Understanding Intuition

Understanding Intuition - Poh Ern Si Penang Buddha Temple blog
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Intuition isn’t something mystical or reserved for a few “chosen” souls — it’s a natural quality that everyone is born with but often loses touch with as the mind gets clouded by cravings, distractions, and mental noise. As your mind grows calmer through mindful living and inner cultivation, that quiet sense of inner knowing begins to come back.

The question is, how do you effectively regain your Intuition? What are the benefits of having Intuition in life? In this post, we explore these questions and uncover why Intuition matters more than we think.

What is Intuition Meaning?

A women with intuition - Understanding Intuition - Poh Ern Si Penang Temple of Gratitude

Intuition meaning is the ability to understand something without the need for conscious reasoning. Intuition in Malay is called intuisi or gerak hati. Intuition is sometimes inborn in certain people, but most of the time, common people will have to develop it through the cultivation of deep thought and proper view.

This will help one to come to a state of calmness and serenity in order to establish a source of Intuition. Once again, it will take years and years to master the art of Intuition 意思 before we can fully develop that sixth sense or gut feeling meaning in our minds.

Others with a higher faculty of mind before coming into this world are usually inborn with Intuition. Those who are inborn with Intuition usually will have a specific purpose to perform, such as helping those who are less fortunate or reducing people’s woes, especially those who are in a state of suffering.

Also read: What Are Instinct, Intuition and Wisdom?

Intuition Used to Be A Common Skill in the Past

Intuition was long ago imbibed into everyone’s mind during ancient times, when these ancient people were living with simplicity in life. Ancient people used to live with simple food, simple shelter, and simple dressing, whereupon their minds became so calm and steady, allowing them to gain inner peace, which then developed into Intuition.

These intuitive thought ancient people could communicate with their ancestors and all forms of animals. Intuition could only be developed when one’s mind is truly calm and tranquil, as well as setting into an inner peace of state, in which Intuition is then established. However, with our daily tight schedules and hectic workload, it has become oblivious to mankind to acknowledge Intuition as a common skill and trait to have.

Furthermore, the current living conditions surrounding us are also not conducive to developing any possible intuitive meaning into our lives. A life that is full of harmonious living among one another, along with friendly greetings and warm reception towards one another, is conspicuously absent in our society. The atmosphere of friction and rivalry with one another will create inharmonious conditions to favor any form of ideal development of Intuition or gut feelings in us.

How Can Intuition Help in Life

So how can having Intuition or sixth sense help us in life? With Intuition, one is able to intercept any form of incoming phenomena coming to mind, such as the impending death of someone who is close to us. It could also help us to detect danger when it is imminently felt, for instance, going into a flight or taking a bus or train when traveling.

Also read: Is There Life After Death?

Intuition could also enliven us to know we are going on a high tiding of getting a promotion or windfall. Intuition can also make us sense that we are undergoing a turbulent journey. Intuition somewhat provides us an instinctively extraordinary sense that something is going to happen to us, such as a coronavirus outbreak, war, or a depression.

Intuition is indeed an asset to us, for it truly benefits to assist our adverse situations whenever or wherever we are going. It is an invisible protection against any unwelcome incident upon us, and it is a blessing to have such power of Intuition into our lives.

In living in this world of illusionary and distorted beliefs, it is a great asset to have Intuition to guide us from going into any unfortunate incident and let us lead a peaceful and successful life. We could even envisage assisting us in engaging some stock debentures to achieve some gains and profits through our guidance of Intuition. However, if we are truly virtuous, we should set aside a portion of our unexpected gains or profits from stock trading for charitable giving. Otherwise, accumulating such windfalls without balancing them through generosity may eventually lead to unforeseen difficulties or misfortune.

How to Cultivate Intuition?

