Nature and Spirit (Prakṛti & Puruṣa)
Two ultimates: a witness that never acts, and a nature that does everything.
Sāṃkhya and Yoga build the cosmos from two ultimate kinds of thing: puruṣa, pure conscious 'spirit' that only witnesses and never acts, and prakṛti, unconscious 'nature' that does all the doing and evolves into mind, body, and world. Suffering arises when the witness mistakenly identifies with nature's activity; freedom comes when the two are clearly told apart. This dualism is one of the great alternatives to Vedānta's non-dualism.
How it traveled
- Bhagavad-gītāKuru-Pañcāla region · -150explains
- Yoga-sūtraKāśī (Varanasi) · 375explains
Key passages(20)
Purusha seated in Prakriti, experiences the Gunas born of Prakriti; the reason of his birth in good and evil wombs is his attachment to the Gunas.
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They who thus with the eye of knowledge perceive the distinction between the Kshetra and the Kshetrajna, and also the emancipation from the Prakriti of beings, they go to the Supreme. The end of the t
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Beyond the Great there is the Undeveloped, beyond the Undeveloped there is the Person (purusha). Beyond the Person there is nothing — this is the goal, the highest road.
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On the same tree man sits grieving, immersed, bewildered, by his own impotence (an-isa). But when he sees the other lord (isa) contented, and knows his glory, then his grief passes away.
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Vivekacūḍāmaṇi · Śaṅkara (traditionally ascribed; authorship doubted)
Vivekacūḍāmaṇi · Śaṅkara (traditionally ascribed; authorship doubted)
He replied: "Pragâpati (the lord of creatures) was desirous of creatures (pragâh). He performed penance, and having performed penance, he produces a pair, matter (rayi) and spirit (prâna), thinking th
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Know then Prakriti (nature) is Maya (art), and the great Lord the Mayin (maker); the whole world is filled with what are his members.
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'Water (ap) is better than food. Therefore if there is not sufficient rain, the vital spirits fail from fear that there will be less food. But if there is sufficient rain, the vital spirits rejoice, b
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Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad · Vedic Revelation (śruti)
Verily, of created things here earth is the essence; of earth, water; of water, plants; of plants, flowers; of flowers, fruits; of fruits, man (purusa); of man, semen.
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