"Just as an Indian carpet is interwoven with many threads of various colors to produce a perceivable pattern of harmony, Indian writings and religion are interwoven, perhaps in an even more complex way, to produce the pattern we have come to know as Indian philosophy. But for the novice, this pattern can be more than confusing; it can be overwhelming. Actually, one can begin in a systematic way to study and discover the various teachings of Indian philosophy, such as Yoga."
"Perhaps the place to begin is with the primary divisions of Indian philosophy. It has been divided into six Orthodox and three Heterodox systems of thought. The Orthodox systems are: Nyaya, Vaisesika, Samkhya, Yoga, Purva Mimamsa, and Uttara Mimamsa, also called Vedanta. The Heterodox systems are Buddhism, Jainism, and Carvaka. The primary difference between the two sets is that the former accepts the authority of the ancient scripts, the Vedas, and builds upon them, while the latter set does not."
"For those interested in Yoga specifically, understanding Samkhya philosophy helps to introduce the concepts of Yoga as they fit within the context of the larger whole of a philosophy which has been growing and changing for thousands of years. Samkhya reduces the categories of reality presented by the two preceding systems of Nyaya and Vaisesika to the dual concepts of Purusa and Prakriti."
Indian writings and religion are interwoven to produce the complex pattern known as Indian philosophy. Indian philosophy divides into six Orthodox systems (Nyaya, Vaisesika, Samkhya, Yoga, Purva Mimamsa, Uttara Mimamsa/Vedanta) and three Heterodox systems (Buddhism, Jainism, Carvaka). The Orthodox systems accept the authority of the Vedas; the Heterodox systems do not. Samkhya presents a dualistic scheme reducing reality to Purusa (conscious principle) and Prakriti (material principle). Samkhya posits a theory of evolution and interaction between these two aspects of the universe, identifying them as primary divisions of Brahman.
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