Good advice can come from many sources and may all be useful
in its own way, but it leads only to a resolution through analysis and
synthesis, which is the brain working. Intuition often manifests as an
inner voice, arising from fine and sensitive intelligence. It might tell
you not to take a particular job in spite of attractive appearances, or
to make a journey that you had not envisaged. It is to be respected,
though treated with caution, at least until intelligence has reached the
stage of pure wisdom. Intuition transcends rationality and is from the
heart.
What then is different about conscience? The difference is that con
science hurts; it causes us pain. We say we are pricked by conscience.
Intuition prompts us, causes perhaps some confusion, because we do
not know where it is coming from. But conscience hurts. That is be
cause it lies at the heart of the paradox of what it means to be a spiri
tual being, living in a physical body, in a material world. Conscience
tells us to do the harder thing, because it is always pulling us toward
Unity, toward Wholeness. Our desires, our selfishness, our intellectual
flaws always tug us toward the world of diversity, where we judge is
sues, muddle through, and try to choose the lesser evil. Conscience,
when it is flawless, is the voice of our soul, whispering in our ear. In
that sense, even a painful conscience is a privilege as it is proof that
God is still talking to us.
This close juxtaposition of conscience and soul reminds me of a
visit I made to Rome many years ago. Pope Paul, the then pope, was
in poor health and invited me to come and see him with a view to
giving him yoga lessons. I accepted. But suddenly, at the behest of his
cardinals, he imposed a condition. The lessons were to be kept a total
secret as it might be interpreted in a twisted fashion as if a Catholic
Pope were to be seen to be following practices associated with Hin
duism. Of course, I assured him that yoga is universal, transccndin�
any creed or cult, and I was able to say that I would not hroadcasl
what was takin� place. Nevertheless, I said, if questiom·d ahoul il, I
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