Introduction:
Amongst the nine Indian Philosophical Schools, Sankhya is considered to be the ancient one in the eyes of many scholars. Therefore, in terms of status of antiquity, it is Sankhya School of Indian thoughts that receives the most respect. It is the one, which also played a vital role in the development of all the later schools of Indian philosophical thoughts. In this following writing, we will try to examine how Sankhya inspired and kept influence in the arising and development of Buddhist and Yoga Philosophy. Before we proceed, we may briefly look into the nine types of Indian Philosophical Systems.
Indian Schools of Philosophical Thoughts:
Indian philosophical system can be categorized into two main system. These are-
1. Astika Darshanas (Orthodox): Philosophical thoughts derived and developed from Vedic system and Vedic rituals.
2. Nastika Darshanas (Heterodox): Philosophical views that tend to reject the Vedic authority, rituals and Bhramanic supremacy.
Indian Philosophical Schools
| Astika Darshana (Orthodox) | ||
| Founder | System | Text |
| Brahaspati | Carvakadarshana | Brahaspatyasutra |
| Mahavira | Jainadarshana | Agama sahitya |
| Siddhartha Gautama | Bauddhadarshana | Tripitaka (Pali Canon) |
| Nastika Darshana (Heterodox) | ||
| Founder | System | Text |
| Kapila | Samkhyadarsana | Samkhya-sutra |
| Patanjali | Yogadarshana | Yoga-Sutra |
| Kanada | Vaisesikadarshana | Vaisesika-sutra |
| Akkhaipada Gautama | Nyayadarshana | Nyaya-sutra |
| Jaimini | Mimamsadarshana | Mimamsa-sutra |
| Badarayana | Vedantadarshana | Vedanta-sutra |
Sankhya System of Indian Philosophical Thoughts:
According to Gunaratna, a 14th century commentators of Saddarsanasamuccaya, there are two schools of Sankhya. Indian great war epic Mahabharata mentioned three school of Sankhya. Kapila, a prominent mystical figure, who is also considered to be a sage of ancient India is known as the founder of Sankhya philosophy. It is believed that he wrote the ‘Sankhya Sutras’ that built the foundation of Sankhya philosophy. Unfortunately, his original text of the said sutras exist no more. Today, we start a study towards Sankhya by taking the Isvarakrsna’s ‘SankhyaKarika’ as source and on the basis of later commentaries made on it.
Regarding the Sankhya systems of thoughts, Surendranath Dasgupta noted, –
“Sāmkhya is basically a non-theistic, world-renunciatory and gnostic outlook, rather than a religion for the person immersed in daily life and ritual religion. Its goal is the elimination of suffering by the eradication of its ultimate cause. Religious practices, such as rituals and austerities, can only afford a temporary relief from suffering. What is required is discriminative understanding of the difference between the conscious subject, and material nature and its manifestations.” (1)
Sankhya opines that the Veda is the source of all knowledge in this universe. Sankhya is widely known for its worldview and metaphysics. Sankhya considers the universal phenomena as sum of infinite and unlimited experiences or knowledge within the universe. Therefore Sankhya epistemology developed the concept of duality. Purusha and the Prakriti, as subject and object are the utmost concept of Sankhya thoughts system. Purusha is the knower of the experiences and Prakriti is the experiences. Purusha is self or soul or the atman. Prakriti is combination of 3 gunas- 1. Sattva (positivity) 2. Rajas (action) 3.Tamas (laziness/negativity). In certain forms, prakriti is not manifested. Upon mutual interaction and connection between purusha and prakriti all the knowledge and experiences or the universal phenomena come into existence, take shape for visibility or sensibility or manifestation. Nothing in this world free from these 3 gunas, accept the Brhama itself.
Sankhya towards the Development of Buddhist Philosophy:
As we already mentioned earlier, since it was the first philosophical system that can be traced in Indian philosophical context, there are several strong reason to believe that, playing a vital role, Sankhya thoughts paved the way for later development of all the Indian philosophical systems, including Buddhism. Even, some scholars want to relate a connection between the name Kapila, the founder of Sankhya philosophical system and the Kaiplabatthu, ancient Indian capital of Sakya Kingdom, where Sakyamuni Buddha lived his earlier life as he belonged to Sakya clan and was a Sakya prince. William Loftus Hare commented, –We do not know when Kapila lived, but there are strong several reason for believing that he and his system preceded the rise of Buddhism. (2)
Before rising Buddhism, including Sankhya there were existence of several religious sects and practices in ancient India. So far we know from his early life, before renunciation for enlightenment, Buddha was a prince of his clan and as a prince he received all the education that was possible to that time. So, indeed, Sakya prince was known of the Vedas, Vedic rituals and other existing knowledge and practices of that time. Regarding the Indian origin of Buddhist people of that time, T. W. Rhys Davids noted,- “The Buddhists were, as a matter of fact, characteristically and distinctively Indian. They probably, at least during the fourth and third centuries B. C, formed the majority of the people. And the movement of thought out of which all these schools arose, so far from being a negligible quantity, as the priestly books suggest, was one of the most dominant factors the historian of the fourth, fifth, and sixth centuries B. C. has to consider.” (3)
In Bhramajala Sutta Buddha himself identified 62 existing religious sects and theories of that time. So it is much possible that, existing previous religious practices and philosophical thoughts greatly influenced the way in which Buddha examined the worldly phenomena before his enlightenment and later on started preaching his realization.
