Levels of Intelligence. (KNOW YOUR DEATH - 8)

Rational intelligence / Emotional intelligence / Spiritual intelligence.

We have seen the importance of the role of the intellect at each moment which shapes the destiny. We have also seen the importance of watching this in order to improve the karma-chakra. Here we shall see the broad categories of the intelligence and their outcome in the human life.

Rational intelligence.Emotional Intelligence and
Spiritual Intelligence.

(Ref, Article in TOI on interview with Brhma Kumari Shivani)

What does spiritual intelligence mean?

In order to understand spiritual intelligence it is useful to first be clear what we mean when we use these two words.

Being Spiritual:  To be 'spiritual' is to think, act and interact from an awareness of self as spirit not form, soul not body. Most of us are taught to believe we are our physical forms, and so we identify with our body or the labels we give to our bodies such as nationality, race, gender, profession etc. This wrong sense of self is what creates all fear, anger and sadness in life. From a spiritual point of view these emotions are always the result of ego (misidentification), which then blocks access to your true spiritual nature which is peaceful, loving and joyful.

Having intelligence:  Intelligence is to use what you know in the right way at the right time in the right place with the right intention. For example if you 'know' yourself as a spiritual being you will also 'know' that you do not own or possess anything. When something in your life is damaged or lost, it does not affect you in any way – you are able to use your spiritual power to accept and move on. If someone praises the clothes you wear, or insults you in any way or comments negatively about your looks, you are NOT affected because you ‘know’ that your real beauty lies within your character, within your nature, which no one can ever take away. In that moment you draw on the inner power of that knowledge and use it to remain stable in the face of others negativity. In effect you are drawing on your spiritual strength which is only released when you know who and what you are, and then using that strength in the right way, in the right place at the right time.

Spirituality is the knowledge of yourself as spirit/soul, and the understanding of your highest spiritual qualities and attributes, which are love, peace, purity and bliss. Spiritual Intelligence is the expression of these innate spiritual qualities through your thoughts, attitudes and behaviors. Being spiritual means the ego has dissolved, virtue has been restored to character and spiritual values connect your inner and outer worlds (thought to action). It is the ability to see every other human being as soul/spirit, and thereby transcend all the false identities of race, color, gender, nationality, profession and religion. It is in this awareness that we are then able to recognize and connect with the Supreme Power.

When you realize who you really are you will be at peace with yourself not only because peace is your true and original nature but there is no longer any inner division and therefore conflict between the many identities that you had previously created (gender / nationality / profession / possessions etc.)

When you realize who you really are you are at peace with others. You no longer have to defend or protect any false image of yourself, so you no longer perceive anyone else as a threat to those images.

When you realize who you truly are you are at peace with the world because you will contain the world instead of it containing you. Whereas before you allowed the world to impose itself on you and shape your perceptions and feelings according to your particular sense of identity, now your self-perception is stabilized in the correct identity. In a sense you shape the world as you bring it into your consciousness.

Spiritual intelligence expands your capacity to understand others at the deepest level. Spiritual understanding allows you to discern both the ‘true cause’ of behavior without judgement, and serve the ‘true needs’ of others until they themselves learn to meet their own needs.

This capacity is developed by first learning to free yourself from attachment and neediness and being able to meet our own inner needs. Attachment and neediness are the opposite of being spiritually intelligent.

Personal Life:  Spiritual intelligence frees you from neediness and clinginess in your personal relationships. When you realize you already have within you what you seek from others (love, happiness, peace) you are then free to act and interact without any ‘agenda’. In effect, you act from an authenticity that desires nothing of another, but serves only to give. Paradoxically this frees both parties to ‘be themselves’, which is the deepest foundation for any open, healthy and harmonious relationship built on the twin spiritual values of trust and respect.

Does emotional intelligence affect spiritual intelligence in any way?

Being able to recognize, understand and respond to the emotions of others require a level of emotional literacy that can only be developed by learning to recognize one’s own feelings and emotions (self-awareness again). This falls squarely in the arena of emotional intelligence.

However there is another layer below, which is the cause of the emotions. We tend to learn that the cause of our feelings and emotions are external events and other people’s actions. But they are not. All emotions are caused by the self. Seeing the original cause, and understanding what it means, is the territory of spiritual intelligence.

