Scholars and Intellectuals

Sri Ramakrishna, like a child, was always very guileless and straight in his evaluation of others, esp. the so called scholars and intellectuals with mere book learning (who do not have spiritual traits like discrimination and renunciation to complement the learning thus acquired). He equated them with larks and vultures which soar high up in the sky (a reference to the high social status of the former) but still have an eye on the charnel-pit of greed and lust. These intellectuals clamour for name and fame. Being obsessed and driven by their ego they are highly opinionated. They are egotists and treat anybody differing from their opinions contemptuously. There are many a living sample of them whose quotes and opinions many times appear on the front pages of the newspapers. They have certainly made a name in the academic and material world without providing any practical benefit to the society and mankind. They adorn academic chairs. They are considered by the left liberal or right liberal camps to be the greatest treasures on earth and they have developed quite a large following among the people subscribing to these viewpoints, mainly in the academic world. Most of them have some common features – disdain for anything to do with religion or spirituality. Perhaps they are too circumspect as a result of the experience of the intellectuals in the medieval age about the high handedness of the Church, but that ironically goes against the very essence of what they would like to preach – liberalism. The backbone of liberalism lies in acceptance and critical evaluation of other beliefs and values, not in throwing them aside simply because they are not in consonance with one’s own thoughts and ideals. Sri Ramakrishna used to say that from a very high plane of existence in which he often used to be, such dry intellectuals would seem like mere straws. Just like dry straw, dry intellect is of no value apart from being fodder for cows (i.e. food for thought for not so intellectual followers of these intellectual scholars).