Charvaka Philosophy

A portion of my published paper. It was presented in BHU in January, 2013.

The base of Indian philosophy is Vedic literature. The recognized schools are – Charvaka, Buddhist, Jain, Samkhya, Yoga, Vaiśeṣika,Nyaya, Mimansa and Vedanta. It is not the final division or permanent division. There are few schools which are either not taught in detail or they were only meant for a particular period. With this few schools are totally lost. Some of them are mentioned in the scriptures. Buddhism and Jainism were converted into separate religions. The former got royal patronage and the society followed the ruler. Slowly – slowly Jainism also flourished as a separate religion. Their scholars and monks claim that they are totally different from Hinduism. Their scriptures are also as old as Vedas. The current discussion is not related to this. After all, everyone wants permanent relief from stress and strain. If they get permanent relief and freedom from the cycle of birth, other views are not important. There is no need to quarrel on name and form.

A period came when the society saw the uprising of Mimansa School. It was a lengthy period in our history. Though it got a slight break in the period of Buddhism, afterwards it again showed its influence. They loved the ritualistic part which was prepared or manipulated by demons. They were pampered and sponsored by the royal class. From another stand point, it seems, every school started working for popularity (preyas).

Among the schools mentioned, Charvaka, Buddhism and Jainism are termed as atheist. The so-called followers of theism keep safe distance from above three schools. Out of these, the Charvaka was termed as totally untouchable. Even other atheist schools do not like this one. According to some scholars, it rejects the authority of the Veda. According to them, the Veda establishes the next world. So, anyone who discards the next world is rejecting Veda. For them it is not proof.

According to the sponsored scholars, atheists are godless people. How can anyone survive without god? On one hand the preachers promote the idea of everything being made and maintained by God. In the end, everything goes in him, therefore, nothing can exist without his knowledge. Human beings do not have any right to decide this matter. They do not have the required authority. Only God can decide, who’s with him and not. The matter related with the next world is an imagination of a few cults. The purpose of Veda is not dependent on that. What’s the ground reality? Are atheist schools really useless? When the sutra of every school is supported by the Vedic literature, there has to be some ulterior motive in underestimating them. The literature won’t promote useless thing. There’s nothing useless in the universe. We might not be familiar or do not want to extract the essence from them.

The sutras in ancient scriptures didn’t name any school directly. They reflected the thought process. While thinking, a person stays at any one of them. The mentality of attachment, took it as a sutra of personal ideology. Slowly- Slowly it developed in a separate school. The concept of having sutras of various natures in the literature is easy to understand. The scriptures follow the policies of caring attitude. They behave like a caring mother, who knows the requirement of every child. When a person’s mind swings among nature, body and society, the Samkhya School is helpful in nourishing his thoughts. With this, if there is a liking towards health, yoga will be helpful. A person totally attached towards rituals and fruits of action, the Mimansa School will be the first choice. This school got too much importance during the rule of different kings. The lust was pampered and promoted in different forms. The scholars of this and the school of yoga got royal patronage easily. Instead of going into surgical operation, it can be easily said, all of them helped in or the other way.

On the basis of the above technique, the process of analytical thinking started. The storm of thoughts brought a shower of questions. It turned into a river of analyses. Everyone is attracted towards this or that ford (ghat). The river flows through them and enters an ocean of solution. Every ford gives temporary relief. We do stay there, for some time. The absence of permanent relief asks for further journey. The analytical process starts again. It goes on till permanent relief is obtained. This is the story of Indian philosophy. The fords denote different schools. One of the unique features of the Indian philosophical trend is; they exist inside and outside. All of them are right in their own place. On the ground of behavioral reality their importance cannot be neglected. The day to day behavior, of an individual, reflects different levels of actions. They are the results of pre-occupied thoughts, arising and capturing the mind immediately after being a part of the scene. The thinking style of every individual is different. The same individual’s style also differs from time to time. The reaction towards the same thing differs. After thinking deeply, an individual may not react in the same way, as it did before.

A common example, given by the lovers of division is, about a few blind people, touching the different parts of an elephant. After that, each person comments on its shape. Among them one person touched the leg and for him the animal was like a pillar. A person touched his tail and said, it was like a rope. Another one touched the trunk and said, it was like a snake. One touched the portion of the body which was above the leg. For him, the animal was like a wall. In this example one must assume that everyone had the concept (idea) of those things which were compared with the parts. Without this, the example will be wrong. On the other hand, this example is suitable only for fanatic people. They keep their inner eye closed and are extrovert. This example is suitable for the cults and not for the philosophical schools. For the purpose of discussion, the word school is used. You can also use it for educational purposes. The only risk is, in the educational system they are taught as the competitor of one another. The educational system is only interested in making you blind. The above example is also suitable for the syllabus of philosophy. The cults and the current syllabus are trying their best, to confuse the masses. They are achieving their goal by broadening and maintaining the division in the intellect. They are not ashamed to play with the faith of an individual.

The values present in the Charvaka philosophy, help in maintaining cordial relation and decorum, with the self and the society. In between there are family, relatives, friends, strangers, flora and fauna. A behavioral pattern emerges from them. Gradually, they become a symbol of identification. According to maturity and grasping power, everyone gets a set of values. The journey of thinking or analyzing starts with the body level. After all, physical body is essential for every level of thinking. For behavior or spiritualism, you can’t reject the need and importance of the physical body. 

