Schools of Indian Philosophy

The Indian philosophy has been influenced by the historical growth and development of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. There are different schools of thought in Indian Philosophy, these are Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, Yoga, Purva Mimamsa, Vedanta, Uttara Mimamsa, and Pancharatra. These are five famous ancient Schools of Indian Philosophy. Each school was founded by an intellectual who based his/her ideas on the system developed before him/her, which eventually led to the formation of 5 major schools of thought in Indian philosophy.

Define Indian Philosophy?

Indian Philosophy can be broadly defined as a way of thinking and living in accordance with the Indian culture. Indian philosophy has been evolving over time, with some elements having their roots in what is now considered modern-day India. The Vedas were one such example of this, containing a complex system that was developed and passed on orally for centuries before it was finally written down. In order to learn more about Indian Philosophy, you could check out the following schools: The Samkhya school taught that true happiness comes from knowing who we really are.

Brief Discussion on Hindu Philosophy:

Hindu Philosophy is divided into six different schools, or Darshanas: Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, Yoga, Mimamsa, and Vedanta. The Nyaya school puts emphasis on logic and reasoning. Vaisheshika stresses a pluralistic view where everything has its own reality. Samkhya is a dualistic system emphasizing classification and analysis. Yoga emphasizes meditation and self-knowledge to realize the true nature of one’s spirit.

Brief About the Buddhism:

Buddhism is a religion and philosophy based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha. The Buddha lived around 2,500 years ago, and his teachings were passed down orally until they were written down centuries later. Buddhism is a nontheistic religion; it does not involve belief in a creator deity or in an eternal soul. Instead, Buddhist teaching revolves around eight steps to achieve wisdom: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. A key concept that may be difficult for Westerners to grasp is that one must attain Nirvana in order to be liberated from suffering (even though the Buddhist scriptures do mention reincarnation).

The 1st school of philosophy in India, which talks about all things material (real) are Vaisheshika. The Vaisheshika school was founded by Kanada and is considered one of the oldest philosophical systems in India. The word Vaisheshika means of or pertaining to Vaishnavas, referring to Vishnu. It might have been intended as a Vedic philosophy: it recognizes Brahman as the sole reality that exists. Each thing is made up of atoms that combine to make larger structures and this process can be understood in any number of ways such as heat and cold. Each type of atom has its own quality (guna) which combines with another atom’s quality to form an object. One interpretation argues that Vaisheshika rejects orthodox Brahminical ideas because there are no references to Brahman in any text associated with the system.

The 2nd school of philosophy in India, which talks about all things material (perceivable by senses) are Nyaya. The second school of philosophy in India, which talks about all things material (perceivable by senses) is Nyaya. It is based on four sources – perception, inference, comparison, and verbal testimony. The word Nyaya refers to all knowledge. They believe that reality consists of three qualities:

1. Sattva (Goodness or Light), 
2. Rajas (Passion or Energy) and
3. Tamas (Darkness or Ignorance).

There are also nine objects known as gunas, these are eternal yet distinct from each other with their own properties like taste, smell etc., they are also located within a person’s body in three places. These are mind, intellect, and ego. All substances in the world contain one of these gunas; it is impossible for any substance to have more than one at a time.

The 3rd school of philosophy in India, which talks about what cannot be perceived (known by mind or intellect) are Samkhya. Samkhya is one of the oldest schools in India and talks about what cannot be perceived (known by mind or intellect). It is a dualist system that says that there are two eternal realities, Purusha and Prakriti. Purusha is pure consciousness, whereas Prakriti is matter or nature. Samkhya talks about how humans have three gunas – sattva, rajas and tamas – which can be controlled with self-discipline to reach enlightenment.

The 4th school of philosophy in India, which relates to human soul and its relationship with the universe is called Yoga. The Yoga school, also called Jain Yoga, is based on the teachings of Mahavira (599-527 BCE). It teaches that there are four main types of soul in this world: infinite, mortal, intermediate and low. The high souls live in pure regions and have never committed any sins; lower souls reside in pure regions but have committed some sins; low souls reside in impure regions and have committed many sins. Intermediate souls reside in both pure and impure regions.

The 5th school in India deals with how one can reach this unchangeable state beyond space and time is called Mīmāṃsā. The fifth school in India deals with how one can reach this unchangeable state beyond space and time is called Mīmāṃsā, which means the state before death. The goal is to attain a state that is devoid of any sensual desires or thoughts. Once attained, one will find complete peace and freedom from rebirth. Jainism is an Indian religion and philosophy, which also prescribes a lifestyle for those who desire liberation through lightening their worldly load. In Jainism it does not matter if you are rich or poor because everyone has an equal opportunity at reaching moksha (liberation).

And finally, Nāstika is defined as a Hindu who denied any authority except their own perception. The word Nāstika is derived from the Sanskrit word nāsti which means there is no. It has a variety of definitions, but is commonly known as one who denies any authority except their own perception. The Hindu view has it that human beings are capable to perceive and know things, but they are not able to fully understand them.

Conclusion:

The six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy are Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, Yoga, Purva Mimamsa and Vedanta. Each school has a different view on how to obtain release from samsara. Nyaya holds that the world is real but it has no connection with Brahman. The Vaisheshika school holds that matter is uncreated and eternal and existed before anything else came into being.