Understanding the Body Mind Buddhi Spirit System
In the Second chapter of Bhagavad Gita, Lord Sri Krishna says:
न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः ।
अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ॥ 2.20 ॥
Translation: IT does not have birth or death, there was never a time IT was not there in past nor will IT cease to exist in future. IT is eternal and is not killed even if the body is killed.
वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय नवानि गृह्णाति नरोऽपराणि ।
तथा शरीराणि विहाय जीर्णान्यन्यानि संयाति नवानि देही ॥ 2.22 ॥
Translation: Just as someone discards old clothes and adorns new clothes, IT also discards an old body and takes on a new one.
बुद्धियुक्तो जहातीह उभे सुकृतदुष्कृते ।
तस्माद्योगाय युज्यस्व योगः कर्मसु कौशलम् ॥ 2.50 ॥
Translation: Endowed with wisdom of Buddhi (Yoga) one can free oneself from both Good and Bad; So endowed with this Yoga, engage in Action, for verily Yoga is Efficiency in Action.
Notice the emphasis on the word 'IT' and the emphasis on Yoga and the definition of Yoga as highlighted.
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What is this 'IT' here?
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Why is 'IT' important?
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How does 'IT' fit into Yoga?
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Why is it important to understand the True meaning of Yoga?
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How to practice Yoga for a fulfilling and Peaceful existence?
These are some of the questions we will try to answer.
First of all, perhaps all of us can agree that we all have a Body and a Mind.
The Body is the physical, material aspect of our existence. We were born with it. It is what you see when you look in the mirror -- the various organs, the parts you can see and touch, the various sense organs - eyes, nose, ears, tongue, skin (touch) AND even the parts you cannot usually see or touch (internal organs like heart, lungs, guts, etc) but can be seen if the body is cut open -- For instance if someone has had a surgery then their internal organs can be 'seen' and 'touched' by the surgeon. Notice even the Brain then is a constituent part of the Body.
So to summarize, the Key points about the Body is that it comprises of:
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Any part of your existence that you can experience with the sense organs.
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It was born one day in the past and will die one day in the future
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It is temporary - it exists for some time, grows old, and then it ceases to exist after death.
The Mind is the invisible part of our existence. Now although invisible, it is very much perceivable by its affects.
It commands the body. The body does exactly what the mind tells it to do. The body cannot do anything the mind does not allow. The mind is an organ too -- a subtle organ, an organ of perception, it feels. Whatever signals the body provides are meaningful only when the mind can 'perceive' it.
For instance, a living body can touch fire and it will immediately 'feel' it. It will immediately pull away from the fire to protect itself. The same body when its dead may be put to fire and burnt down but will not 'feel' the heat. It will not pull away because there is no mind to 'feel' the heat. No mind to perceive the physical material sensation of the fire burning the body.
To extend this point, the mind is the sum total of our thoughts and memories. Thoughts that we are thinking now. And thoughts that have been experienced in the past ie thoughts that have become memories.
As long as one lives in a body, the thoughts and memories of the Mind are associated with that body.
At Death, the thoughts and memories of the Mind are de-linked from that body, dis-associated with that body.
So far so good?
Next comes the Buddhi which in Sanskrit refers loosely to what we refer to 'Intelligence' in English.
Actually Buddhi is more than just Intelligence. It is rather the faculty of Discrimination. The faculty that is the refined knowledge and wisdom gained through our experience, our Karma, our memories.
Imagine the first time you sat down behind a steering wheel to drive a car (to learn to drive car). Were you expert from the very moment you laid your hands on the wheel? Were you in full control? Did you know exactly how to control the machine? Did you know how it will react and respond to your movements? or were you rather unsure, shaky and uncomfortable?
Chances are that you were in the second category. And over time you 'learnt' from your desire (to learn to drive), your practice (or action or Karma of putting yourself in the drivers seat), your experience and gradual confidence building to drive. Until a time when you could confidently drive the car in a variety of conditions, weather situations, traffic situations, etc.. This is wisdom. This is gathered knowledge that comes from a collection of your action, your experience and memories. And this wisdom is what allows you to discriminate and decide when you are put again in a situation of driving a car. This applies to all of our life experiences and situations.
And thus Buddhi is gradually acquired and developed.
Buddhi = Acquired Knowledge and Wisdom = Faculty of discrimination = Decision making ability
Now what is the Buddhi's importance.
Well its very important because this differentiates one person from another. As a matter of fact, it differentiates one creature from another. What we do with the life allotted to us? What we do with the Time on earth we get..
If we want to Know our real Self, and our connection with God, its Buddhi alone that allows us to direct our Mind in that direction. And when Mind is guided in that, the Body follows.
This applies to any and all of our Activities in Life - conscious or unconscious.
So in summary so far:
Buddhi guides the Mind. Mind guides the Body.
Lastly comes the Spirit. The most important of all four characteristics on an individual. It is the most important because it is the only thing that is permanent and thus always True, always existent, always accessible -- only if we know how to look.
In Hinduism, and especially the Yoga practice, the soul is metaphysical..meta=above, physical= body..so above the body
According to all of Yoga, our existence is not just a mere mixture of chemicals, memories and decisions. Rather as a conscious entity - the Spirit - the soul - the Spark of the Infinite (that we call God) - our existence is meant to seek. Seek what?
Seek to Know...
Seek Truth. Seek Love. Seek Peace and ultimately to Seek Freedom.
Because Real Knowledge Frees us from doubts, questions, worries, anxieties, impermanent.
It unites us with the Infinite and thus liberates from the mundane, gross, dualities of material existence such as birth-death; joys-sorrows; wins-losses; goods-bads etc.
This is what Brhadaranyaka Upanisad from India says:
ॐ असतो मा सद्गमय ।,
तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय ।,
मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय ।,
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
(O Lord) Om, from falsehood lead me to Truth
From darkness lead me to the light,
From death lead me to immortality,
Om peace peace peace
In the above, the 'Me' refers to the indwelling Spirit within oneself..ie the Spirit that is at the top of ones existence - ie ones material Body, subtle Mind, invisible Buddhi..
And this 'leading from' lower to higher, gross to subtler, impermanent to permanent is the whole sole purpose of Yoga. Which is what the core subject of Bhagavad Gita is.
The Union of the microscopic Body - Mind - Buddhi - Spirit with the Infinite Consciousness called God (fondly called in our tradition as Sri Krishna)
