Buddhi is the thought processing machinery that is guided by the intent of past actions and remainder of those actions. This might appear as a vicious circle; one did something wrong at an instance, and all the future actions get influenced by it. Next round of actions shall further be vicious, with the trigger from the current set of wrong actions. How does the seeker break this loop and get freed is the question that interests the inquisitive.
Buddhi operates at different levels. The cognition driven calculative mind represents the lower Buddhi. It captures the inputs from the surroundings or familiar ecosystem, processes by combining with the past learning/experience, and applies the constraints, and finally triggers the actions. Moral/ethical or not is immaterial. On the other hand, higher order Buddhi is driven by the higher purpose and guidance. For this to operate, there needs to be a well laid inputting mechanism regarding the higher cues, and one must be open to the higher dimensional guidance that may be received as non-physical hints.
Karma binds, is what is professed. Karma binds the bound, is the deeper appreciation. Then comes the question how one can get rid of the ‘binding’ so that one’s mind becomes free from the past Karma and one is saved from the above vicious circle. The binding happens at different levels. One the physical front binding can happen in terms of physical (like stranded in an island) or at thought/emotion levels (like not leaving the familiar place). But the real ‘freedom from the binding’ is little difficult to appreciate and more difficult to operate.
When we refer to the pain or suffering to a particular part of the body, we often refer it as ‘that part is undergoing pain’. For example, one refers as ‘my left eye is watering’ or ‘my knees are paining’. Here, the individual is nuancing the parts of the body and identifying these as ‘different from self’. But when one refers to the entire body, the ‘maya’ appears more entrenching. The seeker may refer as ‘I have fever’. Thus, the progress must come to the level of differentiating the body and self.
When one starts operating at the above desired levels, one overcomes the constraining condition of ‘Buddhi Karmanusarini’. Real freedom then prevails.
(Prof S Ainavolu is a Mumbai-based teacher of tradition and management. Views are personal. https://www.ainavolu.in/blog)
(We are on WhatsApp. To get latest news updates, Join our Channel. Click here)
