The Bhagavad Gita (3.43) exhorts us to use our intelligence to fight against self-destructive desires but simultaneously warns (3.40) that even intelligence can be corrupted by such desires. Since intelligence is our key weapon in this inner battle, we need to be vigilant to detect and correct its corruption, just as a country must guard against corruption in its defense forces when facing an aggressive enemy.

To understand and address the corruption of intelligence, we must be aware of the signs that indicate such corruption. Broadly, corrupted intelligence can operate in two modes: covert and overt.

Covert corruption of intelligence

In its covert mode, corrupted intelligence operates subtly and secretly. It may:

  1. Convince us that indulgence in certain desires is not a significant problem. It dismisses warnings about such indulgences as exaggerated and unnecessary.
  2. Promote private indulgence, reassuring us that as long as we indulge secretly, no harm will come to us.
  3. Devise schemes to conceal and cover up indulgences. This may involve circumventing safeguards we or others have put in place to prevent indulgence.
  4. Reframe the problem, making us believe that getting caught is the only real issue, not the indulgence itself.

For instance, someone may justify indulging in a bad habit by thinking, “No one will know, so it doesn’t matter.” This rationalization is fueled by corrupted intelligence acting covertly.

Overt corruption of intelligence

As corruption deepens, intelligence may become overtly corrupted, where it:

  1. Justifies indulgence when it is detected. Corrupted intelligence may come up with rationalizations to excuse the behavior.
  2. Minimizes the indulgence, labeling it as a one-off lapse that is not worth discussing or addressing further.
  3. Challenges the moral framework, arguing that the indulgence isn’t wrong or that societal or spiritual standards themselves are flawed. It may even misuse logic or scripture to defend such arguments deceptively.

This overt corruption manifests when one begins openly defending actions that they would have previously concealed, often using arguments designed to undermine the validity of moral or spiritual standards.

Signs of corrupted intelligence

To detect corrupted intelligence, consider these warning signs:

  1. Concealment of activities: Are there things you feel compelled to hide from others, not out of privacy but because you fear disapproval or exposure?
  2. Mismatched reasoning: Do the reasons you publicly give for your actions differ from the actual reasons driving them?
  3. Contradictory arguments: Are your defenses for certain actions at odds with your community’s understanding or values, especially when those defenses seem rationalized or self-serving?

While there can be valid reasons for privacy or dissenting opinions, such exceptions are rare. Frequently, these signs indicate that our intelligence is being manipulated by self-destructive desire, turning it into a tool that enables indulgence rather than combating it.

Restoring integrity to intelligence

When intelligence is corrupted, it ceases to function as our defender against self-destructive desires and instead becomes an accomplice of the enemy. To restore its integrity, we need:

  1. Self-reflection: Regularly analyze our thoughts, actions, and motivations to identify signs of corruption.
  2. Guidance: Seek input from trusted, spiritually advanced individuals to recalibrate our intelligence.
  3. Scriptural grounding: Equip our intelligence with clear, well-reasoned arguments from wisdom texts like the Bhagavad Gita to counteract rationalizations and deceptions.

The Bhagavad Gita (2.63) warns that once intelligence falls, the entire self is likely to follow. Therefore, preserving and strengthening the integrity of our intelligence is crucial for resisting self-destructive desires.

Summary:

  • Intelligence, our key weapon against self-destructive desire, can itself become corrupted, acting covertly to justify secret indulgence or overtly to defend such indulgence when detected.
  • Signs of corruption include the concealment of actions, providing mismatched external and internal reasons for behaviors, and defending actions contrary to spiritual values.
  • To counter corruption, we need self-reflection, external guidance, and scriptural reasoning to restore intelligence’s integrity and effectiveness in combating self-destructive tendencies.

Think it over:

  • List three activities you consciously conceal from others and evaluate whether the concealment is due to corrupted intelligence acting covertly.
  • Reflect on a situation where the external reason you gave for an action differed from your actual motivation. Analyze whether this mismatch arose from corrupted intelligence.
  • Contemplate any instance where you defended an action widely reproached in your spiritual community. Assess whether your defense was a rationalization by corrupted intelligence.

***

03.40 The senses, the mind and the intelligence are the sitting places of this lust. Through them lust covers the real knowledge of the living entity and bewilders him.