Mastering Your Mind: Sadhguru's Blueprint for Brain Brilliance

Summary

In this enlightening video, Sadguru and Sam Musani explore the role of intellect in our lives, highlighting its importance for survival but also its limitations. They emphasize the need to transcend intellect to unleash full potential and discover boundless growth. The discussion delves into the difference between intellect and intelligence, the societal pressures to conform to stereotypes, and the importance of experiencing life profoundly rather than just gathering information. Practical advice on enhancing memory and clarity of mind through precision and mindfulness is also provided, encouraging viewers to apply these insights to their self-discovery journey.

Takeaways

• 🧠 The intellect is essential for survival, particularly in Western societies where it is highly valued for day-to-day decision making.
• 📚 Intellect operates based on the data it has collected and is limited by its inability to transcend its own accumulated knowledge.
• 🌟 To truly thrive and unleash one's full potential, it is necessary to go beyond the intellect and tap into other dimensions of intelligence.
• 🌐 Eastern societies traditionally placed more emphasis on overall intelligence rather than just intellect, recognizing multiple facets of human intelligence.
• 🔍 Intellect is useful for dissecting and analyzing but is not the best tool for experiencing life in its entirety or understanding complex relationships.
• 🏡 The Western focus on intellect may stem from a historical struggle for survival, which necessitated strong discriminatory abilities.
• 🔑 The concept of role models and striving to fit societal stereotypes is a Western idea that contrasts with Eastern philosophies of self-discovery and growth.
• 🌳 Just as a mango tree cannot become a coconut tree, each individual is unique and should aim for full growth as themselves, not by imitating others.
• 📈 The modern accumulation of information can create a false sense of knowledge, where people believe they understand life because they have facts, but true understanding comes from experience.
• 🧘‍♂️ Ancient practices, such as chanting and mantras, were used to train and wire the brain, enhancing memory and intelligence beyond what is considered normal today.
• 🤓 The precision and meticulousness in daily activities can lead to clarity of mind, which in turn can improve memory and cognitive function.

Q & A

What is the main topic of discussion in the video?

The main topic of the video is the role of intellect in our lives, its limitations, and the importance of transcending it to reach our full potential.

Why is the intellect considered essential for survival in Western societies?

The intellect is considered essential for survival in Western societies because it provides the ability to discriminate, which is crucial for day-to-day life and dealing with situations effectively.

What is the difference between intellect and intelligence according to the video?

In the video, intellect is described as one aspect of intelligence, useful for survival and discrimination, while intelligence is broader and includes multiple dimensions, as described in the Sanskrit language.

How does the video describe the limitations of intellect?

The video describes the limitations of intellect as being based on the data it has already collected and its inability to explore or project into the unknown.

What is the role of experience in understanding life, as opposed to intellect?

The role of experience in understanding life is profound, as it provides a deep purchase into life that cannot be achieved through intellect alone. Experience allows one to truly know and live life, rather than just gathering information.

Why do people in Western societies tend to strive to be a certain stereotype?

People in Western societies strive to be a certain stereotype due to the influence of role models and societal expectations, which are deeply rooted in Western culture.

What is the story of Topi Walla and its significance in the video?

The story of Topi Walla illustrates the evolution of intellect and behavior, showing how imitation and gathering information can lead to different outcomes over time.

How can one enhance their memory and mental clarity according to the video?

The video suggests enhancing memory and mental clarity through practices such as being still, being meticulous and precise in daily activities, and training the brain through structured sounds like mantras.

What is the significance of the story about the Brahman priest and the business deal?

The story of the Brahman priest demonstrates the extraordinary memory capabilities that can be achieved through certain practices, emphasizing the potential of the human brain when trained properly.

How does the video suggest we should approach personal growth and self-discovery?

The video suggests that personal growth and self-discovery should involve looking beyond the limitations of intellect, applying the knowledge gained, and practicing techniques to improve memory and mental clarity.

What is the final message of the video to the audience?

