The best advice for intellectual life is to never distance oneself from religion, never allow days to pass without reading or engaging in instructive practices that prevent the spirit from distancing itself from that which is superior. The habit must be imposed, that is, it must be continued when the mind shies away, so that it influences when one is not thinking, or has forgotten the influence it can exert. Forcing the routine means not letting weaknesses interrupt a gradual process that removes obstacles so that the intellect can flourish.
Tag: philosophy
Both Christian and Eastern Traditions…
Both Christian and Eastern traditions know very well that error weighs much less heavily on the layman than on the knower. That is why it is often said that one should reflect carefully before embarking on the path of renunciation: once the vow is made, the fall is certainly more severe, and often irreversible. So it is with matters of the spirit. Woe to those who, aware of the world, propose to renounce it. From that moment on, temptations will seem endless, camouflaged ever more subtly, always lurking in anticipation of the slightest assent, which seems like nothing, but which consummates betrayal forever. From then on, one falls and falls very deep without realizing it, one begins to make simple mistakes, long since overcome, and when the mind remembers, in a fortuitous flash, the old vow, the previous state of mind that no longer exists, it wants both, but can no longer have them, and perhaps never will again.
Although It Is Much More Satisfying…
Although it is much more satisfying and stimulating to be guided strictly by interest as one progresses in one’s studies, there is no doubt that sometimes this approach can lead to a feeling of stagnation. This is because, by taking the opposite approach, that is, by conducting a systematic and in-depth study in a specific area of knowledge, progress becomes all too evident. Terminology, once absorbed, becomes commonplace; more and more details are assimilated, in an act that also strengthens the basis of the discipline, which seems to become increasingly obvious. However, on this path, one usually reaches a point where one notices the great distance already accomplished from that initial stimulus that motivated interest. Then, the philosophical impulse, which is essentially synthesizing, complains about the uselessness of specialization and calls for breadth. Thus, the tendency is to adopt the previous stance. Stagnation and uselessness, therefore, are the ghosts that the student must learn to dispel.
It Is Difficult to Direct the Will…
It is difficult to direct the will and control when one will achieve what one wants. Most of the time, when time does not cause the intention to fade, be it long-term, then it will come only when it has to come. Except for a mistake, it is Swami Sivananda who says that the noblest desires are only fulfilled by renouncing them, after many tears and great wear and tear. In any case, immersion in the process sometimes distracts the mind from the progress it is making; one progresses imperceptibly, when not experiencing a feeling of stagnation. When one least realizes it, the desired goal has been achieved or, in more beautiful cases, it simply appears, as if by grace.