459. Imperfect Intuitions

As I experience more of life, I develop a greater understanding of myself and the world around me. This awareness is not a kind of knowledge that I can easily put into words. It is more like the understanding of how to do something. Once I’ve learned how to do it, I don’t need anything like language or reason to do it again, because my understanding is immediately and intuitively available.

I trust the intuitions that arise from my awareness because they help me live well. This is true even though my awareness is not perfect or complete. I trust my intuitive sense of a situation even when I cannot quite explain what it means. My intuitions allow me to see some part of what is needed and necessary and it is by following them that I’m able to act with compassion.

At the same time, I need to be skeptical of my intuitions. If I listen to them without critical thought then I run the risk of harming myself or another person. When my past experiences in a particular area are too narrow, my awareness will be too limited to provide intuitions that can guide me well. If I rely on intuition here, I might produce further suffering instead of creating joy.

Critical thought cannot replace intuition, but it can supplement it. Reason allows me to pose reflective questions about my intuitions, which helps me recognize when they are only the products of attachment in disguise. But it is still through intuitive awareness that I become capable of greater compassion, which means I need to be careful not to adopt the mistaken belief that it is through the mechanical application of reason and control that my actions will improve.

As long as I remember that my awareness is limited, I will understand that my intuitions won’t always be helpful. I will also understand that I need to allow my awareness to expand. This means not only that I need to keep my attention open and free, but also that I need to experience more of life. By having more varied experiences, my awareness will expand and my intuitions will improve, which also means my actions will become more compassionate.