47 Why some people are knowledgeably ignorant or intelligently foolish

So today we are discussing one of the key concepts in the Gita about the subtlety and the complexity by which the modes interact with each other. So I’ll talk about this based on 18.35 in the Bhagavad Gita, which talks about intelligence in the mode of ignorance. Krishna is speaking here that actually he is giving the characteristics of laziness, fearfulness, lamenting, illusion, and dreaminess. When one doesn’t give that up, that is intelligence in the mode of ignorance. So we’ll discuss these two concepts today: how knowledge and ignorance, we normally think of knowledge as the opposite of ignorance, but how they may not be opposite, and how intelligence and foolishness can both go together. And then lastly, we will try to discuss how knowledge and intelligence can work for us and not against us.

Now in the overall flow of the Gita, this is an analysis of how action works or how we can make action work in a way that is uplifting and not degrading for us. In the previous session, we discussed the various factors in action, and we also discussed what the concept of the doer is or what it means when it is said that we are not the doers. It primarily means we are not the sole doers. So today we’ll discuss how there are two resources which are critical for action, and how these resources relate to each other and what it means for us when we function in our lives. So for example, the way the Gita differentiates between knowledge and intelligence, let’s look at that first.

Now we can use the word knowledge in various senses. Knowledge can refer to the information content in our brain. It can refer to, “Oh, this person has a lot of knowledge.” Somebody can have a lot of political knowledge, somebody can have sports knowledge, somebody can have philosophical knowledge, so it can refer to information content in the brain. Knowledge is also used in a more nuanced sense when Krishna talks about Jnana in the 13th chapter. It talks about qualities, values, virtues. So the self and its value system can refer to knowledge, and knowledge can be referred to as vision or our map of the world. Krishna uses Jnana in that sense, how we perceive the world. So if we wanted to, if the word knowledge is a little confusing in this particular context, here what it means is perception. How are we perceiving the world?

So we could also say that this perception in the three modes, when we act, we perceive the world, then we process that information in our head, and then we pursue something—we act to achieve something. So that is, so perception is what Krishna talks about in terms of knowledge. And then what does intelligence mean? So knowing, intelligence can mean knowing how and why to keep things in perspective. Intelligence, it is, we have discussed earlier how it refers to keeping things in perspective and making sure that small things don’t overshadow big things in our life, that we keep small things small and keep big things big. So that is one way of understanding intelligence. Here, it refers basically to how we function purposefully in the world. So in that sense, if you want to use a driving metaphor, I’ll come to this metaphor toward the end again in the talk.

Say if you’re driving, somebody has a proper map. And by map, I just don’t refer to Google Maps, but also one is perceiving, “Okay, this is the right turn over here. This is a school section, so I have to drive slowly over here.” So it is taking in the information properly. So having a proper map, having a proper awareness of the territory in which we are driving, that is knowledge. And then just having that awareness is not enough for actually driving well. Driving well means knowing when to press the gas, when to press the brakes, how much distance to keep between one vehicle and the next vehicle, how to take turns properly. So there is a driving awareness, and then there is driving ability. So when Krishna uses the word knowledge, he’s referring to driving awareness. And when Krishna is referring to intelligence, he’s referring to driving ability.

So when he talks about intelligence, you’ll see he’s talking about how we navigate, how our senses and how we pursue purposeful activities in our life. That’s what he’s talking about in terms of intelligence. So why is this important? Because say in today’s world, we will be able to, we’ll see many people who are at one level very knowledgeable. And at another level, they seem to be ignorant, they seem to be foolish. So that means in terms of, say, their awareness, they might be very intelligent, they might have a lot of awareness, but in terms of their ability, they may not have much ability.

Now this kind of cognitive resonance struck me for the first time in my college days. When I studied engineering, I saw it as I was more interested in science. And I thought the study of science and overall scientific knowledge, applied scientific knowledge also, as a way to improve human society and not just improve human society by providing better facilities for living. But I thought that just the quest for knowledge would be so exciting and fulfilling that that would improve human character also. But then I noticed that there were people who were brilliant, as people were far more—the students were far more brilliant than me. And yet, behaviorally, they seemed to be deficient. They had many bad habits, and they seemed to be indulging in activities that were self-destructive. Somebody who could brilliantly process any electronics engineering problem, a person was a chain smoker, and I couldn’t understand why. So that person had the ability, a lot of ability, but in terms of activity, sorry, in terms of awareness, that person had a lot of information, but in terms of actual functioning in the world, it was not so good.

