This term refers to the mental capacity that is often translated as "intellect," but it has meanings that go beyond simple knowledge.
The buddhi is the mental capacity for awareness, mental perception, and decision-making, and it is the foundation of all cognitive thinking.
Buddhi is one stage in the development of the human self and the external universe, according to the Samkhya philosophical school's theory of evolution.
Buddhi is the first faculty to arise from prakrti, or "primal substance," according to the Samkhya theory, and is also known as mahat (the "great one").
The growth of the next stage of evolution, ahamkar, or "subjective awareness," is aided by the mental processes assisted by buddhi.
In more everyday terms, buddhi refers to a person's entire mental quality, whether it is wholesome or unwholesome, sound or unsound.
