Sankhya Darshan Me Karm

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Sankhya Darshan me Karm" by Dharmchand Jain, focusing on its comparison of Sankhya and Jain philosophies regarding karma and liberation:

Sankhya Darshan me Karm (Karma in Sankhya Philosophy)

This text, authored by Dharmchand Jain, explores the concept of "karma" within Sankhya philosophy, drawing significant parallels and distinctions with Jainism. The core argument is that while the term "karma" might not be explicitly used in Sankhya in the same way as in Jainism, the underlying principles and the explanation of suffering and liberation bear striking resemblances.

Core Tenets and Parallels:

• Dualistic Foundation: Both Sankhya and Jainism, as foundational philosophies, posit two primary eternal substances:

  • Sankhya: Purusha (consciousness, the self) and Prakriti (matter, the material cause).
  • Jainism: Jiva (soul, consciousness) and Ajiva (non-soul, matter).
  • The interaction and combination of these two fundamental principles are seen as the cause of creation and bondage in both systems.

• Twenty-Five Sankhya Tattvas: Sankhya identifies twenty-five fundamental principles. These include Prakriti, Buddhi (intellect), Ahamkara (ego), Manas (mind), the five sensory organs (jnanendriyas), the five organs of action (karmendriyas), the five subtle elements (tanmatras), and the five gross elements (mahabhutas). The Purusha is the twenty-fifth, and in theistic Sankhya, God is considered the twenty-sixth. Jainism also outlines its own set of tattvas.

• Root Cause of Suffering:

  • Jainism: Suffering is directly attributed to the results of karma, which is categorized into eight types (e.g., knowledge-obscuring, perception-obscuring, feeling-producing, delusion-producing).
  • Sankhya: Suffering arises from aviveka (non-discrimination or ignorance) or anadi avidya (beginningless ignorance). This ignorance is considered the root cause of continued transmigration and suffering. The cessation of this ignorance leads to Kaivalya (liberation).

• The Nature of Purusha/Jiva:

  • Sankhya: The Purusha is described as inactive (akarta), a passive witness (drashta), immutable, eternal, and beyond the three gunas (qualities of sattva, rajas, and tamas). It is neither a cause nor an effect.
  • Jainism: The Jiva is considered the doer and enjoyer of the fruits of its actions (karma).
  • Key Distinction: This is a fundamental difference. While Jainism emphasizes the jiva as the active agent in experiencing karma, Sankhya insists that the Purusha is merely a witness, untouched by the actions of Prakriti.

• The Role of Prakriti:

  • Prakriti is the active principle in Sankhya. It undergoes transformation and produces all the manifest phenomena.
  • The interaction of Purusha and Prakriti is crucial. Prakriti cannot act independently. It is the conjunction with Purusha that enables Prakriti to create and manifest the universe. This union is likened to the interaction between a blind man (who can understand but not move) and a lame man (who can move but not see).

• The Mechanism of Bondage:

  • Sankhya: Bondage occurs because the Purusha, despite being distinct, mistakenly identifies with the modifications of Prakriti. Specifically, the Buddhi (intellect) is the medium through which the Purusha becomes involved. The Buddhi is influenced by Prakriti's gunas, and the Purusha, being in conjunction with the Buddhi, mistakenly experiences these influences as its own. This is the illusion of agency and experience.
  • The Sankhya Karika states that due to the conjunction, the insentient Buddhi and other Prakriti elements appear conscious, and the inactive Purusha appears to be the doer and enjoyer of the qualities of Prakriti.

• The Principle of Causality (Satkaryavada): Sankhya adheres to Satkaryavada, the theory of the pre-existence of the effect in the cause. This means that the effect is merely a manifestation of what already exists in an unmanifest form within the cause. This supports the idea that Purusha remains unaffected, as the transformations occur within Prakriti.

• Nature of Prakriti's Action: Prakriti acts for the liberation of Purusha. This is compared to milk spontaneously flowing to nourish a calf. Prakriti manifests the universe and its experiences for the ultimate purpose of enabling Purusha to achieve Kaivalya.

• Kaivalya (Liberation):

  • Liberation in Sankhya is Kaivalya, the absolute separation of Purusha from Prakriti.
  • This is achieved through vivekakhyati (discriminative knowledge) – the realization of the fundamental difference between Purusha and Prakriti.
  • The practice of self-inquiry and reflection leads to the understanding: "I am not (the doer)," "This is not mine (not an object of enjoyment)," and "I am not (affected)."
  • Once this distinction is clear, the Purusha becomes indifferent, and Prakriti, having revealed itself, ceases its activity for that Purusha. This is likened to a dancer withdrawing after performing on stage.

• Videha Mukti (Liberation in the Disembodied State):

  • Even after achieving liberation (vivekakhyati), the physical body may persist due to the residual force of prarabdha karma (karma from past lives that is currently fructifying).
  • This is analogous to a potter's wheel continuing to spin due to momentum after the potter stops pushing it.
  • In Jainism, the destruction of the four ghati karmas (knowledge-obscuring, perception-obscuring, deluding, and obstruction) leads to omniscience, but the body remains until the remaining four aghati karmas are exhausted, leading to the state of a Siddha. Similarly, in Sankhya, after the seeds of karma are destroyed, the body persists due to past impressions until it naturally decays, leading to the disembodied state.

Conclusion:

The text concludes by emphasizing that while the presentations may differ, the fundamental truth remains the same. Sankhya presents the path to liberation and the nature of bondage in a manner that, though distinct in terminology, shares core conceptual similarities with Jainism. Both systems accept rebirth. The linga sharira or subtle body in Sankhya can be compared to the karmic body in Jainism. Both acknowledge the role of the three gunas of Prakriti in the process of liberation. The conjunction of Prakriti and Purusha is seen as the origin of karma (impressions) and the subsequent experience. Ultimately, liberation is attained through discriminative knowledge (vivekakhyati). The concluding devotional verses reinforce the Jain perspective of seeking refuge in the Jinas, Munis, and Gurus to understand one's true self and overcome suffering.