Two Kinds of Intellect

Lesson 22: Two Kinds of Intellect

There are two kinds of intellect; the first is acquired –
Thanks to it, you learn like a schoolboy
Books, teachers, reflection, concepts, all kinds of sciences.
You learn and your intellect grows superior.
But conserving this knowledge is always a burden.
The other intellect is God's pure gift;
Its heart is in the breast of the soul.
When the water of divine gnosis jets from the heart
It never becomes stagnant or old or dirty.
And if it can't flow outside, what does that matter?
It keeps foaming up from within the heart.

- Jalal-ud-Din Rumi

(Translated by Andrew Harvey from A Year of Rumi)