Orthodox Schools

Question 1

Sankhya

Answer 1

Founder: Kapila
Date: 1st-11th century CE
Reality: Purusa and prakrti
Liberation: achieved when one attains knowledge of true self- soul is separate from prakrti

Question 2

Yoga

Answer 2

Founder: Patanjali
Date: 2nd century CE
Reality: practical branch of Sankhya- Purusa and prakrti
Liberation: Goal is to work through the 8 limbs of classical yoga to quiet the mind and achieve kaivalya (alone-ness)

Question 3

Nyaya

Answer 3

Founder: Guatama
Date: slightly prior to 2nd century CE
Reality: atoms, souls, god
Liberation: Obtaining valid knowledge is the only way to gain release from suffering. 4 valid sources of knowledge.

Question 4

Vaisesika

Answer 4

Founder: Kanada
Date: 200 BCE- 1st Century CE
Reality: atoms, space and time, God and distinct individual souls. souls are not one- eternally separate unit
Liberation: obtained through right knowledge of reality. 2 valid sources of knowledge.

Question 5

Mimamsa

Answer 5

Founder: Jaimini
Date: 2nd Century BCE
Reality: external world exists as does individual souls. No creator god, no cycle of creation and destruction. Vedic deities not viewed as supreme god.
Liberation: focus is not on liberation (which is viewed as heaven but on performing sacred ritual and dharma (righteous living) in the here and now.

Question 6

Vedanta

Answer 6

Founder: differing schools
Date: differing dates
Reality: brahman alone is real. Nature of the individual soul differs by school.
Liberation: through knowledge of the real self, but how and of what varies by school

Question 7

Advaita Vedanta (Non-dualism)

Answer 7

Founder: Sankara
Date: 8 or 9th century
What is real? Nirguna Brahman
Key features: the attribute less, formless, brhaman is the only reality.
the universe, all that we perceive as part of it, and all the individual selves are unreal.
Brahman and the individual self (atman) are non dual (the same; brahman = atman)
knowledge is only and ultimate way to realize one’s identity as brahman

Question 8

Visistadvaita (qualified non-dualism)

Answer 8

Founder: ramanuja
Date: 11th or 12th century
what is real? Saguna Brahman, matter (the universe), individual souls
Key Features: individual suls and the universe exist as distinct categories; all are dependent on god
souls can experience union, not unity, with Brahman
Brahman has a divine form
Bhakti is the principal means for liberation

Question 9

Dvaita (dualism)

Answer 9

Founder: Madhva
Date: 13 or 14th century
What is real? Saguna Brahman, matter (the universe), individual selves
Key Features: God is real, the world is real, we’re real- all eternally separate
there is a five fold difference within reality 1) between the selves and god 2) between matter and god 3) between individual selves 4) between selves and matter 5) within different forms of matter
Bhakti founded upon knowledge of God’s glory, is the means to liberation