“Cultivate the heart…The heart is the instrument of inspiration. Where there is conflict between the heart and the brain, follow the heart.”
~ Swami Vivekananda
In today’s world most people only seek the cultivation of their intelligence and take no time or care for the cultivation of the heart. However, it is the heart which takes one to the highest plane.
There’s a quote which is actually a poor translation of the Buddha’s words, but whether the Buddha actually said it exactly this way or not, it is still a beautiful saying:
“the way is not in the sky; the way is in the heart.”
The heart is the way because the heart can go beyond the intellect. It knows things that reason can never know. It experiences things through a feeling beyond rational intellect and sometimes the experiences in the heart can never be explained through mere words or intelligence, as it is just something that must be felt in order to be known.
Also, it’s through the heart that love and compassion arise. And therefore, it is through the heart that awakening to our deepest self & realization of that self occurs.
So, listen to Swami Vivekananda’s wise words & whenever there is a conflict between your heart & your head – follow your heart!
~ Anthony
