Thursday, February 2, 2017

Manas Buddhi Chitta Ahamkara - Part 3

BUDDHI

We learnt in the previous post on the 4 functions very briefly, as under:-

4
"I-maker," egoity
3
knows, decides, judges, and discriminates
2
storage of impressions
1
sensory, processing mind

While Manas or Mind is the processing unit, for easier understanding, it is to be visualized/ imagined that ahamkara or Ego and chitta or Storage of impressions are like the workers or foremen  at a lower grade in a factory and Buddhi is the GM of the factory.

When any thoughts arise (inputs to be processed by the mind), the 2 helpers, ahamkara and chitta, try to influence the mind and they tell the mind, “Don’t approach the GM of the factory. He does not know anything. We have practical experience and you just process the material based on our inputs and our advise and let the GM be totally unaware of what we are advising you”

It is for the manas or the mind to think logically that the owner of the factory (God) would not have hired the GM (Discriminating Buddhi) and kept him at such a high position and hence, we must use his expertise and always consult him (Buddhi) before taking any material (thoughts) for processing (thoughts to be processed to be transformed into action).

The GM (buddhi) may not be as active   as the workers (ahamkara and chitta) but when any important material is to be processed by the machine (manas), the GM is the one who can just give a right command, right decision about how the material is to be processed because, he (the Buddhi) is at a equi poised level where he can decide in the over all interest of the factory ( the over all spiritual growth of the individual) instead of short lived, immediate well being of limited persons( the immediate satisfaction of the foreman, Ahamkara and chiita)!

Buddhi is higher mind: Buddhi is the higher aspect of mind, the door-way to inner wisdom. The word Buddhi itself comes from the root budh, which means one who has awakened.

Buddhi has the capacity to decide, judge, and make cognitive discriminations and differentiations. It can determine the wiser of two courses of action, if it functions clearly and if Manas will accept its guidance.
   
The higher or sattvic buddhi has the following characteristics.

1
The power of discrimination is developed;
2
The buddhi that has learned to discriminate between the Self and the non-self.
3
Such a buddhi has one-pointedness and inwardness;
4
It has attained calmness, quietness, and steadiness; it remains serene, undisturbed, and undissipated;
5
It is free from the desire for sense gratification;
6
It helps one to decide right from wrong and to act in a timely manner;
7
It makes one selfless and giving, without any expectations;
8
It helps one to remain tranquil and even in all conditions;
9
It helps one to remain a witness;
10
It leads one to spiritual heights.

As a human being you have inherited a vast treasure of knowledge. You can have access to that treasure only if the mind is made one-pointed and inward. Beyond manas is the intellect. The power of intellect guides the functions of the mind.

There are two different states of buddhi: lower buddhi and higher buddhi. The lower buddhi gives diverse instructions one after another, but with its pure reason the higher buddhi gives firm instruction for the benefit of the whole being. It is aware of the source of consciousness within and at the same time has discriminatory knowledge of the external world.

As we saw in the factory example above, in real life, when we are in a situation where we have to decide on a thing, there is always a conflict between our lower and higher Buddhi. The lower Buddhi always tries to dominate and make us decide with our instincts, influenced either by Ahamkara or Chitta. In all those times, we are expected to use our higher Buddhi and decide what our conscience tells us as correct.

We will learn more on the discrimination part of Buddhi in the next post.

Love.






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