So that’s why we discussed two things as a topic today: how can somebody be knowledgeably ignorant? And how can somebody be intelligently foolish? So we see this a lot in today’s world because we have progressed a lot in various branches of knowledge. So whether it be in the—not just scientific knowledge, scientific knowledge, there’s phenomenal progress, but in various other areas also, there can be linguistic knowledge in which there can be a lot of progress. And what to speak of some people might study humanities, and they will study philosophy, and they might have a lot of philosophical awareness, we could say. But does that translate into any more uplifting or enlightened form of living? Not necessarily. So that’s what we’ll try to discuss today. And so once you get these two definitions of knowledge and intelligence clear for ourselves, let’s move forward.

So Krishna talks about knowledge in the three modes. And what does he say about this knowledge in the three modes? In knowledge and ignorance, what happens over there is this: knowledge and ignorance is when one only sees the things that confirm our existing conceptions and we reject everything else. So Krishna talks about this in 18.22, and there he says that, “When one takes one thing to be everything, that is knowledge in the mode of ignorance.” And so if you consider knowledge to be like a big circle, it’s only one small fragment of that knowledge one is taking, and one is rejecting everything else. So that is knowledge in the mode of ignorance. And knowledge in the mode of passion is “Pratakvenatuyatgyanam nanabhavan pratakvidhan vittisarveshu bhuteshu tadgyanam viddhirajasam.” So where one sees only the material side of reality and not only the material side, it’s only the sensual side.

In the context of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna uses the example that when one looks at people and sees that their bodies are who they are essentially and there’s nothing beyond that, that is knowledge in the mode of passion. So then there is knowledge in the mode of goodness where one sees matter and spirit both, where one sees that there is one indivisible reality beyond all the variable realities that are seen at the surface of the material level. That is knowledge in the mode of goodness. So we could extrapolate this: specifically it refers to how—so to put it in one way, in goodness they say matter and spirit both. So it’s more of a holistic vision. In passion, there is only material vision and material vision in pursuance of one’s desires. And in ignorance, there is not even a complete material vision. There is only that part of material reality which reinforces one’s conceptions. That is knowledge in the mode of ignorance.

So we could say that many people have prejudices. Say some people have prejudices or biases, and when they are prejudiced or biased, what happens basically? So if somebody has a prejudice that people from this community are like this, say people from this religion are like this, people from this country are like this, then whoever they see those people who behave like that, that reinforces their idea. And if anybody doesn’t behave like that, they just reject that idea. They just reject that perception. It doesn’t just enter, they don’t even process it—they neglect it completely. So that is how people live in what is often called the echo chamber.

An echo chamber occurs when we only hear those who agree with us and reject those who disagree, effectively blocking out diverse perspectives. This leads to the misconception that we are learning, while in fact, we are only reinforcing our pre-existing beliefs. At some level, a certain amount of processing of information is inevitable because the world is too complex for us to take in everything at once. To revisit the driving metaphor, imagine if we believe that a road is smooth in a certain locality. If we ignore the parts of the road that have bumps or potholes, we are missing crucial aspects of reality, which leads to an unhealthy approach. So, the challenge here is that we might have a map, but it becomes so dominant that we no longer see the actual territory; we only see the map. We need to see both—the map and the reality it represents—if we are to function holistically.

One aspect of reality cannot be taken as the entire reality. For instance, knowledge in the mode of ignorance occurs when we take only one small fragment of reality and treat it as the whole. This creates a false sense of understanding, where we gain information that only confirms our biases, further blinding us to other perspectives. This reinforces ignorance rather than removing it. A clear example of this is scientism—the belief that science is the only legitimate means of understanding reality, disregarding anything that cannot be scientifically measured. This kind of knowledge may provide information, but it doesn’t eliminate ignorance; it reinforces it by narrowing the scope of perception and rejecting broader realities.

When we talk about knowledge in the modes, knowledge in the mode of goodness helps to remove ignorance. In the mode of passion, knowledge may reduce ignorance but still lacks a holistic understanding. Knowledge in the mode of ignorance, on the other hand, just reinforces ignorance by narrowing our worldview. People often make assumptions based on limited information—this is the cognitive dualism at play. If we look at a painting, for example, we can focus either on the individual colors or the overall depiction of a face. Both are real, but they offer different perspectives. Similarly, in life, we are constantly processing both physical and non-physical realities, such as values and emotions, which cannot always be measured or seen in purely physical terms.

