Limits of
the Intellect
Of course I respect that everybody here has read the same books that I’ve read. We all read the same books so we all know what the books say but of course we don’t really ‘know’ from reading books.
Reading books is okay to start with it’s better than not reading books, but it has a limited value. In fact even going to these kind of retreats or working with a teacher all has a limit if you yourself are not motivated to do the inner looking.
There’s a very important process of taking intellectual knowledge and making a real understanding as only this real understanding will make any difference. All this intellectual stuff is alright but it doesn’t help very much
Our ego is not going to easily accept that everything we speak is rubbish even though that’s the truth. So of course it takes some time to really accept the limits of our intellect.
Its very shocking to realise that we’re so much caught up in something that’s not true, that’s completely rubbish. It’s really hard for us to understand that the spiritual work is really different from the work we did in getting educated.
It’s not about being the first one, it’s not about being the cleverest or most successful. It’s about being very ordinary, very humble all these things which are opposite to what we were taught as we grew up.
We were educated to believe that we will become happy if we become the boss, we become rich or powerful. Some kind of success will make us happy. But in the spiritual work you discover that your True Nature is happy. You don’t have to do anything for that. So this is against all our so-called education.
Of course I respect that everybody here has read the same books that I’ve read. We all read the same books so we all know what the books say but of course we don’t really ‘know’ from reading books.
Reading books is okay to start with it’s better than not reading books, but it has a limited value. In fact even going to these kind of retreats or working with a teacher all has a limit if you yourself are not motivated to do the inner looking.
There’s a very important process of taking intellectual knowledge and making a real understanding as only this real understanding will make any difference. All this intellectual stuff is alright but it doesn’t help very much
Our ego is not going to easily accept that everything we speak is rubbish even though that’s the truth. So of course it takes some time to really accept the limits of our intellect.
Its very shocking to realise that we’re so much caught up in something that’s not true, that’s completely rubbish. It’s really hard for us to understand that the spiritual work is really different from the work we did in getting educated.
It’s not about being the first one, it’s not about being the cleverest or most successful. It’s about being very ordinary, very humble all these things which are opposite to what we were taught as we grew up.
We were educated to believe that we will become happy if we become the boss, we become rich or powerful. Some kind of success will make us happy. But in the spiritual work you discover that your True Nature is happy. You don’t have to do anything for that. So this is against all our so-called education.
4 Responses
Dear Ole
You are asking for the most effective way to move away from the intellect?!
The most effective way I know is to strengthen the heart energy so you have good connection to the heart and you able to act from there.
And not to give much energy to the mind, like talking a lot…. be quiet😉
Love Barbara
Ironically, it´s surprising to see that there is no difference between “spiritual life” and life itself. It seems that true freedom is what is lived constantly, from moment to moment, and cannot be any concept, feeling or body sensation, however beautiful or ecstatic the experience might be. Why is it that we trust the intellect so much? What is the most effective way of moving beyond the intellect?
My experience is that reading books sometimes touches much deeper than on the intellectual level.
Sometimes it directly goes deep into the heart.
But one can’t do that. It appears spontaneously.
Once I took out your Pointless Book and I immediately became quiet.
Next time When I felt a bit cuckoo I remembered the book and tried to heal myself with book.
It didn’t work.
Unfortunately, I am someone who has given much importance to intellectual knowledge because I got the message in my childhood that only this makes me worthy. So it is a big step for me to let this go. I am very grateful that I also have a good connection to my intuition, it is actually less effort and natural to listen to my true nature. It is very nourishing to hear and be reminded that I need not be ambitious and strive for success, but bring my attention to the real thing, to real happiness.