The final message is to encourage the audience to stay curious, continue learning, and pursue growth and well-being by exploring the depth of their intellect and memory.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 The Role and Limitations of Intellect

In this enlightening discussion, Sadguru and Sam Musani explore the role of intellect in life and its significance in Western society. They emphasize that while intellect is essential for survival, it has limitations as it operates based on collected data and cannot transcend its boundaries. To truly thrive and unleash one's full potential, one must go beyond intellect and access other dimensions of intelligence. The speakers also discuss the historical importance of intellect in societies focused on survival and how Eastern societies have traditionally valued different aspects of intelligence over intellect.

05:02

🌳 The Uniqueness of Individual Growth

This paragraph discusses the idea of individual growth and the importance of being true to oneself. It contrasts the Eastern and Western perspectives on identity and role models, highlighting the Eastern focus on inward discovery and personal potential rather than imitating others. The story of 'Topi Wala' illustrates the point that imitation based on intellect can lead to absurdity and emphasizes the need for profound experience rather than mere information gathering. The speakers suggest that modern education often results in a lot of information but lacks depth, which is essential for understanding life.

10:05

📚 The Evolution of Intellect and Gathering

The third paragraph delves into the nature of intellect as a survival tool that has evolved from a hunter-gatherer mentality to an information-gatherer in modern times. It points out that the act of gathering, whether physical or informational, is inherently comparative and often leads to a sense of inadequacy unless it is connected to one's own growth and capability. The speakers use anecdotes and examples to illustrate how the limitations of intellect can lead to a superficial understanding of life and the importance of moving beyond this to achieve true fulfillment.

15:05

🧘‍♂️ Enhancing Memory and Brain Function

This section focuses on the enhancement of memory and brain function through traditional practices and the importance of precision and stillness. It recounts an anecdote about a priest with extraordinary memory, demonstrating the potential of the human brain when trained properly. The speakers suggest that by learning to be still and bringing precision to one's actions, one can improve memory recall and overall brain function, emphasizing that memory is not about recording but about the clarity and ability to retrieve information when needed.

20:08

🚀 Beyond Intellect: Embracing Personal Growth

The final paragraph concludes the conversation by reflecting on the insights shared about the role of intellect and the capacity of memory. It underscores the importance of recognizing the limitations of intellect and the need to look beyond it for personal growth. The speakers encourage the application of the discussed concepts to one's life for meaningful self-discovery and growth, emphasizing the value of curiosity, learning, and the pursuit of well-being.

Keywords

💡Intellect

Intellect refers to the mental faculty of reason and understanding. In the video's context, it is portrayed as essential for survival and discrimination in society, but it has limitations as it can only operate based on collected data. The script discusses how relying solely on intellect can prevent one from experiencing life in its entirety and achieving personal growth beyond survival.

💡Survival

Survival in this script is associated with the basic instinct to live and the societal structures that support life. It is mentioned that the intellect's discriminatory capability is crucial for survival, but the video also suggests that there is more to life than just surviving, hinting at the need for growth and transcending beyond basic needs.

💡Transcend

To transcend means to go beyond or surpass. The video encourages viewers to transcend the limitations of the intellect to access a deeper level of understanding and growth. The concept is central to the video's message, suggesting that true potential and boundless possibilities lie beyond the confines of the intellect.

💡Potential

Potential refers to the latent qualities or abilities that may be developed and lead to growth or success. The script emphasizes the need to go beyond intellect to unleash one's full potential, indicating that there are dimensions of intelligence and personal capabilities that are not accessible through intellect alone.

💡Discrimination

In the context of the video, discrimination is the ability to distinguish between different things, which is vital for survival. However, the script also points out that this discriminatory power of the intellect can be limiting when it comes to understanding life in its totality or experiencing deeper connections.

💡Eastern Societies

Eastern societies are contrasted with Western societies in the script, highlighting a difference in values and priorities. Eastern societies are said to focus more on intelligence rather than intellect, valuing a broader range of human capabilities and a more holistic approach to life beyond survival.

