4 Objectives of Human Life

According to Vedic philosophy human life has a definite purpose.

Whilst the final Goal of life is "Moksha", there are three other
(intermediary) goals of life. These together are called four
objectives or pursuits of life, which are as follows:-

1. DHARMA - Righteousness
2. ARTHA - Acquisition of wealth by proper means and its right use
3. KAMA - Fulfillment of noble desires
4. MOKSHA - Liberation or the final Goal

It is essential to have the proper understanding of these objectives

(as also because these terms are highly used in our daily language to mean
different things). We shall describe these briefly in the following paras:-

DHARMA

This is the first and foremost objective or pursuit of life.

Dharma is a Sanskrit word and it has no exact equivalent in English language.
It has much wider significance than the word 'religion',
in its ordinary sense, as currently in vogue in the existing conventional forms.
The word DHARMA has been derived from its root Dhri which means 'to uphold', '
to adopt', 'to safeguard', etc. In essence,
therefore DHARMA means that which is worthy of being
upholded or being practiced.
Thus, DHARMA is a comprehensive term which covers an entire
range of values.

DHARMA has two factors: (a) Genuine faith and devotion to God,
as all noble qualities emanate from God; and (b) Practice of righteousness in ones
life, also called as 10 basic principles of Dharma.
The above two factors can be the unifying basis for all conventional religions.
Hence, it has also been called as Sanatan (forever) or Manav (human) Dharma.

The ten basic principles of Dharma are the following:-

1. Forbearance:- It is the quality to remain calm and composed in all circumstances.
2. Control of mind:-
One should exercise full control over the mind which is always restless and changing.
3. Kshama (Forgiveness):- It is virtue of those
who are physically and morally strong. However,
 it is not desirable to forgive a habitual wrong doer.
4. Non Stealing:- One should not steal or take away or acquire
anything which belongs to others, without paying its proper price
and without permission of the rightful owner
5. Shauch (Cleanliness):- One should keep the body, mind and
physical environment clean and pure.
6. Wisdom:- One should always try to gain wisdom through study,
self experience and wise company.
7. Control of Senses:- One should keep one's sense
(of action and knowledge) under control and become their master.
There are five senses of Knowledge and five sense of action.
8. Knowledge:- One should acquire knowledge both of physical and
spiritual domain from all possible sources
9. Truth:- One should practice truth in thought, words and deed
10. Non Anger:- One should try to remain calm and balanced even
in the face of provocation.

ARTHA (Wealth)

ARTHA or the acquisition of wealth is the second most important

pursuit or objective of human life. DHARMA comes first and ARTHA
has to be based on Dharma. The observance of DHARMA takes priority. The following
are the forms of ARTHA:-
1. Knowledge is the greatest wealth; both material and spiritual.
Material Knowledge relates to our worldly life, requirements and activities,
while spiritual knowledge relates to spirit, God and inner life.
Material knowledge is necessary to live worldly life and it can
be gained thru proper education, intellecual pursuits and
everyday experience, etc. However, the spiritual knowledge
is much difficult to acquire. Spiritual knowledge leads to self
realisation. It can be attained through the hard practice of yogic discipline
2. Health is another form of Wealth. One has to acquire and practice
the knowledge of attaining good health, which includes the
well being at physical, emotional and mental levels.
Good food, proper regular exercise and good thoughts are some
of the fundamentals of good health.
3. Contentment is another wealth. It means abstinence of desire
to possess more and more of life requirements and material possessions.
It aso implies that one should work honestly, try his best and be
 satisfied with the results of his efforts. Contentment give mental
peace and moral strength t remain calm in al circumstances
4. Material Wealth is another wealth. It should be acquired
keeping the DHARMA. Some portion of money should be
used for charitable purposes. It should be expended only for the
necessities and not for one's greed (luxuries).
One should not become slave of the material wealth but should master it.

KAMA (Controlled fulfillment of desires)

The third pursuit of Life is KAMA - the desire for the satisfaction
of sensual urges in which sexual gratification occupies the prime position.
On a wider scale, it includes fulfillment of other material desires also.

KAMA is two faceted.

- One (controlled and beneficial desire) acts as a catalytic agent for actions in life.
Much of the personal and worldly progress is the result of desire to achieve
something, to discover something new.
- Another (uncontrolled or not beneficial desire) can lead to destruction.

