Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s7.t9.3

v1.c7.s7.t9.3

Samkhya formed the independent school in about 400 BCE. According to legend, the founder of this school was Kapila, at that time. At present, the existing earliest document of this school is the *Samkhya-karika*, which is a systematic document made by Isvarakrsna in about 400 CE. The time for karika is not that early compared with other basic classics of other orthodox philosophy schools. However, almost all systematic classics of *Samkhya* before they were lost were regarded as the representative document of ancient *Samkhya*. Its position is the same as that of basic classics in general orthodox philosophy schools. After *Samkhya-karika*, the main works of this school are an explanation to *Samkhya-karika*. The basic theoretical frame of Samkhya is the so called “two realities and twenty five concepts”