The answer is quite simple actually.
Thoughts are objects.
Knowledge from books for instance are facts or objects.
They are not that different from physical objects.
Knowing tons of facts is like living in a house with thousands of objects.
You can cherish these objects, clean them, order them on shelves and even get some more.
It creates a space in which you live and it gives you some satisfaction to own all that stuff.
It's ok.
If the objects are artistic, it can as well fulfill your longing for beauty.
In other terms all these objects do feed you on a certain level.
Intellectual facts and knowledge function in a similar way.
They feed your intellect which is a VERY specific part of your mind and consciousness.
In Esoteric terminology, the intellect is the lower mental plane.
The higher mental plane being higher intuition for instance when you touch on the special synchronicity or synergy of life.
Above the mental plane, you have buddhic and nirvanic consciousness and a few more planes above that...
Now, the type of consciousness activity that you express when you touch buddhic or nirvanic realms have nothing to do with mental or reasoning activity.
If you find yourself in sudden bliss after a meditation practice, that's a very different experience than entering into introspective reasoning, right?
Touching bliss is formless in essence and does feel radically different.
Now, attaining these mystical states of realization happens through different pathways.
Study of scriptures can be one of them, yes!
You can feel bliss by reading and even analyzing sacred texts.
You can find bliss through writing your own wisdom too!
All these pathways do exist and they are possible lines of consciousness exploration.
Now, sometimes, you can lose track with your spiritual target.
You get totally obsessed by the forms you use, like a yoga posture, a meditation technique or a few spiritual facts.
That's when you end up trapped.
You forget about the larger picture and forget that the reason why you focus on an object or technique or fact is because they are reflections of something much deeper than that.
What can you do when this happens?
What can you do when you feel alienated by a technique, a practice or a set of thoughts?
Simple! You let go!
You stop focusing on them for a while until your mind can relax and start seeing the larger picture again.
When you walk on any spiritual path, these objects or techniques are like the steps on the stairs.
What's the point to have your eyes obsessing over each stone on the steps?
You can pause, look up and realize that the target is right there in front of you.
The fact of getting stacked on a spiritual practice or an intellectual quest is due to an alienation of an over disciplined mind.
You can let go, you can relax, sing, dance, shift your focus and mind set.
You will notice that as soon as you shift to a more playful approach, your mind relaxes and the spontaneous downpour of spiritual bliss might start happening again on the spot.
Imagine, it is like preparing a meal.
You put too much salt, you spoil the taste, right?
With spiritual practice, it is the same, you need to take breaks, know when to relax and when to push further and stay aware that you can over train even your spiritual skills.
If you feel you are getting burned out on a spiritual technique or approach, take a break and relax!
REALLY!
The path won't go away ;)
It will be right there for when you are ready to resume your quest again...
ENJOY!
Thoughts are objects.
Knowledge from books for instance are facts or objects.
They are not that different from physical objects.
Knowing tons of facts is like living in a house with thousands of objects.
You can cherish these objects, clean them, order them on shelves and even get some more.
It creates a space in which you live and it gives you some satisfaction to own all that stuff.
It's ok.
If the objects are artistic, it can as well fulfill your longing for beauty.
In other terms all these objects do feed you on a certain level.
Intellectual facts and knowledge function in a similar way.
They feed your intellect which is a VERY specific part of your mind and consciousness.
In Esoteric terminology, the intellect is the lower mental plane.
The higher mental plane being higher intuition for instance when you touch on the special synchronicity or synergy of life.
Above the mental plane, you have buddhic and nirvanic consciousness and a few more planes above that...
Now, the type of consciousness activity that you express when you touch buddhic or nirvanic realms have nothing to do with mental or reasoning activity.
If you find yourself in sudden bliss after a meditation practice, that's a very different experience than entering into introspective reasoning, right?
Touching bliss is formless in essence and does feel radically different.
Now, attaining these mystical states of realization happens through different pathways.
Study of scriptures can be one of them, yes!
You can feel bliss by reading and even analyzing sacred texts.
You can find bliss through writing your own wisdom too!
All these pathways do exist and they are possible lines of consciousness exploration.
Now, sometimes, you can lose track with your spiritual target.
You get totally obsessed by the forms you use, like a yoga posture, a meditation technique or a few spiritual facts.
That's when you end up trapped.
You forget about the larger picture and forget that the reason why you focus on an object or technique or fact is because they are reflections of something much deeper than that.
What can you do when this happens?
What can you do when you feel alienated by a technique, a practice or a set of thoughts?
Simple! You let go!
You stop focusing on them for a while until your mind can relax and start seeing the larger picture again.
When you walk on any spiritual path, these objects or techniques are like the steps on the stairs.
What's the point to have your eyes obsessing over each stone on the steps?
You can pause, look up and realize that the target is right there in front of you.
The fact of getting stacked on a spiritual practice or an intellectual quest is due to an alienation of an over disciplined mind.
You can let go, you can relax, sing, dance, shift your focus and mind set.
You will notice that as soon as you shift to a more playful approach, your mind relaxes and the spontaneous downpour of spiritual bliss might start happening again on the spot.
Imagine, it is like preparing a meal.
You put too much salt, you spoil the taste, right?
With spiritual practice, it is the same, you need to take breaks, know when to relax and when to push further and stay aware that you can over train even your spiritual skills.
If you feel you are getting burned out on a spiritual technique or approach, take a break and relax!
REALLY!
The path won't go away ;)
It will be right there for when you are ready to resume your quest again...
ENJOY!