Philosophy

Nyaya (Numbers)

Shar Dharshanas (6 Philosophies)

Ayurveda has been profoundly influenced by the 6 major philosophies native to India. Sciences in ancient India were based on various philosophical systems known as darshanas. These classical philosophical systems are divided into astika and nastika darsanas. The systems which accept the authority of the Vedas, are called astika and those not based on acceptance of the authority of the Vedas are called nastika. These different philosophical systems describe truth from different points of view. Reality is not a fixed measurable entity but a variable that depends on the level of intensity of our experience. Truth has as many aspects as there are dimensions of experience. Each dimension corresponds to a particular level of reality. The numerous concepts of the Shar Dharshanas arose from the discussions & debates amongst rishis (scholars or teachers) concerning the knowledges passed on to them in the Veda Sutras. Through their means of the pramana (systematized interpretation) we can understand the initial concepts behind Vedic thought, today.

Vaishesika (Categories)

Sankhya (Numbers)

Yoga (Unite with God)

Mimamsa (Ritual & Mantra)

Vedanta (End of Vedas)

The 6 Schools of Indian Philosphy Nyaya (Numbers) The Nyaya school is based on the Nyaya Sutras & focuses on Logic. They were written by Aksapada Gautama, probably in the second century BCE. The most important contribution made by this school is its methodology, based on a system of logic. The followers of Nyaya believed that obtaining valid knowledge was the only way to gain release from suffering, and they took great pains to identify valid sources of knowledge and distinguish these from mere false opinions. According to Nyaya, there are exactly four sources of knowledge: perception, inference, comparison, and testimony. Knowledge obtained through each of these is either valid or invalid. Nyaya developed several criteria of validity. In this sense, Nyaya is probably the closest Indian equivalent to analytic philosophy. Vaishesika (Categories) The Vaishesika School deals with the Physicality of the universe. It names 9 Dravya (Basic Categories of Matter) as the basis of the universe: earth, water, fire, air, space, soul, mind, time & space. The school was founded by Kanada and postulates an atomic pluralism. All objects in the physical universe are reducible to certain types of atoms, and Brahman is regarded as the fundamental force that causes consciousness in these atoms. Although the Vaisheshika school developed independently from the Nyaya, the two eventually merged because of their closely related metaphysical theories. In its classical form, however, the Vaisheshika school differed from the Nyaya in one crucial respect: where Nyaya accepted four sources of valid knowledge, the Vaisheshika accepted only two - perception and inference. Sankhya (Numbers) Sankhya discusses the Phenomenality or the enumeration the of universe. According to the system there are 24 non-living and 1 living category (Purusha) responsible for creation. Sankhya is the oldest of the orthodox philosophical systems in Hinduism & postulates that everything in reality stems from purusha (Self or soul) and prakriti (Matter, creative agency, energy). There are many souls and they possess consciousness, but they are devoid of all qualities. Prakriti/Matter consists of three dispositions: steadiness (sattva), activity (rajas), and dullness (tamas), known as the three gunas, or qualities. Because of the intertwined relationship between the soul and these dispositions, an imbalance in disposition causes the world to evolve. Liberation occurs with the realization that the soul and the dispositions are different. Samkhya is a dualistic philosophy, where the dualism is between the self and matter. Yoga (Unite with God) Yoga describes the Connectivity of universe & this system adds the concept of Isvara (God) to the 24 Sankhyan categories. The foundational text of the Yoga school is the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, who is regarded as the founder of the formal Yoga philosophy. Yoga as a Hindu philosophy ("darshana") is first expounded in the Yoga Sutras. This earliest school of Yoga retrospectively came to be known by the retronym Raja Yoga to distinguish it from later schools.The Yoga philosophical system is closely allied with the Samkhya school. The Yoga school as expounded by Patanjali accepts the Samkhya psychology and metaphysics, but is more theistic than the Samkhya. Mimamsa (Ritual & Mantra) Purva Mimamsa (Early Mimamsa) This system highlights Ritual & to be one with the universe, through Mantra (prayers/blessings), Tantra (repetitive chanting) & Yantras (blessed charms). Purva Mimamsa accepts the tenets of the other astika schools but holds that knowledge alone cannot give satisfaction. The soul must fulfil itself through action and religious ritual. The main objective of the Purva Mimamsa school was to establish the authority of the Vedas. Consequently, this school's most valuable contribution to Hinduism was its formulation of the rules of Vedic interpretation. Its