Yoga Michigan

"Buddhi" is a sanskrit word that is often translated as "intellect" or "knowledge." When we think of the intellect or knowledge, we often associate it with education or the capacity to memorize facts and figures. For example, we may say that someone who graduated from college with straight As is "intelligent" or "knowledgeable." When we talk about the buddhi in a yogic content, we usually refer to its other meaning of "higher knowledge," "capacity of discernment," or "wisdom." Just because someone is well-educated does not make them wise. Conversely, someone can be illiterate and have a high degree of wisdom. 

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The human mental faculty (antahkarana, in sanskrit) is said to have 4 parts: the manas (in this case, the perceiving part of the mind), the memory (chitta), the ego (ahamkara), and the buddhi (wisdom).  Let us think about how the mental process works. Say that we are walking in the bakery aisle of a grocery store and see a chocolate cake. First we observe the cake through our senses and send a message to our brain. We run it through our mental dictionary, and from past experience, identify it as being a chocolate cake.  

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What happens next is that we try to relate it to ourself (ahamkara). For someone who has never had chocolate cake before, it may be a neutral object that causes no reaction. But for someone who had positive sensorial experiences with it in the past, it may arise desires: "Mom used to bake chocolate cakes like that when I was little. It looks so good, I can't resist. I have to buy one!" Or for someone who had a bad experience with it, it may cause a flashback to those feelings. "I got violently ill once after eating chocolate cake like that. I hate chocolate cake!" 

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This phase is called judging and is highly subjective. Whether we rate it is as good or bad may be true in relation to our personal experiences, however it may well be a false belief that has become a hindrance to our spiritual progress. Habits, opinions, prejudices, addictions, aversions, phobias, fanaticisms, and many other forms of mental disturbances are created in this matter. This is what causes us to suffer.

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What we need to do to go beyond this ego perception is to put the buddhi into action. Your buddhi is that little voice inside you that steers you in the correct decision. In the example of the chocolate cake, it is the voice that tells you that chocolate cake is neither something to lust over nor to hate. Tuning into your buddhi takes a conscious effort in the beginning, but with practice it becomes easier. 

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The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates came up with a "triple filter test" when evaluating the usefulness of a person's spoken words. We can also put various situations in our lives through this filter to consciously tune into our own buddhi. 

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The first filter is Truth:
Are you absolutely sure that what you are saying (or thinking, or doing) is true? 
(Ex: "Am I absolutely sure that I crave - or hate - chocolate cake?")

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The second filter is Goodness:
Is what you are saying (or thinking, or doing) good or kind (to the world or a greater cause)?
(Ex: "Does my craving - or hating - chocolate cake bring any good to the world?")

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The third filter is Usefulness or Necessity:
Is what you are saying (or thinking, or doing) useful or necessary?
(Ex: Is my craving - or hating - chocolate cake useful or necessary?

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If the matter in question does not pass these three filters, chances are it is an obstacle that would be best to eliminate from your life. It takes some practice, but if you can discipline your mind to ask these questions before reacting to situations, the process slowly becomes automatic and subconscious. 

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Wisdom can only be attained through mental discipline. No amount of academic studies can lead to it. 

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-Anamika

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Please distribute this material freely for the betterment of all humanity. No copyrights are claimed.