Indian Idea of spirituality and philosophy
Presented by
1. Hema D. Goswami(M.A sem 2)
Mo. No. 9714613922
2. Jagruti R. Vasani (M.A sem 2)
Mo. No. 7201028285
3. Kavitaba P. Gohil(M.A sem 2)
Mo. No. 7203903132
Smt. S.B Gardi Department of English
Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University
Introduction
This research paper is based on India’s idea of Spirituality and philosophy. The motive behind this topic is to make Indian people aware about the concept of spirituality and philosophy, because in present time this term lost its value in Indians mind. Whereas the western world is influenced by this concept .The word spirituality is connected with the re-formation. The basic idea of spirituality in India is connected with the religion but there is controversy about this connection. Spirituality is much more of an Individual practice.
“You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.”
-Swami Vivekanand
Philosophy is about the study of fundamental problems. Spirituality goes much deeper than the philosophy, which mostly talk about outer subject matter. In the history of Indian civilization numerous spiritual and philosophical leaders have delivered their idea about both the term. Sri Aurobindo and Swami Vivekanand were two prominent figures who talks about these terms.
“ what the souls sees and has experienced, that it knows; the rest is appearance, prejudices and opinion.”
-Sri Aurobindo
Spirituality and its importance
In every aspect of our life we are affected by every movement originating in every part of the world. Western culture always influenced by the Indian idea of spirituality. The question came in our mind that what spirituality is?
The answer is always indefinable. In real sense no one can define Spirituality. It is something which comes on our own self. It is not about borrowing something, it is about experiencing something. Western world always get attracted towards the Indian culture. A large number of students from foreign university expressed their keen desire to study Indian culture. Western knowledge is the science of facts and spirituality is the science of soul, a peculiarly Indian science (BHawuk, 2011)
One foreign student writes,
“What most people today, at least in the United states, consider an education I do not……I believe so strongly in the Indian Ideals presented in the Bhagawadgita, Upnishads and other Vedanta Scriptures. I want a usable practical, spiritual knowledge, not a degree”.
Achievement of spirituality by three Gunas
i) Tamas
ii) Rajas
iii) Satva
Tamas is a state of darkness, inertia, inactivity and materiality. Tamas generates idolness in body and that is the reason why we feel laziness. Tamas is the Guna which helps us in sleeping (by yogabasics, 2000) . Tamas manifests from ignorance and deludes all beings from their spiritual truths. To reduce tamas avoid tamasic foods, over sleeping, over eating, inactivity, passivity and fearful situations. Tamasic foods include heavy meats, and foods that are spoiled, chemically treated, processed or refined.
Rajas is a state of energy, action, change and movement.Rajas is a guna which give activeness in body.we can move , speak, laugh,or whetever movments we could do it's all happens because of Rajas. The nature of rajas is of attraction, longing and attachment and rajas strongly binds us to the fruits of our work.Rajas is very important Guna but when Rajas crosses it's limit, it becomes harmful.Eg. many times we can see that some pleople do some activities without taking anykind of rest; even they could not seat properly it is that typs of condition when the activeness become harmful for that person. To reduce rajas avoid rajasic foods, over exercising, over work, loud music, excessive thinking and consuming excessive material goods. Rajasic foods include fried foods, spicy foods, and stimulants (v, 2000) .
Sattva is a state of harmony, balance, joy and intelligence. Sattva is the guna that yogi/nis achive towards as it reduces rajas and tamas and thus makes liberation possible. To increase sattva reduce both rajas and tamas, eat sattvic foods and enjoy activities and environments that produce joy and positive thoughts. Sattvic foods include whole grains and legumes and fresh fruits and vegetables that grow above the ground. All of the yogic practices were developed to create sattva in the mind and body. Thus, practicing yoga and leading a yogic lifestyle strongly cultivates sattva.
Modern and traditional way to define spirituality
Spirituality comes from Latin word Spiritus, meaning soul, courage, vigor breath. Spirituality can be explained in two different ways. Traditionally it is a process of religion, process of re-formation which aims to recover the original shape of man (from wikipedia, 2018) . Modern system of spirituality may include a belief in a supernatural realm, personal growth, and most importantly a quest for an ultimate or sacred meaning. In spirituality one can know himself/herself. It is an encounter with one’s own dimension. India is a home of Spirituality. Spirituality is not a single concept; it is also associated with many movement like Liberalism, feminist theology etc. It is also a science of yoga. In short it is much wider concept as we think. It goes beyond everything.