This duality also plays out in cognitive and substance dualism: cognitive dualism refers to our ability to perceive reality in multiple ways, and substance dualism acknowledges that there are two levels of reality—physical and spiritual. To understand the world accurately, we must process it using both perspectives, not just one. For example, if we consider a moral action like honesty, while honesty itself is not physically measurable, we perceive it through actions and make inferences about its presence. Thus, to function effectively in life, we need to move beyond empirical observations to make inferences based on values and virtues.

Krishna’s teachings in the Gita reflect this complexity. Knowledge in the mode of ignorance is fragmented, leading us to believe we know more than we do and preventing us from understanding the full picture of reality. Intelligence in ignorance justifies our wrongdoings, while intelligence in passion pursues only those things we desire, often with some level of regulation, but still limited to material goals. In contrast, intelligence in the mode of goodness helps us discern what is truly beneficial and aligns our actions with a higher, more holistic purpose. Krishna’s guidance helps us understand that the pursuit of knowledge and intelligence must go beyond narrow perspectives to lead us toward a life of meaningful purpose and liberation.

When Krishna says that when one pursues something wrong, it is taken to be the right thing, that is intelligence in the mode of ignorance. Going back to the example of driving, consider the lane you should drive in and the side of the road you should be on. This isn’t just awareness but also the ability to drive properly. This is intelligence. However, when one lacks that understanding, they drive destructively, harming themselves. This is intelligence in the mode of ignorance, where people may pursue the wrong things and convince themselves it is the right path.

In the mode of goodness, we understand what is worth pursuing in life, and we pursue it accordingly. But in ignorance, we may pursue wrong things and justify them, even persuading others that they are right. This leads to rationalization, where we tell ourselves rational lies, misleading our own perception of what is truly necessary.

For example, advertising today is a brilliant use of intelligence. The way products are marketed, the kinds of images and sounds used, and the special effects are all carefully designed to trigger specific desires. Intelligence is at work here, but it is being used to manipulate people, keeping them in ignorance. The advertising industry makes us believe that we need things that we don’t actually need, turning luxuries into perceived necessities, and driving people to obsess over acquiring them.

This is how intelligence can be misused in ignorance. We end up doing things we don’t need to do, believing that we need to do them. If we compare life to driving, knowledge is like a map, and intelligence is our driving ability. We need both—awareness of the road and the skill to drive properly.

It becomes complicated when knowledge and intelligence are influenced by the modes of nature (goodness, passion, and ignorance). A person may have knowledge in the mode of goodness but act in ignorance, or they might have knowledge in passion and intelligence in ignorance. Just because someone has good knowledge doesn’t mean their intelligence will align with it, and vice versa. For example, someone might have a great map (knowledge) but poor driving skills (intelligence), leading them to head in the right direction but causing damage along the way. Alternatively, someone with good driving skills (intelligence) but a poor map (wrong knowledge) may drive smoothly but miss their intended destination.

Thus, knowledge and intelligence are distinct faculties. A person’s knowledge might be in goodness, but their intelligence may not be. This is why the interplay between the modes is so complex. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna tells Arjuna, “You are speaking wise words, but your emotions and actions are unwise.” This shows a disconnect between knowledge and intelligence.

We must strive to align both knowledge and intelligence in a way that elevates us. One modern example of this complexity is the degeneration of secularism. Secularism began as a neutral stance toward religion, which was reasonable at the time, especially as the world became more connected. Before modern transportation and communication, different regions had different cultures and religions, so it made sense for the state to remain neutral. In ancient India, for instance, King Yudhishthira, though a Vaishnava, respected all religious traditions within his kingdom—Shiva worshippers, Shaktas, and impersonalists alike.

However, over time, secularism evolved, and its original neutrality became distorted, leading to complications that could not have been anticipated. Similarly, many ideologies, starting with good intentions, can become degenerated when they are no longer aligned with their original principles.

