The Samkhya Catechism - Part 2

Q18: Why is the Knower infinite?

A18: Absolute Knower is self-illumined Self. There being no other perception, such perception of Self is necessarily infinite.

Q19: Is there only one Drasta or are there many?

A19: There are countless living beings, each of them having a separate and distinct Knower as the illuminating cause of its ego. So we cannot but infer that Drastas are countless. But all of them are entirely similar inasmuch as all of them are beyond space and time.

Q20: What wrong is there in holding the view that there are no separate Drastas or Seers but there is only one absolute Knower abiding in all living beings?

A20: Mere assertion will be of no avail unless it is based on reason. What is actually perceived by all of us cannot be negated by someone's statement to the contrary. A counter question may be posed by asking if there is any rational basis for believing that there is one and only one absolute Knower behind all living beings?

Q21: Admittedly there is no rational basis for such a belief; yet the scriptures say. 'Brahma or Atman (Self) is one and one alone without a second!' The Mayavadin interprets the passage as supporting the view that one and only one self exists. How do you say that this view is fallacious?

A21: Only the Mayavadin says that Atman is one and only one  while the followers of all other systems of Indian philosophy do not. Thus you cannot establish it if you proceed by interpreting the scriptures according to your own light only.

In fact there is no reason whatsoever to support the view that only one Seer abides in many living beings. Each of us feels the existence of a Seer behind all mental perceptions. At any particular moment there arises only a single item of cognition in our mind. We never feel that we are cognizing several items simultaneously. It is therefore impossible to conceive of a Knower as the cognizer at the same moment of many items (e.g. I am seeing red color, I am seeing blue color, I am doing this, I am doing that, etc.). It is contrary to what we directly perceive.

To hold the view that there is only one knower common to all living beings one has to assume something which is in fact inconceivable, i.e. a Knower cognizing many items simultaneously. We admit the existence even of things which are beyond our imagination, if their existence is justifiable by reasoning, such as the existence of potential energy. But the view that there is only one Knower common to all living beings is not supported by evidence of any kind. Hence it should be rejected. Supporters of the view try to explain their stand by citing the example of the appearance of the sun as many through reflection in different surfaces of water. Such example equates the Seer with a spatial object which is absurd.

The Samkhya Catechism - Part 1

Q1: How do we define Samkhya doctrine?


A1: The system of philosophy that comprehensively categorises and explains the constituent principles or the tattvas constituting or causing the universe is called Samkhya. Since it enables the initiate to realize santa Brahma or the Self without attributes, it is also called santa Brahma vidya. Yoga, being the means whereby the tattvas can be directly apprehended, is included in Samkhya.


Q2: Who propounded the Samkhya-yoga philosophy?


A2: It was propounded by the great rsi or sage Kapila. Rsi(Sage) Kapila was born with supreme knowledge, virtues, spirit of non-attachment and super-normal powers acquired in his previous birth. He realized the ultimate reality without the help of any human teacher and propagated his doctrine after directly apprehending  the tattvas through samadhi.


Q3: What is the distinguishing feature of Samkhya?


A3: The distinguishing feature of Samkhya is that its tenets are based on reason and do not require  any blind faith for their  acceptance. The tattvas or the constituent principles are not mere abstract concepts but are entities that really exist and can be directly apprehended. Since Kapila, the first enlightened and the greatest of all rsis preached the doctrine after realizing  the tattvas himself, its authenticity is fully established.


Q4: What is its message?


A4: Cessation of all miseries, which are of three kinds, for all time to come is kaivalya moksa or liberation. It is parama purusartha or the highest goal of all living beings. Samkhya, in a practical and rational manner, indicates the means by which that state can be attained.


Q5: What are the purusarthas or aims?


A5: Broadly speaking, the aims or objectives are two in number, bhoga and apavarga. Bhoga means  experience of pleasure and pain; pleasure derived from getting the objects of desire, here and hereafter; and pain experienced  from coming in contact with the objects that are not wished for. Of the two, pleasure is the bhoga that is longed for, while pain is inevitably associated with it. Complete emancipation from three-fold misery is liberation or apavarga. Almost all living beings long for bhoga, very few aspire for apavarga.


