Yoga as philosophy

The systems of Yoga and Samkhya, which were created during the period 500-200 BC, have been studied together in the Indian philosophical tradition. The Samkhya system suggests the path of Gnana Yoga or path of knowledge to achieve this discriminative knowledge. According to the Samkhya thinkers, the universe consists of two separate realities: Purusha and Prakriti . Purusha is designated as pure consciousness whereas Prakriti is regarded as the unconscious material reality. The Samkhya thinkers hold that the interaction between the dialectically opposed realities of Purusha and Prakriti gives rise to all material and psychological forms in the universe. In its unadulterated form, Purusha is pure consciousness. Similarly, in its primal form, Prakriti is a harmonious unity of three qualities of pleasure, pain and indifference. According to Samkhya philosophers, since all consciousness belongs to Purusha , its activity of looking at the intelligence, ego-sense, understanding, five sense organs and five motor organs makes them conscious.