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186 Śramaņa, Vol 57, No. 3-4/July-December 2006
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realized inwardly). This, probably, may be the reason why Christendom has adopted the meaning 'to bind' in course of its long history.
Of several usages of the word 'philosophy', in the present context it is being used for objective, scientific and rational enquiry into the nature of religion. John Caird has made use of the term in exactly this sense. Religion, on its part, connotes all those activities of mankind that relate him with some non-visible ultimate reality (usually known as God). It is a means of ultimate transformation. Philosophical interpretation of religion (more popularly, philosophy of religion) is, then, some kind of objective and rational interpretation of religion.
Philosophy of religion presupposes, prior existence of religion and some kind of proximity between the two disciplines. "The philosophical traditions in India, by and large, can be said to be nothing but philosophy of religion. The Buddha had long back instructed his disciples very clearly not to accept the words of their Master unexamined and simply on the ground of sheer respect.2 Śamkara also treats reason to be an authority in matters of reality when the question of truth and falsity arises. 3 Religious traditions (sampradayas), on their part make use of reason for defending and propagating their doctrines. With the only exception of the early Madhyamikas even the philosophical systems in India are essentially practical and seek release from the fetters of the bhava (world) or karma and cherish the ideal of mokṣa. Philosophy here is not mere speculation; it is 'seeing' by "knowing' and by 'being'.4
Like India Greece, Ancient Egypt and Islamic World did not take these two disciplines separately. The Greeks had no word for 'religion'. From Thales onward what we today call religion was included in philosophia. Ancient Egypt also did not know the distinction between religion and philosophy. The Islamic world, although having an exact term for religion (dīna), does not share
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