💡Intelligence

Intelligence, as discussed in the video, encompasses a broader range of human cognitive abilities than just the intellect. It includes various dimensions of understanding and knowing, which are more than just the discriminatory capabilities needed for survival. The script suggests that intelligence is key to a more profound experience of life.

💡Role Model

A role model is someone who is regarded as a guide or inspiration for others. The video critiques the Western concept of role models, suggesting that it leads to imitation and a lack of individuality. It contrasts this with Eastern philosophies that encourage self-discovery and growth into one's full potential rather than aspiring to be like someone else.

💡Capability

Capability in the script refers to the innate abilities or skills that an individual possesses. It is mentioned that capabilities are earned through life experiences and are fundamental to personal growth. The video implies that capabilities are more important than the accumulation of information or the intellect's discriminatory power.

💡Memory

Memory is the ability to remember or recall information. The video discusses the idea that memory is not about the capacity to record but the clarity to retrieve information when needed. It suggests that memory can be improved through practices that enhance clarity and precision of mind.

💡Clarity

Clarity, in the context of the video, refers to the mental state of being clear, precise, and focused. It is suggested as a way to improve memory and cognitive function. The script implies that clarity of mind is achieved through precision in actions and mindfulness in daily activities.

Highlights

Intellect is essential for survival but has limitations as it can only operate based on collected data.

To truly thrive, one must go beyond intellect to access boundless growth and possibilities.

Western societies emphasize intellect due to historical struggle for survival, while Eastern societies focus more on intelligence.

There are eight dimensions of intelligence in Sanskrit, with intellect being just one of them.

Intellect is useful for survival as it provides discriminatory capability but is not the way to know life in its entirety.

Western societies have been on a treadmill, running but not going anywhere, due to over-reliance on intellect.

The difference between human identity and false association with stereotypes is discussed, questioning societal role models.

Eastern philosophies emphasize being oneself and reaching full potential rather than imitating others.

Intellect can lead to a false sense of knowing everything, whereas profoundness of experience is what truly matters in life.

A story of 'Topi Walla' illustrates the evolution of monkeys and the limitations of intellect.

Gathering information is the nature of intellect, which leads to comparison and a lack of true fulfillment.

Capability is earned, not desired, and is fundamental to how intelligently one functions in life.

Ancient systems in India were designed to train and wire the brain for enhanced capabilities.

Chanting and mantras were used to improve memory and brain function in ancient practices.

A story demonstrates the phenomenal memory of a Brahman priest, highlighting the potential of brain training.

Learning to be still can enhance the ability to grasp and use the brain more effectively.

Precision in daily activities can lead to clarity of mind and improved memory.

Memory is not a problem; the issue lies in the clarity and ability to retrieve specific information.

Exercise the mind with precision to achieve clarity and enhance memory naturally.

The conversation concludes with the importance of recognizing intellect's role and improving memory through practice.

