Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c16.109

c16.109

But though Yoga follows the Sāṁkhya in its ideology, theory of knowledge, and its metaphysics, there is an important difference between the two. While the Yoga scheme has a place for the conception of God and of Divine Grace [i, 23, 24], the Sāṁkhya has no place for these. Sāṁkhya is accordingly described as *Nirīśvara-Yoga*, non-theistic Yoga, while Yoga is *Seśvara-Sāṁkhya*, theistic Sāṁkhya. Yoga, as a consequence, gives great value to the doctrine of self-surrender to the Divine, which is inculcated in the spiritual discipline of many schools of religious thought. It is the acceptance by Yoga of these principles and methods which has made it possible for all theistic schools of thought to adopt Yoga as the universal method of discipline common to all. Yet it must be noted that since the God-concept and the doctrines it implicates count as optional categories in Yoga, the Yoga is capable of assimilation even in the absolutistic and atheistic schools of thought. This flexibility of Yoga thought further expresses itself in its treatment of the doctrine of *adhikāra* or gradations of capacity. This doctrine which is accepted in all schools of orthodox religious thought implies that each individual should pursue a course of discipline suitable to his nature. This gives ample scope to variations of practices to suit individual needs. Accordingly, different aspects of spiritual culture are differently stressed by different Schools in the context of their special theories. The *Yoga-Sūtras* have gathered together these various practical measures and built them into a system.