Human Intelligence Is Beyond Animal Propensities

The human form of life is obtained after an evolution of many millions of years in the cycle of transmigration. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that it is not merely a better-designed animal body but is specially equipped with extra intelligence for a distinct purpose. He emphasizes that this higher intelligence should not be utilized for simply improving the animal propensities, but for the serious task of self-realization.

Extra Intelligence and Its Purpose

Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the extra intelligence given to human beings is a gift from God intended solely for spiritual inquiry, not for being misused in the same activities that occupy the animals.

• The only special significance of human being is that he has got special intelligence to understand what is Absolute Truth. Athato brahma jijnasa. So therefore his first duty is to know the Absolute Truth—not waste time for eating, sleeping, mating.
• A human being is not meant for wasting his time like animals, simply eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That is animal life. The extra intelligence of human beings should be utilized how to understand—what I am? I am a spirit soul.

Goal - Stopping Birth and Death

According to Śrīla Prabhupāda, the mark of a truly intelligent human being is the recognition of death and the determination to stop the cycle of repeated birth and death. He points out that the Vedic literature provides the instructions necessary to achieve this goal.

• Human being must have intelligence. But that intelligence is given to him for getting out of the clutches of birth, death, old age and disease. He's not utilizing that intelligence for that purpose, therefore duskrtina.
• The human beings are understood to be the most intelligent of all living creatures, but they are misusing their intelligence. They are misusing their intelligence by devoting it to the animal propensities.

Call to Perfection

The ultimate perfection of this higher intelligence is to transcend the position of the brāhmaṇa (the most intelligent man) and become a Vaiṣṇava. He assures us that this process is accessible to anyone with "little intelligence" who is willing to follow the Vedic instructions.

• Every human being is expected to elevate himself to the position of a brahmana, the most intelligent man, and then one must transcend that position to become a Vaisnava. This is the perfection of life.
• This Krsna consciousness movement is trying to bring intelligent human beings to the platform of devotional service.

Conclusion

Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that the Intelligence of Human Beings is a precious, non-renewable resource given by God. He asserts that it is meant to solve the problems of material existence, not merely beautify them. Therefore, the only rational choice for an intelligent person is to utilize this capacity for God realization and thus return home, back to Godhead.

Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani

Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Intelligence of Human Beings. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.

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