Philosophy : An Indian Point of View

Abstract

A person identifies himself with a set of characteristics or habits. These characteristics however, are not the true form of the Soul or Puruṣa according to the Sāṁkhya-Yoga schools. The characteristics one identifies himself with is nothing but saṁskāra or “impressions” left by one‟s own actions or others‟ actions. The formations of saṁskāras depends on how the citta fluctuates. These fluctuations or modifications of citta are called vṛttis. The vṛttis can leave bad impressions or good impressions. It depends on which impression prevails that determines the character of a person. However, too much saṁskāras on one‟s citta hinders the ability of rational judgment and clouds the perception of an individual in such a way that their true identity remains an unknowable phenomena to them. Isolation from societal and material influences becomes important in order to know the true form of one‟s soul and to pursue one‟s real identity. Introduction: The fluctuating of citta and modifying itself into various vṛttis is nothing evil or bad. It is normal for ordinary human beings as this is how Prakṛti works. Citta is also constituted of the three guṇas – sattva, rajas and tamas, with sattva as the dominating trait. The problem arises when the citta gets tangled up in lots of saṁskāras. Each incident, accident and experience leaves its mark on us. Whether it‟s something we did, or someone else did to us, there is always an impression left behind on our minds. However, when too many impressions get chaotic, and the mind becomes unable to rationally sort it out, it brings sufferings to us. Consider the following scenario: a boy, around ten years old, whose academic intelligence is below average, is constantly subjected to negative criticisms from his surroundings. His parents are disappointed with him. His teachers claim that he has no future and that he should stop making his parents suffer. His friends see him as an idiot. What can we assume about the impact of these criticisms on that boy? What type of