" Again, here we see reference to the self, defined in verse 7 as one who has achieved complete control of the mind. This concept is mentioned again in this verse (Bhagavad-Gita, 27).

Finally, in verse 15, we see the Sankhya belief on the eventual result of this control. The passage describes the ultimate goal of Sankhya philosophy. It is clearly not the attainment of materialism, but rather, the cessation of all materialistic existence. The unconscious self, along with desire and want and emotion, is discarded in favor of complete consciousness and understanding (Bhagavad-Gita, 27). In other words, in Sankhya, the system is designed to attain freedom, rather than a mystical "Heaven" or kingdom which is merely a brief refuge from suffering.

It is clear that Sankhya has a similar foundation to other Hindu philosophies, in that the attainment of enlightenment is the eventual goal. However, Sankhya seeks to do so without the aid of theology and religion, relying instead on logic and reason to end suffering in the world. While there is clearly a spiritual component of the philosophy, the core of the theory is atheist in principle. This is shown both...

Thus, Sankhya is unique, in that while metaphysical, the philosophy is nearly completely independent, with no theological appearance (Leaman, 159).