It is therefore utmost important to gain knowledge on differentiating

between the facets and then to entertain the desires in a controlled way.
Let us now examine how desires are produced.
- Desires are produced in the mind through thought process when mind
dwells on the objects of senses. When this happens, attachment to external objects
is produced. From attachment springs desire.

- The desire goes on increasing and one desire leads to another and so on.
Like fire to which fuel is added, KAMA grows more and more with indulgence
are overwhelmed by KAMA, the soul also gets deluded and the result is deterioration
and destruction.
- Therefore, we should keep KAMA under proper check and at its
desirable level in order to make life useful and purposeful.

- We should limit out desires to as low as necessary for the daily living
and fulfilling ones duties. Desires which arise out of lust, greed and anger
should be curbed absolutely.

- Such control should be enforced from the beginning through wisdom and
discrimination. In another words, control of desires should be observed
through proper understanding about the consequences of the desires;
and should not be by suppression as suppressed desires will bounce back.
Repeated reminders, checks and strong determination are useful tools
to avoid harmful desires. The observance of principles of DHARMA
plays a vital role in the curbing and control of unwanted and harmful desires.

MOKSHA (SALVATION)
This the fourth an final objective of human life.
It is the state of liberation from misery and pain which are so abundant in human life.
It is the state of Ananda (perfect bliss) after attaining which nothing more remains
to be attained.

