Yes—against society, use the mind. The mind is a perfect tool to preserve your independence and sharpen your awareness. It is a capable fighter, but it is not a lover. When the moment demands resistance or the defense of your freedom, the heart won’t help; the heart does not know how to fight.
But context is everything. And I call a person truly conscious when they know how to use each of their faculties in the right context without confusion. Eyes are for seeing—you cannot hear with them. Ears are for hearing—you cannot see with them. When each instrument serves its purpose, and none interferes with the other, there is harmony.
The mind is a beautiful instrument. It should be honed and refined—but always with the awareness of its limits. It must remain a servant to the heart. The moment it tries to become the master, the heart begins to wither. In servitude, the heart cannot thrive.
So, there is no contradiction in what I say—just different contexts. Your consciousness stands beyond both mind and heart. A conscious being can use the heart when love is needed, can use the mind when logic is required, and can transcend both when silence is called for—when the need is simply to be.
That is mastery: when you can pick up your instruments and put them down at will. Imagine someone holding a flute, and you say, “Can you stop playing for a moment? I’d like to speak with you.” If they reply, “I can’t stop, the flute won’t let me,” what would you think? That the person is insane. The flute won’t stop? Then the flute is playing you.
This is the state of most minds. If your mind keeps moving even when you ask it to stop, then it’s a sign of danger. The servant is attempting to become the master. But the servant must remain the servant, and the master must remain the master.
Beyond both, however, is your being—which is neither servant nor master. It simply is. That pure isness is the goal of all meditation.
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