Samkhya School

Question 1

what does Samkhya argue for

Answer 1

radical dualism between self and everything else that exists

Question 2

what is the goal Samskhya wishes

Answer 2

liberation from suffering and rebirth through insight into the nature of reality

Question 3

what is the self for samskhya

Answer 3

non-dualistic, unchanging, pure awareness, dis-identify with the fluctuation of matter

Question 4

how is Samskhya similar to buddhism

Answer 4

they have a similar conception of suffering, especially in their diagnosis of human experience and their liberation-oriented goals.

Question 5

what is Purusa

Answer 5

the word for self, pure contentless awareness. unchanging, independent, unaffected by material nature

Question 6

what is Prakrti

Answer 6

source of all material and mental phenomena in the Sāṃkhya system. Everything that is not pure consciousness (puruṣa) comes from prakṛti

Question 7

What are the three qualities (gunas) of prakrti

Answer 7

Sattva – Light, harmony, clarity

Rajas – Activity, passion, motion

Tamas – Inertia, darkness, heaviness

Question 8

What is the nature of Prakti

Answer 8

it evolves into 23 tattvas ( principles)

Question 9

what is the source of suffering for Samskhya

Answer 9

Suffering occurs because puruṣa falsely identifies with things that are actually prakṛti (like body and mind)

Question 10

What is the Buddhi tattva

Answer 10

First product of prakṛti.

Responsible for discrimination, understanding, decision-making

Question 11

What is the Ahamkara

Answer 11

creates a sense of self-> ‘I’-maker

generates further categories all important to distinguish a self such as mind (manas), 5 sense powers, action powers

Question 13

what is the self

Answer 13

purusa, unchanging silent witness

Question 14

what is the subtle body

Answer 14

non-physical, inner body that acts as the bridge between the gross physical body and the conscious self (puruṣa or ātman). It isn’t visible, but it’s what allows conscious experience, perception, thought, emotion, and karma to function and carry over from one life to the next.

Question 15

why is the subtle body not purusa?

Answer 15

because purusa is unchanging witness with no qualities which can generate Karma

Question 16

How does the realisation of Tattvas lead to liberation through realising you are Purusa?

Answer 16

All of these change, suffer, and perish. But you, the observer, seem to remain constant.