Transcripts

namaskaram everyone and welcome back to

today's video so today we are having an

enlightening discussion about the role

of our intellect in our life well you

are on a treat because sadguru and Sam

musani are here to unravel the mysteries

of the Mind in this captivating video

sadguru and Sam mushani delve into the

intricate topic of intellect and its

significance in the western Society you

see intellect while essal for survival

has its limitations also it can only

operate based on what data it has

already collected but here is a kicker

if you looking to truly Thrive and

unleash your full potential you need to

go beyond your intellect sadguru and Sam

musani will guide you on a journey to

transcend the confines of intellect and

tap into the real of boundless growth

and possibilities so if you're ready to

expand your Horizon and discover what

lies beyond the limitations of the mind

then this video is tailor made just for

you get ready to unlock the secret to

flourishing in life and embracing your

innate intelligence it's time to go

beyond the intellect and so to new

heights of understanding why as a

western Society do we tend

to feel that intellect is more important

in dealing with situations or on a

day-to-day basis rather than

feeling I think it's a European

hangover they C you

know

uh I think for long periods of time

human societies have suffered this uh

struggle for

survival when you want to survive your

ability to discriminate is the most

important quality otherwise you don't

survive till we create kind of societies

where everybody can

survive this cannot be put to rest so

this is the reason why Eastern societies

did not bank so much on

intellect but on

intelligence there's a distinct

difference because probably in English

language uh there is no words to

describe different aspects of one's

intelligence in samskrit language there

are at least eight dimensions of your

intelligence

so intellect is just one of them

intellect is very useful for survival

process because it gives you

discriminatory capability if you allow

your intellect to find out anything

suppose you want to know this flower

through your

intellect you will see the only thing

you will do is pull it apart and try to

know it dissection is the way of the

intellect so if you want to know your

mother please don't dissect okay that's

not the way life happens

if you want to know life in its entirety

you need other dimensions of

intelligence because intellect has given

ability to survive and a certain sense

of dominance over others we have become

devotes of

intellect intellect is a wonderful thing

no question about that but you need to

understand human intellect functions

only from the limited data that it has

gathered it cannot explore anything

entirely in you you can only project

from what you know to another

dimension and you can never project into

an unknown Dimension through what you

know right now that's the reason why um

I would say Western societies have been

on a treadmill for a long time they run

a lot and they get fit but they don't go

anywhere Fitness happens of course

MH okay now when we talk about human

identity and false association with

certain St stereotypes why do we always

strive to to be a certain stereotype I

mean why does everybody in Pennsylvania

want to have a big house with a white

picket fence why is that the status of

having

arrived uh because uh this is a society

this idea of role model is essentially

from the

West so uh a few months ago I was being

interviewed by someone from here and and

uh this lady asked me who is your role

model said g I said I don't roll with

the

models such an idea never occurred to

me it never occurred to me uh how should

I shape myself in whose image that never

occurred to us because the East is

always looking at how to turn inward and

discover the deeper potential in you

never going out to be like somebody else

this is something which is there in the

natural ethos of India that you cannot

be somebody else you can never ever be

someone else you can only be yourself

and how to make this yourself into your

full potential full-blown growth is all

the traditional yogic examples go like

this if a mango tree looks at a coconut

tree and thinks coconut tree is taller

and aspires to become a coconut tree it

will become a no good mango

tree so every life is unique in its own

way and has its own place the only thing

that life has to do is to find the

necessary nourishment to get full-blown

growth if you become a full-blown

yourself and that's all you can do

otherwise you will become

pretentious so the problem

is once once you go by your intellect

these two things are very connected once

you go by your intellect you will have a

whole lot of information but you don't

know anything this is modern education

you have a whole lot of information with

you everybody is rattling out what in a

dinner party you can see people saying

exact distance between planet Earth and

you know planet Mars and everything but

what relevance is

it it is just that you can gather

information like this when you have

information you have a false sense of

feeling that you know everything but you

know nothing it may help you in the

financial Market to have information but

with life what is is needed is not

information what is needed is

profoundness of purchase that you have

into life you need traction into life

experiencing life you cannot know it if

you read a book and you think you know

life or you figure out something in your

head and you think you know it no you

have to experience it the profoundness

of your experience is what makes this

life so if you go by the intellect

imitation is a natural process and

that's how the role models

come can I tell you a story

please I always seek your permission

because the moment I start uh once upon

