History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c10.21.1

v1.c10.21.1

Among all these different recluses namely Jainas (जैनै:) or Buddhists, Ārhatas (आर्हतै:) or Jains, Pāśupatas, Pārāśaris, Varṇis (Brahmacharis) (H. C. above quoted) and others were to be found men learned in the philosophies of their respective doctrines and a peculiar characteristic of this time was the extreme fondness of the people and the princes to hear learned discussions on philosophical questions between the professors of the different doctrines. The Indian religion, strangely enough, combines the highest philosophy with the grossest superstition. The Indo-Aryans in times remote, grappled with the most abstruse problems relating to God and soul, and have left us speculations in the Upanishads and the Vedas beyond which no people have yet gone. Imbued with a deep sense of the miseries of this world the Indo-Aryans applied themselves to a consideration of the world beyond while the western Aryans applied themselves to the problems of this world. And in their speculations, as Max-Muller has observed, they never shrank from accepting conclusions at which they logically arrived. Hence the diversity of schools in Indian philosophies and hence also their freedom from bigotry or intolerance of other opinions. The Indo-Aryan mind always took delight in logically discussing the various questions of religious philosophy. Buddhism especially was fond of such discussions.