Samkhya – The Eternal Reality of the Soul’s Immortality
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Samkhya – The Nutshell of Yogic Philosophy.
Many yoga teachers will know of the eight-limbed path (as expounded by Patanjali) which incorporates much of the yoga taught around the world today. Fewer teachers may know that Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras is founded upon SAMKHYA which is the basis of yogic philosophy and practical conditions. The study of Samkhya is recommended for yoga teachers in order to bring finer awareness to their teaching, and for yoga students, to bring a greater subtlety to their yoga practice. Essentially, the teachings of Samkhya help us to deeply understand the profound language of yoga, which can bridge the gap between inner experience, and the outer manifestation of that experience. |
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But what is Samkhya?
To begin with, Samkhya is a Sanskrit word meaning “correct” or “proper” and can be translated in context as “correct knowing of one’s true nature”.
Essentially, Samkhya has been an oral tradition – not a lot is written on it. This is for very good reason as many of the more hidden teachings of yoga have a tradition of being passed directly on from teacher to student. Indeed it was Lord Krishna, speaking about Samkhya to his student Arjuna (as recorded in Samkhya Karika in chapter two of the Bhagavad Gita) which became one of the essential treatises on the subject. This is a very beautiful thing because the transmission of a teaching directly from teacher to student involves more effort than simply reading a book. A student truly desiring not only knowledge, but the experience of the knowledge, will seek a teaching situation which provides the opportunity for direct transmission to occur. As devotees of yoga, and a yogic path to better health and self-awareness, the aim is not to pull the meaning of yoga towards us to make it fit what we have always known and always been. Rather, we rise up to meet the expansion of consciousness available in teachings such as Samkhya, which are aspects of the very matrix in which yoga is held.
This involves fulfilling a three-pronged approach: 1. Studying (understanding terminology and philosophy); 2. Meditating upon the essential nature of Samkhya; 3. Yoga practice – applying the teachings and realisations to create authentic experience.
Samkhya teaches that we all have within us twenty-five elements that evolve out of each other. Of these, two are the source of duality from which all of creation is birthed: Purusha – pure consciousness or reality, and Prakriti – pure energy, or creative life force. Within Prakriti are the maha-gunas of sattva (peace and luminosity), rajas (movement and desire) and tamas (inertia and solidarity). From Prakriti arises three elements of mind: buddhi – the rational mind; manas – the mind of the outer world connection via the senses; and the ego ahamkara – which exists in the space between the higher and lower mind. Samkhya teachings include further elements which comprise the subtle constructs of human existence and experience.
Yoga and Samkhya
Yoga derives much of its language from the teachings of Samkhya, while adding the concept of Ishvara – the presence of a supreme self. This can be represented in a number of ways such as a personal deity, a spiritual inspiration, a monistic Universal Absolute that connects and is the Oneness in everyone and everything.
Tantra and Samkhya
Samkhya philosophy exerts a strong influence on Tantra which takes the abstract dualisim of Samkhya, evolving that into a personified male-female dualism as a focus for self-realisation. Where yogic Samkhya philosophy will ask a practitioner to transcend, or transform dualistic nature, tantric Samkhya teachings will inspire a practitioner to embrace, meet, and experience dualistic nature as both the pathway and the destination of enlightenment.
For teachers and students seeking authentic methods to increase their finer understanding of yoga, Samkhya teachings offered in a space that provides opportunity for transmission, study, contemplation, and practical application is invaluable. The November teacher training at Ohui will provide this opportunity so come and join us!
To begin with, Samkhya is a Sanskrit word meaning “correct” or “proper” and can be translated in context as “correct knowing of one’s true nature”.
Essentially, Samkhya has been an oral tradition – not a lot is written on it. This is for very good reason as many of the more hidden teachings of yoga have a tradition of being passed directly on from teacher to student. Indeed it was Lord Krishna, speaking about Samkhya to his student Arjuna (as recorded in Samkhya Karika in chapter two of the Bhagavad Gita) which became one of the essential treatises on the subject. This is a very beautiful thing because the transmission of a teaching directly from teacher to student involves more effort than simply reading a book. A student truly desiring not only knowledge, but the experience of the knowledge, will seek a teaching situation which provides the opportunity for direct transmission to occur. As devotees of yoga, and a yogic path to better health and self-awareness, the aim is not to pull the meaning of yoga towards us to make it fit what we have always known and always been. Rather, we rise up to meet the expansion of consciousness available in teachings such as Samkhya, which are aspects of the very matrix in which yoga is held.
This involves fulfilling a three-pronged approach: 1. Studying (understanding terminology and philosophy); 2. Meditating upon the essential nature of Samkhya; 3. Yoga practice – applying the teachings and realisations to create authentic experience.
Samkhya teaches that we all have within us twenty-five elements that evolve out of each other. Of these, two are the source of duality from which all of creation is birthed: Purusha – pure consciousness or reality, and Prakriti – pure energy, or creative life force. Within Prakriti are the maha-gunas of sattva (peace and luminosity), rajas (movement and desire) and tamas (inertia and solidarity). From Prakriti arises three elements of mind: buddhi – the rational mind; manas – the mind of the outer world connection via the senses; and the ego ahamkara – which exists in the space between the higher and lower mind. Samkhya teachings include further elements which comprise the subtle constructs of human existence and experience.
Yoga and Samkhya
Yoga derives much of its language from the teachings of Samkhya, while adding the concept of Ishvara – the presence of a supreme self. This can be represented in a number of ways such as a personal deity, a spiritual inspiration, a monistic Universal Absolute that connects and is the Oneness in everyone and everything.
Tantra and Samkhya
Samkhya philosophy exerts a strong influence on Tantra which takes the abstract dualisim of Samkhya, evolving that into a personified male-female dualism as a focus for self-realisation. Where yogic Samkhya philosophy will ask a practitioner to transcend, or transform dualistic nature, tantric Samkhya teachings will inspire a practitioner to embrace, meet, and experience dualistic nature as both the pathway and the destination of enlightenment.
For teachers and students seeking authentic methods to increase their finer understanding of yoga, Samkhya teachings offered in a space that provides opportunity for transmission, study, contemplation, and practical application is invaluable. The November teacher training at Ohui will provide this opportunity so come and join us!