Modern society has given too much importance to intelligence, we all are too much influenced by intelligence and appreciates intelligence greatly. Probably most of the people have not even heard a word like cognition (that is PRAGYA BUDDHI in Sanskrit) or if they have heard it, perhaps they do not know it with real deep understanding and I am sure that those who have understood this word cognition have not implemented it in life for sure.
The so-called educated-intelligent and smart modern age is actually so ignorant and incomprehensible that it is abandoning the valuable and running after the hopeless trivial thing, trying tirelessly to get it. This is like choosing waste or non-use products instead of precious diamonds and jewels. Moreover, even after doing so, the person considers himself very intelligent never realized or regret that is the tragedy of modern age. We believe that only intellect is important in our routine life, not cognition but it is not true. If there is cognition in life then only we can understand what is right and what is wrong? What is good and what is bad? What to get and what to give up? Because cognition or PRAGYA BUDDHI means Discretion, Stable intellect, Egoless intellect, Truthful intellect, Wisdom, balance intellect by which every riddle of life can be solved, every problem can be resolved and one can enjoy heaven at every moment. Sadness, pain, problems or conflicts in life arise because we unknowingly make wrong decisions which cause a lot of pain, suffering and problems as the decision is not right because it taken by only intellect not by cognition. If anyone can save a human being from all pain and problems, it is only cognition or PRAGYA BUDDHI.
We all know that the main function of the intellect is to take decisions, apart from this there is no need of the intellect in the life. But in terms of making decisions at every moment in life we need intelligence for example what to study as a student science or commerce, marrying or not as a young person, what to do for a child’s bright future as a parent, what to do for health care, accept allopathy or Ayurveda for curing disease, should we donate our money or not, should we do fast or not, leave selfishness and follow the nature rules or not, etc. In addition to this, from morning to night in family life and business life we have to make many small and big decisions and every decision requires intelligence. It is the decisions made by the intellect that create happiness or sorrow, convenience or adversity, joy or grief in life. But if all the decisions are taken in the best possible way, then the problem of pain and struggle will be completely subtracted from life, for which cognition is required because wisdom or cognition is the true knowledge. How can a decision be made until one understands what is right and what is wrong? Cognition means wisdom or inner conscience, which always makes the best decision because in the presence of cognition wisdom and inner conscience the harmful element of selfishness is always absent. So that automatically the gates of heaven are opened and life is filled with happiness and joy.
There are certain things that need to be taken care of while making many decisions that determine happiness or sorrow in life which is only possible through cognition. Because there is always an element of selfishness in the intellect that is beneficial to me. The intellect always decides in its favour. While in cognition there is an excellent element of welfare of the whole. Cognition is selfless, benevolent, has a sense of progress and advancement for everyone, and when everyone is benefited by the cognitive decision taken, individual gets benefit automatically because the subtle is a part of the whole that is micro is always included in macro. If the whole world is happy then every microcosm or person living in it is bound to be happy. In general practice or decision, the idea of two elements, true and good, is indispensable. True means “right” in English which comes from the Latin word “rectus” which means straight and according to the rules. Depending on the outcome of such a rule or decision, one can determine how good or bad it is. Word “good” is associated with “Gut” of German language. Which is also of Greek origin. It is often difficult to decide right and good both. For which cognition becomes necessary. Good in general means useful in goal setting. Achieving goals often involves the existence of selfishness that forces a person to become immoral. Goals are of two types 1) General goal 2) divine or supreme goal. The general goal is associated with the “self” while the ultimate supreme goal is associated with the aggregate. When a problem arises in decision making and one does not understand what is right and good? Then the goal of supreme should be given more importance than the goal of self. Self-centred goals can be many such as material gain, freedom, love, knowledge, art, power, fame, etc., but the purpose behind all these goals are only the benefits attach to it. So that such goals cannot be the ultimate supreme goal which can be understood only in the presence of cognition.
In order to attain cognition, it is necessary to attain certain elements or things such as faith in God, desire for real knowledge, selfless spirit, study of scriptures etc. There is an element of smartness in the intellect while goodness only exists in the cognition. I firmly believe that for self-development or for social welfare there is more need for goodness than intelligence. In today’s age where human life as well as the environment is found to be very unsafe and turbulent in spite of having all conveniences, comforts and a lot of ingenuity or skills, there is only one reason behind it that we have given more importance to intellect than goodness. In fact, intelligence is not as important as its use and purpose. What happens to the country or the world if a technology expert who is very smart and skilled but uses it fatally? True understanding and noble purpose can only come through cognition. Making money requires intelligence or smartness but using money requires either goodness or cognition and it is a well-known fact that happiness in life determines by the use of money not by the amount of money. In short, intelligence means smartness while cognition means goodness. There is no doubt that the world needs cognition more than intelligence.
Recognizing the inevitability of death, the human body that is obtained by the grace of God should be utilized for welfare of the soul, for work of the Lord and for devotion to the Lord that can be understood only by cognition. Learning to know others and to expand oneself is a function of the cognition. If a person recognizes others correctly, it will never lead to a wrong decision and we all have the experience that we have to face many sorrows in life like frustration, despair, cheating, betrayal because we cannot recognize the person in his true form for life. If we want to get rid of all these pains, if we want to get rid of all the problems, then we have to learn to know others for which wisdom or cognition is indispensable. In addition to this, one should know how to expand oneself, that is, if one understands that my happiness is contained in the happiness of the whole, then the sorrows must be excluded from life. Which requires not intellect but cognition. The intellect thinks of “likes or favorites”, that is, what is good for me, the thing in which I will find more pleasure while the cognition thinks of “best” before making any decision. It is always essential to think about what is best, what is beneficial, what is more advantageous so happiness and peace in life become natural which is the subject matter of cognition. Cognition is needed to make the best use of life. Even though death is constantly with us, we cannot use life properly and waste life behind useless things. The intelligent man only regrets at the end while the wise man is always get divine or supreme place.
Thus cognition means wise intellect
Cognition means discretion which teaches good and bad conscience
Cognitive intellect is the stable intellect that makes a person calm and cool before making a decision so that an inappropriate decision can never be made.
Cognition means egoless intellect in which excellent decisions become natural due to lack of selfishness.
Cognition means real deep intellect (real true knowledge) means the knowledge of soul and supreme soul, through which one understands “who I am”, “who is my creator” and “what is the beginning-middle-end of this creation”.
Cognition means balance intellect which has the element of balance approach, which has the absence of liking and disliking.
So from today onward let’s become more Cognitive and wise than just being intelligent. Which is the amulet cure to make both life and death excellent.
~ Shilpa shah, director in-charge, HKBBA College
