Knowledge and Existential Concerns in Indian Thought: Towards a Liberating Way of Life
摘要
The ancient Indian civilization had a fairly well-developed view of knowledge which was not only spiritual but also scientific in nature. Also, Indians made significant contributions to the development of scientific theories and technological products. The evidence of scientific knowledge documented in ancient texts such as Vedas, Mahabharata, Puranas and various philosophical sources such as Vaiseshika Darshanam is often dismissed as a myth. These sources are difficult to understand by the lay people as they are mostly in Sanskrit and somewhat difficult to comprehend. The simple, concise and easy-to-understand description of these sources is not very popular, especially in the contemporary education system, and hence these contributions are either neglected or misrepresented. Not only this, Science in the Indian knowledge system is a way of knowing not only natural phenomena but also our own self. According to Vedic tradition knowledge is classified into higher knowledge which is the knowledge of consciousness (Parā vidyā i.e. Transcendental Knowledge); and lower knowledge (Aparā vidyā i.e. the Worldly Knowledge) which is related to the study of the material world. The lower knowledge (sastra) is the standard science which is analytical in nature and the higher knowledge relates to knowledge of self together with outer reality. The two are complementary in nature and are necessary to live in harmony. While modern science limits itself to verifiable ways of knowing, Indian systems have also delved into experiential and metaphysical aspects of knowing. This chapter explores the representation of science in Indian Knowledge systems, its relevance for education and how science should be a way of life.