The Saivikhya

THE SAIVIKHYA The Samkhya is a reaction against the idealistic monism of the Upanishads. It believes in a real matter and an infinite plurality of individual souls which are not emanations of a single world-soul.

The Sarimkhya adopts the view that the cause and the effect are the undeveloped and the developed states of one and the same substance. Development is the coming to light of what is latent or hidden even as destruction is disappearance into the original cause. There is no such thing as utter annihilation. Applying this principle, the ultimate basis of the empirical universe is said to be prakrti (nature). The world is the transformation of prakrti (nature), which cannot be equated with any one of the stages of its evolution.

Prakrti (nature) is a string of three strands or gunas, sattva or potential consciousness, rajas or activity and tamas or restraint. They are called gunas (qualities), as they are factors in the sub stance of prakrti (nature). They represent different stages in the evolution of any particular phenomenon. Sattva signifies the essence or the form which is to be realized, tamas the obstacles to its realization, and rajas the force by which the obstacles are overcome. The gunas are always changing, but when they are held together in a state of equilibrium (sdmydvastha) there is no action. The tendencies to manifestation and activity are held in check by that of non-manifestation and non-activity. When the tension is relieved development results. Prakrti (nature) evolves under the influence of purusa (subject) into the apparatus of thought as well as the objects of thought.

Theory of Evolution.

The first product of the evolution of prakrti (nature) is mahat, "the great" or buddhi (intelligence). Self-sense (ahaihkdra), or the principle of individuation, arises next. From this, in its sattva aspect, arise the mans (internal organ), the five organs of perception and the five of action; from the same in the tamas aspect the five fine elements (tanmeitras) arise. The rajas element helps both. From the five fine elements, by a preponderance of tamas, the five gross elements are produced. The account is probably suggested by the subject's experience and transferred to a cosmic plane. In the state of dreamless sleep the self is present, though it does not apprehend the world. So, in the case of world dissolution, the selves are not distinguished and prakrti (nature) is unperceived. When one wakes from sleep there is, first, the rise of consciousness, followed immediately by the sense of selfhood and the restlessness of desire. The senses begin to function until the world is perceived. This order is fol lowed in the Sarnkhya theory of evolution.

Plurality of Souls.

Purusa is the intelligent self, for whose experience prakrti (nature) evolves. It is a mere witness, a soli tary indifferent spectator. It is pure consciousness while prakrti (nature) is unconscious. It is inactive, unalterably constant, and devoid of the gunas while prakrti is active, alterably constant and consists of them. Prakrti and its products depend for their mani festation on the light of purusa (self), which does not depend on anything else for illuminating objects. The Sarimkhya believes in a plurality of selves. If the self were one all should become free when one attained freedom, which is not the case. Freedom is not coalescence with the absolute spirit but isolation from prakrti.

The empirical individual is not the pure self but the self dis tinguished by the conjunction of the senses, etc., and limited by the body. While the pure self remains beyond the intellect the reflection of the self in it appears as the ego. Activity belongs to the intellect, and on account of its union with purusa (self) the in different self appears as an actor. Though not an agent, the self appears as an agent through confusion with the agency of nature, even as the latter through proximity to the self appears to be con scious. Every ego possesses within the gross material body, which suffers dissolution, a subtle body formed of the psychical apparatus including the senses. This subtle body is the basis of rebirth as well as the principle of identity in the various existences.

The evolution of nature is adapted to the ends of the self. The spiritual centres are, however, incapable of exerting any direct influence on nature, though they are said to excite it to activity. The union of self and nature is compared to a lame man of good vision mounted on the shoulders of a blind man of sure foot.

The real self has relations with a real world on account of a fancied relation between the two. When the self recognizes its distinction from the ever evolving and dissolving world of nature the latter ceases to operate towards it. The efficient cause of the development of nature is not the mere presence of the selves but their non-discrimination. Freedom is the result of discrimination. No cause is assigned for the original entanglement of the free spirits in the bonds of ignorance.