adherents believe that one must have unquestionable faith in the Vedas and perform the yajñas, or fire-sacrifices, regularly. They believe in the power of the mantras and yajñas to sustain all the activity of the universe. In keeping with this belief, they place great emphasis on dharma, which consists of the performance of Vedic rituals. The Mimamsa accepted the logical and philosophical teachings of the other schools, but felt they did not sufficiently emphasize attention to right action. They believed that the other schools of thought that aimed for release (moksha) did not allow for complete freedom from desire and selfishness, because the very striving for liberation stemmed from a simple desire to be free. According to Mimamsa thought, only by acting in accordance with the prescriptions of the Vedas may one attain salvation. The Mimamsa school later shifted its views and began to teach the doctrines of Brahman and freedom. Its adherents then advocated the release or escape of the soul from its constraints through enlightened activity. Although Mimamsa does not receive much scholarly attention, its influence can be felt in the life of the practising Hindu, because all Hindu ritual, ceremony, and law is influenced by this school. Vedanta or Uttara Mimamsa (Later Mimamsa) The word Vedanta is a Sanskrit compound word meaning: * veda = "knowledge" + anta = "end, conclusion": "the culmination of knowledge", or "end of the Veda" (i.e. "appendix to the Veda"). Vedanta is also called Uttara Mimamsa, or the 'latter enquiry' or 'higher enquiry', and is often paired with Purva Mimamsa, the 'former enquiry'. Vedanta expounds the Unity of universe & according to its point of view, only Brahman is real; all else is illusion. The most significant contribution of Vedantic thought is the idea that self-consciousness is continuous with and indistinguishable from consciousness of Brahman. The Vedanta school concentrates on the philosophical teachings of the Upanishads rather than the ritualistic injunctions of the Brahmanas.The aphorisms of the Vedanta sutras are presented in a cryptic, poetic style, which allows for a variety of interpretations. Consequently, the Vedanta separated into six sub-schools, each interpreting the texts in its own way and producing its own series of sub-commentaries. Together the 6 Philosophies describe Creation, Evolution, the Universe and our connection to it. Also, Buddhist philosophy sees all reality as perpetually dynamic and denies absolutes. Therefore, all forms of appearance are empty, i.e., non-absolute or not possessing complete individuality. Jaina philosophy believes in an infinite number of individual souls (monads), while the Carvaka system is the materialist school of Indian philosophy. To the open mind these systems are not necessarily contradictory to each other, since they describe reality merely from different points of view, or rather; they emphasise different aspects of reality. Truth is relative therefore Indian Philosophy accepts different kinds of truth: 1. Paramarthika Satya (from paramartha:relating to the real) also called Eternal Truth 2. Vyavaharika Satya (from vyavahara: conduct, action) is truth for day-to-day use 3. Pratibhasika Satya (from Pratibhasika:appearance, illusion) is illusory truth Ayurveda with its open attitude has drawn from different philosophical systems. Physical and chemical concepts and processes have been explained mainly on the basis of the Nyaya, Vaisesika and Buddhist philosophy. While for the explanation of the process of creation of the Universe the Samkhya, at least in certain aspects, was considered very adequate. What the Shar Dharshanas have instilled in Ayurveda is that the Universe exists only because of our awareness of it. This acknowledges the importance of clear and total perception, for example during the Ayurvedic procedures of both diagnosis and treatment. With Nyaya-Vaiseshika, the nature and cause of a disease is made clear by observation alone. Sankhya has provided Ayurveda with a systematic theory of evolution, which has given rise to the Prakrti diet which has the capacity to give birth (to give rise or to produce) something else. Yoga has taught there does exist a practical mode to attain Moksha. Vedanta-Mimamsa has kept Ayurveda’s roots firmly in the traditions of ancient times, where ritual, through mantras (prayers), tantras (chanting) and yantras (blessed items) still play an incredibly cleansing, thus important role in the healing practices. Of the Shar Dharshanas, the greatest influences on Ayurveda has been from the four combined systems of Nyana-Vaiseshika and from Sankhya-Yoga; their influences are tangible to this day, when we come across their concepts and terminologies in the everyday study and practice of Ayurveda. However, we must not neglect the spirit of Ayurveda, which still abides in the physical and verbal rituals of Vedanta-Mimamsa. Furthermore, when the Shar Dharshana are seen in their combined unity, the wealth of compassion, spirituality & knowledge is, literally, infinite.

The 6 Philosophies & Ayurveda

References

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