a time a lot of people think it's

bedtime you know that's the only time

somebody told them a

story so this happened in early uh 20th

century in

1910 there was a man whose name was topi

wala topi wala means a hat you know

people second names indicate their trade

sometimes

so uh he's going from Village to village

town to town selling hats in the

tropical heat one afternoon he fell

tired and he went and sat down under a

tree opened his meager lunch ate and

dozed off after a little while he opened

his eyes and to his uh horror all the

heads were gone he looked all over the

place no

hats when you you do everything possible

when when you don't know what else to

do people pray so he looked up to pray

and he saw a bunch of monkeys sitting

there all hats

on so he screamed at them they screamed

back at him he abused them they abused

in their own language he picked up

whatever he could and threw it at them

they picked up whatever they could and

threw it back at him not knowing what to

do out of sheer frustration he took his

hat and flung It On The Ground all all

the monkeys took their hats and flung it

on the ground and he picked them up and

went about his

business

2013 December 21st another man was going

around selling hats his name also

happens to be topy Walla and one

afternoon he went and sat under a tree

ate his elaborate lunch 21st century you

know and promptly fell asleep after some

time he woke up hats gone he didn't look

here and there he looked looked straight

up a bunch of monkeys were sitting hats

on he got up and jived they all Jed he

made funny faces they made funny

faces he had all the fun he wanted to

have when he was done he picked up his

hat and flung It On The Ground a baboon

of a monkey quickly came

down picked up the Hat walked towards

him gave him a tight slap in the face

and said you idiot you think only you

had a

grandfather

so there is substantial

evidence there is evidence that monkeys

are

evolving

okay now once you go by the limitations

of your

intellect you are still a hunter and

gatherer maybe instead of gathering

pieces of meat and leather and Bone and

tooth of animals today you gather

information you know the distance

between Mars and sun and this and that

maybe you gather but still the nature of

the intellect is to gather by gathering

if you gather so much somebody who has

this much in front of that person in

comparison to that person you look

better but in the in the experience of

life you will not feel any better so if

you have gathered that much if somebody

has gathered this much then in front of

that person you feel like nothing so

Gathering is always by comparison your

own Gathering has no meaning

it is only in relation to somebody

else's Gathering being more meager than

yours or in other words in some way you

start enjoying somebody else's

incapability or failure or

whatever so this is the nature of the

intellect because it survives on what

you have

gathered what we want to do for any

individual does not happen because he

wants it it happens because he earns the

necessary

capability without capability I want

this to happen I want that to to happen

only empty dreams will happen if life

has to happen we have to earn the

necessary capability and our

capabilities are fundamentally dependent

upon how intelligently we can function

in every situation in our

life and that fundamentally depends on

how well connected our brain is in

ancient times in this country in this

culture there were elaborate systems as

to how to train the brain how to wire

the brain as intensely as

possible there are people there's a very

beautiful instance which happened in

1930s you have heard people going into

long chantings maybe in the temple or

somewhere have you heard people doing

homs and all chanting and chanting away

for hours

together so this chanting was used to

wire the brain in a very big way because

the sounds that you employ has a big

impact on what happens in the brain so

these mantras were structured a certain

mathematics is involved in this and a

certain poetry is also involved in it at

the same

time because of using a certain level of

structured sounds it wired their brains

so much that they have a phenomenal

sense of memory which is almost humanly

impossible normally in modern times we

consider these things humanly impossible

they had that kind of memory because of

using these sounds in a particular way

this

happened two uh people went to bernardis

friends they were having a bath in the

river and among themselves they were

talking and they were making a business

deal so it was agreed that one friend

offered 50,000 Rupees to the other

friend to do

business so right there verbally orally

they made a

agreement and it was

done and after a few

years because there was no written paper

when this man wanted the money back the

other man said you never gave it to

me no such thing happened so he went to

the court when he went to the court he

had no proof he said I have given the

money but he had no proof then the judge

said you have to get some proof

otherwise we cannot do anything about it

then he remembered when they were in the

river they

saw a Brahman priest who was having

birath close to them so he just hoped

that maybe he would have heard what we

spoke and I can bring him as a

witness so he went looking for that man

in Banaras he found the man and to his

disappoint appointment he realized that

the man did not know English these

people were talking in English language

and this priest did not know English

language so he thought this is no good

then the Brahman asked why then he told

him see 4 years ago we were having bath

and you were also there I was just

hoping that I could use you as a

witness the Brahman said okay I can

repeat whatever you said whatever you

two had conversation I can repeat that

