Broadly, the Indian schools of philosophy may be classified into two-orthodox and heterodox. The first group believed in the Vedas and the second school rejected the Vedas. The former ones are called the Asthika systems which have the Schools of Mimamsa, Vedanta, Sankya, Yoga, Nyaya and Vaisesika. The latter schools are Charvaka Buddha and Jaina. This classification may be shown diagrammatically.

In all these schools Man, is pointed not as a bread winner but as a spiritual organism capable of realizing himself through nobler aspirations, “Human personality is of supreme value and constitutes the noblest work of God”.

Indian schools of philosophy

Classification on the grounds of Vedic authority

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Theist (Astika): Schools with belief in the authority of Veda. (Nyaya-Vaisesika, Samkhya-Yoga, Mimamsa Vedanta) out of these Mimamsa and Vedanta are purely based on the authority of Veda.

Mimamsa reveals the ritualistic aspects of Veda, while, Vedanta emphasises the speculative aspects. Others accept the authority of Vedic text but, survive on independent grounds.

Atheist (Nastika): Schools rejecting authority of veda-Carvaka, Jaina and Buddhism

The Vedanta Philosophy

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The Term ‘Vedanta’ means that comes at the end of the Vedas. The term’ Veda’ means knowledge and it has two aspects. (I) Mantras or hymns or samhitas like the four ‘Vedas-Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharvana (II) The Brahmanas or prose texts of prayers.

The appendage to the ‘Brahmanas is called the Aranyakas where a lot of philosophical speculation has its beginning. The concluding portions of the Aranyakas are called ‘The Upanishads.’

The Upanishads are the crux of the Vedic philosophy the Mantras and the Brahmanas are the Karma Kanda (action) and the Aranyakas and the Upanishads are the Gnanakanda (knowledge). The Upanishads are also known as ‘The Vedanta’ as it comes at the end of the Vedas.

In fact, the word ‘Upanishads’ means sitting down of the disciple near the teacher in a devoted manner to receive instruction about the Higher Reality, which dispels all doubts and destroys all ignorance. Also, the term means any secret teaching about Reality.

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Thought the Upanishads number 108, ten or eleven are regarded as authentic. The Upanishads are the sources of Indian philosophy. They develop the monistic ideas of the Vedas. There are two forms of knowledge, the lower in terms of the knowledge of the familiar and the higher in terms of the Immortal Brahman.

The Upanishads have two terms for Ultimate Reality – The ‘Brahman’ and The Atman’. They are the two pillars on which the edifice of Indian philosophy rests. The Brahman is the ultimate source of the outer world and the Atman the inner self of man.

Atman is the soul; Brahman is the single source of the visible universe. Brahman and Atman are complementary to each other. The subjective side is the Atman and the objective side is ‘Brahman’. The Microcosm and the Macrocosm are blended together.

A specific illustration from the ‘Kathopanishad will make clear this idea. The quintessence of the philosophical tradition is revealed by using familiar concepts. The Atman is said to be the Ultimate Reality.

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The objects are roads, the body is the chariot, the senses are the horses, the mind is the rain, the intellect, the charioteer, the Ego is the enjoyer, and the Atman is the Lord sitting in the chariot.

The senses are compared to good and bad horses: senses are higher than the intellect, the unman fest is higher than the subtle reason and the Atman is the highest end and the highest reality.

The self is immortal self proved and can be directly realised, transcending the empirical subjective-objective qualities. The term ‘Brahman’ refers to the objective side of the Ultimate Reality. It is defined as that from which all living beings are born by which they live and into which all these beings are described.

1. The lowest level is that of matter (annamaya). The highest state of matter is life.

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2. The second state of evolution is life (Pranamaya). This is the biological plane.

3. This third is mind or perceptual consciousness (Manomaya). This is the psychological phase.

4. The fourth is the self conscious Reason (Vignana maya). This is the metaphysical or philosophical plane.

5. The final is the state of non-dual bliss (Ananda Maya).

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The Brahman forms the supreme Reality. The lower is transformed into the higher like the spokes are contained in the wheel and axle, so all beings are contained in the universal self or the Brahman. Thus, the Brahman is the self luminous and immortal, the support of the worlds. The individual souls are its body.

The Brahman is the Absolute – It is called Satchi Ananda. Pure existence, pure knowledge and pure bliss-all houses in one. It is Satyam (Truth), Gnanam (Knowledge) and Anantham (infinite). It is also (Satyam, Shivam and Sundaram) Truth, Goodness and Beauty.

The educational implications of the Vedanta Philosophy are as given below:

1. The spiritual personality of the individual is the central core of the Vedanta Philosophy. Therefore, in education we can ‘Respect the Individual Personality’ as the object of transformation.

2. There was mutual esteem between the teacher and the pupil. The pupil is accepted by the teacher only after a ‘Probationary period of a year or so. This is obviously to ascertain the fitness of the individual for education.

3. Cultivation of the detachment of the self or the removal of Ahamkara or (Egoism). Vairagya is the attitude towards the world in a selfless approach.