Editing Ātman (Hinduism) (section)

====Samkhya====
[[File:Purusha-Pakriti.jpg|thumb|right|Purusha-prakriti]]
{{Main|Samkhya}}

In Samkhya, the oldest school of Hinduism, [[Purusha|Puruṣa]], the witness-consciousness, is ''Atman''. It is absolute, independent, free, imperceptible, unknowable through other agencies, above any experience by mind or senses and beyond any words or explanations. It remains pure, "nonattributive consciousness". Puruṣa is neither produced nor does it produce.{{sfn|Sharma|1997|pages=155–7}} No appellations can qualify purusha, nor can it substantialized or objectified.{{sfn|Chapple|2008|p=21}} It "cannot be reduced, can't be 'settled'." Any designation of purusha comes from prakriti, and is a limitation.{{sfn|Osto|2018|p=203}} Unlike [[Advaita Vedanta]], and like [[Mīmāṃsā|Purva-Mīmāṃsā]], Samkhya believes in plurality of the puruṣas.{{sfn|Sharma|1997|pages=155–7}}{{sfn|Plott|2000|p=60-62}}

Samkhya considers ego (''[[Yoga (philosophy)#Epistemology|asmita]]'', ''[[ahamkara]]'') to be the cause of pleasure and pain.<ref>Paranjpe, A. C. Self and Identity in Modern Psychology and Indian Thought. Springer; 1 edition (September 30, 1998). P. 263-264. {{ISBN|978-0-306-45844-6}}.</ref> Self-knowledge is the means to attain ''[[kaivalya]]'', the separation of ''Atman'' from the body-mind complex.{{sfn|Plott|2000|p=60-62}}