STAGE ONE: MIMICRY

We are born helpless. We cant walk, cant talk, cant feed ourselves, cant
even do our own damn taxes.
As children, the way were wired to learn is by watching and mimicking
others. First we learn to do physical skills like walk and talk. Then we
develop social skills by watching and mimicking our peers around us.
Then, finally, in late childhood, we learn to adapt to our culture by
observing the rules and norms around us and trying to behave in such a
way that is generally considered acceptable by society.
The goal of Stage One is to teach us how to function within society so that
we can be autonomous, self-sufficient adults. The idea is that the adults in
the community around us help us to reach this point through supporting
our ability to make decisions and take action ourselves.
But some adults and community members around us suck.1 They punish
us for our independence. They dont support our decisions. And therefore
we dont develop autonomy. We get stuck in Stage One, endlessly
mimicking those around us, endlessly attempting to please all so that we
might not be judged.2
In a normal healthy individual, Stage One will last until late
adolescence and early adulthood.3 For some people, it may last further
into adulthood. A select few wake up one day at age 45 realizing theyve
never actually lived for themselves and wonder where the hell the years
went.
This is Stage One. The mimicry. The constant search for approval and
validation. The absence of independent thought and personal values.
We must be aware of the standards and expectations of those around us.
But we must also become strong enough to act in spite of those standards
and expectations when we feel it is necessary. We must develop the ability
to act by ourselves and for ourselves.
STAGE TWO: SELF-DISCOVERY
In Stage One, we learn to fit in with the people and culture around us.
Stage Two is about learning what makes us different from the people and
culture around us. Stage Two requires us to begin making decisions for
ourselves, to test ourselves, and to understand ourselves and what makes
us unique.
Stage Two involves a lot of trial-and-error and experimentation. We
experiment with living in new places, hanging out with new people,
imbibing new substances, and playing with new peoples orifices.
In my Stage Two, I ran off and visited fifty-something countries. My
brothers Stage Two was diving headfirst into the political system in
Washington DC. Everyones Stage Two is slightly different because every
one of us is slightly different.
Stage Two is a process of self-discovery. We try things. Some of them go
well. Some of them dont. The goal is to stick with the ones that go well
and move on.
Stage Two lasts until we begin to run up against our own limitations. This
doesnt sit well with many people. But despite what Oprah and Deepak
Chopra may tell you, discovering your own limitations is a good and
healthy thing.
Youre just going to be bad at some things, no matter how hard you try.
And you need to know what they are. I am not genetically inclined to ever
excel at anything athletic whatsoever. It sucked for me to learn that, but I
did. Im also about as capable of feeding myself as an infant drooling
applesauce all over the floor. That was important to find out as well. We
all must learn what we suck at. And the earlier in our life that we learn it,
the better.
So were just bad at some things. Then there are other things that are great
for a while, but begin to have diminishing returns after a few years.
Traveling the world is one example. Sexing a ton of people is another.
Drinking on a Tuesday night is a third. There are many more. Trust me.
Your limitations are important because you must eventually come to the
realization that your time on this planet is limited and you should
therefore spend it on things that matter most. That means realizing that
just because you can do something, doesnt mean you should do it. That
means realizing that just because you like certain people doesnt mean
you should be with them. That means realizing that there are opportunity
costs to everything and that you cant have it all.
There are some people who never allow themselves to feel limitations
either because they refuse to admit their failures, or because they delude
themselves into believing that their limitations dont exist. These people
get stuck in Stage Two.
These are the serial entrepreneurs who are 38 and living with mom and
still havent made any money after 15 years of trying. These are the
aspiring actors who are still waiting tables and havent done an audition
in two years. These are the people who cant settle into a long-term
relationship because they always have a gnawing feeling that theres
someone better around the corner. These are the people who brush all of
their failings aside as releasing negativity into the universe or
purging their baggage from their lives.
At some point we all must admit the inevitable: life is short, not all of our
dreams can come true, so we should carefully pick and choose what we
have the best shot at and commit to it.
But people stuck in Stage Two spend most of their time convincing
themselves of the opposite. That they are limitless. That they can
overcome all. That their life is that of non-stop growth and ascendance in
the world, while everyone else can clearly see that they are merely
running in place.
In healthy individuals, Stage Two begins in mid- to late-adolescence and
lasts into a persons mid-20s to mid-30s.4 People who stay in Stage Two
beyond that are popularly referred to as those with Peter Pan Syndrome
the eternal adolescents, always discovering themselves, but finding
nothing.
STAGE THREE: COMMITMENT
Once youve pushed your own boundaries and either found your
limitations (i.e., athletics, the culinary arts) or found the diminishing
returns of certain activities (i.e., partying, video games, masturbation)
then you are left with whats both a) actually important to you, and b)
what youre not terrible at. Now its time to make your dent in the world.
Stage Three is the great consolidation of ones life. Out go the friends who
are draining you and holding you back. Out go the activities and hobbies
that are a mindless waste of time. Out go the old dreams that are clearly
not coming true anytime soon.
Then you double down on what youre best at and what is best to you.
You double down on the most important relationships in your life. You
double down on a single mission in life, whether thats to work on the
worlds energy crisis or to be a bitching digital artist or to become an
expert in brains or have a bunch of snotty, drooling children. Whatever it
is, Stage Three is when you get it done.
Stage Three is all about maximizing your own potential in this life. Its all
about building your legacy. What will you leave behind when youre
gone? What will people remember you by? Whether thats a breakthrough
study or an amazing new product or an adoring family, Stage Three is
about leaving the world a little bit different than the way you found it.
Stage Three ends when a combination of two things happen: 1) you feel as
though theres not much else you are able to accomplish, and 2) you get
old and tired and find that you would rather sip martinis and do
crossword puzzles all day.
In normal individuals, Stage Three generally lasts from around 30-ish-
years-old until one reaches retirement age.
People who get lodged in Stage Three often do so because they dont
know how to let go of their ambition and constant desire for more. This
inability to let go of the power and influence they crave counteracts the
natural calming effects of time and they will often remain driven and
hungry well into their 70s and 80s.5
STAGE FOUR: LEGACY
People arrive into Stage Four having spent somewhere around half a
century investing themselves in what they believed was meaningful and
important. They did great things, worked hard, earned everything they
have, maybe started a family or a charity or a political or cultural
revolution or two, and now theyre done. Theyve reached the age where
their energy and circumstances no longer allow them to pursue their
purpose any further.
The goal of Stage Four then becomes not to create a legacy as much as
simply making sure that legacy lasts beyond ones death.
This could be something as simple as supporting and advising their (now
grown) children and living vicariously through them. It could mean
passing on their projects and work to a protg or apprentice. It could also
mean becoming more politically active to maintain their values in a
society that they no longer recognize.

