Intuition Belongs to the Spirit Soul
Intuition is often regarded as a mysterious mental phenomenon, but Vedic philosophy offers a precise explanation of its origin. It is not a product of the material brain or biological evolution, but rather an attribute of the conscious spirit soul residing within the body. Whether manifesting as the subconscious recall of past lives or as direct guidance from the Supreme Lord, intuition serves as evidence that consciousness is distinct from and superior to dull matter. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that this "gut feeling" is actually the science of the soul in action.
Soul as Source
The material body is often compared to a vehicle, which has no independent will or ability to move without a driver. Similarly, the physical form—whether human, animal, or plant—possesses no inherent intuition; all tendencies and direction emanate from the living force, the spirit soul, present within. Śrīla Prabhupāda often used this car-and-driver analogy to show that the "intentions" of a living being cannot exist without a spiritual spark.
- The body as it is has neither tendencies nor intuition; the tendencies and intuition belong to the soul within the body.
- Neither the tree nor any other body of a living creature has any tendency or intuition; the tendency and intuition exist because the soul is present within the body. In this connection, the example of a car and driver may be given very profitably.
- A car has neither tendencies nor intuitions independent of the intentions of the driver within the car. The same principle applies for the automatic growth of trees in the forest. The growth takes place because of the soul's presence within the tree.
Previous Life Experience
What is popularly known as intuition is frequently the surfacing of memories and experiences accumulated in previous lifetimes. Just as we retain knowledge from earlier months of our current life, the soul carries the impressions of past activities, which manifest as "intuitive" skills or knowledge in the present body. In his conversations, Śrīla Prabhupāda pointed out that such "instinct" from birth is evidence of the soul's continuity beyond the current physical frame.
- They (the material scientist) consider the intuition of living creatures from birth to be material. But such material tendencies as bodily intuition cannot be accepted as independent, for they suggest the existence of a spirit soul within the body.
- Because I know, I experienced in my last April, May, June, so similarly, this intuition is nothing but experience of my last life. That is called intuition.
- Even if we change our body, still we can find out our means of living by that inherent intellect. That is advertised as intuition. But this intuition is previous experience only.
Divine Guidance
Beyond past karma, intuition can also be the direct intervention of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who directs the wanderings of all living entities. For the sincere devotee, this intuition becomes a divine intelligence granted by Kṛṣṇa to help them return to Him, while for others, it is the prompting of material nature under the Lord's supervision.
- The five elementary ingredients of creation, the interaction thereof set up by eternal time, and the intuition or nature of the individual living beings are all differentiated parts and parcels of the Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva.
- On the platform of love and affection, it is the duty of the devotee to do one thing first and other things later. The proper intuition by which to do this is given by Krsna.
- Simply by intuition, Rukmini could understand that Pradyumna was her own lost son. She could also observe that Pradyumna resembled Lord Krsna in every respect.
- The four classes of good men acknowledge the authority of the Almighty God, and therefore such good men intuitively take shelter of the Lord.
Conclusion
The phenomenon of intuition serves as a powerful refutation of the materialistic worldview which sees the body as an independent machine. By understanding that intuition arises either from the stored experiences of the eternal soul or from the divine direction of the Supersoul, one can appreciate the spiritual foundation of consciousness. Ultimately, Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that the highest form of intuition is that which leads the living entity to take shelter of the Supreme Lord, recognizing Him as the source of all intelligence and the ultimate goal of life.
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 Intuition. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.