Secularism, in the sense of neutrality toward religion, aligns closely with Vedic values. In ancient times, the king’s duty was to establish dharma—a term encompassing basic moral conduct and societal order—rather than to enforce bhakti (devotional practices). The king was tasked with maintaining law and order, allowing individuals the freedom to pursue their spiritual growth in their own ways. Facilities were provided for people to practice their beliefs and pursue spiritual aspirations as per their inclinations.

However, neutrality in this context did not imply passivity. For instance, the Pandavas in the Mahabharata respected and interacted with various spiritual traditions. They worshiped the devatas (deities), and there was no taboo surrounding these practices. Though these interactions occurred within the broader Vedic tradition, they exemplify an openness and inclusivity. While other religions as we know them today did not exist during the Mahabharata’s time, the state refrained from enforcing a singular religious belief system.

This can be seen as a form of humility in governance—a recognition that the king cannot legislate matters of the heart. Governance focused on societal well-being, prohibiting harmful actions such as theft or violence, while leaving personal beliefs and meditations to the individual. Beliefs cannot be imposed; they must be inspired. This distinction between dharma (societal law) and bhakti (personal devotion) reflects a separation akin to the modern idea of separating religion from the state.

This principle of secularism resonates with the philosophy that laws should consider not only the good they can achieve when enforced by virtuous leaders but also the harm they might cause if enforced by those with malicious intent. In Vedic society, this was reflected in the delineation of roles: kshatriyas (warriors) maintained order, brahmanas (priests) provided spiritual guidance, and vaishyas (merchants) managed commerce. Each group operated within its jurisdiction, maintaining balance in society.

In the Western world, secularism emerged more prominently after prolonged conflicts over religious dominance, such as the Hundred Years’ War and the Protestant Reformation. Initially, much of Europe was under the Catholic Church’s authority, with the Pope acting as a figure above kings. However, with the Reformation, Europe saw divisions between Catholic and Protestant states, leading to wars and colonial conflicts across the globe. Over time, Western societies adopted a model where the state’s primary role was to maintain law and order, leaving matters of faith to individuals.

This neutrality toward religion was initially beneficial, as it reduced conflicts and fostered coexistence. However, over time, this neutrality evolved into apathy and eventually antipathy toward religion. In modern times, many states implement policies that inadvertently or explicitly marginalize religious practices. For example, during recent global lockdowns, many religious places were closed, while abortion clinics remained open, deemed “essential services.” This raises questions about the criteria used to determine what is essential, revealing a subtle bias against religion.

Secularism, when practiced as genuine neutrality, respects the domain of the heart and personal belief. However, when it becomes dismissive or hostile toward religion, it risks undermining the foundational values of mutual respect and freedom of conscience. True secularism upholds the balance where the state enforces basic societal morality without encroaching on individual spiritual freedoms. This nuanced approach resonates with the Vedic tradition’s emphasis on maintaining societal harmony while respecting personal spiritual growth.

Understanding the Disconnect Between Life’s Functioning and Purpose

Modern life often feels increasingly disconnected from its overall purpose or larger picture. While society’s functioning demands considerable intelligence—evident in innovations like electricity, the internet, and essential services—its underlying value system may lack soundness, leading to potential societal catastrophes.

Dharma and Bhakti: Clarifying Their Roles

In English, there is often no precise word to distinguish between dharma and bhakti. Dharma, as described in the Bhagavad Gita, is not merely religion but refers to law, order, and moral structure in society. Bhakti, on the other hand, is devotion and one aspect of religion, yet it transcends religion in its pure form.

Neutrality toward an object of devotion is acceptable. However, apathy or antipathy toward morality and societal values is harmful. When life becomes excessively compartmentalized—separating the spiritual, moral, and material dimensions—it leads to dysfunction and destruction.

Knowledge and Intelligence: Their Interplay

The Bhagavad Gita emphasizes living with both knowledge and intelligence. Knowledge refers to awareness, like having a map for direction, while intelligence involves the ability to act correctly, akin to having the skill to drive. The interplay between these two determines whether life is well-regulated and well-directed.

Knowledge and Intelligence in the Three Modes

1. Knowledge in the Modes:
   • Ignorance: Awareness limited to fragments of reality or distorted perceptions.
   • Passion: Awareness focused only on material realities.
   • Goodness: Awareness of both material and spiritual dimensions.
2. Intelligence in the Modes:
   • Ignorance: Rationalizes and perpetuates harmful behavior.
   • Passion: Driven by self-centered goals without higher purpose.
   • Goodness: Guides regulated living and ethical decision-making.

