Contributions of moral thinkers from India and the world

Moral thinkers Rabindranath Tagore The centre of Tagore’s philosophy was man of god. Even his concept of God was influenced by the humanism inherent in his outlook. The supreme reality thus according to Tagore, essentially human and could be realised only through love of man. Love of God was thus translated into love of human. … Read more

Philosophy of the Upanishad and the Bhagavad Gita –Yoga Philosophy of Pathanjali

Philosophy of the Upanishad and the Bhagavad Gita –Yoga Philosophy of Pathanjali Philosophy of the Upanishad What are Upanishads? The Upanishads are ancient texts, which record the foundation of Hindu thought. They are the final part of the Vedas, the part that is concerned with pure knowledge. The word ‘veda’ means ‘knowledge’; and the Upanishads … Read more

Hindu Dharma: General characteristics and some common beliefs – Purusharthas– rituals and ethics – festivals and sacred days – pilgrimage and fairs.

Hindu Dharma: General characteristics and some common beliefs – Purusharthas– rituals and ethics – festivals and sacred days – pilgrimage and fairs. Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in the world. It is a religion followed by several racial and ethnic groups. The Hindu sacred texts deal with the ethical behaviour of an individual … Read more

Hindu sects: Hinduism as a federation of various sects – Shaiva, Vaishnava and Shakta

Hindu sects: Hinduism as a federation of various sects – Shaiva, Vaishnava and Shakta Hinduism is a complex religion. It is an artificial collection of several traditions that originated in India in the last few millenniums. Since, the Muslim and British rulers and scholars alike were ignorant of the native traditions, they grouped everything under … Read more

Hindutva and Patriotism

Hindutva and Patriotism Hindutva Literally ‘Hindutva’ means a way of life or a state of mind that is based on the cultural and spiritual ethos based on the spiritual systems that evolved from India. Hindutva is a philosophy like Communism or Socialism. The difference is that, whereas communism and socialism are materialistic philosophies intended to … Read more

Struggle for emancipation of Dalits and their empowerment

Struggle for emancipation of Dalits and their empowerment Dalit empowerment Dalit empowerment may be defined as a process of gaining control by Dalits as a community over self, ideology, material and knowledge resources, which determine power relationship in a society. As a political process, Dalit empowerment challenges the prevailing power structure of subordination and involves … Read more

Jainism: Principles – Ratnatraya, code of morals, Equality (samana), Ahimsa

Jainism Originated in India thousands of years ago and is thought to have heavily influenced the two other main belief systems of the region at that time: Hinduism and Buddhism. The religion centres on the progress of one’s soul towards a divine consciousness through self-reformation, wisdom and self-control and pacifism towards all living creatures. There … Read more