Philosophies of India

SR No.: 007309
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Heinrich Zimmer, Joseph Campbell
Publisher: Routledge and Kegan Paul Ltd
Publication Year: 1953
Total Pages: 709
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 34 MB

Page 349

SANKHYA AND YOGA
The tattvas emerge from each other gradually. This emergence is the natural process of the unfolding, or evolution, of the “normal" waking state of consciousness from the primal, undifferentiated, quiescent state of praksti. By yoga the transformations, or tattvas, are dissolved back again, this reverse movement representing a process of involution. The former process, namely that of the evolution of the tattvas from the subtle (sūkşma) to the gross (sthūla), is marked by a continuous increase of tamas guņa, whereas with the return sattva guņa comes to prevail. However, puruṣa, the life-monad, remains uninvolved, no matter which way the process runs, and no matter how refined the state of sattva guņa that is attained. Puruşa is beyond the system of the guņas absolutely, whether the latter be in evolution or in involution. Self-radiant, self-subsistent, aloof, it never changes, whereas praksti will go on changing forever.
Puruşa is defined as “purc spirit" (caitanya), in token of the fact that it is non-matter, and yet it is far from every Western concept of spirituality-for all of the conditions of what we term the "soul" are effects of the realm of subtle matter, according
dividing the first half of each into four equal parts, and then adding to the unsubdivided hall of cach element one subdivision of cach of the remaining four, cach element becomes five in one" (Pañcadasi 1. 27). These compounds are what are known as the gross elements. They are named according to whether the preponderant portion is ether, air, fire, water, or earth.
air
ether
ether
ether
fire
fire
air
air
ether
ether air fire
fire
water
earth
water
water
water
fire
earth
carth
earth
carth
water
Since cther is experienced as sound, air as touch, fire as color and shape, water as flavor, and earth as smell, each gross element (being a compound of all five) affects all the senses.
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