On Intellect

Swami Vivekananda on Intellect:

Intellect can never become inspired; only the heart when it is enlightened, becomes inspired. An intellectual, heartless man never becomes an inspired man.

Follow the heart. A pure heart sees beyond the intellect; it gets inspired; it knows things that reason can never know, and whenever there is conflict between the pure heart and the intellect, always side with the pure heart, even if you think what your heart is doing is unreasonable.

If you want to be intellectual, work it out on the intellectual plane, and intellectual giants you shall be.

We have to go beyond the intellect; the proof of religion is in direct perception.

Never was seen any gross matter which had intelligence as its own essence. No dull or dead matter can illumine itself. It is intelligence that illumines all matter.

We may study books all our lives, we may become very intellectual, but in the end we find we have not developed at all spiritually.

Intelligence belongs to nature, inasmuch as it comes through nature.

In studying books, sometimes we are deluded into thinking that we are being spiritually helped; but if we analyse ourselves, we shall find that only our intellect has been helped, and not the spirit.

Intellect is necessary, for without it we fall into crude errors and make all sorts of mistakes. Intellect checks these; but beyond that, do not try to build anything upon it. It is an inactive, secondary help; the real help is feeling, love.

If you do not feel for others, you may be the most intellectual giant ever born, but you will be nothing; you are but dry intellect, and you will remain so.

It is possible to have the intellect of a Shankara with the heart of a Buddha.

Intellect is like limbs without the power of locomotion. It is only when feeling enters and gives them motion that they move and work on others.

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