When we look at the philosophical traditions of the world, the ideas that come from the Indian subcontinent are some of the most profound in the world. This page will explore those ideas to bring up their important ideas.
Orthodox Indian Philosophy are the schools that consider the revealed texts (shruti) of the tradition to be authoritative.
The most ancient of these texts are The Vedas, a collection of hymns describing ceremonis, sacraficial formulas
The oldest of the Vedas, the Rig Veda, and the only that is worth studying to me (the other 3 are interesting in their own right but overshadowed). The main content of the Rig Veda is mainly mythological, depicting stories of the various gods. Chief among these is Agni, while there are other primordial version of current Hindu gods (Rudra as an early Shiva)
Because this subject matter is mainly mythological, it may be more worth exploring with other mythological rather than philosophical traditions. Though it is interesting to note how there is less of a distinction between philoosphy and mythology compared to some other traditions.
The final component of each of the Vedas, and newest chronologically, the Upanishads are hymns of a philosophical nature who deal with topics presented in the Vedas.
There are 10 primary Upanishads. * Isha - Pervaded by the Lord * Kena - By Whom? * Katha - The Katha’s Teaching * Chandogya - The Chanter’s Teaching * Brihadaranyaka - The Great Forest Teaching * Mandukya - The Manduka’s Teaching * Mundaka - The Renouncer’s Teaching * Prasna * Taittiriya * Aitareya
The Baghavad Gita is only one part of the greater Indian epic the Ramayana, but it stands apart as one of the most important philosophical treatise not just from India but of the whole world. It follows an archer, Arjun, as he is participates in a war, born from a familial power strugle, and his struggle to accept his duty. Seeing the faces of people he knows and respects, he contemplates refusing to fight altogether as he sees that nothing good can come. Luckily, his charioteer is none other than an avatar of Krishna, a deity in the Hindu pantheon, and so this story involves the taeaching that Krishna passes onto Arjun so that he may solve his crisis and accept his duty.
While this story is set on a battlefield, the analogy to be taken from the Baghavad Gita is a lesson in how to undertake life itself. When we are faced with challenges that incur suffering, the same lessons Krishna imparts onto Arjun will be helpful in navigating our human plight.
Philosophical groundwork for Advaita-Vedanta, or non-dual school of Vedanta in Hinduism
Philosophical groundwork for Bhakti Yoga, or devotional Hinduism