EDM 302Oriental/Asian

Philosophy

Indian Philosopher

By: Lilibeth A. RoldanPhD Student

Dr. TeresitaP. BulandanProfessor

• India has a rich and diverse philosophical tradition dating back to the composition of the Upanisads in the later Vedic period. According to Radhakrishnan, the oldest of these constitute "...the earliest philosophical compositions of the world."

Schools (Skt: Darshanas) of Indian philosophy are identified as:

• orthodox (Skt:astika) or non-orthodox (Skt: nastika) depending on whether they regard the Veda as an infallible source of knowledge.[2]

There are Six Schools Of Orthodox Hindu philosophy and three heterodox

schools.

• The orthodox are Nyaya, Vaisesika, Samkhya, Yoga, Purva mimamsa and Vedanta.

• The Heterodox are Jain, Buddhist and materialist (Cārvāka).

• However, Vidyāraṇya classifies Indian philosophy into sixteen schools where he includes schools belonging to Saiva and Raseśvara thought with others.

• it formalized 1000 BC to the early centuries AD. Subsequent centuries produced commentaries and reformulations continuing up to as late as the 20th century by Aurobindo and Prabhupada among others. Competition and integration between the various schools was intense during their formative years, especially between 800 BC to 200 AD.

• Some like the Jain, Buddhist, Shaiva and Advaita schools survived, while others like Samkhya and Ajivika did not, either being assimilated or going extinct. TheSanskrit term for "philosopher" is dārśanika, one who is familiar with the systems of philosophy, ordarśanas.

Hindu philosophy

• Many Hindu intellectual traditions were classified during the medieval period of Brahmanic-Sanskritic scholasticism into a standard list of six orthodox (astika) schools (darshanas), the "Six Philosophies" (ṣad-darśana), all of which accept the testimony of the Vedas were:

• Nyaya, the school of logic• Vaisheshika, the atomist school• Samkhya, the enumeration school• Yoga, the school of Patanjali (which provisionally

asserts the metaphysics of Samkhya)• Purva Mimamsa (or simply Mimamsa), the

tradition of Vedic exegesis, with emphasis on Vedic ritual, and

• Vedanta (also called Uttara Mimamsa), the Upanishadic tradition, with emphasis on Vedic philosophy.

three groups for both historical and conceptual reasons:

• Nyaya-Vaishesika, Samkhya-Yoga, and Mimamsa-Vedanta.

• The Vedanta school is further divided into six sub-schools:Advaita (monism/nondualism), also includes the concept of Ajativada, Visishtadvaita (monism of the qualified whole), Dvaita (dualism), Dvaitadvaita(dualism-nondualism), Suddhadvaita, and Achintya Bheda Abheda schools.

Besides these schools Mādhava Vidyāraṇya also includes the following:

• Pasupata, school of Shaivism by Nakulisa• Saiva, the theistic Sankhya school• Pratyabhijña, the recognitive school• Raseśvara, the mercurial school• Pāṇini Darśana, the grammarian school (which

clarifies the theory of Sphoṭa)

Influence• In appreciation of complexity of the Indian

philosophy, T S Eliot wrote that the great philosophers of India "make most of the great European philosophers look like schoolboys".

Arthur Schopenhauer used Indian philosophy to improve upon Kantian thought. In the preface to his book The World As Will And Idea, Schopenhauer writes that one who "has also received and assimilated the sacred primitive Indian wisdom, then he is the best of all prepared to hear what I have to say to him". The 19th century American philosophical movement Transcendentalism was also influenced by Indian thought

ADI SHANKARA700-750

ADI SHANKARA • Also called Shankaracharya (born 700?, Kaladi village?, India—died 750?, Kedarnath), philosopher and theologian, most renowned exponent of the AdvaitaVedanta school of philosophy, from whose doctrines the main currents of modern Indian thought are derived. He wrote commentaries on the Brahma-sutra, the principal Upanishads, and the Bhagavadgita, affirming his belief in one eternal unchanging reality (brahman) and the illusion of plurality and differentiation.

• The main opponent in his work is the Mimamsa school of thought, though he also offers arguments against the views of some other schools like Samkhya and certain schools of Buddhism

• Shankara travelled across the Indian subcontinent to propagate his philosophy through discourses and debates with other thinkers. He established the importance of monastic life as sanctioned in the Upanishads and Brahma Sutra, in a time when the Mimamsa school established strict ritualism and ridiculed monasticism. He is reputed to have founded four mathas ("monasteries"), which helped in the historical development, revival and spread of Advaita Vedanta of which he is known as the greatest revivalist.

