The essence of living Intelligently

Intelligent Living has only two tenets. 1. Just be. 2. While just being, be at it.

Arriving at this state of awareness does not take time or practice, it only takes a moment of awakening. When you let Life take you on its own course, you just be, you don't resist, you don't fight, you don't agonize and so you are peaceful and often in bliss. But letting Life flow at its own terms__no matter what you think or do, Life has an independent mind and operates on its own terms__does not mean stopping to do what you must do. This is the action that the Bhagavad Gita talks about, this is the duty, this is the Purpose that creation has intended for us. When you are not aware or 'awake', you try multiple things, you try to control, you fight and you worry. When the awakening moment happens, when your Purpose finds you, you find meaning in doing what you must do.

Now, this is not complicated. A Zen story here explains how simple understanding your Life’s Purpose really can be.

A disciple spoke to his Master as he was sitting down to meditate.

“Master, what is my Purpose in Life? I have heard you speak so much about our being purpose-driven to accomplish things in our Life, yet when I try to grasp what it is that I myself am meant to be doing, I am unable to arrive at my Purpose in my mind.”

The Master replied: “My dear young man, our Purpose in Life is as individual as the fingerprints on our palms. So what it is for you I cannot tell you. However, I can tell you that  knowing what your Purpose in this Life is important. My experience has taught me that you cannot find Purpose in your mind. You will only find it through your heart.”

He then added, “My son, I have a question for you. If you knew, right now, that you were going to die tomorrow, what would you most regret that you had not accomplished?”

“Well, Master,’ said the disciple, “I would certainly rue the fact that I had not learned how to become a Master like you. I would also very much regret not being reconciled with my family for we have seen much acrimony over these past years. Then, I will feel sorry for the fact that I have not realized my dream of building my own monastery.”

“Well,” said the Master, “it sure looks like you have identified the essential ingredients of your Life’s Purpose, it is now for you to go to work to make these things come alive and become your reality.”

It really is that simple. When you arrive at this moment of clarity, you awaken. You start living and don’t just exist! In getting to that moment of awakening is where most of mankind fails to employ the intelligence it is endowed with. You see this intelligence demonstrated ever so often: in a smart business deal, in an invention, in just the way you convince an airline agent to confirm a waitlisted booking, in arguing a point, in making important investment decisions. And yet, in the most critical aspect of your journey through this planet, you miss the opportunity to employ your intelligence. That awakening moment can even be now, if you accept in all humility that there must be a reason for your creation (your raison d'etre) and if you seek Life to unveil it to you. The key is to be humble. That's what takes, at times, even a lifetime!