Indian tradition and the growth of Spirituality
As we all know that India is a land of Multi culture and we can see unity among diversity. The Indian culture refers collectively thousands of unique and distinct cultures of all religions and communities. Each and every culture and tradition brings a new idea of spirituality.
Hinduism(5500 BCE)
The very ancient tradition of Indian people is Hindu tradition. Hinduism is very wider religion. In it there is no centralized religious authorities, no prophet. Hindus can be are polytheistic, monotheist, atheistic. Spirituality in Hindu philosophy is an individual experience.
Hinduism gives one important idea of moksha that has direct connection with spirituality. The journey towards moksha is refers to spiritual practice. It is about awareness of self, the discovery of higher truths, true nature of reality, and a consciousness.
In Hinduism there are four paths of spiritual practices
1. Jnana- the way towards knowledge
2. Bhakti- the way towards devotion
3. Karma yoga- the way of selfless action
4. Raja yoga- the way of meditation
Buddhism (5th century BCE)
There is one word Bhavana, which described the practice of Buddhism. All the Buddhist practices are known as Bhavana. The meaning of Bhavana is “development” or “cultivating.” It is an important concept in Buddhist Praxis. Bhavana can be citta-bhavana or metta-bhavana. Citta-bhavana is the development or the cultivation of heart and mind, whereas metta-bhavana is the development or cultivation of loving and kindness. Inspite of ‘moksha’ Buddhist used the word ‘Nirvana’. However both these words carries same meaning.
Sikkhism (15th century)
It is consider as one of the most recent Indian tradition. There are many spiritual gurus under sikh tradition which gives basic concept of spirituality. One most important among these gurus is Guru Nanak dev who described living “active, creative and practical life” of “truthfulness, fidelity, self-control and purity” as being higher than a purely contemplative life. Sikkhism was influenced by Bhakti movement.
Most popular Indian Spiritual gurus
India has seen the emergence of many geniuses in the field of spirituality, even in modern times. Indian spiritual gurus were practitioners, and they practiced what they preached. Spirituality is valued even today in India, and this culture continues to produce eminent spiritual gurus.
The innovations made by three spiritual gurus in the last 100 years are truly appreciated and these geniuses offered thoughts or techniques that were unheard of in human civilizations.
1. Ramakrishna Paramhansa
2. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
3. Osho Rajneesh
Ramakrishna Paramhansa (1836-1886)
Ramakrishna Paramhansa practiced Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity and experienced that all the religions leads to same end. He practiced all these religions and then only he come into conclusion.
Ramakrishna believes in one God and different paths. Ramakrishna disciple Narendra Dutta also becomes popular among spiritualist thinkers, who later become Swami Vivekananda.
Ramakrishna’s unique spiritual journey, what he was able to do in his short life of 50 years and what has perhaps never even been attempted in human history, points to his contribution to the field of spirituality. He proclaimed that:
“I have practiced all religions, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, and I have also followed the paths of different Hindu sects….I have found that it is the same God toward whom all are directing their steps, though along different paths. You must try all beliefs and traverse all the different ways once.”
Ramakrishna had his first spiritual experience when he was just 6 years old as he was playfully walking in the fields munching on puffed rice. He saw the sky get covered with black cloud, and then at the edge of the cloud appeared a flock of white cranes that passed over his head. He lost consciousness. Again when he was 8 years old, he experienced the same ecstasy when he enacted the role of Shiva, at the occasion of Shivaratri. In the presence of the whole village that was watching the play, he started crying and then become unconscious. From this time his ecstasies became more frequent.
Ramakrishna’s ecstasies grew in their strength when he was priest at Kali temple. At one day he is finally ready to kill himself if he did not get the darshan of Kali, and he “saw an ocean of the spirit, boundless, dazzling.” Thus he became conscious of the present of Kali in the depths of his being.
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (1917-2008)
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was born in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, on January 12, 1917. First he was known as Mahesh Prasad Verma and later become Maharishi.
Maharishi renounced the world at the age of 23 and dedicated himself to the service of his spiritual master, Swami Brahmanand Saraswati, the Adi Shankara of Jyotir- Math in the Himalayas. Maharishi spent many years in meditation and he also practiced mauna.
The maharishi had his first public appearance in October 1955 at the conference, and he made his impact by connecting science and spirituality:
“Electrons and protons of the modern science, seen through the Indian system of analysis of the universe, are the manifestations of agni-tatva and vayu-tatva combined. The energy of the electrons and protons is due to the agni-tatva and motion in them is due to vayu-tatva. Thus, we find the present day science has reached up to vayu-tatva in the field of analysis of the universe.”