Complex Interactions

Knowledge and intelligence interact in nuanced ways. For example, scientism—a fixation on empirical data without spiritual context—can represent knowledge in ignorance. Similarly, secularism, while maintaining neutrality in governance, may lead to excessive compartmentalization, ignoring the interconnectedness of morality, belief, and societal values.

Maya and Ignorance

Maya, meaning illusion, plays a role in leading individuals toward ignorance by presenting misleading options. However, the responsibility lies with the individual who chooses wrongly. Maya does not cause ignorance; rather, it tests us. Just as a teacher sets an exam with incorrect answer choices, maya provides illusions, but it is up to us to discern and act wisely.

Integrating Knowledge and Intelligence

To lead a meaningful and fruitful life, one must harmonize knowledge and intelligence:

• Knowledge helps direct our actions.
• Intelligence helps regulate those actions.

The Bhagavad Gita inspired Arjuna to live both well-directed and well-regulated. Similarly, when we align our consciousness with spiritual wisdom—”Krishna-ize” it—knowledge and intelligence become our allies, leading us to a balanced and purposeful life.

Summary

1. We discussed how life’s functioning can disconnect from its purpose.
2. Clarified dharma (law and order) and bhakti (devotion).
3. Explored knowledge and intelligence in the three modes, emphasizing their interplay.
4. Addressed maya’s role as an external factor influencing ignorance while emphasizing personal responsibility.
5. Highlighted the importance of integrating knowledge and intelligence for a meaningful life.

Q&A Discussion

Question: Does maya put us in ignorance, making us act blindly?
Answer: Maya, as an agency of illusion, provides options that may lead to ignorance. However, we are responsible for choosing those paths. Often, in hindsight, we realize our ignorance during past actions. This self-awareness highlights the need for cultivating knowledge and intelligence grounded in spiritual wisdom.

I think this is where I need clarity. How could we have avoided the situation? Sometimes, I feel like—yes, thank you—if ignorance is already present, how do we come out of it? What causes it? Maya (illusion) definitely plays a role. Its influences are present within our consciousness and circumstances. We need to start wherever we can.

There are things that are clearly black or white—actions we know are right or wrong. Then there’s a lot in between: the shades of gray where we’re unsure of what to do. Instead of starting with the ambiguous shades of gray, we should focus on the black and white. Let’s try to do the things we know are right and avoid what we know is wrong. Gradually, we can grow from there.

Countering ignorance isn’t easy. First, we need to recognize it. But wherever we do recognize it, we should act on it. Growth in any area is incremental. Just like in exercising, we don’t start by lifting heavy weights. Even in a gym where others lift big weights, we begin with what we can manage. Similarly, we start with the basics and build from there. Focus on what’s clearly black and white, and then address the shades of gray.

Now, about a follow-up question: I’ve had situations where I now realize I acted out of ignorance. One thought that comes to mind is—was it destined to happen due to my past karma? Could it have been unavoidable? How do we understand the balance between destiny and free will?

This is tough. When we reflect on certain decisions, we may now see them as wrong, but at the time, they might have felt inevitable. Was that destiny? Determining what’s right or wrong isn’t always straightforward. There are three factors to consider: content (what we do), intent (why we do it), and consequence (the outcome).

For example, a surgeon using a knife to operate has a good intent—to heal the patient. The content—performing surgery—is correct. However, if the consequence is a failed surgery leading to the patient’s death, things change. The surgeon might realize later that certain types of patients are more vulnerable, and adjustments are necessary.

Similarly, during the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, the intent was to save lives, and the content—developing the vaccine—was sound. But unforeseen consequences, like adverse reactions, required some vaccines to be paused or reevaluated. Sometimes, we learn about right and wrong through consequences, even when intent and content were appropriate.

If we try to correct someone, our intent might be good, and we may express ourselves respectfully. But if the person reacts aggressively or defensively, the consequence may teach us it’s better to avoid correcting them in the future. Consequences sometimes define the appropriateness of an action.

So, was it destiny? Or something else? Reflecting on life is like driving on a road. If we meet with an accident on what’s usually a smooth road, we might call it destiny. But if we were distracted, sleepy, or otherwise negligent, it’s on us.

The best approach is to learn from every situation and move forward. Sometimes, despite our efforts, things go wrong. At such times, we can accept it as destiny and move on.

