🕉️ The Philosophy of Consciousness — Mimamsa, Samkhya, and Advaita
🕉️ The Philosophy of Consciousness — Mimamsa, Samkhya, and Advaita This discourse explores how different philosophical schools of India — Mimamsa, Samkhya, and Advaita Vedanta — understand the nature of consciousness (Chaitanya) and its relation to the self (Atman), the world (Jagat), and liberation (Moksha). 1. Mimamsa Philosophy — Ritual and Limited Consciousness The Mimamsakas, especially the schools of Prabhākara and Kumārila Bhaṭṭa, emphasize Dharma (righteous action) as the supreme goal, not Brahma Jnana. They accept the authority of the Vedas (Śruti) but deny the need for a personal God or ultimate liberation beyond ritual merit. For them, consciousness is not the essence of the self but a property (guṇa) that arises and disappears — like light flickering in darkness. Prabhākara says consciousness is obscured but continuous (aspaṣṭa-chit) during deep sleep, while Kumārila says it’s latent but re-emerges after awakening. Thus, in Mimamsa, Atman = conscious experiencer, not pure ...