The maharishi explained the other tatvas as:-
i) Agni (fire)
ii) Vayu (air)
iii) Akas (sky)
iv) Aham (self)
v) Mahat (soul)
vi) Prakrti (nature)
vii) Brahaman (formless God)
He argued that spirituality is superior to science, which deals with the lower level of tatvas.
Idea of Philosophy by Maharishi yogi
The maharishi propounded his philosophy as follows:
“Attachment results from thoughts. Therefore we need to go beyond thoughts. To go beyond thoughts, we need to regularly chant a mantra. Chanting of the mantras helps rest the mind, leading to detachment.”
The Maharishi’s geniuses lay in starting worldwide spiritual movement by keeping the individual at the center stage. The Maharishi might have been the first person to bridge science and spirituality. In 1964, “deep meditation” became “transcendental deep meditation.”
Osho Rajneesh (1931-1990)
Osho always remains in controversy and he was one of the most controversial spiritual masters that India has seen in the last century. His followers make him God. In the Samadhi stone of Osho Rajneesh written:
“Osho, never born, never died; only visited this planet earth between December 11, 1931 to January 19, 1990”
Osho hang out by himself as a teenager and pursued a spiritual practice. He attained enlightenment at the age of 21. Osho continued to appreciate Mahavir and Buddha as spiritual masters in his later years. Rajneesh shocked the Indian people by linking sex to super consciousness in 1968. He says that sex was not to be repressed, and through it people could get into Samadhi, the highest state of being in Yoga. In 1969, Rajneesh prescribed a new method of meditation to his disciples called Dynamic Meditation in which there includes four steps. First, a practitioner would involve in vigorous breathing for 15 minutes. Next, he or she would scream, cry, laugh, or jump up down leading to catharsis. After these two steps, the practitioner would contemplate on the question: who Am I? this was to be done by keeping the fingers of the two hands interlocked and then by pushing the palms hard against each other. The final step was to be quiet and prayerful.
Other important spiritualist and philosophical thinkers
Shri Aurobindo
More than a writer, Sri Aurobindo is known as a mystic philosopher. His prose work “The Renaissance in India” is crown among his works. The four essay essays contain detailed discussion subjects and such as culture, religion, spirituality, education etc.
Aurobindo complained that the spiritual side of India was over stressed. Western scholars and Indian simply limited them and shouted the same. Indian simply accepted that and expressed the same voice. However they forgot that in other fields like philosophy, science, technology, logic we also made immense progress. However we failed to show the side of India. It was not the case that west dominated singlehandedly in such subjects.
Indian spirituality show the power of human being’s capacity much before the western mind could think of. The spiritual power of India wasn’t grown out of void but her physic tendency, her creativeness, her vitality, her yoga, her religion and so all. We see the mountaintops. They aren’t created without base, in the dream under the cloud. The same way there is infinite strength of India builds up the powerful spirituality that enchants the world since the time unknown. In Aurobindo’s own words, to describe the worldwide influence of Indian spirituality over the earth. A notable characteristic of Indian spirituality was that it never called the life on earth as illusion maya and ignored it. It gave equal to earthly life too as it looked heavenward.
Swami Vivekanand (1863-1902)
Swami Vivekanand is considered as one of the most influential spiritual educationist and thinker of India. He was the disciple of Ramakrishna Paramhansa and also the founder of Ramkrishna math. A lover of mankind, he strove to promote peace and human brotherhood on the spiritual foundation of the Vedantic Oneness of existence. Swami Vivekananda is always gives positive ideas and his personality is notable for its comprehensiveness and deep sensitiveness. He says that:
“Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life- think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success, that is way great spiritual giants are produced”
Swami Vivekananda worked on many themes. Karma yoga, Raja yoga, Vedanta philosophy: An address before the graduate philosophical society, Lectures from Colombo to Almora, Vedanta philosophy: lectures on Jnana yoga, published in his lifetime.
Philosophy
A major difference between Philosophy and spirituality, is that spirituality, as practiced in India, has an action bias over and above cognitive (thinking and thoughts) or value concerns. Indian philosophy differs from western philosophy (saksena, 1951) , it not only recognizes testimony amongst its sources of knowledge, but sometimes even accords it a higher place of importance. Modern western philosophy on the contrary, is founded upon a revolt against authority (from wikipedia , 2018) .
