Some cricket matches start slowly, with the game gradually building momentum. There may be very few boundaries in the beginning, with players patiently scoring singles and understanding the conditions. As the game progresses, the momentum builds and the pace picks up. Today, Zoom seemed to be having one of those slow starts, quietly accumulating singles until half-time.
Being emotional means allowing the mind and its impulses to take control of our actions. In such a state, the mind behaves like a monkey, jumping from one thought to another, reacting to situations, worrying about the past, fearing the future, and constantly seeking something outside itself for happiness. Intelligence, on the other hand, is the state of consciousness, being like a monk.
The difference can also be understood through two boats. Being emotional is like travelling in a sailboat; being intelligent is like travelling in a motorboat. A sailboat is dependent on the direction and intensity of the wind. When the wind changes, the boat changes direction. Similarly, when we are emotional, our behaviour is dictated by external circumstances.
When one is established in intelligence, one is in Yoga. Such a person lives with purpose rather than impulse. He responds instead of reacting, remains peaceful in uncertainty, cheerful in difficulty, and positive even when circumstances are not favourable. He is less burdened by fear, worry, and anxiety because he understands that life is happening in the present moment, and that the only moment available for action is now.
Intelligence also brings dispassion. It does not mean indifference; it means doing what needs to be done without becoming excessively attached to the outcome. One understands the law of Karma: every action has a consequence. Therefore, instead of constantly worrying about what will happen, one focuses on what one can do today.
The real shift is from the monkey to the monk, from being carried by the wind to steering our own boat, and from reacting to life to consciously living it. That is intelligence: when we stop being passengers of our mind and become conscious players in the game of life.