' A sharpened intellect '...

A sharpened intellect is necessary to perceive truth.

Those who lack mental acuteness will not be able to grasp the meaning of the relativity of the three states.

Such a dull intellect may, however, be perfectly adequate to handling the affairs of the world and a man might be clever, astute and a successful business man and yet remain incapable of grasping truth.

The sharpness which is required is the subtlety and ability to move amid abstract ideas.

Similarly the greatest scholar, however learned, may be unable to grasp it, because it requires real thinking and not mere memorizing.



V.S. Iyer from
Lights on Advaita:
Selected Teachings of V. Subrahmanya Iyer