| From The River Of Heaven |
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| Books By David Frawley |
| DHARMIC PHILOSOPHIES : THEORIES OF TRUTH |
| Sankhya The most basic philosophy of India is the Sankhya system. All the other philosophies orthodox and unorthodox show much influence from it. Though they may disagree with it as to ultimate principles, they follow its structure and logic. Sankhya goes back to Kapila, who is mentioned as early as the Rig Veda. Kapila was for centuries the most famous sage in India. His fame rivaled that of Krishna or Buddha and was not eclipsed until the time of Shankara (c. 600 A.D.). His name was synonymous with wisdom itself. Most of the Sankhya teachings, however, have been lost in time, except for some later philosophical texts. At the time of Krishna and in the Bhagavad Gita, Sankhya, Yoga and Vedanta were one and he taught all three as aspects of the same truth. It was only in the philosophical era which began after the time of the Buddha that these teachings split into opposing camps, usually over minor conceptual differences. They all share the same basic system and terminology and look back to the Vedas and Upanishads for their inspiration and authorization. Sankhya means literally "the science of enumeration". It lists the basic principles of the cosmic existence. These are twenty-four. They are
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