Course XXX - Teaching 6: Vedic Philosophy

We call improperly philosophy to Vedic wisdom, but we use these terms for a clear understanding by students of Occident.
To call philosophy to the divine wisdom of the Vedas is like to call a world of stars to the universe. We cannot assign determined date to the oral traditions communicated to ancient sages by sages that preceded them.
If we considered the exact or approximate date when the Vedas were written, their true divine character would fall away.
Veda is the expression of God, of his thought condensed in norms, methods and definitions; so it cannot have beginning or end because is eternal like wisdom of God and its value perpetually lasts.
Its origin is non-human, Apaurusheya; and only conveyed and recognized by the accepted tradition, Vansha.
There are four Vedas: Rig-, Yajur-, Sam- and Atharva Veda, and the Upanishads are their commentary. Throughout ages, the tradition recognized by the Vedas became orthodox; that is, this tradition encompassed religions, castes, schools, dogmas and habits; in short, a whole corollary of external forces to keep the purity of its tenets.
While infinite heterodox schools were formed apart from established tenets and methods –especially in India the principal philosophical schools kept the purity of these tenets. The six Darshanas are surviving schools at present.
Darshana means: a different viewpoint to see a unique truth recognized.
They are:
1st: Nyaya;
2nd: Vaiseshika;
3rd: Sankhya;
4th: Yoga;
5th:Mimansa, and
6th: Vedanta.
Nyaya recognizes all Vedic fundaments to reach the Divine Union, but it is indispensable to see, observe, know, reflect and test all universal elements.
Here is Nyaya’s basic sentence, “You get blessing by understanding the truth such as the sixteen Padarths establish it”.
The sixteen Padarthas are rules to reflect and analyze things according to Nyaya.
Vaiseshika seeks the union with God through study and knowledge of individual substances.
They reflect on an aspect of the substance and investigate its different qualities to establish its peculiar action and its similar and seemingly independent derivations from it. But its similar derivations associate by substantial coherence and the fundamental union of the cosmic substance becomes manifest.
Here are the six discursive categories of Vaiseshika:
1st : Drava – Substance;
2nd : Gunas – Qualities;
3rd : Karma – Actions;
4th: Samanya – Generalities;
5th: Vishesha – Separateness; and
6th: Samavaya – Coherence.
Sankhya conquers the Universal Spirit, Purusha, by theoretical knowledge of Nature.
Yoga, like Sankya, seeks the Universal Purusha by control of Nature, Prakriti, or by discipline. Mimansa says the final liberation, or the conquest of the unique reality, that is Brahman, is achieved by removing all external elements that are illusory and by studying the Veda.
It is divided into two parts: Purva Mimansa, study of rites and ceremonies, and Uttura Mimansa, deep investigation of Vedas.
Over all, Purva Mimansa constantly strives not to be tied to the external illusion; many of its followers even embraced fanaticism because they feared to be tied to the manifestation of the Universe. Vedanta respects and recognizes all cosmic elements and principles accepted by the Vedas and its only desire is to find the Unique Reality.
Brahman is the only Reality; all the rest is Maya, illusion.
The souls are nothing more than Brahman.
Nothing exists, except Him.