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Indian philosophy touches upon the philosophical traditions of the Indian subcontinent. It is one of the earliest records of humankind’s venture into philosophical thought. The traditional classification of philosophy in the Hindu school of thought divides the discipline into astika and nastika schools of philosophy.
These two schools of philosophy have been classified as such based on three criterias - whether Vedic literature is considered a valid source of knowledge, whether the school accepts the thesis of the Brahman and Atman, and whether the school believes in life after death as well as Devas.
The six orthodox schools of Indian philosophy based on Hindu literature (Vedic philosophy) are Nyaya, Vaisesika, Samkhya, Yoga, Mimamsa and Vedanta. Alternatively, the five main heterodox (sramanic) schools include Jain, Buddhist, Ajivika, Ajnana and Charvaka. There are also other modes of classification, for instance, Vidyaranya recognizes sixteen schools of Indian philosophy, through the inclusion of the Saiva and Rasesvara traditions.
All the schools of Indian philosophy share many concepts including:
☛ Dharma
☛ Karma
☛ Samsara
☛ Rebirth
☛ Dukkha
☛ Renouncement
☛ Meditation
The ultimate goal of all these schools of thought is the freedom of the self from dukkha and samsara with a diverse range of spiritual practices such as moksha and nirvana. They contradict each other when it comes to the nature of existence of these concepts and the details of the pathway to complete liberation.
Based on Vedic testimonies, we have six schools of thought:
☛ Samkhya : This school of thought views the universe as an extension of two realities - the purusha (consciousness) and prakriti (the matter), it believes in the duality of the universe with these two realities dictating the path of life.
☛ Yoga : Similar to Samkhya, Yoga believes in the personalised nature of one’s spiritual relationship with God. It focuses on Yogic practice.
☛ Nyaya : This philosophical tradition is centered around logic and epistemology. It accounts for a form of direct realism and a theory of substances.
☛ Vaisesika : Related to Nyaya school of thought, Vaisesika deals with the metaphysics of substance.
☛ Purva Mimamsa : This school focuses on the interpretation of the Vedas and its rituals.
☛ Vedanta : It deals with the analysis of the philosophy of the Upanishads, specifically, the concepts related to the Atman and the Brahman.
FAQ’s:
Indian Philosophy played a significant role in preserving Indian culture and history. It gave people the historical importance and interest to preserve monuments and art in India. It helped build cultural heritage.
The Indian philosophical view values spirituality, simplicity, the search for truth, value for labour, universal tolerance and acceptance.
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