SAmkhya/Yoga question

[nanda chandran]

I've a question on SAmkhya/Yoga philosophy :

The SAmkhya/Yoga schools posit the reality of matter (prAkriti) and
innumerable (Selves) Purushas. While Purushas are supposed to be the
mere observers, PrAkriti is said to evolve for the satisfaction of the
Purushas. Classical SAmkhya makes it absolutely clear that the
Purusha is only pure consciousness - it even denies it the quality
of bliss. (And whether the Purusha itself can desire is very
debatable and we had a long argument on this list about this very
issue a few months back).

The real problem with reconciling a changing prAkriti with a
changeless Purusha seems to be due to attributing some part of
empirical experience to the Purusha. But then any such invovlement
cannot affect the basic concept of the Purusha being unaffected
by such experience. And to this end the SAmkhya tries valiantly
to reconcile the changing world to the changeless Self - in vain.
As it's logically impossible.

My question here is - is the problem due to giving an individual
identity to the Purusha? ie since since SAmkhya in its worldview
has innumerable Purushas it has to essentially individualize them
to identify them distinctly from each other. But to identify them
distinctly it overrides its own definition of the Purusha being
pure consciousness - for if every Purusha was but pure consciousness
devoid of objectivity, how could we distinguish them from one
another? The struggle in classical SAmkhya seems to be at reconciling
an impersonal Purusha and its personal identification.

If there was but one Purusha then there is no need to
assert its individuality and hence it could be an impersonal entity
which effects the prAkriti to evolution. And reconciliation would
be that much better, though not final, between the changing PrAkriti
and the unaffected Purusha.

Is it this inherent contradiction in its worldview of multiple
Selves, the weak link in the SAmkhya/Yoga argument?

Grateful for any clarifications.

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