Posted on: 14 Sep 2019
Several devotees from various places, ranging from illiterate to highly qualified, came to Swami, seeking the clarification of their doubts in spiritual knowledge. Some of the prominent questions, along with the clarifications given by Swami, are given here.
The intellect (buddhi) is the faculty of logical analysis and decision-making. In that case, why does it not prevent us while committing sins, by giving a sharp decision based on logical analysis?
Swami replied: O Learned and Devoted Servants of God! The intellect is responsible for conducting logical analysis and then making the correct decisions based on the analysis. The intellect places these decisions before the person in the context of performing any action, including sinful action. But the intellect is only an advising authority, like the judge in the court. The judgment alone is given by the judge in the court, while it is executed by other departments of the government. The judge is not the implementing authority for the judgement. In fact, we hear that there are several judgments given by courts, which have not been implemented yet. If crooked people bribe the implementing authorities or use political influence on them, the judgment never gets implemented. Similarly, the intellect gives the judgment, along with the accompanying logical analysis. But the human being, being a collective group of executing systems, comes under the influence of the mind and the senses. The mind and the senses prepare a counter-judgment, using false logical analysis. It supercedes the judgment given by the lone intellect. It is just like the judgment given by a bench of judges of a higher court superceding the judgment given by the single judge of the lower court.
Sometimes, the single judge of the lower court understands that the unjust party is too powerful. He knows that they are fully capable of going to the higher court and getting a favourable judgment. So, to avoid his own insult of being superceded by the higher court, the judge of the lower court gives a judgment which is already in favour of the powerful unjust party. Similarly, the intellect also sometimes gives the wrong judgment using false analysis, in order to save its face from the insult of defeat. When the intellect decides to follow the desire of the mind, it is called ‘manīṣā’. Manīṣā’ means the intellect that follows the trend of the mind (Manonusāriṇī buddhiḥ manīṣā).
The intellect is the husband or the head of the family. The mind is its wife. The five senses are the five children. When the wife (mind) joins with her five children (senses) and begins to support them, the husband cannot control the family. Being one against many, he is helpless and the result is that the entire family drowns, as told in the Gita (Indriyāṇāṃ hi caratām...). The mind controls the five non-inert senses (jñānendriya), which are touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste. It also controls the five inert organs of action (karmendriya), which are mouth, hands, legs, anus and the sex organs. The five senses are like five sons and the five organs of action are like five daughters. If the mind, which is mother, can control her five sons, it has absolutely no difficulty in controlling her daughters too. When the mother joins forces with the five non-inert senses, the mother too becomes childish. Then, she is also to be counted as a child along with the five children. This point is stated in the Gita that there are six non-inert senses (children), which are mind and the five senses (Manaḥ Saṣṭhānīndriyāṇi...).
So, what is the way to control a person from committing sins? The father (intellect) should know the laws of the government and should tell them to the mother (mind) along with the punishments for violating the laws. When logic fails, the only way left is to threaten with the consequences of wrong deeds, which are the punishments from the authorities. The authorities could be the human government or the supreme authority, God. If the intellect only points out to the punishments given by the government, the mind will say that such punishment is escapable. A talented advocate, who pleads any case for money, can easily help one escape punishment from a court. The mind’s sinful tendency can only be controlled when the intellect threatens the mind with the inescapable punishment from God. Before the ultimate God, there are no arguments and no escape. In the case of the human judiciary, the mind may say that the judges are neither omniscient nor omnipotent. So, there is no guarantee that the court will give the correct judgement and that the judgment will actually be implemented. That is why it is important for the intellect to point to the omniscient and omnipotent God. God has the unimaginable power to know the truth and to punish sin in unimaginable ways. When the intellect is impregnated with spiritual knowledge, it is in the state of buddhi yoga, which is also known as sāṅkhya yoga or jñāna yoga. The Gita begins with this yoga because, when the intellect (father) is filled with spiritual knowledge, it can control its family consisting of the mind (mother) and the senses (children). If the mind is controlled, the senses are also naturally controlled because when both parents stand together, the children have no choice but to obey. The father can never control the family, threatening his family with his own power since the family takes advantage of him due to his lenience. Actually, the father is not even as powerful as the external government. So, the fear of the law of the land can control the mind somewhat better. But God is far far more powerful than the intellect as said in the Gita (Yo buddheḥ paratastu saḥ). He is more powerful than any human law and is, in fact, the most powerful. The Veda says that nothing and nobody can compare with God (Na tat samaḥ...). With the help of God, anything can control any other thing; anybody can control any other body.
The Veda also gives a beautiful example to understand the relation between the intellect and mind. It compares the human body to a chariot. The individual soul is the owner sitting in the chariot. The intellect is the charioteer (driver). The mind is the reins that control the horses. The senses are the horses running ahead (Atmānaṃ rathinaṃ viddhi...). The Gita says that the charioteer should drive the chariot keeping the horses in control with the help of the reins, so that the owner can travel safely (Yastvindriyāṇi...).
Today, the government has completely neglected spiritual knowledge in education. Whatever little spiritual knowledge remains in education today, is confined to small philosophy departments. In reality, spiritual knowledge must be an important part of every department and every branch of education. It should not be isolated to a very small branch or department. Ancient kings ensured that spiritual knowledge constituted 75% of every branch of education. As a result of it, all citizens had an inbuilt resistance towards sin. Governing such a self-controlled and justice-loving public was very easy. It allowed the kings and administrators a lot of leisure time to enjoy fine arts instead of struggling to control the public through ever-increasing laws, regulations, police stations and courts. Today, the blind governments are simply runing after professional education. They do not even remember the name of spiritual knowledge! Totally neglecting prevention, they are only concentrating on the cure. Spending all their efforts on ineffective controlling agencies like the courts and the police, they have developed a wonderful false sense of satisfaction that they are providing employment opportunities to the public through those agencies. Of course, their ultimate aim is not fulfilled at all! Corruption, violence and crime are rising uncontrollably in society and courts are flooded with an endless sea of pending cases. Only a fool goes on eating sugar, while simultaneously taking anti-diabetic tablets and insulin injections! PREVENTION IS FAR FAR BETTER THAN CURE!
Manonusaarinii Buddhih Maniishaa Indriyaanaam hi charataam Jnaanendriya Manah Shashthaaniindriyaani Yo Buddheh paratastu sah Na tat samah Atmaanam rathinam viddhi Yastvindiyaani