Four Elements formed the classical Greek conception of the universe, as

follows:
At the center of our world is the Earth, as the planet we live on, the
ground and support beneath our feet. Because of Earth's great heaviness
and density, all things gravitate towards it.
Running over and around the Earth is Water, in the form of lakes,
rivers, and oceans. Water fertilizes and impregnates the Earth, giving it
Life.
Over the spheres of Earth and Water is that of Air,the atmosphere in
which we live, move and have our being. Air's essence is exchange,
contact and movement. All living things need Air to breathe.
And finally, Fire lights up the Sun, Moon, and stars in the celestial
firmament. Fire has brilliance and spirit, and symbolizes the Life Force
within us.
The human body and each of its constituent parts is also composed of
the Four Elements, in varying proportions. The basic distribution and
arrangement of the elements in the human body, or microcosm reflects
that of the macrocosm of Nature.

Light and Heavy Elements

Two of the elements, Fire and Air, are light, subtle and energetic. Both
of these elements have Hot as their primary quality.
Two of the elements, Water and Earth, are heavy, dense and
substantial, or gross. Both of these elements have Cold as their primary
quality.

Fluidic and Discrete Elements

The two elements having Wet as their secondary
quality, Air and Water, are both fluidic in their behavior, taking the shape
of their container and rushing in to fill every space or vacuum. Air is hot,
light and flows upwards, whereas Water is cold, heavy and flows or sinks
downwards.
The two elements having Dry as their secondary
quality, Fire and Earth, both have a tendency to separate things and make
them discrete. Fire, being Hot, does this in an active, dynamic way, by
refining, distilling and transforming. Earth, being Cold, does this in a
passive, receptive way, by solidifying, condensing and coagulating.

Extreme and Moderate Elements

Fire and Water are the extreme elements, being purely Yang or Yin in
their basic qualities,
respectively. Fire is Hot and Dry, whereas Water is Cold and Wet. Becau
se of their extreme qualities, both elements can destroy or overwhelm
easily. Fire and Waterboth embody the Cardinal quality of being able to
drive or initiate manifestation and change. In the human body, Fire and
Water drive all the metabolic processes.
Air and Earth are the moderate or mixed
elements. Air, being Hot and Wet, is fluidic, subtle and Mutable in
nature. Earth, being Cold and Dry, is heavy, solid and Fixed in nature.

The Four Elements in the Human Body

Each of the constituent parts of the human body is composed of the
Four Elements, in varying proportions. Here is where each of the Four
Elements is primarily found in the human body:
Fire: The digestive enzymes and secretions, and all enzymes. Yellow
Bile. The Innate Heat of metabolism and the Digestive Fire. The heart,
liver and stomach. All active, muscular heat generating tissues; the
muscles. The Fire of spirit and intelligence, and the sparkle in the eyes.
Air: The lungs, chest and thorax. All the cavities and open spaces,
which allow for movement and function. The blood and the Vital Force it
carries. The arteries, which pulsate with Air, or pneuma. All hollow or
porous tissues and structures, which are lightened, rarefied and refined by
Air: the bones, connective tissue, and membranous structures. Points of
exchange and contact: the lungs, kidneys and digestive mucosa.
Water: All the vital fluids of the body, especially the clear fluids:
phlegm, mucus, plasma, lymph and serous and interstitial fluids. The
kidneys, bladder and urinary tract, which pass superfluous Water from
the body. The mucosa of the digestive, respiratory and genitourinary
tracts. The lymphatic system. The brain and spinal cord.
Earth: All the dense, solid, deeper, more permanent parts of the body.
Bones, joints and structural connective tissue. Nerves, bone marrow and
nervous tissue. Teeth and gums. The hair and nails.

Qualities, Actions and Correspondences of the Elements

Each element has certain inherent qualities, which give rise to its
properties and actions. Each element also corresponds to a certain humor,
temperament and season of the year. The basic correspondences are as
follows:
Fire: Hot and Dry. The most active, energetic and volatile element,
and the greatest emitter of energy. Light, rising and penetrating.
Distilling, refining, extracting, digesting, metabolizing, transforming.
Yellow Bile. The Choleric temperament. Summer.
Air: Hot and Wet. The subtlest, most refined element. Flowing and
fluidic, filling every vacuum. Exchange, movement and contact.
Ascending, lightening, rarefying. Blood. The Sanguine temperament.
Spring.
Earth: Cold and Dry. The heaviest, densest, most solid element.
Draws, retains, solidifies, coagulates, precipitates, sustains, supports,
endures. Black Bile. The Melancholic temperament. Fall or Autumn.
Water: Cold and Wet. The most passive, receptive element, and the
greatest receiver and absorber of energy. Flowing and fluidic. Cools,
moistens, lubricates, dissolves, cleanses, purifies, sinks downwards.
Fertilizes and germinates as the Source of all Life. Phlegm. The
Phlegmatic temperament. Winter.

