In the early stages of human evolution the conscious cooperation of the soul in its own development is at a minimum and evolution is generally guided from without. Only when the soul has reached an advanced stage of development is it possible for it to take an intelligent and active part in its own development, and to be able to cooperate with those forces that are exerting a steady pressure in the direction of evolution. When this stage is reached, the soul has already advanced a considerable degree and in turn has developed its lower vehicles to a fairly high degree of consciousness and is now ready to begin its spiritual development.

The development of the buddhi marks the beginning of that phase of the inner unfoldment, which is the spiritual. Buddhi stands for the particular manifestation of consciousness that takes place through the buddhic body. This is the vehicle that follows the causal body as we move from the outer to the center of our Being. Its field of expression lies just beyond the mind; not only beyond the lower, concrete mind, but also beyond the abstract mind that deals with general principles and works through the causal mind.

However, the functions of the buddhi transcend the functions of the mind and cannot be judged by the criteria of the intellect. The intellect cannot understand the finer perceptions that have their origin in the buddhic consciousness. The only thing that transcends, or encompasses the buddhic consciousness, is the Atma which is the very center of our life, the core in which is buried all of our divine potentialities.

An important point to understand is the difference in the manifestation of consciousness through a vehicle when it functions on its own plane and then when the corresponding vibrations are stepped down to a lower plane to work through a dense medium. The vibrations produced when consciousness works through the lower mental body are known as thoughts. However, there is a great difference between thoughts as they are seen on their own plane, through the organs of the mental body, and as they are expressed and appear through the dense and fixed medium of the physical brain. When thoughts are perceived on their own plane, through clairvoyant sight, they are seen to form a world of their own, full of color, form and beauty. When these thoughts are expressed through the physical brain they lose much of the qualities and force they have on their own plane. On their own plane they are vibrant and real, while on the physical plane they have vague and subjective character.

The same holds true for the astral plane. The vibrations of the astral body, on their own plane, produce the phenomena known as feelings and desires, and they also give rise to all kinds of forms and colors. Also, on the astral plane, these forms and colors have an objective nature and form a world of their own. Yet, when these vibrations come down into the physical plane, they find expression through our sympathetic nervous system and all that is left is a peculiar state of consciousness known as feelings.

There is a vast difference between life on the buddhic plane and the physical plane, and physical consciousness. One ascending to the buddhic plane becomes aware of a new world filled with tremendous bliss and knowledge. The sea of bliss in which one finds oneself causes the bliss of heaven to pale into insignificance. Those mystics and seers who have seen this plane are at a total loss to describe the beauty and bliss of this plane. When this is stepped down to the physical plane very much is lost; the direct perception of unity becomes compassion and sympathy, direct insight into truth becomes intuition, and indescribable divine music becomes like the beat of heavy metal.

The buddhic is hard to conceive of because, although it is one, it has many facets and each facet appears to be different. So, there are different modes of manifestation or functions of buddhi. So, we cannot identify buddhi solely with just one of its functions, for this would introduce confusion.

One function of the buddhi is understanding, or the transformation of a thought-image into understanding of the object represented by that image. The lower mind cannot by itself understand any object unless the light of the buddhi shines through its mental image. Another function is called intelligence, and not intellect. We may confuse the two, but there is a difference between an intelligent person and an intellectual person. The intellectual person is one whose mind is well developed and loaded with facts, and can perform various mental operations with ease, and accurately so. The intelligent person is one who has the capacity to understand the import of the knowledge he possesses and has distilled his knowledge and experience and has acquired that subtle essence known as wisdom. He can see things as they really are and this is the most important characteristic of intelligence. A person may be very intellectual, but misses the real significance of things and situations, and that is not intelligence. Wars rise out of the intellect, but it is not very intelligent to wage war. The real difference between intellect and intelligence is due to the fact that intellect has its source in the mind and intelligence has its source in the spiritual principle, or buddhi.

Another function for the buddhi is discrimination, and without an infusion of discrimination no treading of the path is possible. It is the a-b-c of spiritual life. Discrimination is knowing the difference between the real and the unreal, and it is also the ability to see life and its problems as they really are. We live in a world of illusions without being conscious of this fact. When we begin to awaken spiritually we gradually become aware of these illusions. This is why life is called the waking dream. Then, when we see the illusions for what they are, this is discrimination. One who cannot live an orderly daily life will never be a success in dealing with the far more complex problems of spiritual life.

Many believe that when they embark upon the spiritual path, or the search for truth, they can lay aside their intelligence and God will take care of everything, and this is simply not true. In order to conquer one's lower nature, one needs all the intelligence one can muster.

Another important function of buddhi is the capacity to recognize and understand the truths of the spiritual life. When discrimination is born in us, we not only become aware of the illusions of life, but we become able to understand the realities and truths that are covered up by these illusions. We should know that it is buddhi and not the mind that is the instrument of knowing spiritual truths. Some people understand these truths almost instinctively, while to others they are absurd or foolish. This understanding is not the result of thinking or of reasoning. It is the result of the acquisition of intuition, and until intuition is born in the individual, there is no possibility for one to see these truths. It is only when the light of buddhi shines steadily that we are able to go along in life on the path unfalteringly, unaffected by all the lures and doubts that assail one and cause so many to fall away from the path.

We are constantly called upon to make decisions which are influenced by incomplete knowledge, emotions, and outside factors. Only when we have developed the buddhi do we have clear insight as to what we should do correctly in each situation that confronts us. Also, when the ego is aware of the unity of life on the buddhic plane, this knowledge slowly filters down into lower consciousness and appears here as sympathy and tenderness. One also gains an understanding of where someone is in growth, or consciousness, in this life. This is a marked characteristic of all true saints and sages. Many saints were not highly schooled, yet they showed an insight into basic problems, and that placed them far above the rest of humanity.

There are two facts concerning the knowledge that comes from the buddhic plane. In the first place, it is not knowledge concerning ordinary matters of life; such matters are within the province of the mind. However enlightened a saint may be, he is not all knowing on all subjects and there are many subjects he would not know about unless he had made a study of the subject. However, sometimes a saint may possess superphysical powers and make acquisition of needed knowledge on certain subjects, easily and rapidly. Still, this would be in the realm of the intellect and he too must work through the powers of the mind.

When buddhi is reflected in the field of the intellect, it appears as spiritual knowledge. When it is reflected in the sphere of the emotions and works through the astral body, it appears as spiritual love. The force is one, but it appears to be different according to the mechanism through which it is working. Nevertheless, this dual function of buddhi, in the case of true wisdom of seeing the truth and living the truth in life, is inseparable.