Q6: What are the three kinds of misery?


A6: They are adhyatmika, adhibhautika and adhidaivika. Pain arising from particular states of the body and mind, i.e. from what we consider as parts of our own being is adhyatmika. Pain caused by other living beings (e.g. snake, man, etc.) is adhibhautika, while pain which results from the unforseen external causes, such as earthquake, drought, etc. is adhidaivika.


Q7: How can we get rid of those miseries?


A7: We must first ascertain the root cause of all pain (which is avidya) and know the means (which is knowledge of self as distinct from non-self) whereby the root cause can be eradicated. Elimination of all miseries by such means leads to attainment of liberation. That is kaivalya or nirvana moksa.


Q8: What is the root cause of all sufferings?


A8: The basic cause is avidya (ignorance or wrong knowledge) or nescience 


Q9: What is avidya and what are its types?


A9: Avidya is the misapprehension or wrong cognition. From the point of view of attainment of liberation, avidya is divided into four klesas or afflictions: Asmita (identification of the non-self as Self), raga (attachment), dvesa (aversion) and abhinivesa (fear).


Q10: How does avidya cause pain or suffering?


A10: It is not difficult to visualize that attachment, aversion and fear cause endless miseries. Although Self, the absolute Knower, and the non-self, the knowable, are distinct and separate entities, their incorrect identification as one and the same is asmita, which is the root cause of misery. For, by it the knowable misery gets associated with the Knower and becomes known. Asmita generates feelings like  'I am such and such' or 'I have this and that'. All our sufferings are due to either to our lack of knowledge that attachment, aversion, asmita, etc. are the root causes of all miseries, or to our failure to live up to this truth even after it has been apprehended.


Q11: What are the meant by the term Drasta and drsya?


A11: Drasta is the principle which is at the root of all knowing; the knowable becomes manifest when it comes into contact with Drasta. Drsya is what becomes known.


Q12: What is the real nature of the absolute knower?


A12: Drasta is immutable and unconditioned Awareness. It is also called Chaitanya, Chit, Purusa, Atma, Drksakti, Jna, Svaprakasa, etc.


Q13: What are meant by Chit, Chaitanya, etc.?


A13: All these terms signify auto-science, i.e. Self knowing Self independently of anything else.


Q14: What is Drasta immutable?


A14: That which remains the same at all times and does not  change from one state to another is immutable. Absolute Knower is always the knower and cannot be conceived as becoming non-knower. Hence it is immutable.


Q15: What are the characteristics of Drasta?


A15: Drasta, the absolute Knower, is beyond time and space which are knowable. He is infinite and always abides in Himself. He is beyond mind and is the knower of the mind's quiescent as well as active states. The mind mutates but the knower remains immutable.


Q16: What are the objects with temporal and spatial attributes?


A16: Things having dimensions like length, breadth and thickness, and occupying space are spatial objects. All external objects are spatial. Things such as action, mental fluctuations, etc. whose attributes appear and disappear in time alone, are called temporal objects. Both spatial and temporal objects are aggregates of several parts and are capable of being reduced to their constituents and therefore mutable. Drasta has no physical form which can be described as big or small, all-pervasive or occupying a small space. Our knowledge or time is derived from succession of modifications or mutations. Abiding in Himself Drasta is immutable and therefore does not exist in time.


Q17: Why so? We generally speak of Drasta as abiding in us or as existing from eternity. These being spatial and temporal attributes, how is it that He is beyond time and space?


A17: We impute the above attributes to Drasta because we can conceive of Him only in terms of knowable. But Drasta is really not so. What remains after the complete cessation of all mental fluctuations, beyond all knowledge of space and time, is Drasta the self-illumined Entity.


Drasta is the Knower or the reflector of buddhi. Buddhi or pure I-sense resides in the body of every living being; which makes us wrongly regard Drasta as also abiding in us. To think of Drasta who is beyond time and space, as existing in this place or that is patently absurd.