Ether, the Fifth Element

Some Greek medical philosophers include a fifth element, which is
Space, or Ether. It is the lightest, subtlest and most refined of all the
elements. Plato called it Prima Materia, or the primal source, womb or
matrix from which all matter arises and manifests. Ether could be called
matter on the verge of manifestation, or the space that allows matter to
exist.
Like Earth, Ether is also Cold and Dry in its basic qualities. But
contrary to Earth, Ether is extremely light, subtle and mobile. Some say
that Ether corresponds to the Nervoushumor and temperament, which is
the subtle counterpart of the Melancholic temperament and black bile.
But for most practical clinical purposes, Ether and its Nervous humor and
temperament are subsumed and included under Earth and its Melancholic
humor and temperament.

5 different virtues about marriage.

1. Choosing marriage is choosing to give up control of your life.

I cannot emphasize this virtue any stronger: Marriage will cost you your
life. If you value your own authority, singleness, or ego more than that of
others, do not get married. Choosing marriage will require you to give up
control of your life. You will make decisions that will affect at least two
people (more later when you have kids), and this is a very difficult change
from that of a single life. It might be the best gift ever given to a single
person, and its the costliest.
In a very real way, marriage is much like salvation. In accepting Gods
plan and will for your life, you are setting aside your own to be
submissive his his plan. This means that youre an active participant in his
plan, but your life is not about your happiness. Marriage is about giving
up of ones life for the sake of the other, which translates to a giving up of
control.
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for
another (John 15:13).
You complete me, might be one of the most famous lines in the
movie Jerry Maguire, and it might be the most misleading. Marriage will
offer you the unique and unparalleled opportunity to grow. Marriage will
not fill you, rather it will make you more aware of your emptiness and
need for God, and only God. Unfortunately there is no real way that
Hollywood can show more than an infatuated love. So we dont get a real
picture as to what mature, longstanding love looks like. Instead we get a
glimpse of the joy and warm fuzzy love that we all want to have. Theres
nothing wrong with this, but its not a lasting version of love.
2. Couples that protect pain from happening are preventing intimacy
(connections) from developing.
Its no secret that people dont like pain. Its also no secret that being in a
close relationship is an inevitable date with pain. The challenge is viewing
pain as though it is a gift, not the plague. Pain is not fun, but neither is
numbness. I dont know about you, but when I leave the dentist after
getting a shot of Novocain, I cannot wait for it to wear off. The feeling of
not controlling half of my face is miserable (not to mention the inability to
know when Im drooling). We were not made to be numb, we were made
to feel.
The poet Mary Oliver penned this line, and it speaks well to the realities
couples face:
I was once given a box full of darkness, it took me many years to realize
that this too was a gift.
Pain shapes our lives either in our acceptance of it or our refusal to
experience it. Creating a space for pain to be a welcomed guest in your
marriage will serve you well. This is the task of every marriage: To create
and develop a philosophy of dealing with pain. You will raise the next
generation of people based on how you and your spouse engage each
other in times of pain.
3. Marriage is a muscle: Use it or lose it.
Marriage takes work, and will not naturally grow on its own. It takes
consistent time and energy much like your muscles. If you were to sit all
day every day for a year, you would notice a significant amount of
atrophy in your body. Your inability to function after that year of sitting
would likely take you a more painful and greater amount of recovery to
return to your previous abilities (if ever at all). Once you have lost muscle
mass, it is very difficult to get it back.
Your months and years of dating and courtship are very much like a daily
trip to the gym. Youre exercising the muscles of the relationship that
cause it to grow. When you get married, continue your visits to the gym
(literally and metaphorically). Read books together, attend marriage
 workshops, go on dates, spend intentional time together, take trips. Do all
of these things regularly and your marriage will not atrophy.
4. One plus one equals three: Becoming one, requires two.
One of the more nuanced challenges of marriage is to become one
together, but remain distinctly individual in the process. It will take both
husband and wife bringing 100% each to the marriage to make the
relationship work. This is not a 50-50% proposition, its a 100-100%
arrangement. Only bringing 50% of yourself to the table means youre not
being fully you in the relationship.
When a husband or wife begin to lose their individuality, marriage
problems will soon follow. Being an individual is not the same as being
single, rather its being an individual who maintains their autonomy while
being 100% committed to the growth and health of the other person for
the sake of the marriage. M. Scott Peck in his bestselling book, The Road
Less Traveled, said that
Love is to tend to the spiritual and emotional growth in another person.
This is the goal of marriage, to tend to and care for the spiritual and
emotional health in our spouse. We have the best chance of doing this
when we are operating out of our fully unique and individual lives.
5. Marriage is Redemptive.
I know no other way to describe marriage more simply than its capacity to
enact redemption in life. This comes in unimaginable ways as past
wounds, hurts, fears, and resentments are all confronted with the woman
of our dreams. Surrendering ones life to another is hard, yes, but it is also
glorious. I believe this is the hope that beckons us to get married in the
first place. We might not know this is what we are signing up for, but the
spirit in us all moves us towards a need for being saved from ourselves.

