The Samkhya System: A History of the Samkhya Philosophy c12.13

c12.13

A further development of doctrine, and not a happy one, may be seen in the treatment of intellect and individuation. The only tolerable theory is that in some way nature is converted into intellect or consciousness by the influence of spirit, and that the result of individuation is to split up this consciousness, which must be regarded as not having attained to consciousness of itself, into definite individuals possessed of definite selves. These individuals would essentially possess also individual consciousnesses, as the principle of individuation would carry with it as an essential presupposition consciousness in order to become self-conscious: this fact explains why in the Sūtra (iii, 9) the constituents of the inner organ, fine body or psychic apparatus, are reckoned at seventeen in place of eighteen, intellect and individuation falling under one head. From the individual principle naturally can be derived the senses with mind, and as suggested in the Kauṣitaki Upaniṣad (iii) the objects of the senses in the shape of the fine elements, from which the gross elements proceed, and this is clearly the main view of the Kārikā. On the other hand, the Sūtra evidently regards the whole process as being a cosmic one, the principle of individuation producing cosmic organs, and elements, and the individual corresponding principles being derived from the cosmic. It is characteristic of the difficulty of the doctrine, and of its absurdity, that the explanation of the derivation is nowhere given: the Sūtra (iii, 10) merely says that from the one psychic apparatus many were produced by reason of the difference of the works, an explanation which is subject to the disadvantage that it begs the question, since the distinction of works presupposes individuals, and individuals presuppose separate psychic apparatuses with which to perform works. The probable explanation of the effort to fill up the system is to be seen in the fact that the Kārikā itself evidently allows inorganic nature to be in some way directly connected with nature, and not merely, as it should consistently be, derived for each individual from the fine elements which form part of his psychic apparatus.