Samkhya-Yoga Philosophy and Practice

Simply stated, Samkhya-Yoga is the practice of yoga that is consistent with the Samkhya philosophy of Kapila and the Yoga philosophy of Patanjali. But for many western readers, that simple statement may raise more questions than it answers.

Samkhya and Yoga are two of the six Indian darsanas, or schools of philosophy, and are considered to be closely related. The relation is often described as theory and practice, Samkhya providing the theory for the practice of Yoga. In reality, the relation is more complex. It can be better described as a progression of thought having many aspects. Before describing what Samkhya-Yoga is, it may be helpful to consider what it is not.

Samkhya-Yoga is not a course of instruction in the practice of asana and pranayama along the lines of familiar organizations such as Iyengar, Ashtanga, or Bikram yoga. Of course, asana and pranayama are included in the practice of Samkhya-Yoga, but Samkhya-Yoga focuses more on yoga philosophy and inner practice.

Samkhya-Yoga is not a religion. Indian philosophy deals with subject matter that Westerners may consider to be the province of religion, such as the existence and nature of God, morality, actions and their consequences, suffering, and its causes and remedies. But unlike religions, there are no rituals or prescribed forms of worship. Doctrine is not set in stone, and students and pracitioners are encouraged to examine the teachings and reach their own conclusions based on evidence, reason, and personal experience.

For the purpose of a brief description, we can characterize Samkhya-Yoga as consisting of both philosophy and practice.

Philosophy

The starting point for the discussion of Samkhya-Yoga philosophy is Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.

Out of all of the many texts that deal with the subject of yoga, only Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras is considered to be an authoritative text of the Yoga darsana. But there are many translations of the Yoga Sutras, and some of them differ a great deal in their interpretation of the Sanskrit text. So it is sometimes difficult to determine the intent of the original authors. Knowledge of the Samkhya philosophy goes a long way toward solving this problem by providing a background, a context, and in some cases, a source for many concepts contained in the Yoga Sutras.

The Samkhya philosophy is one of the oldest and most influential of Indian philosophies. We can describe a few key points that differentiate it from other, sometimes competing philosophies.

• Dualist - Samkhya philosophy is dualist in the sense that it regards spirit and matter as equally real but eternally distinct. This is in contrast to advaita or non-dual philosophies, which view the material world as illusory and spirit as the only true reality.
• Materialist - Samkhya philosophy is materialist in the sense that it views the basis of the phenomenal world as material in nature, as opposed to the view that the material world originates from the spirit.
• Pluralist - Samkhya philosophy is pluralist in the sense that it regards each individual self as an autonomous being, rather than as part of a single, all-encompasing self.
• Rational - Samkhya philosophy is rational in the sense that it relies on evidence and reasoning as opposed to revealed knowledge from scriptures.

These points may come as a surprise to many, since the Indian philosophies that are most familiar to us in the west tend to take the opposing points of view.

Practice

Samkhya-Yoga practice can be summarized by the Asta Anga (Eight-Limb) practice found in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. The eight limbs are:

• Yama – restraints
• Niyama - observances
• Asana – postures
• Pranayama- breath control
• Pratyahara – withdrawal from the senses
• Dharana – concentration
• Dhyana – one-pointedness
• Samadhi

There is some variation in the descriptions of these practices among the various sources and interpretations, particularly with respect to the inner practices, beginning with pratyahara. This website will attempt to explore and explain these practices in the light of the Samkhya philosophy and other relevant literature.