Adi Shankara is believed to be the organiser of the Dashanami monastic order and the founder of the Shanmatatradition of worship.

Philosophy and religious thought• Advaita ("non-dualism") is often called a monistic

system of thought. The word "Advaita" essentially refers to the identity of the Self (Atman) and the Whole (Brahman[39]). Advaita Vedanta says the one unchanging entity (Brahman) alone exists, and that changing entities do not have absolute existence, much as the ocean's waves have no existence in separation from the ocean. The key source texts for all schools of Vedānta are the Prasthanatrayi–the canonical texts consisting of the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita and theBrahma Sutras

Historical and cultural impact

• Because of his unification of two seemingly disparate philosophical doctrines, Atman and Brahman, Westerners who know about him perceive him as the "St. Thomas Aquinas of Indian thought” and "the most brilliant personality in the history of Indian thought."

• At the time of Adi Shankara's life, Hinduism was increasing in influence in India at the expense of Buddhism and Jainism.[45] Hinduism was divided into innumerable sects, each quarrelling with the others. The followers of Mimamsa and Sankhya philosophy were atheists, insomuch that they did not believe in God as a unified being. Besides these atheists there were numerous theistic sects. There were also those who rejected the Vedas, like the Charvakas.[

Some of Shankara's works

Established the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta as he saw it in the Upanishads.

Formulated the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta by validating his arguments on the basis of quotations from the Vedas and other Hindu scriptures.

Indian poet, philosopher, and Nobel laureate, who tried to deepen mutual Indian and Western cultural understanding. His name in Bengali is Ravīndranātha Thākura. He was born in Calcutta (now Kolkata), into a wealthy family, the son of the philosopher Debendranath Tagore.

Contribution of Rabindranath Tagore in Education

• Tagore's theory of education is marked by naturalistic & aesthetic values.

• "The widest road leading to the solution of all our problems is education."

• Education can develop a new pattern of life. Culminating in the realization of Universal man. Tagore's system of education emphasizes the intellectual, physical, social, moral economic and spiritual aspects of human life. By which a man can develop an integrated personality.

God can be found through personal purity and service to others.

The calmness and fortitude of body and mind is part of self-realization."

Aims of Education According to Tagore:

• The aims of education as reflected in educational institution founded by Rabindranath Tagore in Santiniketan are as follows:

(1) Self Realization:

• Spiritualism is the essence of humanism;• Self-realization is an important aim of

education. Manifestation of personality depends upon the self-realization and spiritual knowledge of individual.

(2) Intellectual Development:

• development of imagination, creative free thinking, constant curiosity and alertness

of the mind. Child should be free to adopt his own way

learning which will lead to all round development.

(3) Physical Development:

• healthy physique through exercises. • Yoga, games & sports prescribed in Santiniketan as an integral part of the

education system.

(4) Love for humanity:• universe is one family. • Education can teach people to realize

oneness of the globe. • Education for international understanding

and universal brotherhood • The feeling of oneness can be developed

through the concepts like fatherhood of God and brotherhood of man all creatures are equal on this earth.

(5) Establishment of relationship between man & God:

• Man bears the diverse qualities and potentialities offered by God. These qualities are inborn and innate. The relationship between man and God is strong and permanent. However the dedication to spiritualism and sacredness will lead to the harmonious relationship with man, nature and God.

(6) Freedom:• an integral aspect of human

development. • Education is a man-making process, it

explores the innate power exists within the man. It is not an imposition rather a liberal process their provides utmost freedom to the individual for his all round development. “Education has leaning only when it is imparted through the path of freedom".

(7) Co-relation of Objects:

• Co-relation exists with God, man and nature. A peaceful world is only possible when correlation between man and nature will be established

(8) Mother tongue as the medium of Instruction:

• Language is the true vehicle of self-expression.

• Man can freely express his thought in his mother-tongue.

• mother tongue as the medium of instruction for the child's education.

(9) Moral and Spiritual Development:• Moral and spiritual education is more

important than bookish knowledge for an integral development of human personality.

• There must be an adequate provision for the development of selfless activities, co-operation and love fellow feeling and sharing among the students in educational institutions.

(10) Social Development:• "Brahma" the supreme soul manifests

himself through men and other creatures. Since He is the source of all human-beings and creatures, so all are equal. • "service to man is service to god".

• All should develop social relationship and fellow-feeling from the beginnings of one's life. Education aims at developing the individual personality as well as social characters which enables him to live as a worthy being.