An urge to understand the link in the thought process is essential. While migrating from one level to another one, mind and intellect searches for moments of rest. It is a natural process. The Indian system believes in trying and not only on accomplishment. This system, gives space for internal growth. It doesn’t believe in forcing. Every one can’t grow internally in the same speed. They take their own time. Here, the concept of inferior-superior is absent. There’s a common element present in every case. All of us are in search of permanent relief. According to natural laws, the people are attracted and attached to this and that school. You can also call it, as a level of thought or platform of analyses. A feeling of satisfaction arises in the mind. The person takes it as the required solution. Slowly-slowly the tendency of becoming fanatic develops in the mind. Instead of judging self-development, he becomes unreasonable and illogical. The stops are only meant for analysing self-development.

In those cases where the above signs are dull, the person starts this process. Numerous doubts arise in the mind. If the person cares about personal spiritual growth, he’ll start walking on that path. Until and unless, the mind gets permanent calmness, it remains agitated and upset. It may behave peacefully at the level of the gross body but there’s no peace at the subtle and causal level. As soon as this hollowness is noticed, the person becomes restless.

It is the second category, where people are attached with the stops, coming in the process of thinking. They run after names and care about external appearance. It is a natural tendency. The human mind is easily attracted towards a new thing. It searches options. This is cashed by pseudo intellectuals. They wear robes, follow rules in public and chant long prayers. It is nothing else but a show business. You are only using physical and intellectual strength.

In this path there’s a third category. There are few people in this. They may or may not be good in bookish studies but they are awakened towards the path of spiritualism. They do not care about the stops or the marketing techniques adopted by different cults.

For a student of class one, his class is important, useful and for some extent fearful. After promotion, the same scene is seen and the only change occurs is, in the number of the class. Before, it was one, now two and so on. Every class brings some excitement and attraction. After coming to the next class, previous one can’t be rejected. One may laugh on it but can’t negate its importance. None of the class is inferior-superior. Every class contributes something in the carrier of every scholar. In behavior we say, he’s in higher class or in college or in university. A lower class is not meant for rejection. Now, in the terms of syllabus, one dimension can be added. A same subject is taught from class one to ten. The topics are kept according to the grasping power of the students. Even in the case of mother tongue this rule is maintained. If something is needed to be given, it is presented in light or diluted manner. The classical literature is not added directly from upper KG or class one.

The Indian philosophy deals like this. This is an important reason for their survival. Their sutras were written, to maintain the balance in behavior. After all, none can stay without behavior. The balance in behavior is needed everywhere. If you stay in a forest, flora-fauna will be there. You’ll behave with natural things. At the body level you’ll behave with yourself. It may be mentally but it is still a behavior. An action less situation is a fallacy because it is also an action. You’re under the influence of the same kind of thought. We can’t stay without breathing. Though it is automatic but it is also an action. You may not speak from mouth but you’re continuously using sign language. It is also a kind of talking. You will get name and fame. The people will come to see you. That is the only gift you’ll receive for your penance. You’re taking food and liquid from mouth. For that purpose, mouth is opened. Therefore the mouth is in motion. It is not in silence mode. You have gone through Prasthantrai (Gita, Upanishad and Brahma sutra). You might have attended one to four years course on them. You have become a good orator and writer. You may have taken robes or paid lump sum amount and started staying in, any ashram. How much material has gone through you? How much you have digested? In the absence of upasana and karma yoga, digestion won’t take place. It proves the need and the importance of behavior. Here, the upasana is not related with any special category of rituals.

Charvaka philosophy helps the walkers in very positive way. Like other schools, if does not claim anything. In fact, none of them force themselves on others. Their followers (intellectuals, writers, preachers and sponsors),  claim their own superiority on other schools. For establishing themself they went on defaming, rejecting eachother. None of the sutras of any established school says, they are the final things and one must follow, in order to achieve liberation. The sutras are broad minded. After dividing them in schools, scholars have tried to keep them indoors. It is just like playing with fire in which chances of burning fingers are more. The emphasis must be on use and not on the misuse of the sutras. 

This part of discussion can be made clear by the example of Indian educational system. It is a known fact; examples are not a photo copy, of the thing for they are used. One must take the part which is needed for the implied meaning.

When the behaviour is essential, one must keep inner eyes open. By remaining awakened, a person is able to analyze the situation. While analyzing the situation, peculiar situations comes in the picture. It often becomes difficult to take the decision. A common man finds himself / herself standing on a cross road, where different options are available and it 

is difficult to choose the right one. In order to guide the person in taking the required decision, Indian philosophical schools behave like a mirror. This process will be clear when a reader reads this paper.

Spiritualism is nothing but staying in self. Most of the time is invested in behaving with others. How much is invested for ourselves? Here, no one is asking to run away from the assigned duties. Thinking is the official signal of this path. It starts from Charvaka. Why not from any other school? This school deals more with the body and behaviour. To accept or negate a body, you must have a body. It can also be termed as the first step or stop of preliminary investigation, needed in the path of spiritualism.

This is the only school which talks about social responsibility of every individual and talks about democracy in a codified style. It doesn’t favor the idea of determining caste by birth. In fact total Vedic literature is in the favor of gun-karma or the qualities of a person.

It is really a pity where Indian schools of philosophy are taught as atheist and theist. All the three - charvaka, Jain and Buddha are theistic. On the other hand Indian system do not have the western concept of atheism which is God centered and the definition of God is also not crystal clear. 

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There's one post on Charvaka in Hindi in this blog. 

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Charvaka Management - in the Amazon . It also has the sutras in the Sanskrit language. https://images.app.goo.gl/Td7kxdckT8CyNfd79


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