Four virtues of Taoism

1 APPARENT VIRTUE

This is considered to be the first level of Virtue. However, in this level of

compassion, all charitable acts are visible to others and are immediately
rewarded with material and/or verbal gratitude. Because in Apparent
Virtue there is an even exchange of energy, no accumulation of spiritual
energy is cultivated.

#2 YIN VIRTUE

This is considered a transitional stage of spiritual evolution. At this level

the disciple performs kind deeds without expecting any form of reward.
This is the foundation of a true cultivator of the Dao, and is considered to
be the preliminary stage to go progressing towards the level of Mystical
Virtue.

#3 MYSTICAL VIRTUE

This is considered to be a higher form of Virtue. It is the expression of

Virtue by mystics in the process of cultivating and nurturing their True
Shen. These disciples are able to do good deeds without people knowing
about their charitable actions. They are both knowingly and unknowingly
helping others and society by healing the sick, helping people in trouble,
protecting the balance of nature, etc.

#4 GENUINE VIRTUE

This is considered to be the highest form of Virtue. It is pure, genuine,

natural, and un-contrived. It is performed spontaneously, without any
formulated mental process, as an natural expression of the individual's
internal connection with the Dao. In order to first help a disciple develop
his Virtue, he is required each night to take inventory and accountability
of all of his moods, thoughts, and actions. Everything that occurred
during the day must be accounted for. In this way, the disciple begins to
observe all of his actions without judgment, and is slowly being
introduced to the skill of projecting his spiritual consciousness as an active
observer.

FOUR HINDUS CULTURE

Culture
India is one of the world's oldest civilizations and one of the most
populated countries in the world.[3] The Indian culture, often labeled as an
amalgamation of several various cultures, spans across the Indian
subcontinent and has been influenced and shaped by a history that is
several thousand years old.[1][2] Throughout the history of India, Indian
culture has been heavily influenced by Dharmic religions.[4] They have
been credited with shaping much of
Indian philosophy,literature, architecture, art and music.[5] Greater
India was the historical extent of Indian culture beyond the Indian
subcontinent. This particularly concerns the spread
of Hinduism, Buddhism, architecture, administration and writing
systemfrom India to other parts of Asia through the Silk Road by the
travellers and maritime traders during the early centuries of theCommon
Era.[6][7] To the west, Greater India overlaps with Greater Persia in
the Hindu Kush and Pamir Mountains.[8] Over the centuries, there has
been significant fusion of cultures
between Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims (Sunni, Shia, Sufi), Jains,Sikhs and
various tribal populations in India.[9][10]

