Differences between Yoga and Sankhya

Sankhya is atheistic; Yoga is quasi-theistic

Sankhya is a jnana yoga :

Patanjali’s criticism of Sankhya:

Purusha/Prakriti Dualism

Literal meaning of Sankhya is

One learns the exact difference between

The focus is to discriminate between purusha and the higher mental states:

The Influence of Sankhya

References in the Upanishads, esp. the three gunas.

Persuasive reference in all other Hindu works

Gita as originally a Sankhya work?

Integrated into the orthodox Vedanta system.

Sankhya Realism

Metaphysical "realism,"

Prakriti is a fully real material substance,

Sankhya is not pantheistic, because

Metaphysical pluralism:

The Enslavement of Purusha

Purusha has no attributes except that

It has no intelligence

Originally, prakriti’s three attributes gunas (sattva, rajas, tamas) were in perfect equilibrium.

Evolution is done by

Argument against Creationism

If God is a creator,

If mortals were in pain,

Thus, God cannot be involved in the operation of prakriti.

Metaphors of Entanglement

Metaphor of the lame woman (prakriti) being carried by the blind man (purusha).

Spectator (purusha) entranced by the dancer (prakriti).

Wife (prakriti) feeding her husband (purusha).

She [prakriti] has been seen by me (purusha) (lxvi).

Prakriti is the source of the world of "becoming" --change, motion, sensation, and cognition,

but Purusha

The Three Gunas

Sattvaguna is

Rajasguna is

Tamasguna is

Strictly speaking, the gunas are not qualities or attributes, but constituents of prakriti.

The Sankhya-Karika by Ishvara Krishna

The main text comes from the Third Century C.E. and the commentary in smaller type comes from about 850 C.E.

Vedic religious rites are inefficient

Sankhya is obviously assuming the doctrine of ahimsa (non-injury).

How did this ever become an orthodox system??

Sankhya Metaphysics

25 elements constitute the world

Prakriti is a

7 causes and effects;

16 effects only;

Prakriti cannot have a cause

Aristotle and Aquinas in Europe?

Sankhya Epistemology

Three means of correct knowledge:

Knowledge beyond the senses comes from inference based on analogy.

For example, Prakriti cannot be perceived,

ARGUMENTS FOR PURUSHA

Its Necessary Existence and its Nature

Sankhya-karika #17

All composite things are for another's use.

There must be absence of the three gunas.

Because there must be control.

Because there must be someone to experience.

Because there must be a tendency to isolation.

The Argument from Use

• All composite objects are for another’s use.

• All of nature is composite (i.e., made of gunas).

• If the user is composite, there would be an infinite regress of composite users.

• Therefore, a simple (non-composite) thing must exist apart from Nature.

• "From Brahma down to a stock [blade of grass], the creation is for sake of Purusha, till there be discrimination [supreme knowledge]."

Plato on the immortality of the soul

A thing can be destroyed only by separating its parts.

The soul has no parts.

The soul cannot be destroyed.

Objection:

Purusha has no parts

Being non-composite logically implies that purusha has, referring back to section xi:

no attributes because they constitute its “parts.”

it’s not “productive”

If it is not productive,

It’s non-objective (i.e., subjective), always a subject, never an object.

It’s distinguishable. (?)

It’s uncommon (specific, unique). (?)

It’s sentient -- pure awareness.

Does Sankhya Pluralism Fail?

The principle of the identity of indiscernibles:

What distinguishes one purusha from another other than that they exist and they know?

It does not appear that there is any good reason to assume that they are different in any way.

Therefore, purushas must be one rather than many.

This argument warms the hearts of all followers of Shankara and Advaita Vedanta!

The argument from control

Nature does not control herself.

But there is control, e.g. we try to stop pain.

Therefore, a controller independent from nature must exist.

Objection #1:

Objection #2:

The argument from experience to experiencer

We have experiences of pain and pleasure.

Therefore, there must be something to experience pain and pleasure.

Upanishad parable of the two birds: the enjoyer and the one who simply looks on.

Differences between Yoga and Sankhya

Sankhya is atheistic; Yoga is quasi-theistic

Sankhya is a jnana yoga :

Purusha/Prakriti Dualism

Literal meaning of Sankhya is

One learns the exact difference between

The focus is to discriminate between purusha and the higher mental states:

The Influence of Sankhya

References in the Upanishads, esp. the three gunas.

Persuasive reference in all other Hindu works

Gita as originally a Sankhya work?

Integrated into the orthodox Vedanta system.

Sankhya Realism

Metaphysical "realism,"

Prakriti is a fully real material substance,

Sankhya is not pantheistic, because

Metaphysical pluralism:

Purusha has no attributes except that

It has no intelligence

Originally, prakriti’s three attributes gunas (sattva, rajas, tamas) were in perfect equilibrium.

Evolution is done by

Argument against Creationism

If God is a creator,

If mortals were in pain,

Thus, God cannot be involved in the operation of prakriti.

Similar solution to the problem of evil in Aristotle and contemporary "process" theology.

Metaphors of Entanglement

Metaphor of the lame woman (prakriti) being carried by the blind man (purusha).

Spectator (purusha) entranced by the dancer (prakriti).

Wife (prakriti) feeding her husband (purusha).

She [prakriti] has been seen by me (purusha) (lxvi).

Prakriti is the source of the world of "becoming" --change, motion, sensation, and cognition,

but Purusha

The Three Gunas

Sattvaguna is

Rajasguna is

Tamasguna is

Strictly speaking, the gunas are not qualities or attributes, but constituents of prakriti.

The Sankhya-Karika by Ishvara Krishna

The main text comes from the Third Century C.E. and the commentary in smaller type comes from about 850 C.E.

Vedic religious rites are inefficient

Sankhya is obviously assuming the doctrine of ahimsa (non-injury).

How did this ever become an orthodox system??

Sankhya Metaphysics

25 elements constitute the world

Prakriti is a

7 causes and effects;

16 effects only;

Prakriti cannot have a cause

Aristotle and Aquinas in Europe?

Sankhya Epistemology

Three means of correct knowledge:

Knowledge beyond the senses comes from inference based on analogy.

For example, Prakriti cannot be perceived,

ARGUMENTS FOR PURUSHA

All composite things are for another's use.

There must be absence of the three gunas.

Because there must be control.

Because there must be someone to experience.

Because there must be a tendency to isolation.

The Argument from Use

• All composite objects are for another’s use.

• All of nature is composite (i.e., made of gunas).

• If the user is composite, there would be an infinite regress of composite users.

• Therefore, a simple (non-composite) thing must exist apart from Nature.

• "From Brahma down to a stock [blade of grass], the creation is for sake of Purusha, till there be discrimination [supreme knowledge]."

Plato on the immortality of the soul

A thing can be destroyed only by separating its parts.

The soul has no parts.

The soul cannot be destroyed.

Objection:

Purusha has no parts

Being non-composite logically implies that purusha has, referring back to section xi:

no attributes because they constitute its “parts.”

it’s not “productive”

If it is not productive,

It’s non-objective (i.e., subjective), always a subject, never an object.

It’s distinguishable. (?)

It’s uncommon (specific, unique). (?)

It’s sentient -- pure awareness.