards higher realisation or go downhill in a roller-coaster ride of selfish and egoistic satisfactions.

..............................................................pg 33, Conversations 1929-1931, 5th May 1929