Ένα χαρακτηριστικό παράδειγμα για την κατάδειξη της ύπαρξης ενός κοινού ινδοευρωπαϊκού υπόβαθρου στην Ινδία και στην ελληνορωμαϊκή σκέψη αποτελεί η σύγκριση του ινδουιστικού Ντάρμα με την περί Προνοίας θεωρία του φιλοσόφου Πλωτίνου. Η επισήμανση πρόσθετων κοινών νοηματικών και δομικών χαρακτηριστικών της φιλοσοφίας του ιδρυτή της νεοπλατωνικής σχολής με την ινδική φιλοσοφία, δείχνει με ποιο τρόπο κατεύθυναν τη δράση για την ομοίωση με το θείο, μέσω της μεταφυσικής σκέψης και της ηθικής διαμόρφωσης των ανθρώπων.
“Comparison between Plotinus’ Providence and Hindu Dharma”, INDIKA ONLINE, Athens. 01/2014.
By Katelis Viglas
Abstract
From the research on the Indo-European theory, a possibility emerged to establish the existence of an ancient corpus of doctrines and perceptions, mainly as expressed by Neo-Platonism, which at the same time detected in many societies and cultures of the ancient world. A significant concept that comes from this “Cultural Koine” of antiquity is the Hindu Dharma, corresponding to the concept of Providence, which Plotinus philosophically and religiously elaborated in the 3rd century AD. With both Dharma and Providence, emphasis is given to the respect in a world order, as an expression of a divine plan, which defines the duties of man in the physical and social reality. These and other concepts from Plotinus’ school and Indian philosophy refer to metaphysics and cosmology, based on a sublime ethics. Yet, Indian philosophy recognized a metaphysical differentiation of people, as one can see from the cosmogony of the Vedas, and especially the hymn Purusha Sukta (1).
Notes, (1) For the first time, in the hymn Purusa Sukta of Rig Veda 10.90, the four casts of the Indian social structure made their appearance. The Purusa is the Cosmic Being, described as the entire universe. The one-fourth of it corresponds to all beings, and the three-fourth of it to the immortals. From the sacrifice and the dismemberment of Purusa all the phenomena derived. See Bruce M. Sallivan, Historical Dictionary of Hinduism, Scarecrow Press, London 1997, 171.