The second system of philosophy, the Sankhya of Kapila, is founded not on one principle, like the Vedanta, but on two.  According to the seventy aphorisms, Nature is one of these principles.  It is uncreated and eternal.  It is one, active, creating, non-intelligent.  The other of the two principles, also uncreated and eternal, is Soul, or rather Souls.  Souls are many, passive, not creative, intelligent, and in all things the opposite to Nature.  But from the union of the two all the visible universe proceeds, according to the law of cause and effect.

God not being recognized in this system, it is often called atheism.  Its argument, to show that no one perfect being could create the universe, is this.  Desire implies want, or imperfection.  Accordingly, if God desired to create, he would be unable to do so; if he was able, he would not desire to do it.  In neither case, therefore, could God have created the universe.  The gods are spoken of by the usual names, Brahma, Indra, etc., but are all finite beings, belonging to the order of human souls, though superior.

Every soul is clothed in two bodies,—­the interior original body, the individualizing force, which is eternal as itself and accompanies it through all its migrations; and the material, secondary body, made of the five elements, ether, air, fire, water, and earth.  The original body is subtile and spiritual.  It is the office of Nature to liberate the Soul.  Nature is not what we perceive by the senses, but an invisible plastic principle behind, which must be known by the intellect.  As the Soul ascends by goodness, it is freed by knowledge.  The final result of this emancipation is the certainty of non-existence,—­“neither I am, nor is aught mine, nor do I exist,”—­which seems to be the same result as that of Hegel, Being = Not-Being.  Two or three of the aphorisms of the Karika are as follows:—­

   “LIX.  As a dancer, having exhibited herself to the spectator, desists
   from the dance, so does Nature desist, having manifested herself to the
   Soul.”

   “LX.  Generous Nature, endued with qualities, does by manifold means
   accomplish, without benefit (to herself), the wish of ungrateful Soul,
   devoid of qualities.”

   “LXI.  Nothing, in my opinion, is more gentle than Nature; once aware of
   having been seen, she does not again expose herself to the gaze of
   Soul.”

   “LXVI.  Soul desists, because it has seen Nature.  Nature desists,
   because she has been seen.  In their (mere) union there is no motive for
   creation.”

Accordingly, the result of knowledge is to put an end to creation, and to leave the Soul emancipated from desire, from change, from the material body, in a state which is Being, but not Existence (esse, not existere; Seyn, not Da-seyn).

This Sankhya philosophy becomes of great importance, when we consider that it was the undoubted source of Buddhism.  This doctrine which we have been describing was the basis of Buddhism.[69]