A History of Indian PhilosophyThe old civilisation of India was a concrete unity of many-sided developments in art, architecture, literature, religion, morals, and science so far as it was understood in those days. But the most important achievement of Indian thought was philosophy. It was regarded as the goal of all the highest practical and theoretical activities, and it indicated the point of unity amidst all the apparent diversities which the complex growth of culture over a vast area inhabited by different peoples produced. It is not in the history of foreign invasions, in the rise of independent kingdoms at different times, in the empires of this or that great monarch that the unity of India is to be sought. It is essentially one of spiritual aspirations and obedience to the law of the spirit, which were regarded as superior to everything else, and it has outlived all the political changes through which India passed. The Greeks, the Huns, the Scythians, the Pathans and the Moguls who occupied the land and controlled the political machinery never ruled the minds of the people, for these political events were like hurricanes or the changes of season, mere phenomena of a natural or physical order which never affected the spiritual integrity of Hindu culture. If after a passivity of some centuries India is again going to become creative it is mainly on account of this fundamental unity of her progress and civilisation and not for anything that she may borrow from other countries. It is therefore indispensably necessary for all those who wish to appreciate the significance and potentialities of Indian culture that they should properly understand the history of Indian philosophical thought which is the nucleus round which all that is best and highest in India has grown. Much harm has already been done by the circulation of opinions that the culture and philosophy of India was dreamy and abstract. |
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... Karma. It will however be wrong to suppose that these monotheistic tendencies were gradually supplanting the polytheistic sacrifices. On the other hand, the complications of ritualism were gradually growing in their elaborate details ...
... Karma. It will however be wrong to suppose that these monotheistic tendencies were gradually supplanting the polytheistic sacrifices. On the other hand, the complications of ritualism were gradually growing in their elaborate details ...
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... karma or kriyâ (action) and the unalterable law was, that these mystical ceremonies for good or for bad, moral or immoral (for there were many kinds of sacrifices which were performed for injuring one's enemies or gaining worldly ...
... karma or kriyâ (action) and the unalterable law was, that these mystical ceremonies for good or for bad, moral or immoral (for there were many kinds of sacrifices which were performed for injuring one's enemies or gaining worldly ...
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... Karma and the doctrine of transmigration. The words which denote soul in the @Rg-Veda are manas, âtman and asu. The word âtman however which became famous in later Indian thought is generally used to mean vital breath. Manas is regarded ...
... Karma and the doctrine of transmigration. The words which denote soul in the @Rg-Veda are manas, âtman and asu. The word âtman however which became famous in later Indian thought is generally used to mean vital breath. Manas is regarded ...
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... (karma-mârga) which forms the content of the latter. It is not out of place here to mention that the orthodox Hindu view holds that whatever may be written in the Veda is to be interpreted as commandments to perform certain actions ...
... (karma-mârga) which forms the content of the latter. It is not out of place here to mention that the orthodox Hindu view holds that whatever may be written in the Veda is to be interpreted as commandments to perform certain actions ...
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... Karma-mârga or the performance of Vedic duties of sacrifice, etc. The Upani@sads however do not require the performance of any action, but only reveal the ultimate truth and reality, a knowledge of which at once emancipates a man ...
... Karma-mârga or the performance of Vedic duties of sacrifice, etc. The Upani@sads however do not require the performance of any action, but only reveal the ultimate truth and reality, a knowledge of which at once emancipates a man ...
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Common terms and phrases
___________________________________________________________________ Footnote Abhidhamma according action admitted âkâs'a appears associated âtman atoms attained avidyâ bhâ@sya body Brahma-sûtras Brâhma@nas Brahman buddhi Buddhist called Caraka cause citta cognition collocation colour commentary concomitance connection consciousness desire Devadatta dharma doctrine dravya effect elements entity essence existence experience external world fire Footnote ref gamaka gu@nas hetu Hindu illusory Indian inference interpretation Îs'vara Jaina Jainism Jains jâti kârikâ karma kinds Kumârila later Mahâyâna manas manifested mâyâ means meditation Mîmâ@msâ mind momentary nature negation non-existence notion Nyâya sûtras object Patañjali perceived perception permanent philosophy pleasure Prabhâkara prak@rti pralaya pramâ@na probably produced pure puru@sa qualities reality rebirth reference regarded relation right knowledge rûpa S'a@nkara Sâ@mkhya sa@mskâra sacrifice Sanskrit sattva Sautrântika says sense smoke sorrow soul stage substance tanmâtras Theravâda things thought truth Upani@sads Vâcaspati Vais'e@sika sûtras validity Vasubandhu Vâtsyâyana Vedânta Vedas Vedic vijñâna Visuddhimagga word Yoga