3
Common characteristics of Indian philosophy 1rationality. All the schools insists that no account of reality which fails to do justice to reason and experience can be accepted . By ' reason ' is meant here the canons of formal reasoning as well as those of inductive inquiry . Similarly ,' experience ' is to be understood in its broadest sense , which includes everyday commonsensical experience , scientific experience , and extraordinary states of consciousness . 2Philosophies of life . All the systems maintain that every acceptable philosophy should aid man in realizing the chief ends of human life . Briefly , all philosophies of India are philosophies of life . Any philosophy worthy of its title should not be a mere intellectual exercise but should have practical application in enabling man to live an enlightened life . A philosophy which makes no difference to the quality and style of our life is no philosophy , but an empty intellectual construction which may quench the thirst of curious but is otherwise irrelevant . To put it differently , philosophy should have soteriological power - the power to transform . Man ' s life from one of ignorance , darkness , and bondage to one of knowledge , wisdom , and freedom . 3Spirituality . All the systems of philosophy acknowledge man's essential spirituality , regards freedom as his highest and ultimate goal , and demand that philosophy show him the way to attain freedom . 4Original ignorance . All the schools teach that man's state of ignorance and suffering is not due to original sin but to original ignorance . 5Liberation through knowledge . Accordingly , freedom and liberation can only be won by conquering ignorance through knowledge . 6Infinity of perfection . All the systems hold that there is no limit to the perfectibility of man - he is infinitely perfectible . The reason for this view is that man contains within himself the secret of all existence , for , as the Upanisads teach , man 's inmost self is brahman , and , as Buddhism teaches , every man is Buddha , only he should know that to be the case . 7Freedom in bodily life . All the schools argue that complete freedom is to be attained here and now in the bodily existence . 8Yoga as a common factor . All the systems accept Yoga in some form or other as the spiritual discipline par excellence for the attainment of freedom . 9Doctrine of karma . All the philosophies acknowledge through the doctrine of karma and rebirth an impersonal universal moral order , with the explicit understanding that this doctrine pertains not to ultimate reality but only to the empirical world .

Common Characteristics of Indian Philosophy

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: Common Characteristics of Indian Philosophy

Common characteristics of Indian philosophy

1、rationality. All the schools insists that no account of reality which fails to do justice to reason and experience can be accepted . By ' reason ' is meant here the canons of formal reasoning as well as those of inductive inquiry . Similarly ,' experience ' is to be understood in its broadest sense , which includes everyday commonsensical experience , scientific experience , and extraordinary states of consciousness .2、Philosophies of life . All the systems maintain that every acceptable philosophy should aid man in realizing the chief ends of human life . Briefly , all philosophies of India are philosophies of life . Any philosophy worthy of its title should not be a mere intellectual exercise but should have practical application in enabling man to live an enlightened life . A philosophy which makes no difference to the quality and style of our life is no philosophy , but an empty intellectual construction which may quench the thirst of curious but is otherwise irrelevant . To put it differently , philosophy should have soteriological power - the power to transform . Man ' s life from one of ignorance , darkness , and bondage to one of knowledge , wisdom , and freedom . 3、Spirituality . All the systems of philosophy acknowledge man's essential spirituality , regards freedom as his highest and ultimate goal , and demand that philosophy show him the way to attain freedom . 4、Original ignorance . All the schools teach that man's state of ignorance and suffering is not due to original sin but to original ignorance . 5、Liberation through knowledge . Accordingly , freedom and liberation can only be won by conquering ignorance through knowledge . 6、Infinity of perfection . All the systems hold that there is no limit to the perfectibility of man - he is infinitely perfectible . The reason for this view is that man contains within himself the secret of all existence , for , as the Upanisads teach , man 's inmost self is brahman , and , as Buddhism teaches , every man is Buddha , only he should know that to be the case . 7、 Freedom in bodily life . All the schools argue that complete freedom is to be attained here and now in the bodily existence . 8、Yoga as a common factor . All the systems accept Yoga in some form or other as the spiritual discipline par excellence for the attainment of freedom . 9、Doctrine of karma . All the philosophies acknowledge through the doctrine of karma and rebirth an impersonal universal moral order , with the explicit understanding that this doctrine pertains not to ultimate reality but only to the empirical world . 10、Man not material entity only . All the schools emphatically reject as absurd any suggestion that man is nothing but a material entity . 11、Insight . All the systems hold that ultimate reality cannot be grasped through the senses and intellect , but can only be experienced in direct , non-perceptual , non - conceptual , intuitive , mystical insight . 12、Initially pessimistic . All the schools are initially pessimistic , in that they begin their philosophy by drawing attention to the fact of man's present state as one of ignorance , suffering , misery , and bondage . 13、Ultimately optimistic . Nevertheless , all the schools are ultimately optimistic , in that they unqualifiedly affirm that it is within the power of man to attain knowledge , wisdom , peace ,and freedom . In short , Indian schools of philosophy categorically reject nihilism as well as philosophies of the absurd , angst , and nothingness , and unequivocally proclaim the ultimate triumph of the human spirit . 14、Indian philosophy is based upon psychological facts . Therefore , Indian philosophers have minutely and vividly explained human psychology . From Buddha down to Patanjali , Shankara and Ramanuja all of them have considerably emphasised the psychological aspect of philosophy . Even now Yogic exercises are held as most efficacioous for curing physical and mental maladies and attaining concentration of mind . The Vedanta gives minute analysis of the different stages of human consciousness - Jagrta , Svapna , Susupti and Turiya . Based on the experiences of life , Indian philosophy seeks to X - ray these experiences . 15、Synthesisi of religion and philosophy . The most striking common feature of all Indian philosophies lies in the fact that problems of religion and those of philosophy have not been divided into waertight compartments . Dharma in India has been used in a wide and comprehensive sense . In fact , the transformation of life and emancipation from worldly misery constitute the common goal of both Darshan and Dharma . We find no yawning gap between man , matter and god in Indian philosophical systems . Philosophical principles