Take the Mahabharata: both Bhishma and Duryodhana fought on the side of adharma. But were they morally equivalent? No. Bhishma was circumstantially bound by his vow, while Duryodhana acted out of malevolence. Bhishma’s actions could be seen as influenced by destiny, while Duryodhana’s stemmed from envy, anger, and obstinacy.

The Bhagavad Gita differentiates between such warriors. Some, like Bhishma, are like rivers flowing naturally toward the ocean—fulfilling their destiny. Others, like Duryodhana, are like moths drawn to fire, willfully choosing destruction.

Does this address your question?

From paramparanam, there’s a question: if we keep making wrong choices, does Maya (illusion) present us with more wrong choices, thus further conditioning us? Do we develop a taste for wrong choices?

Yes, that does happen. This isn’t just a static process—it’s a dynamic one. A static test, for example, would be a fixed set of 10, 50, or 100 predefined questions that follow a fixed sequence. A dynamic test, on the other hand, adapts based on how we perform. If we give a wrong answer, the next question may adjust accordingly, testing us at a lower level. If we answer correctly, the next question might test us at a higher level.

The tests of Maya are dynamic, much like a live interview. In a written exam, all questions are predetermined. But in an interview, the questions can shift depending on the answers given, probing deeper into areas of understanding. Similarly, Maya’s exams evolve based on our previous choices.

Even if we develop a taste for wrong choices, we still retain the ability to choose. For instance, someone addicted to alcohol may have limited freedom, but within those limits, they can still choose whether to take one drink, two drinks, or ten. While past choices can narrow the scope of our current choices, they don’t entirely take away our ability to choose.

Think of a dynamic test: after a series of wrong answers, the questions may become simpler, but the ability to answer correctly or incorrectly still remains. Similarly, wherever we are, we retain the capacity to make the right choice and either ascend or descend from that point.

The Last Question

Is the mind superior to the intelligence, or is the intelligence superior to the mind? Why is the mind said to be a product of ego in goodness, and the intelligence a product of ego in passion?

This involves multiple layers. While I could explain this through the technicalities of Sankhya philosophy, let’s approach it from a functional perspective.

The mind’s function is to maintain our material existence, while the intelligence’s function is to expand our material existence.

Mind and Intelligence in Functionality

1. Mind’s Function: The mind operates in the realm of dualities: “Do this, don’t do this,” or “Choose this, not that.” It perpetuates material desires by presenting repetitive choices.
2. Intelligence’s Function: Intelligence expands possibilities. It introduces newer and broader ways of engaging with the material world.

For example, technological advancements involve significant intelligence. These advancements have expanded the avenues for worldly enjoyment. In the past, watching a movie required visiting a theater. Today, we can stream endless movies online. Similarly, the accessibility of obscenity has increased exponentially—what was difficult to access in the past is now available instantly.

This illustrates how intelligence expands the scope of material engagement. Thus, from a functional perspective:

• The mind is associated with maintenance (mode of goodness).
• The intelligence is associated with creation/expansion (mode of passion).

Spiritual Application

While intelligence can expand material options, it can also expand spiritual options. For example, during times when physical visits to temples became challenging, intelligence enabled the use of online platforms for spiritual discussions and classes, making them more interactive and accessible.

The mind proposes desires, but the intelligence decides how to act on them. If intelligence simply serves the mind, it finds ways to fulfill every desire. However, intelligence can also regulate the mind by evaluating whether a desire is worth fulfilling.

When intelligence regulates the mind, it helps us elevate spiritually. But when it obeys the mind, it deepens our material entanglement.

The Role of Ego

From the perspective of Sankhya philosophy, the mind is a product of ego in goodness, and the intelligence is a product of ego in passion.

• Ego in goodness maintains the status quo, so the mind keeps proposing repetitive desires (e.g., eating the same food repeatedly).
• Ego in passion creates and expands, so intelligence generates new ways to fulfill desires.

However, intelligence is like a double-edged sword. When it serves the mind, it aggravates illusion and bondage. But when it disciplines the mind, it becomes a tool for liberation.

Summary

The intelligence that obeys the mind becomes our enemy, reinforcing our entanglement. The intelligence that regulates the mind becomes our friend, guiding us toward spiritual growth.

Does this answer your question?

Thank you for your attention and participation.
Hare Krishna.