Summary:

Lesson 1 speaks about the “saha na vavantu” prayer before the class starts. Followed by discussion of six schools of Indian philosophy.

INTRODUCTION: 6 Schools Of Indian Philosophy

INTRO: In Indian Philosophy, there’s 6 schools of thoughts (Sat-Darshana), with different conclusions what Vedas are saying.  They are…

1. Nyana: Emphasis on logic, inference. Each Jiva is eternal.
2. Purva Mimamsa: Purpose of vedas is rituals and dharma for gaining higher lokas (worlds).
3. Sankhya: Two eternal realities: purusha and prakrti. Need to shift identity from prarkti (body-mind) to purusha (pure consciousness).
4. Vaisheshika: Everything made from indestructible atoms. World is real.
5. Yoga: Emphasis on mind purification, discipline, liberation same as Sankhya. Also emphasis on attaining nirvikalpa-samadhi.
6. Vedanta: For philosophers or scholars, this is just one of the schools of thought. For us, it’s THE school of thought because it exposes logical fallacies of other systems, and Vedanta’s knowledge can’t be contradicted when inquired by a discerning mind.
   • What does Vedanta show you? This will be covered in next video…

More: You can see the full comparison and details of each major school on this page: Comparing 18 Indian Schools of Philosophy, Religions & Traditions

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Recorded 8 July, 2024