Man’s basic personality derives its essence from the quality and texture of his mind and intellect.
Mind is the seat of impulses and feelings and it’s common in all living beings including animals. For eg… if one pulls the tail of a dog then it’s immediate reaction is to bark and show anger. It reacts to the physical hurt and a dog doesn’t have the intellect to decipher the motive behind the pulling of it’s tail. Same way all animals react to physical touch because of their survival instinct against any major threat to their physical being.
However, man is the highest form of creation and is endowed with intellect. Intellect gives it the faculty of discrimination. It guides a human mind not to react in impulse of emotion but to analyse and respond using its faculty of discrimination. Intellect alone guides the human being what to do and what not to do. Human culture and society’s harmony and peaceful existence rests greatly on this ability to discern and take right action.
A civilised society cannot run on whims and impulses of individual beings. Society goes through chaos and conflict when people act on feelings and impulses alone. Impulses are often guided by our senses. Need for immediate gratification makes one take hasty action based on personal impulses and feelings.
Mind is a flow of thought just as river is a flow of water. Flow of water is kept in safe limits by its bank, same way flow of thoughts are kept in check by the intellect. If flow of thought is not kept in check by the intellect then it can run amok and have disastrous effect.
Religion and scriptures provide the means and technique for the development of this inner faculty so that intellect remains firm and determined and man gets the choice to make or mar himself and his spiritual growth.
Chapter 8 Mind and Man of Kindle life by
Swami Chinmayanandaji