Citta, Buddhi, and Ahamkara - Things that Influence Human Understanding the Truth

Bodhisattva Padmapani Lokeshvara expounding dharma to assembly of divinities. Lower book cover from an Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Manuscript. India, Pala period reign of Surapala Deva, late 11th century. Yarlung Museum, Tsethang 26

Besides Veda, Balinese also uses babad as a part of their truth seeking journey. In babad, it's written the stories and tales about Balinese ancestor's journeys, most oftenly about spirituality with magical nuance. The main purpose of babad is to share the dharma teachings for Balinese descendent to continue. The dharma teaching in babad consists of bhisama, normative dharma teaching besides the Veda. Hence, we can call babad susastra (literature work). Susastra also means an instructional text about moral and spiritual guideline that is written beautifully.

In digesting the truth, a person not only needs their intellect or mind (citta) but also needs their spiritual intelligence (buddhi). By having these two in balance, a person will have high intuition that will lead them to the higher truth. But also, besides these two, a person's ego or I-sense (ahamkara) will also determine how they perceive the truth. Understanding these three aspects of one self is believed will help to measure whether or not their reality is the truth or is there any lack within those aspects that will obstruct the truth that can cause a misdirection.

Hence, in learning and reading babad or many other texts about spirituality, intuition is needed as it consists of complicated narations about the relationships between human and gods or higher beings/energy. To truly understand the truth behind these texts, a person needs to have spiritual intelligence. According to dharma teaching, spiritual intelligence can be sharpened by practicing dharma yatra (visiting temples or other sacred places to pray and meditate), dharma sadhana (daily practice: manacika - good thoughts/intentions, wacika - good words, kayika - good doings), and dharma brata (self-limitation and self-control, focusing the mind to God).

Source:

Adnyana, Gede Agus Budi, 2018, Membaca Perjalanan Sekala dan Niskala Leluhur Manusia Bali, Denpasar: Kayumas Agung

https://tarubali.baliprov.go.id/bhisama-kesucian-pura/#:~:text=Bhisama%20itu%20adalah%20penafsiran%20suatu,da%20lam%20kitab%20suci%20Veda.

https://sejarahharirayahindu.blogspot.com/2011/11/citta.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhi

https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/citta#:~:text=Citta%20means%20consciousness.,is%20aware%20of%20its%20object.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahamkara

https://prosiding.iahntp.ac.id/index.php/seminar-nasional/article/view/146

https://kemenag.go.id/buddha/dharmayatra-wgmw23#:~:text=Nusantara%20yang%20adiluhung.-,Dharmayatra%20merupakan%20sarana%20untuk%20memupuk%20dan%20memperteguh%20keyakinan%20(saddha)%20akan,nilai%20Dharma%20melalui%20peninggalan%20sejarah.

https://www.solopos.com/-148991

https://www.detik.com/bali/budaya/d-6393163/mengenal-bagian-dasa-nyama-brata-lengkap-dengan-artinya#:~:text=Brata%3A%20Mengekang%20diri%20pada%20makanan,berguna%20bagi%20kehidupan%20dan%20kebudayaan.