Dear Jeyamohan,
The two videos of Ajithan on Western philosophy are very profound and detailed. I found an intriguing point in these videos. Scholars talking about Indian philosophy, like Shivism or Vedanta, are putting forth very old ideas like Karma and God. On the other hand, the concepts discussed by scholars such as Ajithan in Western philosophy are highly relevant and resonate directly with my own experiences. Is this a real problem with these two kinds of philosophies?
Jeyanth Kumar
Dear Jeyanth,
Indeed, this is a major problem with Indian philosophy. Indian philosophy has two major limitations. The first limitation is historical; due to various historical factors, Indian philosophy stagnated after Madhva and Nimbarka in the 14th century.
The second one is philosophical. Indian philosophy primarily focuses on spirituality, often referred to as religious philosophy or theology. No secular philosophy emerged in Indian thought, whereas Western philosophy became secular from the 16th century and created great masters in it for more than four centuries.
But we can interpret Indian philosophy as a secular and common way of thought; we can connect it with our contemporary problems. We have a significant task ahead of us. At Vellimalai we are striving to achieve this by teaching it to everyone, regardless of religious rituals or faith.
Jeyamohan.
