There are two things that make us feel separate: the mind and the intellect. These are the two things that prevail over your ego. And for the ego to sustain, it has to have the intellect and mind separate from everything. That’s why people who are very egotistic can’t feel love because they have this wall around them. A self-created wall which is coming in the way of harmony in relationships, with anybody in any situation in the world, whether it is in the office or at home.

Why do you get into conflicts?

Your intellect and your mind, your mind here means your emotions, don’t match. Though intellectually you find there is compatibility in a relationship, emotions don’t match, then everything falls apart. Sometimes emotionally you are very much attracted to people but then the intellect says this is not ok then also there is always a conflict. So, while intellect creates conflicts and emotions end up in conflicts, it is the ego that is suffering. You are emotionally attached to somebody but intellectually you are not getting the same thinking.

What obstructs love to manifest is the limited constrained intellect. Click To Tweet

Innocent people express it very naturally because they do not have any barriers. But in an intellectual person the mind comes up, says this or that, puts forth judgments, starts doubting one’s own experience. A simpleton does not doubt his or her own experience, but an intellectual doubts it.

A mature intellect brings forth devotion and the link for that is awe. A mature intellect always is in awe of creation. When there is something unfathomable, something so vast, something that is incomprehensible, there the intellect gives up, saying wow! And at that moment something happens and that something is what everyone is looking for all their life and that is devotion, that is bhakti.

There was a saying in the Gurukuls in ancient times on how you have to be with a Guru. Chayavath vase gurusanidav. It said, be like a shadow in Guru’s presence. You don’t have to ascertain yourself. I am somebody, you please notice me, give me attention, no. Chayavath, like a shadow. When the light is behind, the shadow is in the front. When there is light ahead shadow can never be in the front. If you are turning away from the light only then shadow looks big and it’s in front of you. If you are facing the light, the shadow is always behind. So, on the path be like a shadow.

Why do you have to be like a shadow of the Masters? So that you can tune yourself with what the Master wants, what the teacher wants. This was a training in ancient days and that’s how you move into the knowledge. You become that what you aspire.