Pride is a shortcoming of the intellect, and if you want to witness some of the most dazzling displays of pride in this world, go and listen to scientists, philosophers, artists and politicians proclaiming their ideas, their point of view, their `creeds'. Every one of them thinks that he is the only one to possess the truth, the only one to reason correctly, and they are all ready to massacre others in order to impose their own convictions. As everyone knows, history is full of people who were so totally convinced that they possessed `truth' and, even, that they were the avenging arm of God, that they laid waste whole cities and massacred hundreds of people in the name of their beliefs. Just look at what the Church did during the Inquisition! All those priests and bishops who thought they were so far above the masses that they had the right to exterminate those whom they judged to be in error! What pride, what presumption!

Just as long as people go on thinking that their own point of view is superior to all others, and go on pronouncing categorical judgments about everything, they will go on making mistakes, for this behaviour is in direct contradiction to a truly intelligent attitude. The truly intelligent attitude is humility; that is to say that true intelligence recognizes the existence of other beings above us who are superior to us and who have a much clearer, purer and more divine understanding of things. Only an idiot believes that his understanding of things is the ultimate, the nec plus ultra. An intelligent man says, `Well, at the moment I think thus and so; I feel that this or the other is so; I understand things this way. But this doesn't mean that there are not other, more highly evolved beings in creation who could teach me a great deal and help me to understand better. I shall go and seek them out.' That is true intelligence.

But where will you find someone capable of reasoning so wisely? How many, instead, are ready to spill their blood (or, preferably, that of others) to prove that it is they who possess the truth! Unfortunately nothing engenders greater friction between human beings than conflicting ideas. Everybody is ready to tolerate moral weaknesses and failings in their friends and neighbours, but as soon as their political, philosophical or religious ideas are different or opposed, it is open war! You only have to look at the lessons history can teach us: how many very saintly people with exceptional gifts have been misunderstood and despised simply because their point of view was different! They were hanged or beheaded like common criminals, with no regard for their wisdom or moral worth. It is pride which blinds men to the merits of those whose ideas they contest. It is pride which pits men against each other and it is humility which restores peace and harmony.

Wisdom and intelligence, true, divine intelligence, are possessed only by those who are genuinely humble, those who know that they can not put blind trust in the lucubrations of their own intellect. As long as the intellect, the lower mental faculty, talks, argues, makes a lot of noise and takes up all the available space, the higher mental faculty cannot get a word in. The higher mental faculty is the only one which enables man to see and understand the divine plan which he has been sent to earth to accomplish, and not only to see and understand, but also to carry it out. If man does not have the humility which alone enables him to go beyond the purely intellectual dimension, he will always miss the point. Only when he has succeeded in pricking the balloon of the intellect's swollen ego will his higher mental faculty be free to manifest itself and reveal to his wondering gaze the real marvels of the universe.

All those who are firmly convinced of the absolute truth of their opinions are proud. Perhaps you will ask, `but then, does this mean that we should never think that we know the truth?’ Certainly not, and I shall explain how you can avoid giving in to pride when you are convinced of the truth of your opinions. But, first of all, you must have a clear idea of the nature of intelligence and of the origin of your point of view and the opinions you hold.

Our intelligence is nothing more nor less than the sum total, the synthesis of the innumerable centres and organs in our bodies, of all the tendencies and innate urges that have accompanied us in one incarnation after another, for millions of years. It is a summary, an abstract of all the capacities and faculties possessed by all the cells that go to make up our organism. The quality of our intelligence is in direct proportion to the sensitivity, harmony and degree of evolution of our cells. It is extremely important to understand that intelligence is not a separate, distinct faculty with an independent life of its own; it is part of the whole man, including his cells and physical organs. And it is for this reason that to think correctly is not only the result of an effort of the intellect, it is the outcome of a whole way of life.

Now, let's take this a step further: where does our intelligence come from? It is a reflection of Cosmic Intelligence. But it is an imperfect reflection because, in the course of its passage through our physical cells which are often in a state of chaos caused by our passions, the light of Cosmic Intelligence is distorted and loses much of its brilliance. Cosmic Intelligence cannot manifest itself perfectly through a creature who has not yet managed to control his own instinctive urges; but the more he purifies and perfects himself, the more capable he becomes of receiving and manifesting the light of that Intelligence.

Since a disciple's intelligence is a direct consequence of the condition of the cells of his body, he should be particularly careful to keep them as healthy and harmonious as possible by paying attention to the quality of his physical food, but also and primarily, to the quality of his psychic food (sensations, feelings and thoughts), otherwise he will remain closed to all revelations of a higher order. The only way to improve the quality of one's intelligence is to improve the quality of one's way of life. I have always believed this; I have always known it to be true, and I have always worked in this direction.

It is simply astounding to see how people lay down the law about something they know nothing about in the firm conviction that things are exactly what they say they are. They are even ready to exterminate others and destroy themselves for the sake of their convictions! They never stop to question their own authority: `What if I were wrong, after all? Perhaps I'm not so highly evolved, so pure and receptive. Do I have the right to be so firmly convinced? I'd better try and find out; I'd better study things a little more closely.' Oh, no! They are ready to massacre others and to lay down their own lives, but they will never give up their own opinions.

But how can people be so convinced that they know all there is to know about everything current events, religion, politics, love... everything you can think of? They often change their opinion about something radically in the space of only a few years, and yet, each time, they are just as convinced that they are right. In their youth they thought one thing, when they grew up they thought another and when they are old they think quite differently again. So why are they so attached to their ideas? Surely they should say to themselves, `I've changed my opinion about this or that so many times, how can I be sure that what I think today is true?’ Yes, even when you are ninety-nine you should say to yourself, `I'm not ready to make my final judgment on that. Perhaps in a few thousand years I'll see things more clearly. I've already changed my opinion so many times in the course of my existence!' You have to be convinced, that's true. But not of the value of your own judgment, for it is very limited and liable to error. Live a little longer and you will see: you will change your opinion again several times!