Rational intelligence manages facts and information, using logic and analysis to make decisions. Emotional intelligence is necessary to understand and control one’s emotions and feelings, while being sensitive to the feelings of others. Spiritual intelligence, on the other hand, is necessary –

 * To find and use the deepest inner resources from which comes the capacity to care and the power to tolerate and adapt

 * To develop a clear and stable sense of identity as an individual in the context of relationships

 * To identify and align personal values with a clear sense of purpose

 * To live those values without compromise and thereby demonstrate integrity by example.

Most of us have learned to be motivated by extrinsic or external factors while a few have discovered that the deepest motivators are intrinsic. We can consciously use our values to motivate us. We can use our thoughts to motivate us, and we can even use memories of yesterday to motivate us today.

However the deepest motivator for any human being is a clear sense of meaning and purpose. This can only arise when we know who we are, where we are and what we have at the deepest level. This is where emotional intelligence flows into spiritual intelligence. Only in this state of self-awareness are we able to discern the true meaning of things/ events/ circumstances and only then are we able to see our purpose.

What are the key methods to learn and develop Spiritual Intelligence?

There are certain methods to unlearn the illusions and misperceptions which stop you seeing who you are and being true to yourself. The more these methods are practiced the faster the realization and the deeper the development of the spiritual intelligence.

* Meditation:  Meditation is the cultivation of self-awareness. In the meditative process you learn about yourself. Meditation will also help you restore the ability to control your thoughts and feelings, sharpen your ability to discern truth from illusion, and thereby make more intelligent choices.

* Detached Observation:  This is the ability to disengage from the world of action and interaction outside yourself, and to disengage from the world of thoughts and feelings within your consciousness. It is not avoidance of either world, but a way to see more clearly and therefore understand more deeply what is actually happening. This practice is also essential in order not to ‘waste’ energy at mental and emotional levels, where much of your tiredness has its origins.

 * Reflection:  This involves taking time out on a daily basis to review and re-assess past experiences of the interactions with others. This allows the self/soul to build awareness of the connection between inner world of thoughts and feelings and the outer world of action and the consequences of those actions.

 * Connecting:  There is a higher source of spiritual power and it is possible to connect with that source and empower oneself. This accelerates the developmental process increasing both the depth and breadth of your spiritual intelligence. Energy absorbed from the Supreme Source is essential to clearing the inner clutter and to focus your consciousness.

 * Practice:  New learning, new insights, new realizations are only theories and have no power to change your life unless they are brought into action, allowed to shape new behaviors, and then perfected in the process of expression. Practical action is essential to sustaining the momentum of developing spiritual intelligence.

* Seeing:  Spiritual vision is learning to see only the best in others and by doing so empowering others to develop the best in themselves. From a spiritual point of view seeing is creating – how you see the ‘other’ is how you will create the other within you, which will be both a reflection of how you see yourself at that moment and the quality of the energy you will then give to them.

Is a spiritual quest distinct from a quest for God? And is spirituality a search for our peace or truth of our own selves, rather than for a God, within or without?

Spirituality is a personal experience. For me spirituality begins with deep connection with God. For most of us God is a concept and it is not possible to develop a relationship with a concept.

When we recognize and understand Him as He is, we then develop a direct and dynamic relationship with him. It is this relationship which empowers me to bring out my core values of purity, love and peace. It is like a child who experiences what is love, care, protection only because of his relationship with the parent. A child who is not connected to the parent is unable to experience those feelings even though they are his own values. For me, I was able to recognize and experience my own inner beauty only when I got into a relationship with Him.

It is simple to have the knowledge and understanding of the self as a conceit being, but to experience soul consciousness; I am able to experience it only because of my relationship with God. For me spirituality is not a search for God, but I am spiritual, i.e. a practical embodiment of love and peace only when I am connected to Him. Therefore it is not a search for God, but Spirituality is when the search is over and the relationship has begun. I cannot get connected to someone, leave alone experience a direct relationship if I am still looking for them. Spirituality is charging of the battery (soul), but for that I need to be connected to the Power House - God.

My comments: It is obvious from the above guidance by B.K. Shivani; that while one leads own life, he has to endeavour to progress towards acquiring the spiritual intelligence.

 Vijay R. Joshi.