In Brahmajala Sutta, Buddha explained all the existing views and religious practices of his time. Like that of Sankhya, Buddha examined the universal phenomena, existence of self, eternity and the all the cosmic entities. If we bring some lines from Brahmajala Sutta,-
The self and the world are eternal, barren, steadfast as a mountain peak, standing firm like a pillar. And though these beings roam and wander (through the round of existence), pass away and re-arise, yet the self and the world remain the same just like eternity itself. What is the reason? Because I, by means of ardor, endeavor, application, diligence, and right reflection, attain to such a degree of mental concentration that with my mind thus concentrated, I recollect my numerous past lives in their modes and their details. For this reason I know this: the self and the world are eternal, barren, steadfast as a mountain peak, standing firm like a pillar. And though these beings roam and wander (through the round of existence), pass away and re-arise, yet the self and the world remain the same just like eternity itself.’ (4)
It is now an established fact that, even though Sankhya is considered to be known as Astika darsana as it accepts that the source of all the knowledge in this universe is the Veda, yet Sankhya views is widely known for its rational approach rather than Vedic authority. In contrary, if we think about the origin and development of Buddhism and its philosophical aspects, it is much clearer that Buddhism, from its beginning, offers an open and broader philosophical perspective till today. Therefore, it is safe to say rising of Buddhism was greatly inspired by Sankhya thoughts.
Sankhya and Yoga Philosophy:
Yoga Sutra of Patanjali came after Buddhism. It is believed that, Patanjali took ideas from previous existing religious practices like Sankhya, Jaina and Buddhism in framing his Yoga Sutras. Many scholars and modern academicians opine that Sankhya and Yoga as interconnected philosophical system even though they form separate individual philosophical identity. Professor Bina Gupta viewed,- “It has become common to couple Samkhya and Yoga together. Samkhya accepts yoga as the practical means to the realization of moksa, and Yoga subscribes to the theoretical framework of the Samkhya School.”(5)
Yoga literally means to unite. Yoga is Samadhi, meditation. By doing yoga one subdue own self and then a new sense emergences within oneself and one be able to unite the individual soul with the ultimate soul. Attachments create the endless cyclic existence. Purpose of yoga is to control the five senses towards liberating the soul from all the attachments and bondages and therefore to unite the individual soul with the ultimate soul. A large number of influential text of Bhagvadgita emphasizes on Sankhya and Yoga. In verses 4 and 5 of Gita interdependence of Sankhya and Yoga philosophy described.
Sankhya system doesn’t allow a concept of God or Isvara as an identity of creator or destroyer yet it accepts the Veda as supreme authority of all knowledge. Likewise, almost that same ideas was incorporated in the development of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra. We can bring some line from Christopher Bartley, who opined,-
“The earliest descriptions of a Samkhya which agrees with Isvarakrsna’s Samkhya (but with an addiction of Isvara) are to be found in Patanjali’s Yoga sutras and in Mahabharata; but we are pretty certain that the Samkhya of Caraka we have sketched here was known to Patanjali, for in Yoga sutra 1. 19 a reference is made to a view of Samkhya similar to this.” (6)
Conclusion:
India has a long tradition of religious practices as well as philosophical contribution. Nevertheless to say, Sankhya as the most ancient one in terms of antiquity, played a pivotal role in the development of all the later Indian Philosophical systems and thoughts. Particularly, we see the rising of Buddhism and Yoga Philosophy was greatly inspired by Sankhya thoughts system. Even though there would have some other aspects and reasons for the rise and development of these two manipulative and widely known philosophical systems yet we cannot and should not deny the motivation they have received from the Sankhya system of Indian thoughts.
References:
- Dasgupta, Surendranath, A History of Indian Philosophy, Vol. 1, (Cambridge Cambridge University Press, 1969), p 219.
- Hare, William Loftus, Mysticism of East and West, Studies in Mystical and Moral Philosophy, (London: Butler and Tanner, 1923) p.94.
- Davids, Rhys, T. W., Buddhist India, (Delhi: Motilal Banarasidass, 1997), p.165.
- “Brahmajāla Sutta: The All-embracing Net of Views” (DN 1), translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 30 November 2013, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.01.0.bodh.html
- Gupta Bina, An introduction to Indian Philosophy(perspective on reality, knowledge, and Freedom), (NewYork: Routledge, 2012), p.144.
- Bartley, Christopher, An Introduction to Indian Philosophy, (London: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2011) p.82.