ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>BUDDH&#298</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background:#EAF1F7 url('../images/gtbh.jpg') no-repeat fixed center; color: #0066CC} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="BUDDH*"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279BUDDH&#298 or <i>buddh&#299</i> (from Sanskrit <i>budh</i>--to wake up, be awake, to perceive, learn) is the intellectual aspect of mind (<i>antahkara&#7751a</i>) whose other aspects <i>man</i> and <i>haumai</i> are intertwined with it in close interrelationship. Its nearest English equivalent may be intellect.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>Man</i> (Sanskrit <i>manas</i>) as the receptacle of sense-impressions from sense-organs, organizes them into precepts, yet it has doubt or indetermination about them. <i>Buddh&#299</i> defines and ascertains them and brings about definite and determinate cognition. <i>Man</i> simply assimilates sense-impressions; <i>haumai</i> (or <i>ahah&#7749k&#257ra</i>) self-appropriates the apperceived impressions, while <i>buddh&#299</i> determines their nature, categorizes them and welds them into concepts. Its function, then, is to bring about certainty and definitiveness in knowledge. Definitive apprehension might spur action. Thus it is <i>buddh&#299</i> which resolves to act and then guides the ensuing action.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A fundamental categorization of percepts as also of ensuing actions concerns their moral import. The deftness with which <i>buddh&#299</i> does that is variable. If it can exercise acute ethical discrimination, it is known as <i>bibek buddh&#299</i> (discriminative intellect). That can happen only if it has become God centred. On the contrary, if it remains self-centred (<i>aham buddh&#299</i>), then it remains morally confounded and unable to discriminate.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <i>Bibek buddh&#299</i> in <i>gurb&#257&#7751&#299</i>, Gur&#363's utterance, has also been called <i>s&#257r-buddh&#299</i> (the essential intellect), <i>tat buddh&#299</i> (the real intellect), <i>bimal</i> or <i>nirmal buddh&#299</i> (unclouded, clear intellect), <i>bal buddh&#299</i> (powerful intellect), <i>mati buddh&#299</i> (the counselling intellect) and <i>sudh buddh&#299</i> (pure intellect).</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <i>Aham buddh&#299</i> has also been called <i>chapal buddh&#299</i> (the unstable intellect), <i>buddh&#299 bik&#257r</i> (foul intellect), <i>mal&#299n buddh&#299</i> (turbid intellect), <i>nibal buddh&#299</i> (weak intellect), <i>durmat buddh&#299</i> (perverse intellect), and <i>pha&#7751in buddh&#299</i> (the deluding intellect).</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; This moral bipolarity of the functioning of intellect stands out in relief in <i>gurb&#257&#7751&#299</i>. In its decadent form, <i>buddh&#299</i> wastes itself in vain, egoistic pursuits : <i>kaunu karam mer&#257 kari kari marai</i>--for what reason does it die proclaiming mine ! mine ! ? (GG, 1159). However, when through evolution it ascends up the ethical scale (<i>buddh&#299-prag&#257s</i>), it flowers into <i>bibek buddhi</i> which is a divine attribute : <i>t&#363 samrathu t&#363 sarab mai t&#363 hai buddhi bibek j&#299u</i> - You are omnipotent, you are all pervasive, you are the discriminating intellect (GG, 761). However, if it begins to undergo the process of devolution (<i>visarjan</i>) down the moral scale, <i>buddh&#299</i> becomes delusional intellect (<i>pha&#7751in buddh&#299</i>).</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <i>Buddh&#299</i>, also called <i>akal</i> (Arabic '<i>aql</i>) in <i>gurb&#257&#7751&#299</i>, is considered to be an instrument for serving the Divine purpose and acquiring merit : <i>akal&#299 s&#257hibu sev&#299ai akal&#299 p&#257&#299ai m&#257nu</i> - by wisdom is the Lord served; by intellect is honour attained (GG, 1245). By contrast, <i>buddh&#299</i> in its decadent form is not only infirm but also arrogant, which makes it despicable :</p> <blockquote class="C1"><p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Some are devoid of intellect, or sense, or comprehension</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And understand not a syllable.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Such folk, saith N&#257nak, as fill themselves with pride,</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Without merit are asses pedigreed.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; (GG, 1246)</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</blockquote></p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Sher Singh, <i>The Philosophy of Sikhism</i>. Lahore, 1944<BR> <li class="C1"> Avtar Singh, <i>Ethics of the Sikhs</i>. Patiala, 1970<BR> <li class="C1"> Nripinder Singh, <i>The Sikh Moral Tradition</i>. Delhi, 1990<BR> <li class="C1"> Jodh Si&#7749gh, <i>Gurmat Nir&#7751aya</i>. Lahore, 1932<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Jaswant Si&#7749gh Nek&#299<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>