• the aesthetic development of the senses was as important as the intellectual--if not more so--and music, literature, art, dance and drama were given great prominence in the daily life of the school. This was particularly so after the first decade of the school. Drawing on his home life at Jorasanko, Rabindranath tried to create an atmosphere in which the arts would become instinctive. One of the first areas to be emphasized was music.

• Rabindranath writes that in his adolescence, a 'cascade of musical emotion' gushed forth day after day at Jorasanko. 'We felt we would try to test everything,' he writes, 'and no achievement seemed impossible...We wrote, we sang, we acted, we poured ourselves out on every side.' (Rabindranath Tagore, My Reminiscences1917: 141)

Thank You!!!

SRI AUROBINDO1872-1950

• Sri Aurobindo (Sri Ôrobindo) (15 August 1872 – 5 December 1950), born Aurobindo Ghosh or Ghose (Ôrobindo Ghosh), was an Indian nationalist, freedom fighter, philosopher, yogi, guru and poet.

• Aurobindo (Aurobindo Ghose) (August 15, 1872 – December 5, 1950) was an Indian nationalist and freedom fighter, Indian poet, philosopher, and yogi. He joined the movement for India's freedom from British rule for a duration (1905–10), became one of its most important leaders, before turning to developing his own vision and philosophy of human progress and spiritual evolution.

• The central theme of Aurobindo's vision is the evolution of life into a "life divine". In his own words:

• "Man is a transitional being. He is not final. The step from man to

superman is the next approaching achievement in the earth evolution. It is inevitable because it is at once the intention of the inner spirit and the

logic of Nature's process".

• Ghose's teachings emphasize a two-way path to salvation.

Enlightenment comes from the divinity above, but human beings possess a spiritual “supermind” that enables them to reach upward toward illumination.

Spiritual perfection is achieved through Yoga practices that lead to the ultimate fusion of these two drives

Philosophy and spiritual vision• According to Sri Aurobindo his philosophies

were first formed by studying of Upanishads and Gita, and later from vedas. Aurobindo tried to realise what he read through his spiritual experiences and was able to match them. He also notifies that his philosophy is not due to any intellectual abstractions, ratiocinations or dialectics and most of his writings were to justify to the intellect of the readers.

• And other sources of his philosophy were supposed to be flown into him as thoughts through higher planes of consciousness

Evolutionary philosophy• calls his yoga as integral yoga , • most ways of other yoga are paths to beyond

of human existence and towards reaching spirit as a final objective and away from normal life

• aims at ascending to the spirit and again descending to normal existence to transform it.

• mind is the highest term reached in the path of evolution till now but has not yet reached its highest potency and calls current mind as an ignorance seeking truth, but he also states that even though the human being is treading in ignorance there is in every human being a possibility of divine manifestation

• states that there is a possibility to open oneself to higher divine consciousness which would reveal one's true self, remain in constant union of divine and bring down a higher force (which he names as superamental force) which would transform mind, life and body.

Triple transformation of the individual

• Sri Aurobindo argues that Man is born an ignorant, divided, conflicted being; a product of the original inconscience (i.e. unconsciousness) inherent in Matter that he evolved out of. As a result, he does not know the nature of Reality, including its source and purpose; his own nature, including the parts and integration of his being; what purpose he serves, and what his individual and spiritual potential is, amongst others.

• In addition, man experiences life through division and conflict, including his relationship with others, and his divided view of spirit and life.

• To overcome these limitations, Man must embark on a process of self-discovery in which he uncovers his Divine nature. To that end, he undertakes a three-step process, which he calls the Triple Transformation:

(1) Psychic Transformation

• The first of the three stages is a movement within, away from the surface of life, to the depths, culminating in the discovery of his psychic being (the evolving soul). From that experience, he sees the oneness and unity of creation, and the harmony of all opposites experienced in life

(2) Spiritual Transformation

• As a result of making the psychic change, his mind expands and he experiences knowledge not through the hard churning of thought, but through light, intuition, and revelation of knowledge, culminating in supramental perception. Light enters from the heights and begins to transmute various parts of his being

(3) Supramental transformation

• After making the psychic and spiritual change, he makes the supramental and most radical change. It is basically a complete transformation of the mind, the heart, the emotions, and the physical body

• “The fish in the water is silent, the animal on the earth is noisy, the bird in the air is

singing. But Man has in him the silence

of the sea, the noise of the earth and the music of the

air”

Tagore’s famous quotation

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