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62
SAMAYASĀRA
Evolution of the cosmos from the Primeral Prakrti-This Prakrti is increated and self-existing. It is from this Praksti all other things emanate except the Puruşa. This primeval matter or Prakrti is endowed with three gupas or qualities. Whenever the harmonious equilibrium of the quality in the Praksti is disturbed it begins on the career of manifestation or differentiation. This process of differentiation really constitutes the process of the building up of the Cosmos. The first thing that emanates from this unmanifested Prakrti is Buddhi or Mahat-the Great. The term Buddhi is sometimes translated as intellect but we should remember this fact that it is mainly of the nature of matter since it evolves from acetana reality--Praksti. Intellect in modern psychology suggests a relation to a mind or self but Prakrti in Kapila's system corresponds to Descarte's unthinking thing. Therefore Buddhi which is evolved from this Praksti subtle though it be is still a material mode. This Buddhi or Mahat must therefore mean in the Samkhya system some sort of subtle material environment quite in the proximity of the Purusa or self. It is only through the medium of this Buddhi that Puruşa has knowledge of the external world. Samkhya writers compare Buddhi to a sort of mirror which reflects the knowledge of the external world for the benefit of Puruşa. On the one hand, it reflects the outer world and on the other it reflects also the Puruşa. Buddhi is that peculiar medium in which the Purusa and his material environments are brought into relation which is the ultimate source of Saṁsāra. It is because of this relation of Buddhi between the self and the non-self that there is a chance for the Puruşa to mistake his true nature and to identify himself with Prakrti and thus to imagine that he is responsible for all the changes in the material environments. The next step is the birth of "ahamkāra" from Buddhi. It is the I or the Ego which is the ground of our personal identity. Here also we have to notice that ahamkāra, the Sāmkhya ego is not quite identical with the conception of the Ego or self of modern psychology. The ego of modern psychology corresponds to Puruşa whereas the Samkhyan ahamkara merely means some further modification of the subtle Buddhi which itself is a modi. fication of acetana Praksti. The Samkhyan Ego probably refers to a process of individuation, a process culminating in organic body. The self or Purusa becomes an organic individual through the means of ahamkāra. Next we have the origin of the five senses known as the Tanmatras. This term is a technical term of the Sārkhya school meaning the sense-qualities. These subtle sense-qualities emanate from that principle of individuality known as ahamkāra. The Tanmātras are five in number, sound, touch, smell, taste and visibility. Even these Tanmatras we have to remember are maten rial categories. These sense-elements or Tanmātras form the primary basis for the evolution of the grosser matter. This grosser matter which is derived from these Tanmātras is again of five kinds, the Pañcabhūtas. Akasa (Ether), air, earth, water and fire. Ether arises from sound, air from touch,
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