Where is the Origin of Philosophy?
Greece. Essentially, philosophy is Western. Most people answered (naturally) India and Hinduism. India/Hinduism was never the origin of any major philosophy. Instead, in ancient India, we had Darshan Shastras. ‘Darshana’ is to see or vision. It is not philosophy. In Sanskrit, the ‘philosophy’ is referred to as ‘Tatva’.
The word philosophy is mistakenly used for Darshana, which derives from the Sanskrit root Drish (‘to see, to experience’). Sophia means knowledge (empiric knowledge) and Philo means liking. Philosophy means love for empirical knowledge. In the Oxford dictionary, you will find meaning, use of reasoning, and argument in search of truth and in search of getting knowledge of reality.
Reality is always existing. Human beings by reasoning/ by an argument can not determine actual reality. Why? Humans are finite beings. He has so many drawbacks. Knowledge is limited. Limited intellect. They cannot determine their cause. Intellect is finite. Mental capacity is finite.
Obviously, Philosophy doesn’t go beyond the finite mind. As per science, the mind doesn’t have any extra superpowers. Its functioning is limited to the inputs or conditioning of the person.
Hence, Philosophy, at the best, is a mental exercise and thought experiment, sometimes just a timepass, and is not of much use for the philosopher himself other than gaining followers and becoming famous…!
Long ago, our ancestors (Hindu sages) found the limitations of the mind. In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, the mind is looked upon as material. The Chhandogya Upanishad says ‘anna mayam hi somya mana’ (The mind is verily composed from food). Our ancient scientists (ancestors, sages) say it is material. It is a fact too. The mind is just a chemical process inside the brain.
If you want to see your house, you can’t see it from the inside. You have to come out and see from a distance. Or you should go upward and see it from there. You will realize the objective truth only if you come out of your mind. The process is simple. Go beyond the mind (thoughts).
This is where Indian Dharshana begins. Darshan was not by philosophers (thinkers), but by wise sages who achieved the special ability to perceive the truth through long years of Sadhana and Dhyana (I don’t know if there are any English words).
As said, Darshan means seeing the truth. This is not an enthusiastic interpretation of the world. The philosophy is like a child’s thoughts in comparison to the outcome from the master of Darshan.
There are six (Shad) Darshan Shastras: (1) Poorv Mimansa (Sage Jaimini), (2) Nyay (Sage Gautum), (3) Vaisheshik (Sage Kanad), (4) Samkhya (Sage Kapil), (5) Yoga (Sage Patanjali) and (6) Uttar Mimansa (Brahma Sutra) (Sage Ved Vyas). Apart from Shad Darshanas, we have three more: Charvaka, Buddhism, and Jainism. Some schools classify Darshans as Advaita, Vishishtadvaita, Dvaita, Achintya Bhedabheda, Suddhadvaita, etc.
Darshan is true perception, not thought experiments. It is just seeing things as they are and not verbal diarrhea. Those are pure perceivable provable truths. Our sages were free thinkers and never insisted that you should follow any Dharshanas. You can also develop your own Darshana. For which, you must travel beyond the mind. A tough task indeed. The mind would come in disguise again and again. The ‘seeing’ ability of our ancestors is a lost art now, that’s why we don’t get any new Darshans for the last few centuries.
Ah, I have heard it in the movie Avatar, “I See You” is a traditional phrase used by the Na’vi people of Pandora to greet one another.
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