Intelligence vs. Awareness

Sometimes we are too smart for our own good

- Kum. Hella Naura

(The following continues thoughts in reaction to Devdutt's article “The Trick of Gratitude” in the July 2025 issue of Yoga & Total Health. Devdutt found that sincere gratitude has to show in generosity. This made this writer ask by what generous doings she herself was proving her gratitude towards nature? The result of her self-inquiry led to this writing. Because of its length, it was divided into three parts. In Part I (Nov. issue), the wonder of a Great Natural Balance was stated, which, however, is endangered because of ruthless exploitation of nature going on; further that man depends much more on nature than nature does on man; and lastly that the ego were full of latencies of both good and bad traits.)

Those who feel alright about or even deserving praise for knowing how to exploit Nature most for maximum financial profit might be very intelligent. But they are lacking in awareness. As far as this writer's understanding goes, this all-important “awareness” - as meant in Yoga - must be ultimately and at its very, very highest the experience or realization of “God” - under whatever name He may be thought of. (This would explain the otherwise unexplainable fact of omniscience, i.e. knowledge of everything everywhere at the same time, as is known of greatest Yogis, Saints, Sufis and possibly others. Because only “God” or God as “One-And-Only-Absolute-Intelligence-Power-Love” or as "Absolute Consciousness” is, can and knows everything. So realizing Him would really mean to be and know everything too.) (The German word for awareness, i.e. Gewahrsein, contains the word wahr, meaning “true”. “God as Truth” is what Mahatma Gandhi felt.)