A man looking at the sky - Understanding Intuition - Poh Ern Si Penang Buddha Temple blog

In these modern times, it is indeed hard to develop a sense of intuition. Instinct is a prerequisite to achieving intuition. Human instinct is the most basic foundation for conducting our daily lives, as we are gifted with a sense of knowing what is right and wrong in response to any given situation.

Also read: What To Do When You Don’t Know What To Do

For instance, when we see a woman being hit by a runaway truck, we will instinctively respond by noting down the vehicle number and notifying an ambulance to attend to the injured woman. Without instinct, we would never be able to react positively to the situation before us, and this reflects a breakdown in our ability to exercise instinct.

Similar to animal instinct, animals migrate to higher and safer ground when they detect the incoming danger of a flood or heavy snow. In much the same way, human instinct is necessary to help us avert the danger of impending disaster or disease through our forewarning sense of instinct.

Also read: How to Build Spiritual Protection to Protect Our Life

However, it is disappointing to note that not many people today are guided by instinct due to the deterioration of the human mind. One of the most important traits in developing instinct and later, Intuition, within human civilization is the presence of benevolence in the heart. It is this golden value of character that enabled ancient people to cultivate and strengthen instinct within their minds.

Not only that, but to gain instinct and Intuition, one should practice simplicity, moderation and humility like the people of the past. Take two simple meals each day, buy only what is necessary instead of overindulging in your purchases, and remain humble in your outlook.

A group of people attending retreats - Understanding Intuition - Poh Ern Si Penang Buddha Temple blog

One should also increase one’s exposure and experiences in life if one wishes to gain Intuition. Give free service to those in need of help, without expecting reward. Stay resilient when you face troubles and endure life’s challenges that come your way, while being aware that your ability to withstand the pain and suffering of these obstacles and challenges is part and parcel of exposure and experiences. This way, you will pave the way to gaining Intuition the more you broaden your horizons and understand the different facets of life.

Another good way to cultivate Intuition is to go for spiritual retreats, usually held over the course of one week for maximum benefit. The practice of retreats is more popular in Vajrayana Buddhism (or Tibetan Buddhism) compared to Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism branches. Even so, it is getting more difficult to find good spiritual retreats that last for a week, as nowadays retreats are often organized for a mere two or three days, which is not good enough for retreat participants to cultivate away from worldly distractions.

Also read: How to Choose A Good Spiritual Teacher or Master

Retreats are an effective way to cultivate Intuition as one will learn to cut oneself off from material distractions such as accessing handphones and social media, chitchatting with friends over calls and texts, or eating good luxurious foods. During a one-week retreat, one will learn to practice discipline, law and order, simplicity, and mindfulness in their thoughts, actions, and speech as one is exposed to the daily routine of prayer chanting, Dhamma talks, meditation as well as mindful eating. It is a tough feat to follow a retreat, but the benefits of such a strict retreat are plenty, including speeding up towards achieving Intuition.

Also read: The Importance of Self Realization and How to Achieve It

Final Thoughts

Intuition is not a magical gift granted only to a selected few, nor is it a superstition to be dismissed. It is a refined faculty of the mind that arises when one lives with clarity, benevolence, simplicity, and discipline. In truth, Intuition is closely connected to the purity of our thoughts and the steadiness of our heart.

In this modern world filled with distractions, rivalry, and material pursuits, it has become increasingly difficult to hear the quiet voice of Intuition within us. Yet, it is not lost. It merely waits for the mind to become calm again. When we choose moderation over excess, generosity over greed, humility over pride, and mindfulness over carelessness, we gradually restore the conditions for Intuition to arise naturally.

Through right living, doing more service for the needy, having resilience in hardship, and practicing more spiritual cultivation, Intuition will slowly take root and mature. When guided by Intuition, we are better protected from danger, better prepared for uncertainty, and better aligned with a peaceful and meaningful life.

We hope you achieve Intuition someday. If you ever have any question with regards to Intuition, feel free to contact us at Poh Ern Si Penang for guidance!

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