Root of Indian Philosophy: All the philosophies originated from the land of India like Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Shaivism, Vaishnavism, and many other have the Upanishads as their basis directly or indirectly. The Upanishads define the philosophy of India as follows: Truth is correspondence between consciousness and the Oneness. Oneness is the bond which unites the Hindu and others. This concept is very close to that of the famous aphorisms of “One nation under a star”. From this aphorisms, it is clear that the Hindu’s idea of ‘truth’ or ‘reality’ is synonymous with Oneness is synonymous with soul.
Root of Indian Philosophy: Indian philosophy has its own metaphysics or idea of reality. Vedas and the Upanishads define reality as soul. According to them, the entire universe is nothing but soul (atma and or Brahma). All that exists is composed of ‘soul’, which is eternal and unchanging. The five organs of Indian philosophy are also part of the soul:
Root of Indian Philosophy: According to the Indian philosophers, there are four aspects to the society of the Hindus: economy, ethics, ritual and science or knowledge (Dhama Artha Kama Moksha). We may also loosely refers these in economic terms to agriculture, trade, wealth creation, banking and commerce. The ethical code of the Hindus is ‘Shastra’, which defines the right behavior in the society.
Root of Indian Philosophy: According to the Western thinkers and some Indian thinkers, the present day India was created by the Great Rift Valley cultures. These cultures were separated from each other about hundred to eight thousand years ago. They migrated into the different parts of north and central as well as western (now northern India and eastern India). Their migration resulted in the differentiation of various ethnic groups like Rajasthan, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. The rivalry existed between these diverse states at the time of migration. This led to the establishment of numerous princely states in the land of the Hindus. There is lot of controversy on these thoughts.
Root of Indian Philosophy: The root of Indian philosophy emphasizes the determinate perceptions of the ahamkara (non-attachment) of man. The determinate perceptions are believed to be responsible for the emergence of different concepts like goodness, truth, beauty and passion. They also serve as an explanation for man’s relation with his own body and soul. Dependent on the three determinate perceptions of man, one can think of the concepts of non-attachment, passion and non-violence. On the other hand, the concepts of purity, vegetarianism, chaste life and asceticism also emerge out of these determinate perceptions.
The philosophers of India point out that all the principles expressed by the ahamkara or Atman or Brahman are based on the pure awareness of the individual soul. This consciousness is neither physical nor psychological and is independent of both mind and body. According to the philosophy of India, the soul is eternal and unchanging in nature and it is devoid of any defects. In order to elevate the soul and make it useful in the material world, it must be connected with the body and accordingly one must renounce any form of violence or ignorance.
The development of Indian Philosophy: Indian philosophers also underlay some significant intellectual achievements in various fields like biology, mathematics, logic, ethics, aesthetics, sociology and theology. The most important fact which could be mentioned in this context is the contribution of the Vedic religion in the development of Indian philosophy. With the evolution of Indian philosophy and its consequent rise in popularity, the western world discovered India. However, the western world failed to comprehend the richness of Indian thought and only after the contact with the post-modern era, the real depth and richness of Indian Philosophy could be understood.
Some of the most notable names of Indian philosophers include Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Swami Vivekananda, Sri Ramana Maharshi, Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev, Baba Ramdev, Sri Ravishankar Guruji, Sri Shankaracharya, Madhvacharya, Ramanujacharya and many more. All the above noted Indian philosophers have contributed in many ways to the development of modern India. Some of them have left a lasting impression on the world with their exceptional wisdom and immense erudition. It is true that in India today, there is a vibrant debate going on between various elements of religion and faith, and it is mainly the influence of the Hindu thoughts and religion, which has made so much unity across all the communities. This unity has made of India a beacon in the east for the dream of nationhood, peace and unity across the divide, which was manifested by the great freedom fighters of India.