Page 2: Common Characteristics of Indian Philosophy

were tested on the touchstone of experience . Intellectual and spiritual experiences were the criteria for ascertaining the soundness and worth of religious principles . 16、Synthetic approach . Though intellectuals , the Indian philosophers were synthetic . They have never laid exclusive emphasis on any single aspect of human life . Though recommending individual Sadhana , they have yet kept universal welfare in view . Shankara , Mahavir and Buddha were not only eminent philosophers , but also equally eminent social reformers . The Indian philosophical systems had as their aim not only individual salvation , but also the spiritual transformation of society . This transformation , according to them , is not only spiritual but also physical and mental . 17、Dynamism . Indian philosophical systems are dynamic . When one particular system of philosophy became very popular , it was countered by some other system . Through the farrago of Materialism , spiritualism , Dualims , non - dualism and qualified monism , etc . One can see the unbroken chain of action and reaction and the dynamic evolution of Indian philosophy as a spiral whole . 18、Faith in the past . Notwithstanding their logical approach to problems , all the indian philosophical systems have common faith in the Vedas , Gita and Upanisads . All Astika Darshans regard Shruti as Pramana , though Shruti - Pramana is based not on word but on word but on intuitive truth . As a matter of fact , the Vedas are the repositories of the intuitive knowledge of the seer Rishis . This faith , ancient wisdom , accounts for a particular order , which we find in all the indian philosophical systems . But it cannot be equated with blind faith . Even philosophers like Shankara , who regard themselves as no more than commentators ,favour the use of logic when faced with contradictions in Shruti . 19、Faith in Rta. Indian philosophy sees a moral system in microcosm and macrocosm alike . This universal moral system is termed ' Rta ' in Vedas , ' Apoorva ' in Mimansa and Adrsta in Nyaya - vaishesika . According to it , gods , living beings and plants all move in accordance with one universal moral pattern . 20、Faith in karma . This moral system is manifested through the theory of karma in the life of an individual . Almost all the indian philosophers believe in the theory of karma . According to it , the results of actions are always with us in the form of ' Sanskaras ' and they direct the course of our life . Thus the world is a stage , where everybody is preordained to perform his part according to his karma . Liberation is nothing but emancipation from the bondage of karma . Different philosophical systems have suggested different recipes for the attainment of liberation . 21、Faith in rebirth . The theory of karma and that of rebirth go hand in hand . Due to the bondage of karma , human soul has to assume different bodies . Liberation frees a person from rebirth also . Carvaka school does not believe in these theories . So the common characteristics of indian philosophy , mentioned here , do not apply to it . All the other schools of indian philosophy , however , share these features in varying degrees .