We all are prone to temptation, especially to the temptations that we have indulged in the past and that we are habituated to. If we are exposed to that temptation, we can easily get swept away by the current coming from those temptations. That current can make us lose our sanity and make us act with shocking stupidity. 

Pertinently, the Bhagavad-gita (02.67) states that just as a boat can be swept away by a stormy wind, we can be swept away by a stormy temptation. A seasoned boatman, based on experience, is alert to storms in the sea. The more seasoned they are, the more they know how strong storms can be. And the sharper such boatmen are to get out of a storm’s way and stay out of its way. Even if somebody is a very seasoned boatman, if they become careless or complacent, they can get caught in a storm and be swept away. Similarly, we may be wise, we may be renounced, we may be spiritually advanced. But all this should actually increase our awareness of the dangerousness of stormy temptations.

Intelligence means to recognize that we may never become so pure as to not be vulnerable to temptation; we need to always be cautious just as a boatman has to be cautious in a potentially stormy sea. Of course, as we become purer and wiser and stronger, we will be able to resist temptations better, and we can be more confident. Still, that doesn’t mean we become overconfident or underestimate our potential for stupidity. 

Paradoxically, the more we stop underestimating our potential for stupidity, the more we become protected and the more we stay protected from stupidity, and the better we can become situated in sagacity and spirituality. 

One-sentence summary:

Intelligence begins with learning to never underestimate our potential for stupidity.

Think it over:

  • What makes us act stupidly?
  • Why do we always have a potential for stupidity?
  • How can we protect ourselves from stupidity?

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02.67: As a strong wind sweeps away a boat on the water, even one of the roaming senses on which the mind focuses can carry away a man’s intelligence.

To know more about this verse, please click on the image