Intellectual -what it is? Or who it is?

 Intellectual -what it is? Or who it is?

"The spirit of Advaita is not to keep away from anything, but to keep in tune with everything." - Swami Chinmayananda.

One may wonder what relevance does the above quotation have when discussing intellect.

First we need to know what we mean by intellect /intelligence.

That’s why even the most well meaning and super intellectual giants if they fail to grasp reality as it is without any preconceived frames of references end up becoming frustrated /depressed and desperate because very often there are numerous things /events/persons  happen to deliver things which are beyond any intellectual analysis or appropriation.

The possibilities that exist between, beneath and beyond ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ are numerous for intellect to grab and give a name or label.

I remember vaguely reading a translation of a Zen poem titled ‘The logic of non intellectual reality’ if I happen to somehow get it I shall share it [I think it was in one issue of Theosophical Digest published in Philippines]

Intellect/intelligence/intellectual are some of the terminologies which are very often used interchangeably which itself is wrong and I can produce a huge list of things which people mistake for intellectualism.

http://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2013/01/intellectual-curiosity.html

http://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2012/08/evening-with-sage-by-arthur-isenberg.html

http://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2014/10/super-intelligent-human-beings.html

http://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2016/01/dry-intellect-alone-cannot-reveal.html

One of the intellectual giants of this century who had such an impact on youth across the world , I too was a great fan of her, and spent the last few years of her life in mental asylum –the one and only great Ayn Rand.

As for the recent appropriation and branding of Indian intelligentsia, the less said the better.

http://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2015/10/intelligentsia.html

But whether we like it or not and whatever we may say or do, what is required is sanity and humane approach to deal with any sort of extraneous identity- be it nationality, religion, ideology, race, class etc. The first step in this process is being diplomatic and frugal in words and avoiding provocative statements and inviting controversies.