Guidelines -II, Pujya Gurudev

Guidelines for sharpening the intellect

=Pt. ShriRam Sharma Acharya

He can easily untangle complex issues and situations. His decisions are quick and accurate, and stand the test of time. There is a spontaneous development of farsightedness and perspicacity in him. His clear-sighted competent mind seldom fails to make correct assessment about the future course of events. In this context, the thoughts of the great seer, scholar and indologist Mahamahopadhyaya Dr. Gopinath Kaviraj are worth reflection. The name of Gopinath Kaviraj should not be unfamiliar to whoever has an interest in Indian culture, philosophy and the science of spirituality. Kavirajji was, besides being a great scholar, also an advanced sadhak (spiritual seeker). Once, while he was a professor, a student met him. Him was very unhappy, frustrated and depressed; Kavirajji called him at his residence and very attentively heard his tale of woes. 

The students problem was that in spite of regularly attending the classes he was unable to grasp the lessons being taught. In other spheres of activity, too, he felt intellectually handicapped. This sense of inadequacy had even driven him to suicidal attempts. Gopinathji was deeply touched by his plight and encouraged him: "You need not get perturbed by this. The Mother of the universe who transformed an ignoramus like Kalidas into a great poet will also bless you with a sharpened intellect. 
Only you will have to make some efforts for this." The boy gazed at him hopefully. Gopinathji continued: "The first step in increasing the mental ability is steadiness.

Beware that it is our flickering and instable dispositions that act as a hindrance to intellectual development. To surmount this obstacle, it is necessary that you practice three hours of continuous study daily, albeit increasing the period slowly and gradually. When the body is steady, the mind also becomes stable, and this is conducive to the development of intellect. The next stage in this sequence is concentration of the mind. For this, it is essential for you to focus totally on the subject of your study. Even if you are unable to follow it, keep on trying to grasp the meaning with full concentration and diligence. 
A continued practice of concentrating the mind will automatically increase your power of comprehension". Besides these two main elements, there are many subsidiary points; namely 
(1) curiosity, i.e. an earnest desire to know more and more about a thing; 
(2) company of the wise  we should try to cultivate contact with the learned, the thinking, and the intelligent persons; 

(3) self-encouragement  rather than wallow in pessimistic thoughts, it would be necessary to develop confidence in ones own ability; 

(4) functional utility  we should try to know the functional utility of the knowledge we want to acquire; an awareness of such practical applicability makes the subject more easily comprehensible; 
(5) pool of knowledge - acquisition of information from different sources also helps in the development of intellect; 

(6) deep insight - if you cultivate a keen eye, you will realize that the whole nature and our entire surroundings are imparting some lesson every moment; 

(7) student mentality  one should consider oneself a perpetual learner and always remain eager to learn new things; 

(8) faith in the Divine Grace  it compensates for the deficiencies and drawbacks and makes life meaningful. The Gayatri Mahamantra is the bestower of sadbuddhi (the righteous intellect). By taking recourse to this powerful mantra, innumerable persons with poor intellect have been able to acquire superior intelligence. 

                 A regular chanting of this mahamantra leads to steadiness of body and mind and one-pointed concentration. Besides, the subtle and powerful vibrations generated by the mahamantra activate and energize the whole nervous system. The correct method of Gayatri sadhana and its processes can be learnt by reading Gayatri Mahavijnana (The Super Science of Gayatri) which has been published by Shanti kunj, Haridwar. The sadhana of the elemental force ofGayatri is not only beneficial for the development of intellect but is also a sure-shot recipe for enhancing the memory power.

Thanks GOD, Thanks Sadguru,

Shiv Sharma