Page:A History of Indian Philosophy Vol 1.djvu/93

IV] Unity in Siidhana 77 ideal blessedness and quiet of self-realization is indeed the funda- mental fact from which not only her philosophy but many of the complex phenomena of the civilization of India can be logically deduced. The sorrow around us has no fear for us if we remember that we are naturally sorrowless and blessed in ourselves. The pessimistic view loses all terror as it closes in absolute optimistic confidence in one's own self and the ultimate destiny and goal of emancipation. Unity in Indian Sadhana (philosophical, religious and ethical endeavours). As might be expected the Indian systems are all agreed upon the general principles of ethical conduct which must be followed for the attainment of salvation. That all passions are to be con- trolled, no injury to life in any form should be done, and that all desire for pleasures should be checked, are principles which are almost universally acknowledged. When a man attains a very high degree of moral greatness he has to strengthen and prepare his mind for further purifying and steadying it for the attainment of his ideal; and most of the Indian systems are unanimous with regard to the means to be em ployed for the purpose. There are indeed divergences in certain details or technical names, but the means to be adopted for purification are almost everywhere essen- tially the same as those advocated by the Yoga system. I t is only in later times that devotion (bhakti) is seen to occupy a more prominent place specially in V ail)ava schools of thought. Thus it was that though there were many differences among the various systems, yet their goal of life, their attitude owards the world and the means for the attainment of the goal (siidhalla) being funda- mentally the same, there was a unique unityin the practical sadhana of almost all the I ndian systems. The religious craving has been universal in India and this uniformity of sadhana has therefore secured for India a unity in all her aspirations and strivings.