India’s YOLO - Decoding Charvaka Philosophy
“Bro, I don't believe in all this Indian philosophy of reincarnation, soul, and God.”
“That's fine, but Indian philosophy is much broader than you think. The Western concept we know today as 'YOLO' - You Only Live Once - actually existed in India over 2,500 years ago.”
So here's the tea.
Our schools might not teach this, but India has a rich diversity of philosophical thought, divided into two major groups: the Astika schools, which accept the authority of the Vedas, and the Nastika schools, which reject it.
Within the Nastika group, there was a school of thought called Charvaka or Lokayata, which basically says that the goal of life is to enjoy. It emphasizes materialism and skepticism toward metaphysical concepts. The term "Lokayata" suggests a philosophy grounded in the everyday world.
The Charvaka philosophy essentially states that there is no heaven, hell, God, or afterlife because we cannot prove their existence solely through direct perception - pratyaksha. Other schools of thought rely on methods like anumana (inference) and shabda (verbal testimony from authorities), but the Charvakas argue that these methods are unreliable due to potential biases and errors.
As such, they believe we are simply a combination of material elements, and this is the only life we have. Therefore, it's best to enjoy life to the fullest & pursue pleasure, while minimising pain. This can be argued to have some elements of nihilism because it states there is no Higher Purpose as such, and also egoism because it promotes self-pleasure above collective pleasure, also rejecting the need for ethics. It also considers sex/sensual pleasure to be just fine to pursue.
Interestingly, while some attribute the origins of Charvaka philosophy to a figure named Brihaspati, it's more accurate to see it as a tradition of thought that emerged over time. While the Vedas and Upanishads generally support spiritual concepts, references to materialistic ideas can be found in ancient texts, though specific quotes require careful sourcing.
The Charvakas rejected the Vedas, rituals, and all other practices aimed at spiritual development as the concept of moksha or liberation from the cycle of life & death is no longer relevant.
Unfortunately, no original texts of the Charvaka philosophy survive today, but you can find references, commentaries, and critiques in works like the Sarva-siddhanta-samgraha, often attributed to Shankaracharya.
Regardless of what you believe, this shows that our country has always accepted and embraced diverse ways of thinking, which aren't always religious. This is something we should celebrate and keep our minds open to as we move forward.