heart vs. mind

the complete works of swami vivekananda are online, and i find great strength in reading them every morning, and whenever else i can steal some time from daily responsibilities. if you are so inclined, i encourage you to check them out here.

there is often a tension between the heart and the mind - when the heart wishes to believe and the mind argues that there is no basis. harder still is articulating one's beliefs and convictions before another, for sometimes, the heart has no words (and here, i am reminded of the essence of the little prince). i just ran into the lines below, and they offer a glimpse into swami vivekananda's perspective on this tension. reverence, love, and purity cleanse our hearts, dispel impurities, and make them strong enough that they may know the truth. this is the best i can do with my understanding today.

You remember in the Old Testament where Moses was told, "Take off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." We must always approach the study of religion with that reverent attitude. He who comes with a pure heart and a reverent attitude, his heart will be opened; the doors will open for him, and he will see the truth.

If you come with intellect only, you can have a little intellectual gymnastics, intellectual theories, but not truth. Truth has such a face that any one who sees that face becomes convinced. The sun does not require any torch to show it; the sun is self-effulgent. If truth requires evidence, what will evidence that evidence? If something is necessary as witness for truth, where is the witness for that witness? We must approach religion with reverence and with love, and our heart will stand up and say, this is truth, and this is untruth.