ASKiIMAN™ REALM 76 / INDIAN PHILOSOPHY
--:-- · -- --- ----

The Inner Eye

Orthodox, Heterodox, Pramana & The Fabric of Reality

REALM 76 — INDIAN PHILOSOPHY (DARSHANA)

MICRO-REALM 01

Astika vs. Nastika

  • Indian philosophical schools (Darshanas) are broadly classified into two categories.
  • Astika (Orthodox): Accept the ultimate authority of the Vedas (Nyaya, Samkhya, Yoga, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa, Vedanta).
  • Nastika (Heterodox): Reject Vedic authority (Buddhism, Jainism, Charvaka).
MICRO-REALM 02

Nyaya (Logic)

  • Founded by Sage Gautama (Aksapada).
  • The school of logic and epistemology.
  • Asserts that suffering is caused by ignorance, and liberation is achieved through acquiring valid knowledge (Prama) via 4 Pramanas: Perception, Inference, Comparison, and Verbal Testimony.
MICRO-REALM 03

Vaisheshika

  • Founded by Sage Kanada. Closely allied with Nyaya.
  • An ancient atomic theory of the universe.
  • Posits that all objects in the physical universe are reducible to Paramanu (indivisible atoms) which are eternal and combine to form matter.
MICRO-REALM 04

Samkhya (Dualism)

  • One of the oldest schools, founded by Sage Kapila.
  • A strictly dualistic philosophy positing two ultimate realities: Purusha (pure, unmanifest consciousness) and Prakriti (the dynamic, material realm).
  • Creation happens when Purusha observes Prakriti, disturbing its equilibrium.
MICRO-REALM 05

Yoga

  • Codified by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras .
  • The practical, experiential application of Samkhya philosophy.
  • Outlines the Ashtanga (Eight Limbs) path—from ethical restraints (Yama) to ultimate meditative absorption (Samadhi)—to isolate Purusha from Prakriti.
MICRO-REALM 06

Purva Mimamsa

  • Founded by Jaimini. Focuses on the earlier (Purva) portions of the Vedas (Samhitas and Brahmanas).
  • Emphasizes Dharma as ritual action (Yajna).
  • Believes the Vedas are eternal, authorless (Apaurusheya), and the ultimate authority on duty.
MICRO-REALM 07

Vedanta

  • "The end of the Vedas" (focusing on the Upanishads).
  • Explores the relationship between the individual soul (Atman) and the ultimate reality (Brahman).
  • Divided into sub-schools: Advaita (Non-dualism - Shankara), Vishishtadvaita (Qualified Non-dualism - Ramanuja), and Dvaita (Dualism - Madhva).
MICRO-REALM 08

Charvaka (Lokayata)

  • A Nastika school of absolute materialism and atheism.
  • Accepts only Pratyaksha (direct perception) as a valid source of knowledge.
  • Rejects the soul, afterlife, karma, and the Vedas, arguing consciousness is merely a byproduct of physical matter.
MICRO-REALM 09

Buddhist Thought

  • Rejects the eternal soul ( Anatman ) and God.
  • Pratityasamutpada: Dependent origination; everything exists only in relation to other things.
  • Sunyata: Emptiness; phenomena lack inherent, independent existence (especially in Mahayana/Nagarjuna's Madhyamaka).
MICRO-REALM 10

Jain Epistemology

  • Anekantavada: Reality is complex and multi-faceted. No single perspective holds the absolute truth.
  • Syadvada: The theory of conditioned predication ("In some ways, it is; in some ways, it is not"). Encourages extreme intellectual non-violence.
MICRO-REALM 11

Pramana Shastra

  • The theory of knowledge: How do we know what is true?
  • Indian philosophy intensely debates the valid means of knowledge (Pramanas).
  • Ranging from Charvaka (only Perception) to Buddhism (Perception, Inference) to Vedanta (accepts up to six, including Non-apprehension).
MICRO-REALM 12

Metaphysics

  • The fundamental inquiry into the nature of existence.
  • Is the universe one substance (Monism/Advaita), two (Dualism/Samkhya), or many (Pluralism/Vaisheshika)?
  • The ultimate quest across all Darshanas is identifying the true nature of the self to achieve liberation (Moksha/Nirvana).