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems concerning matters such as existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind and language. Philosophy is usually focuses on the ultimate goal of liberation of individual through diverse range of spiritual practices (moksha, nirvana)
Traditional way to define Philosophy
Like spirituality, Philosophy can also be defined in traditional ways, and it referred to any body of knowledge. It was divided into three different classes
i) The study of physical world
ii) The study of morality
iii) The study of existence
Traditions of Indian philosophy are generally classified in two different ways:
1. Orthodox (astika)
2. Heterodox (nastika)
These two thoughts are depending on whether they accept the authority of Vedas and whether they accept the theory of Brahman and Atman.
The orthodox school includes:
a) Nyaya
b) Vaisheshika
c) Samkhya
d) Yoga
e) Mimansa
f) Vedanta
The heterodox school includes:
a) Buddhist
b) Ajnana
c) Ajivika
d) Carvaka
Indian Philosophical definition of supreme
Satyam: The truth, “that is eternal”.
Shivam: That is “Benevolent”.
Sundaram: That is “Forming harmonious whole”
“God is truth and that is beautiful”.
Hinduism has a Non-Duality School of thought which focuses more on Aham Brahmasmi (I am Brahman) and Tattwamasi (That Thou Art). Satyam Shivam Sundaram forms the basis of it. Remember Shivam doesn’t refer to the Hindu God Shiva (editors of quora) , it refers to the God(Goodness) within yourself. A Kashmir Saint "Lal Ded" said
“Shiva is everywhere manifest
Don’t? speak of Hindu or Musulman?
If you are wise? know yourself?
That is the recognition of the true Friend?(God?)”
The Zen saying goes, “Spring comes, and the grass grows by itself.” The radiance of silence is not achieved; instead, it flowers when the mind has naturally stopped, through the deconstruction of desire itself. There is nowhere to go, and nothing to do. In effortless relaxation is a goalless embracement of the moment. Life is experienced as “Sat-Chit-Anand,” or “Truth-Consciousness-Bliss.” The situation is more like “Satyam-Shivam-Sundram,” meaning “Truth-Godliness-Beauty.” The truth of existence arises, and, more than good, is an experience of “Godliness.” Experience is felt as “total godliness.” One sees that existence is enlightened, and has been all along.
There is a very nice discourse by OSHO on explaining the meaning and essence of this Satyam means the truth – not what you think about it, but what it is; not your idea about it, but its reality. To know this truth you have to be utterly absent. Your very presence will distort the vision, because your presence means the presence of your mind, your prejudices, your conditionings. You are nothing else but a bundle of all that has been forced upon you by the religions, by the society, by the so-called leaders of humanity.
Your absence means absence of all prejudices, all borrowed knowledge, absence of the Christian, absence of the Hindu, absence of the Mohammedan... just a pure sky, a pure being. I am using the word absence to deny all that is not you.
But don’t misunderstand me; this absence of you is your real presence. Only the prejudices are absent, the ego is absent, your knowledgeability is absent – but your being shows in its utter purity. You disappear as a personality and there remains only a pure presence. So it is absence on one side of all that is false in you, and it is presence on the other side of all that is real in you. In this state you don’t think, you simply see.
This seeing of existence is the first experience of the mystic contained in the word satyam. Satyam means the truth – not any conception about it, but truth itself.
The second word, shivam, means virtue – all that is good, all that is valuable, all that is the most precious in you, the ultimate good. The man who comes to experience the truth starts living the truth immediately. There is no other alternative. His living the truth is shivam. Shivam means truth in action, truth in your life, truth in your love, truth in your friendship, truth in your eyes, and truth in your heart. Shivam is the action of truth; truth itself is the center of the cyclone. But if you experience the truth, the cyclone around you becomes shivam. It becomes pure godliness. A man of truth is the only proof that the world is divine. No argument can prove that the world is divine.
I am reminded of one of the greatest mystics, Ramakrishna. When asked by a logician, “What is truth? Do you have any argument, any evidence for it?” Ramakrishna laughed hilariously. He said, “I am the argument, and if you cannot see in my eyes the proof and the evidence, you will not find it anywhere else. I am the only proof that existence is not dead, that existence is not only matter; that existence is not only available to science, that existence is much more than matter, that you are much more than the body, that you are much more than the mind....” But this “much more” cannot be proved by any logician, any scientist; only the mystic is the proof. He can also not prove it by words, but only by his way of life. The way of life of the mystic is the only possibility to come in contact with the divine which is all around you. You are living in the very ocean of the divine, but the mystic becomes your first window through which you can see the non-material, the spiritual, the beyond (gokulmuthu, 2007) .
