Intuition is needed to grasp the full picture of reality and to see the world more widely and deeply. How to develop it: Lalita Mármika and kiirtan, imaginative thinking, concentration, satsaḿga and cosmic love.
If you think intuition is some extravagant quality you will never need, that is not so. Intuition is needed to grasp the full picture of reality, to see the world more widely and deeply. Everything we do is meant precisely so that our intuition switches on, works and never switches off. In this article we suggest ways of awakening intuition.
What intuition is
To develop in an ever more complex world, two factors are needed — action and knowledge. We get part of our knowledge at school, some from our parents and from personal experience. But this knowledge does not describe even one percent of reality.
Reality is much broader, and knowing it takes more than intellect. One needs the ability to see the whole picture at once, rather than piecing it together bit by bit like a mosaic. That is exactly what intuition is for.
Intuition is a capacity of the mind. Every person has it, because everyone's mind is built the same way. But to develop it, first of all one needs to remove the "lower" emotions. For when pride or greed, envy or fear appear, the mind takes on a crude wave, and the quality of intuition drops.
When intuition works
Intuitive abilities work when the energy of the mind rises to the vishuddha A center of psychic energy in the body; seven major ones lie along the spine. or the ájiṋá cakra. Then an intuitive flow begins and original ideas arise. You feel an overflowing that can be expressed in countless ways.
In our basic course we have a practice — Lalita Mármika — that elevates the mind. The physiological mechanism of this practice gives the mind a steady rhythm; disorder disappears, fears go away and a feeling of fullness appears.
Lalita Mármika is a very powerful process for reaching the intuitive flow, for meditation. It is a dance that accompanies the singing of a A sound or set of sounds that, repeated with its meaning in mind, carries the mind toward the Infinite. (Singing a name of the Supreme together, often with a simple dance; in Ananda Marga the words are Bábá Nám Kevalam.). Kiirtan is one of the fundamental practices that help elevate the mind, and Lalita Mármika multiplies the effect of kiirtan many times over.
Why we need imaginative thinking
We have five layers of mind: the lower ones are analytical knowledge, and the upper ones are synthetic knowledge, which lets us see the picture as a whole. The third layer of mind is very important; there the first intuitive abilities open up. In them perception does not happen in parts — an image is perceived whole, all at once.
Why do some people not get humor? Say someone tells you a joke. The joke "lands" when you are ready to take in the whole image at once. And the paradox of the story, when incompatible things are set side by side, is what makes it funny.
To develop imaginative thinking in children, we tell them fairy tales. The image of Ivanushka the Fool alone holds many traits. Why is he a fool? Simply because he wants nothing for himself. He doesn't try to be cunning or to get something for himself; he is always doing something for others.
Imaginative thinking is switched on through creativity — for example, poetry. When you begin to feel an image, a love for poetry comes. These are the first, initial forms of intuition. When we take in poetic images, the spirit is lifted: mental energy shifts from the mundane level and rises into the abstract sphere. Such a state of mind gives birth to happiness.
The role of concentration
The next level of development is reached through concentration. If you can calm the mind, stop its movement, you arrive at laser-like concentration. Remember the feeling when you thread a needle: it seems as if the whole world stops.
To learn such concentration, you first get acquainted with basic meditation. If you go further, you receive the first lesson, where the technique for reaching this laser-like concentration is explained. Then there is a chance to touch the depths of your own "I." At such moments it is as if you connect to a cosmic internet and find answers to your questions.
If you are in the company of a refined person, that person's consciousness lifts you to a higher level. That is why collective practice is so beneficial. When you gather together and do spiritual practices together — kiirtan and meditation — high vibrations are produced that lift and refine your mind. For this reason retreats are important: they give birth to a new dimension of your life.
The role of concentration
The final, highest form of intuition is cosmic love. If you have love for the Supreme, a longing for the Supreme, you will know all the secrets of this universe. Supreme love will open to you — the fastest internet there is. Through this channel comes the most intimate knowledge of the main secret of the universe. What is this secret? It is Supreme Consciousness. So one needs to clear away negative emotions and rise into higher spheres through creativity and the practice of spiritual disciplines.
So, to switch on intuition, you need to set up a certain rhythm:
- Practice Lalita Mármika.
- Do individual meditation at least twice a day.
- Be in satsaḿga — in the company of spiritual seekers, and hold powerful spiritual practices together. Once a week, take part in collective meditation.
The faster a bicycle goes, the steadier it is. It is the same in spiritual life: the higher the speed of your development, the steadier your practice and your life. So you need to stay in the flow all the time. This knowledge will lead you in the right direction.
