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FREEDOM FROM REACTION (2)
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mcre intellcct. Intellect is essentially limited. If we are guided by intellect alone, we shall be inevitably caught in a vicious cycle of "lit for tat', meet anger with anger, abuse with abuse, resulting in cndless mutual recrimination. The intellect will tell us it is but right to pay back in the same coin; that if you do not return violence with still greater violence, life would become impossible for you; your very survival will he jeopardized. One man cheats, another abstains from cheating; one man indulges in abuse, the other keeps tranquil; one man, impelled by the fury of anger, becomes all dominant, the other is pushed to the wall. This is no good. "The other must counter another with greater violence. Tit for tat!" This is what intelligence dictates. But wisdom functions on a different level where intelligence can never reach. Wisdom is insight, inner perception; its yardstick is different. Its standards too. The criteria resorted to by the intellect are no longer valid. We must build on a different foundation, different values.
Wisdom is introspective. It looks within, not outside. It is the awakening of our darshan kendra (the centre of intuition). As this centre is gradually awakened, as it becomes activated, wisdom is kindled insidc; idcas, conclusions and beliefs undergo a seachange. The whole world stands transformed.
Two brothers got to the point of separating. All the hereditary possessions were cqually divided between them. Two rings remained to be distributed - one of diamond and the other of silver. Who would get the diamond ring? Both contended for it. At last, the elder brother said to himself, “This quarrel is unseemly. Let my younger brother have it if he wants it so badly!" So the younger brother got the diamond ring. But the silver ring proved to be much more valuable; it was the ring of wisdom. It had these words engraved upon it: "This too would pass!"
The younger brother who kept the diamond ring gave himsclf up to a life of idle luxury. He spent moncy lavishly in vain exhibition, till nothing was left and he was stecped in poverty and degradation from which he could never come out.
It so happened that the elder brother too lost all he had. In this time of hardship he happened to look at the silver ring he had on his finger. “This, too, would pass!" Today's problem in the very nature of things, could not, would not last for ever! The wisc saying gave him fortitude. His morale and self-confidence remained unimpaired. The days of adversity passed away in due course, and once again hc regained wealth and power. All problems stood resolved.
Both the brothers faced advcrsity. One survived it because his morale was high; the other went down bccausc he had no inner resources, no means to keep up his spirits.
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