Outlines of Indian Philosophy

Author(s): Paul Deussen
Publisher: Crest Publishing House

Page 47

INTRODUCTION
On my journey through India I have noticed with satisfaction, that in philosophy till now our brothers in the East have maintained a very good tradition, better perhaps, than the more active but less contemplative branches of the great Indo-Aryan family in Europe, where Empirism, Realism and their natural consequence, Materialism, grow from day to day more exuberantly, whilst metaphysics, the very centre and heart of serious philosophy, are supported only by the few who have learned to brave the spirit of the age.
In India the influence of this perverted and perversive spirit of our age has not yet overthrown in religion and philosophy the good traditions of the great ancient time. It is true, that most of the ancient darçana's even in India find only an historical interest; followers of the SânkhyaSystem occur rarely; Nyâya is cultivated mostly as an intellectual sport and exercise, like grammer or mathematics, -- but the Vedanta is, now as in the ancient time, living in the mind and heart of every thoughtful Hindoo. It is true, that even here in the sanctuary of Vedântic metaphysics, the realistic tendencies, natural to man, have penetrated, producing the misinterpreting variations of Çankara's Advaita, known under the names Viçishtâdvaita, Dvaita, Çuddhâdvaita of Râmânuja, Mâdhva, Vallabha, - but India till now has not yet been seduced by their voices,