It is in Buddhi or intellect, which is a manifestation of Prakṛiti, that the knowledge of the difference between the soul and Prakṛiti must arise.
This difficulty is not met by talking, as some commentators do, of cosmic as well as individual Buddhi, for even if all Prakṛiti is illuminated by Buddhi at this stage it is difficult to see what result can occur.
But in what sense is it possible to say that this Buddhi exists apart from individuals, who have not come into being at this stage of cosmic evolution?
Consciousness is Adhyatma; conviction in one's identity with Prakriti is its Adhibhuta; and Mahat or Buddhi is its Adhidaivata.
The seven incidents of Buddhi or the Understanding are Mahat, consciousness, and the five subtile essences.
Manas is mind, Buddhi is Understanding, and Kshetrajna is the Soul.
In the rest he expounds the nature of Sattwa which the commentator takes to mean buddhi or knowledge.
Buddhi is Adhyatma; that which is to be understood is its Adhibhuta; and Kshetrajna is its Adhidaivata.
What is meant by the destruction of 'guna' or attribute or earthly objects is merging them in the buddhi by yoga; in other words, a withdrawal of the senses into the mind, and the senses and the mind into the understanding.
With Manas he reflects over them, and then with the aid of Buddhi he arrives at certitude of knowledge.
Superior to Manas is Buddhi, and superior to Buddhi is Kshetrajna.
Buddhi is the Understanding or the cognitive faculties of the Kantian school.
Mahat is sometimes called Buddhi hence the creation of Consciousness from Mahat must be creation relating to Buddha.
The buddhi here referred to is intelligence cleansed by scriptures.
These, the commentator explains, are Mind, Buddhi or Understanding Consciousness, and Chitwa, considered as Vyashti instead of as Samashthi.
These the occult system or esotericism divides into seven, farther adding to these--kama, manas, buddhi and atman.
Buddhi has the three attributes of Pratyaksha, Upamiti and Anumiti (perception, analogy, and inference).
Out of the three producers or evolvers, Prakriti, Buddhi and Ahankara, it is but the latter that can be caught (when man is concerned) and destroyed when personal.
The seat of the manas is the root of the throat, of buddhi the face, of chitta the umbilicus, and of ahankara the breast.
Consciousness, Buddhi and Atma are practically the same as the manasa, prana, and ether, each to each, only the latter are differentiated and the former are not.
Buddhi is the vehicle wherein Atmâ, the Spirit, dwells, and in which alone it can manifest.
They not only contribute to the reaching of this goal, but without these finite breaks Sûtrâtmâ-Buddhi could never reach it.
Whether we understand by the cave the body or the heart, in either case the buddhi and the individual soul may be spoken of as 'entered into the cave.
And as the dual form 'drinking' (pibantau) shows that both are drinking, the view of the two being the buddhi and the individual soul is not tenable.
Footnote 335: Buddhi in the latter case being the generic name for buddhi, aha.nkâra, and manas.
Hence there is room for the doubt whether the two are the buddhi and the individual soul, or the individual soul and the highest Self.
What is Chitta, outside Manas, Buddhiand Ahamkara?
The Chitta is not a fourth, but the sum of the three: Manas, Buddhi and Ahamkara.
Will breaks its way upwards by sheer unflinching determination, keeping its eyes fixed on the end, and using either buddhi or manes indifferently as a means to that end.
The path on which the faculty of Buddhi is used predominantly is, as just said, the path of the metaphysician.
Manas, Buddhi and Ahamkara are the three different sides of a triangle,' which triangle is called Chitta.
We know what Manas is, what Buddhi is, what Ahamkara is, but what is this Chitta?
With the help of Satvic Buddhibring the mind under the control of self.
The Jiva whose Pranas, Indriyas, Manas and Buddhi function without the promptings of self-centred desires is freed from the attributes of the body though dwelling in the body.
Buddhi is defined by him as that faculty by which objects are perceived.
The touch of that fascinating lady Buddhi destroys all previous remembrances and the Jiva plays several characters in the drama of life, in dream and delusion.
If in the meantime pralaya takes place, the buddhi is submerged in the prak.rti, and the avidyâ also sleeps with it.
Continuing thus he reaches the state when the buddhi is in its ultimate perfection and purity.
In the asmitâ stage buddhi concentrates on pure substance as divested of all modifications.
As a result of that, buddhi turns its back on puru.sa and can no longer bind it to its experiences, which are all irrevocably connected with sorrow, and thus the puru.sa remains in its true form.
At this stage the buddhi is transformed into its purest state, reflecting steadily the true nature of the puru.sa.
The puru.sa comes in touch with buddhi not by the ordinary means of physical contact but by what may be called an inexplicable transcendental contact.
With Nyâya there was no distinction between the shaped buddhi and the intelligence, and that being so consciousness was almost like a physical event.
Caraka buddhi does not form part of the list and is separately enumerated.
