There is the mind.
There is the heart.
There is the intelligence of the heart.
The latter is the fundamental base of all moral and spiritual philosophy.
The intelligent heart causes the higher mind-function of the brain to awaken and this in turn leads, in time to enlightenment.
In relation to decision making the individual who follows only their mind and ignores their heart may become in other peoples eyes very successful attaining position in life, accumulating wealth and acquiring prestige.
But if they are not happy they took the wrong path.
Equally the individual who follows their heart and ignores the cautious promptings of their intellect may similarly surround themselves with many superficial things .
But if they are unhappy they took the wrong path.
Happiness is not a thing that can be found or acquired, it is a gift of self-knowledge.
In asking which it is better to follow in order to find happiness, the answer is neither.People and possessions do not make you happy. it is your reaction to them that determines your degree of happiness.
We live in a society where everyone is looking for the instant fix-it doesn't exist. So why chase it?
We live in a world where people and the " state" make constant demands upon us, we are obliged to do this and expected to do that because we are told we owe it to our family, we owe it to the state for providing us with an education and giving us the opportunity to repay the debt we are told we owe by getting a good job and following tradition.If we do not the people around us frown, they make us feel guilty and a failure.
Yet,it is they who are in the wrong.
It is not for you to become the No 1 seed at Wimbledon because your father failed to, Nor is it for you to become a heart-surgeon just to follow in daddy's footsteps. If it isn't what you want to do, independently of others desires and wishes then you will not be happy and you will not succeed.
Likewise chasing the dream of becoming the next Pop-idol will not bring happiness or success if you are only following a desire to be famous.
In the first scenario an individual has chosen to conform to others wishes of what they should do with their life,and in the other by following the urging of the heart blindly without thinking of the consequences they have sought only a life of selfish ego-gratification.
In both cases neither individual really knew what they wanted or they would have been successful. The first, if it was their true heart-felt desire to help others could have become the worlds greatest heart-surgeon. The second if they knew in the very depths of their innermost being they were born to sing,if they ate breathed and dreamt music could have become the next Elvis.
In both cases heart and mind were not balanced.
In my youth I followed the path of conformity , went out and got a good job, conformed to social norms, sought to settle down and raise a family.etc.Because this was what was expected, why then should I not want it?
The consequence was failure, heartbreak and misery. Unemployed, jilted, alienated from friends and family alike and eventually homeless.
After the passing of my parents I moved into lodgings for the homeless, went back to further education, gained a Masters Degree in Fine Art and pursued a childhood dream of becoming an artist.I now live that dream.
I am not rich but I am not poor. I am happy with my life and happy with who I am.
My point in all of this is that I am an artist because that is what I do, not because I want wealth or fame ( which is perhaps just as well ).In my innermost being I was always an artist.
Writers likewise write because they cant not write-it is in their soul!
Any money they make is just a bonus.
The same is true of successful singers, or heart-surgeons or military commanders.
Success in this sense does not come from money but from personal fulfilment -and it is THAT which makes you happy. To find that requires the right balance of heart & mind, but the bottom line is if you are not happy then you are not fulfilled.
That doesn't mean you can't be-it depends on you. It has nothing to do with anyone else.What is required is self-honesty ,learn to accept your faults and limitations,and recognise your strengths and inner needs. Self-knowledge leads to self-awareness and self-awareness to self-liberation.
The ultimate answer to your question lies within and it will only be found with considered introspection.
If the question is about love the same principle applies-seek a balance of heart and mind and the rest will follow, but in this context there is an added proviso-to find true and lasting love you must first learn to love yourself.
Hope this helps someone,somewhere.
Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 10:05 am