India is the birthplace of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism,

collectively known as Indian religions.[11] Indian religions are a major form
of world religions along with Abrahamic ones. Today, Hinduism and
Buddhism are the world's third and fourth-largest religions respectively,
with over 2 billion followers altogether,[12][13][14] and possibly as many as 2.5
or 2.6 billion followers.[12][15] Followers of Indian religions Hindus, Sikhs,
Jains and Buddhists make up around 8082% population of India.
India is one of the most religiously and ethnically diverse nations in the
world, with some of the most deeply religious societies and cultures.
Religion plays a central and definitive role in the life of many of its people.
Although India is a secularHindu-majority country, it has a large minority
Muslim population. Except for Jammu and
Kashmir, Punjab, Meghalaya,Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram and Lakshad
weep, Hindus form the predominant population in all 23 states and 6
union territories. Muslims are present throughout India, with large
populations in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Kerala,Telangana, West
Bengal and Assam; while only Jammu and
Kashmir and Lakshadweep have majority Muslim
populations.Sikhs and Christians are other significant minorities of India.
According to the 2011 census, 80% of the population of India practice
(14.2%), Christianity (2.3%), Sikhism (1.7%),Buddhism (0.7%)
and Jainism (0.4%) are the other major religions followed by the people of
India.[16] Many tribal religions, such as Sarnaism, are found in India,
though these have been affected by major religions such as Hinduism,
Buddhism, Islam and Christianity.[17] Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism,
and the Bah' Faith are also influential but their numbers are
smaller.[17] Atheism and agnostics also have visible influence in India,
along with a self-ascribed tolerance to other faiths.[17]According to a study
conducted by the Pew Research Centre, India will have world's largest
populations of Hindus and Muslims by 2050. India is expected to have
about 311 million Muslims making up around 1920% of the population
and yet about 1.3 billion Hindus are projected to live in India comprising
around 76% of the population.
Atheism and agnosticism have a long history in India and flourished
within ramaa movement. The Crvka school originated in India around
the 6th century BCE.[18][19] It is one of the earliest form
of materialistic and atheistic movement in ancient
India.[20][21] Sramana, Buddhism, Jainism, jvika and some schools
of Hinduism consider atheism to be valid and reject the concept of creator
deity, ritualism and superstitions.[22][23][24] India has produced some
notable atheist politiciansand social reformers.[25] According to the 2012
WIN-Gallup Global Index of Religion and Atheism report, 81% of Indians
were religious, 13% were not religious, 3% were convinced atheists, and
3% were unsure or did not respond.[26][27]
Philosophy

Close-up of a statue depicting Maitreya at the Thikse Monastery

in Ladakh. Buddhist philosophy has deeply impacted India
Indian philosophy comprises the philosophical traditions of the Indian
subcontinent. There are six schools of orthodox Hindu philosophy
Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, Yoga,Mms and Vedantaand
four heterodox schoolsJain, Buddhist, jvika and Crvka last two
are also schools of Hinduism.[28][29] However, there are other methods of
classification; Vidyaranya for instance identifies sixteen schools of Indian
philosophy by including those that belong to
the aiva and Rasevara traditions.[30] Since medieval India(ca.10001500),
schools of Indian philosophical thought have been classified by the
Brahmanical tradition[31][32] as either orthodox or non-orthodox stika or
nstika depending on whether they regard the Vedas as an infallible
source of knowledge.[27]
The main schools of Indian philosophy were formalised chiefly between
1000 BCE to the early centuries of the Common Era. According to
philosopher Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the earliest of these, which date
back to the composition of the Upanishads in the later Vedic period (1000
500 BCE), constitute "the earliest philosophical compositions of the
world."[33]Competition and integration between the various schools was
intense during their formative years, especially between 800 BCE and 200
CE. Some schools like Jainism, Buddhism, aiva and Advaita
Vedanta survived, but others, like Samkhya and jvika, did not; they
were either assimilated or became extinct. Subsequent centuries produced
commentaries and reformulations continuing up to as late as the 20th
century. Authors who gave contemporary meaning to traditional
philosophies include Swami Vivekananda,Ram Mohan Roy, and Swami
Dayananda Saraswati.
 THE EIGHTFOLD PATH OF BUDDHISM

Right understanding: Understanding that the Four Noble Truths are

noble and true.

Right thought: Determining and resolving to practice Buddhist faith.

Right speech: Avoiding slander, gossip, lying, and all forms of untrue and
abusive speech.

Right conduct: Adhering to the idea of nonviolence (ahimsa), as well as

refraining from any form of stealing or sexual impropriety.

Right means of making a living: Not slaughtering animals or working at

jobs that force you to violate others.

Right mental attitude or effort: Avoiding negative thoughts and

emotions, such as anger and jealousy.

Right mindfulness: Having a clear sense of ones mental state and bodily
health and feelings.

Right concentration: Using meditation to reach the highest level of

enlightenment.