(from "Day by Day with Bhagavan"):
Jivrajani: It is only by developing the intellect that intuition can be attained; in fact, perfection of intellect is intuition, is that not so?
Bhagavan: How can that be? The merging of the intellect in the source from which it arose gives birth to intuition, as you call it. The intellect is of use only to see outside things, the outside world. Perfection of the intellect would lead only to seeing the outside world well. But the intellect is of no use at all for seeing within, for turning inwards towards the Self. For that, it has to be killed or extinguished (as a separate entity), or in other words, it has to merge in the source from which it sprang.
(from "Conscious Immortality"):
Question: Where are memory and forgetfulness located?
Maharshi: In the chitta (intellect). People such as inventors searching for new material, make their discoveries in a state of self-forgetfulness.
It is in a condition of deep intellectual concentration that this forgetfulness of the ego arises and the invention is revealed. This is also a way of developing intuition.
Hence a sharpened concentrated intellect is useful and even essential in material matters, but the revelation or intuition arises in its own time and one must wait for it.
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Vira Chandra: these beautiful quotes clearly convey a profound insight consistent with the concept of pratibhā as described in Kashmir Shaivism.
In the Kashmir Shaiva tradition, pratibhā refers precisely to that spontaneous, intuitive insight or revelation arising directly from the Self, transcending the limitations and duality of ordinary intellect (buddhi or chitta). It’s not mere intellectual clarity or mental sharpness but a direct, luminous, self-evident knowing, shining spontaneously from within the core of pure Consciousness itself. With spiritual practice the intellect can become fully aligned with the inner wisdom - Citta merges in the Self thus giving a rise to pratibhā.
Ramana Maharshi perfectly aligns with this insight when he emphasizes that Intellect, while useful in external pursuits, must ultimately surrender or merge into its source (the Self) to reveal intuition (pratibhā). True intuition is never a mere refinement or perfection of the intellect - it emerges precisely when intellect is transcended, silenced, or "extinguished" as a separate entity. Even in worldly inventions or creative discoveries, intuition arises in moments of deep concentration where the ego and intellect briefly disappear, allowing spontaneous insight to manifest naturally from the depths of consciousness.
In contemporary psychology it is described, for example, by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in his works on "Flow"— a state of complete absorption, where self-consciousness, ego boundaries, and ordinary mental chatter temporarily disappear. In this state, the individual experiences a seamless, intuitive union with the activity itself, leading to spontaneous, creative breakthroughs and profound insight.
According to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the Flow state has several clearly defined characteristics:
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Complete Absorption:
A deep, effortless immersion in the task, resulting in intense and focused concentration. -
Loss of Self-Consciousness (Ego disappears):
One loses the sense of a separate "self," and awareness merges fully with the activity itself. -
Distortion of Time:
Subjective experience of time changes—hours can feel like minutes, or sometimes seconds can expand, appearing timeless. -
Clear Goals and Immediate Feedback:
One knows exactly what to do, receiving immediate internal or external feedback, allowing seamless adjustments. -
Balance of Challenge and Skill:
The activity is neither too easy (boring) nor too difficult (anxiety-inducing), but ideally matches one's capabilities, stimulating yet manageable. -
Sense of Control:
A powerful feeling of personal control, but without ego-involvement or forceful exertion. -
Autotelic Experience:
The activity becomes rewarding in itself—intrinsically motivating—rather than performed merely for external rewards or recognition. -
Effortlessness:
Actions feel spontaneous, smooth, and natural, without deliberate striving or forced effort.
These characteristics align remarkably well with spiritual states described by Ramana Maharshi and other mystics, where ego dissolves and intuitive wisdom spontaneously arises.
The difference is that ordinary individuals experience the flow state only temporarily, during moments of deep absorption in a specific activity. The ego and intellect briefly subside, allowing intuitive clarity and spontaneous creativity—but the moment soon passes, and ordinary consciousness, with its sense of separateness, returns.
In contrast, a Jnani such as Ramana Maharshi abides permanently in the state beyond ego and mind. Their experience of intuitive, effortless awareness (pratibhā) is continuous, unbroken, and unwavering. For them, there is no need to enter or leave this state because they are permanently established in it
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