Yuvacharya Mahaprajna
The main objective of Indian philosophy has been salvation. Salvation means liberation from all bondage, all bodies, gross or subtle. There are several elements (तत्व) in the list of ways and means to achieve salvation, one of them being dharma. According to Sankhya philosophy, dharma is a means to achieve heaven, not to achieve salvation. The means to achieve salvation is knowledge. Actions (कर्म) cannot get us salvation because actions, good or bad, cause karmic bondage. Good actions lead to heaven and bad actions lead to hell, and both heaven and hell are sources of pain.[4]
According to the Nyaya School it is the knowledge of metaphysics (तत्व ज्ञान) which leads to salvation.
The Vaisheshik school has assigned a role to dharma in the contemplation of salvation. Kanad holds that what makes spiritual well-being and salvation possible is dharma.[5]
In Buddhist philosophy the Arya eightfold path (आर्य अस्टागिक मार्ग), has been called the path to achieve release from bondage (निर्वाण).[6]
Jain philosophy has recommended three or four paths to salvation:
- true spiritual insight(सम्यग दर्शन),
- correct knowledge (सम्यग ज्ञान), and
- right conduct (सम्यग चारित्र);[7]
- knowledge (ज्ञान)
- spiritual insight (दर्शन),
- right conduct (चारित्र), and
- austerity (तप).[8]
