What makes the wisdom of the east so much deeper than the west, is that in the east you have several departments of thought and practice when it comes to consciousness or matters of spirit.
You have yoga, which involves detailed postures to facilitate raising consciousness. You have meditation, with specific techniques of breathing and sitting posture to raise consciousness.
You have karma yoga, where matter is used and work is done specifically in a mood of service, often with ritual and ceremony, like that of the priest at the temple offering items as sacrament to the deity.
And you also have sankhya, which is philosophical inquiry and analysis of the difference between matter and spirit.
On the other hand, in the west you have primarily sankhya, philosophical inquiry and analysis. That's all. There is no technique like hatha yoga, which trains the seeker on how to best manipulate the body to facilitate uplifted consciousness.
Nor is there meditation to the degree of the east, where detailed sitting postures and breathing techniques are taught which facilitate union with the divine and liberation.
That said, there may also be work done in service, as in the Roman Catholic rituals and offerings to the deity, and there may be humanitarian welfare work and proselytizing, giving of charity and building of temples. So there is at least that, to the credit of western wisdom.
And there is plenty of sankhya or philosophical inquiry, along with a lot of speculation. Indeed there is plenty of mundane analysis into matter, little into spirit.
Fortunately some western thinkers who are also sincere seekers, have used modern mundane medicine and science to experiment with and measure the brain frequency of meditators. And they have studied and measured breathwork, all in the ascending process of measurement and the scientific rigor of the lab.
And with western research there has been a conclusion reached which greatly concurs with and verifies the yoga and meditation practice of the east.
However, in their deepest inquiry into the philosophy of matter and spirit or consciousness - sankhya - they have yet to fully understand this so-called "hard problem of consciousness". The case is still open.
Fortunately more western trained thinkers are looking into the wisdom of the east with open minds and discovering concepts which are transcendent, not limited by paradigms of west versus east, or separated by segregation brought on by conflict between one sectarian school of thought and another.
These thinkers and researchers will, in time, evolve into a mature realization that, from the philosophical perspective, all humanity resonates to the save frequency and shares the same reality, as well as the same one divinity. That, after all, is the very meaning of the concept of God - the one without a second. There is only the one original source for us all. And if you disagree, well then right now there is only the one planet upon which we all depend and across which we are all now connected as a global village.
The days of separate tribalism are fast dwindling as technology and travel bring us all closer together. As we learn from each other, any philosopher of maturity will conclude that there is no distinction between you and me, the self and the other. We're individuals, yet all subject to the same laws of nature under the same one sun. That is the most obvious conclusion.
Bhagavad Gita ch5:4
सांख्ययोगौ पृथग्बाला: प्रवदन्ति न पण्डिता: ।
एकमप्यास्थित: सम्यगुभयोर्विन्दते फलम् ॥ ४ ॥
sāṅkhya-yogau pṛthag bālāḥ
pravadanti na paṇḍitāḥ
ekam apy āsthitaḥ samyag
ubhayor vindate phalam
SYNONYMS
sāṅkhya—analytical study of the material world; yogau—work in devotional service; pṛthak—different; bālāḥ—less intelligent; pravadanti—do talk; na—never; paṇḍitāḥ—the learned; ekam—in one; api—even though; āsthitaḥ—being situated; samyak—complete; ubhayoḥ—of both; vindate—enjoys; phalam—result.
TRANSLATION
Only the ignorant speak of karma-yoga and devotional service as being different from the analytical study of the material world [sāṅkhya]. Those who are actually learned say that he who applies himself well to one of these paths achieves the results of both.
PURPORT
The aim of the analytical study of the material world is to find the soul of existence. The soul of the material world is Viṣṇu, or the Supersoul. Devotional service to the Lord entails service to the Supersoul. One process is to find the root of the tree, and next to water the root. The real student of sāṅkhya philosophy finds the root of the material world, Viṣṇu, and then, in perfect knowledge, engages himself in the service of the Lord. Therefore, in essence, there is no difference between the two because the aim of both is Viṣṇu. Those who do not know the ultimate end say that the purposes of sāṅkhya and karma-yoga are not the same, but one who is learned knows the unifying aim in these different processes.
Bhagavad Gita ch5:5
यत्सांख्यै: प्राप्यते स्थानं तद्योगैरपि गम्यते ।
एकं सांख्यं च योगं च य: पश्यति स पश्यति ॥ ५ ॥
yat sāṅkhyaiḥ prāpyate sthānaṁ
tad yogair api gamyate
ekaṁ sāṅkhyaṁ ca yogaṁ ca
yaḥ paśyati sa paśyati
SYNONYMS
yat—what; sāṅkhyaiḥ—by means of sāṅkhya philosophy; prāpyate—is achieved; sthānam—place; tat—that; yogaiḥ—by devotional service; api—also; gamyate—one can attain; ekam—one; sāṅkhyam—analytical study; ca—and; yogam—action in devotion; ca—and; yaḥ—one who; paśyati—sees; saḥ—he; paśyati—actually sees.
TRANSLATION
One who knows that the position reached by means of renunciation can also be attained by works in devotional service and who therefore sees that the path of works and the path of renunciation are one, sees things as they are.
PURPORT
The real purpose of philosophical research is to find the ultimate goal of life. Since the ultimate goal of life is self-realization, there is no difference between the conclusions reached by the two processes. By sāṅkhya philosophical research one comes to the conclusion that a living entity is not a part and parcel of the material world, but of the supreme spirit whole. Consequently, the spirit soul has nothing to do with the material world; his actions must be in some relation with the Supreme. When he acts in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is actually in his constitutional position. In the first process of sāṅkhya, one has to become detached from matter, and in the devotional yoga process one has to attach himself to the work of Kṛṣṇa. Factually, both processes are the same, although superficially one process appears to involve detachment and the other process appears to involve attachment. However, detachment from matter and attachment to Kṛṣṇa are one and the same. One who can see this sees things as they are.
Reference: Bhagavad Gita As It Is, translation and commentary by Swami A C Bhaktivedanta, original MacMillan 1972 edition.
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