Sāṁkhya system
May 11, 2023 DOI: 10.4324/9781003370697-3 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that the basic concepts of Sāṁkhya—including Puruṣa, Prakṛti and its three components, tanmātras, and a hierarchical view of nature—can serve as axiomatic foundations for Patañjali's Aṣṭāṅga Yoga, rather than being defended as proven truths. The chapter also examines Sāṁkhya's account of evolution and the "hard problem of consciousness," and the dilemma over whether Puruṣa is a single ubiquitous principle or countless individual beings. |
Abstract
Since Patañjali is known to have followed the conceptual framework of the Sāṁkhya system, this chapter is devoted to explain its basic concepts, including: the goal of Sāṁkhya for the radical removal of suffering, the nature of the Puruṣa, which is the most fundamental concept of Sāṁkhya and Yoga, the dilemma over the equivocation of Puruṣa as single ubiquitous principle as well as that of countless individual beings, the nature of the principle of materiality called the Prakṛti with its three components, an account of the evolution of Prakṛti, the concept of tanmātras as psychophysical units that constitute the world as experienced through the senses, the hierarchical view of nature spread from gross to most subtle. Subsequently, attempt is made to view the Sāṁkhyan perspective on evolution and the “hard problem of consciousness.” Finally, the basic concepts of Sāṁkhya are suggested as providing axiomatic foundations for Patañjali’s Aṣṭāṅga Yoga, rather than defending them as proven truths.