[Advaita-l] Difference between Sankhya and Advaita

[Sunil Bhattacharjya]

Yoga means to unite. One should not forget that apart from Pratyahara and Dhyana the Yoga also includes Svadhyaya (studies), Vivekakhyati (Sankhya-analysis) and Ishvara-pranidhana (Bhakti and surrender to the Ishvara). The Yoga does not explain the nature of unification of the freed Jiva and Ishvara, ie. it does not say what happens to the Jiva when it concentrates on Ishvara or OM and getsseparated from the Prakriti. It is left to the Vedanta to say that unification is achieved with Ishvara and that is the same as the realization that the Jiva is not separate from Ishvara. That is the stage when  the  idea of separate individualism of the Jiva (cultivated under the influence of Prakriti) disappears. This is the state of the dissolution of the Avidya or acquisition of the true Vidya. One who is fastidious about language may like to argue on the meanings of the individual words or sentences used for these expressions but I think that one must choose the
 essence and need not worry about the absolute correctness of the literary expressions. It is not easy to produce writing, which can substitute direct learning from the guru. 


Regards,

Sunil KB



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From: Srikanta Narayanaswami <srikanta.narayanaswami at yahoo.com>
To: "advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org" <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
Sent: Wednesday, September 14, 2011 5:02 AM
Subject: [Advaita-l] Difference between Sankhya and Advaita

(Sunil Bhattacharjya in some other thread a while ago mentioned that
purpose of Yoga is to Unite. Sorry for posting this out of context
without giving the link. Actually the purpose of Yoga as in Yoga
Darshana is to *separate* puruSha from prakrti. It helps to achieve
this by integrating the scattered mind and eventually leading to
mano-nAsha)
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With reference to the above,the purpose of "Yoga"in Yogadarshana is to unite Prakrithi with Purusha.The definition of "Yoga"is "Yujyate iti yogah",it is to yoke or unite.The Kundalini shakthi which is in the 'Muladhara"traverses through the different chakras and finally unites with the  Purusha in the "sahasrara"chakra which is a thousand petalled Lotus.
 
It is the "Sankya"(Samyak khyayate iti Sankhyah).It is by discrimination that the Prakriti is separated from Purusha,
through Tarka,and the Prakriti departs from the Purusha,as a "Nartaki"(dancer)moves away from the stage).
This is explained in the Sankhya Karikas by IshwaraKrishna.The manonasha is Budhistic.The difference between
Sankhya darshana from Advaita darshana is,the Sankhya is "nirishwara vada"where as Advaita darshana is "Saishvara vada".If it is by "manonasha"no one will try to perform yoga,because,no mind will be there.
N.Srikanta.
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