he does not know English language but he

repeated every word of what they

said he just remembered every sound what

they uttered he did not know the meaning

of it he did not know the language but

he could repeat every word what they

said and he was brought to the court and

he won the

case so our memory and our ability to do

things can be so greatly enhanced if

only we handle this inner situation

right and one simple thing to do if all

of you are willing we can bring many

more steps into it but one simple thing

to start with is learning to be just

still if you sit somewhere simply

learning to just sit absolutely

still unmoving just sitting still you

will see your ability to grasp and your

ability to use the brain will be greatly

enhanced so I want you to understand

that

everything that you see hear smell taste

and touch is

recorded your memory problems are only

your ability to bring it back when you

need there's no recording problem it is

recording

everything but you not able to pick out

what you want if you want to pick this

out something else is

coming so that is just a question of

clarity not of

memory memory means suppose if we say

this phone has low memory what does it

mean it has limited capability to record

isn't

it if I press two if5 comes what does it

mean bad

memory or bad

keyboard bad keyboard so this is a

question of bad keyboard this is not a

question of bad memory it's very

important that you you call 2 two not

five it is a question of bad keyboard

don't try to fix the memory memory is

great everything that you see is

recorded you're not able to type out the

right number that's all the problem is

isn't it so this is not a question of

memory this is a question of

clarity so we have to work on Clarity

what is it that gives is Clarity of

Mind first thing is we learn to if if

our Clarity is not not good by itself

the simple thing is to handle things

with a certain

Precision this is hat your feet should

be here not here like this where your

hand should be like

this it's not proper just like

this I'm setting all this my head is

looking down oh not like

this like

this

Precision now you come down when you sit

down you watch this okay how your pant

should be like

this whatever you brought with you your

book where your notebook should sit

where your pen should sit they should

sit just practice

this with every little thing just bring

that Precision into your activity it

will happen in your mind you go to bed

how it should be

everything you go in your room how it

should be just bring this meticulousness

of what you're doing with the ASA into

your life you will see slowly mind will

become very very clear it becomes

meticulous with

everything the simple practice that you

have have to do from this moment when

you stand up when you sit down when you

walk and when you go out here you should

just look like this like you're doing

whatas like this how many columns in

this don't try to count all of them the

first row if you simply look like this

oh it's five

columns just you must register this five

columns

one

vessel one sitting Rock one big rock one

Pond another three another four columns

one door how tall looks like 12 ft just

do

this with everything how many steps from

here to there don't count like one two

like

this how after you take three steps okay

that's I think three another three

another three another three

after a few days count

11 or 4 or five just like that without

thinking you must slowly know that okay

I think I walk 12

steps this is

yoga this effect will happen over a

period of time by itself but now we are

in a hurry so use the mind

also to do it to bring that Precision

what you're trying to bring in your body

bring that Precision in your mind also

let the Mind imitate the body you will

see Clarity will naturally come memory

is not the problem everything is

anywhere

recorded I will abuse you right now I'm

going to abuse you badly try to forget

it will you for all your life you'll

remember

it yes or no so you got great memory you

just remember bad words that's

[Music]

all if you exercise your mind like

this it'll become in such a way that you

can make it to what you

want you will see slowly mind will

become very very

clear when your mind is single pointed

it's a powerful

instrument this is something that you do

within yourself so that you are able to

slip behind the

mar if we know who is behind the mirror

then we can change everything as we

conclude this insightful conversation on

the role of intellect and the capacity

of our memory it's important to reflect

what we have learned today sadguru and

Sam musani have provided us with

valuable perspective on this aspect of

our life intellect as sadguru pointed

out plays a crucial role in survival

especially in societies where it

essential for day-to-day life however it

is also essential to recognize that

intellect has its limitations it relies

on the data it has accumulated and

cannot transcend those boundaries if we

truly aspire to reach our full potential

and experience personal growth we must

look beyond the confines of intellect

remember like any skill memory can be

improved moved with practice and right

techniques as you continue your journey

of self-discovery and personal growth

remember these discussions are meant to

inspire and guide you it's not about

acing knowledge but also applying it to

your own life in meaningful ways I hope

you have found this conversation

enlightening and it encourages you to

explore the depth of your own intellect

and memory stay curious keep learning

and most importantly continue your

pursuit of growth and well-being thank

you for joining a part of our community

and we look forward sharing more insight

and wisdom with you in the future until

then take care thrive in your journey of

self-discovery

namaskaram