My sincere thanks to Srimathi Renuka and to Sri "Savna" for their swift responses.
Have tried to read some past posts for enlightenment.
Srimathi Renuka wrote:-
"(We were talking about) change at an intellect level and at the level of perception."
and
"We have been (wrongly?) calling intelligence as only cerebral intelligence.
"There are many types of intelligence. Intelligence finally is a skill. So skill can range from cerebral to non cerebral intelligence. We make a big blunder by limiting intelligence to the brain and intellect. Our entire body has its specialized intelligence. Cardiac cells, renal cells differ in function yet have their inherent intelligence encoded as bio memory. Even a stone has universal consciousness pervading it."
Once one labels intelligence as a mere skill, one comes up against the situation where additional skills can be acquired, such as a carpenter learning brick-laying, a typist learning automobile repairing, a barber learning how to drive a truck, a policeman learning jewellery-making, a doctor becoming a lawyer, and so on.
Intelligence in humans, on the other hand might well be something innate and unique, perhaps divinely bestowed and not confined "to the brain and intellect" nor to mere "perception". The flashes of inspiration experienced by our rishis (and sometimes even by ourselves) can perhaps be attributed to a "super-intelligence" resident within, and part of the jeevaathma?
Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a motivational theory in psychology comprising a five-tier model of human needs, often depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramid.
From the bottom of the hierarchy upwards, the needs are: physiological (food, sex and clothing), safety (from predators and vagaries of nature), love and belonging needs (friendship, marriage, family), esteem, and self-actualization (jnyaanam).
As to cardiac and renal cells having intelligence "as bio-memory" and stones having "universal consciousness", these require closer examination.
In between humans and stones, we have trees, plants, grasses. Do occurences of heliotropism and of photosynthesis constitute demonstration of intelligence? Or of bio-memory?
Excuse me for being rather sceptical.
Are we in danger of interpreting sensory perception and instinctive response to injury by spontaneous repair attempts as intelligence, inherent, normal or specialised? Is cell-division within a foetus due to intelligence?
Extending this analogy to trees and plants, do re-growth of damaged bark, re-sprouting of trimmed branches and lawns, emergence of seedlings and saplings from seeds, constitute intelligence in some form? Or even instinct?
Turning now to stones, we know that, depending on the metallic content, stones do change colour. Do chemkical reactions constitute existence of consciousness, universal or specific, much less a type of (non-cerebral?) intelligence?
The sea waves foam, so does soap in my hands and on my body when washing and bathing -- evidence of consciousness, of non-cerebral intelligence?
I shall not go on to discuss and analyse vulcanism; earthquakes; germination of seeds; nest-building; predator-prey relationship; planetary movements; tides and gravitation; thunder and lightning; feminine instincts; joeys and kangaroos/marsupials.
Srimathi Renuka wrote:-
'I said " Change is the only constant", with that understanding there isnt scope for any rigid declaration of any kind.'
Unless I am mistaken, it was the pre-Socrates Greek philospher Heraclitus who said:-
"All things flow, nothing abides. You cannot step into the same river twice, for the waters are continually flowing on. Nothing is permanent except change."
Why, if so, make the declarations that "There are many types of intelligence. Intelligence finally is a skill. So skill can range from cerebral to non cerebral intelligence. We make a big blunder by limiting intelligence to the brain and intellect."?
My sincere thanks again to Srimathi Renuka and to Sri "Savna".