Question: Are there karmic causes for intelligence?

Sri Chinmoy: Yes. As everything must be cultivated, generally intelligence has to be cultivated in one's previous life in order for one to be born with it in this life. If one has cultivated intelligence in his past incarnations, his outer mind may not get systematic knowledge from school, but his inner achievement will flow through his so-called ignorant mind.

But if the soul sees that a person's brilliant mind is standing in the way of his inner progress, the soul may make the decision in the next life to incarnate in a very simple family where the intelligence will not be developed, in order to give the person simplicity and the opportunity for his intuition to develop.

Also, if one abuses one's intelligence in this life, using it for a bad purpose, then one may not get that opportunity again in the next life. It does not necessarily follow that in each life one will be more and more intelligent.