Shivam is the mystic in action – his gestures, the music in his words, the poetry of his life, the light and the depths of his eyes. Whatever he does, whether he is chopping wood or carrying water from the well, you can see that there is a subtle difference. He is total in his every act, and that totality brings the third word, sundram.
Sundram means beauty. So this is the mystic trinity: satyam, the truth; shivam, the good, the divine;and sundram, the beauty.
You have seen the beauty of the flowers, you have seen the beauty of the stars, you have seen the beauty of a bird on the wing, you have seen beauties upon beauties of sunsets and sunrises.
But the greatest beauty is to see the totality, the intensity of the mystic. That is the greatest flowering in existence of consciousness itself. It is available only to those who are humble enough to receive it, who are not living a closed life of fear, of paranoia, but who are living a life of love, with all the windows open, and are ready to go with life wherever it leads. These receptive souls are the only real seekers in the world. These receptive souls are blessed with their experience of sundram: the beautiful rose that is opening in the heart of the mystic. These three words are so unique, so incomparable, there is nothing parallel to them.
Truth is the experience, shivam is the action that comes out of the experience, and beauty is the flowering of consciousness of the man who has experienced truth.
The concept of Satyam (Truth), Shivam (Goodness) and Sundaram (Beauty) is one of the most wonderful ones in Indian Philosophy. In three words, this gives a wonderful philosophy of life for people of diverse pursuits.
Life is expressing and experiencing. When we express and experience, and enable everyone else also to express and experience these three, it becomes a fulfilling life.
Seeking Beauty is not wrong. But we should remember the priority. Beauty should not take precedence over Goodness. And Goodness should not take precedence over Truth. This is the concept of the popular Samskrit saying “Speak the truth. Speak the pleasant. Never tell untruth to be pleasant. Avoid speaking an unpleasant truth.”
Then comes the domain where we can express and experience these – physical, intellectual, emotional, moral and spiritual. Intellectual beauty is to be preferred more than physical beauty; Emotional beauty is to be preferred more than intellectual beauty; and so on. Similarly about Goodness and Truth.
V. Subramanya Iyer, of Mysore is the champion of idealistic Vedanta. His paper, “Man’s Interest in philosophy: an Indian view “begins with the question “What is Philosophy?” to which he answers that it is for the Indian not opinion but truth. “Progress in philosophy does not mean in India the attainment of new concepts of ultimate truth, but the starting, as knowledge advances, at higher level and the finding of less difficult approaches, if possible to the same peak of Tattvam”.
Conclusion
Strength of Indian spirituality and philosophy is never shaken, with ages after ages its root becomes stronger. India was ruled by many rulers in past, such as Mughal empire, Britishers. All of them also get influenced by the idea of spirituality and philosophy and acquire it in their life style. Annie Besant was very much inspired with Indian concept and also adopted Indian son Jiddu Krishnamurti and claimed that her son is incarnation of Buddha.
In sum up we come to know that spirituality and philosophy are very much connected to each other. Everyone has their own philosophical as well as spiritual values in life which they acquire. The true test of ‘thought’ is time. If any though passes the test of time, there must be some worth in it. If there is no truth in Indian philosophy and spirituality, then it should have to be vanished with the passage of time. In fact, with every new age and centuries, people are finding surer stay in Indian thoughts and spirituality.
Works Cited
BHawuk, D. P. (2011, january 7). Spirituality in India: The Ever Growing Banyan Tree. spirituality and indian philosophy .
by yogabasics. (2000). gunas of nature. Retrieved 2018, from yogabasics.com: www.yogabasics.com/learn/the-3-gunas-of-nature/
editors of quora. meaning of satyam shivam sundaram.
from wikipedia . (2018, january 18). philosophy. wikipedia the free encyclopedia .
from wikipedia. (2018, january 20). spirituality. wikipedia the free encyclopedia .
gokulmuthu. (2007, march 15). practical philosophy and rational religion. satyam shivam sundaram .
saksena, s. (1951, october 3). university of hawaii press. Retrieved january 6, 2018, from jstor: http://ww.jstor.org/stable1397171
v, j. (2000). hinduwebsite.com. Retrieved 2017, from hinduwebsite: www.hinduwebsite.com/gunas.asp
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