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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... lead a superficial enquirer to think the faith of the Vedic people polytheistic. But an intelligent reader will find here neither polytheism nor monotheism but a simple primitive stage of belief to which both of these may be said to owe ...
... lead a superficial enquirer to think the faith of the Vedic people polytheistic. But an intelligent reader will find here neither polytheism nor monotheism but a simple primitive stage of belief to which both of these may be said to owe ...
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... leads to a certain effect that the Vedas have been revealed as commandments and prohibitions to show the true path of happiness. The Vedic teaching belongs therefore to that of the Karma-mârga or the performance of Vedic duties of ...
... leads to a certain effect that the Vedas have been revealed as commandments and prohibitions to show the true path of happiness. The Vedic teaching belongs therefore to that of the Karma-mârga or the performance of Vedic duties of ...
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... 3]." This if true would of course lead the development of the Upani@sads away from the influence of the Veda, Brâhma@nas and the Âra@nyakas. But do the facts prove this? Let us briefly examine the evidences that Garbe himself ...
... 3]." This if true would of course lead the development of the Upani@sads away from the influence of the Veda, Brâhma@nas and the Âra@nyakas. But do the facts prove this? Let us briefly examine the evidences that Garbe himself ...
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... lead? This moving universe is the horse which is most significant to the mind, and the meditation of it as such is the most suitable substitute of the sacrifice of the horse, the mere animal. Thought-activity as meditation, is here ...
... lead? This moving universe is the horse which is most significant to the mind, and the meditation of it as such is the most suitable substitute of the sacrifice of the horse, the mere animal. Thought-activity as meditation, is here ...
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... leads to salvation by revealing the right knowledge. But if we compare the many texts in which the word Upani@sad occurs in the Upani@sads themselves it seems that Deussen's meaning is fully justified [Footnote ref 3]. The composition ...
... leads to salvation by revealing the right knowledge. But if we compare the many texts in which the word Upani@sad occurs in the Upani@sads themselves it seems that Deussen's meaning is fully justified [Footnote ref 3]. The composition ...
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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