Paras and Patthar
Plato said that we can try to understand truth through our senses, logic, reason and mathematics but ultimately, we need ‘nous’ to understand truth. ‘Nous’ can be understood as a philosophical intelligence; another description of it is a ‘God-like’ kind of mind. It was implied that we need a higher intelligence to understand the truth. In ancient Indian writings there is the concept of Patthar intellect and Paras intellect. Patthar is gross and limited to the gross and Paras is refined, in that it has a sense of the subtle. The premise is that we all have both intellects and which ever one is used more becomes stronger and more dominant.
Because of its limitations, Pathar cannot see the whole, it sees just the part. For example it cannot see the whole elephant, it can just see the tail of the elephant. One important aspect of Putthar is that Patthar doesn’t know that it is Patthar! One who is using this intellect remains confident about his understanding of the elephant. At other times, Patthar can see the tail, legs, trunk, etc. but cannot connect them together and see the elephant. He tends to have a disjointed view of the world.
Paras can see the elephant. He sees the beauty of the elephant, he can see what the elephant can do, he can see in what way the elephant can be helped. He can see the context and significance; he understands who the man is looking after the elephant.
Patthar cannot see the context, cannot read the meaning or appreciate the beauty. He may question why there is that leg. When it comes to time, Patthar cannot grasp eternity. Everything for Patthar has to have limits, a beginning and an end. Paras can understand eternity; he understands what is meant by being timeless or endless.
When it comes to our day to day living, whilst Paras appreciates the richness of any city with so much variety within it, Patthar will see one section against the other. Youth against adults, one religion against another, one political party against another. Another time, he cannot see the existence of others; he is caught up in his own little circle. That is his idea of the city.
Just as a muscle that is used becomes stronger and a muscle that is not used atrophies, certain brain functions too if not used means that corresponding brain cells die. Similarly, if we do not use Paras, it becomes weak. If we use Paras it becomes stronger.