| Unlike the Western religions, which have | | | | metaphysical way. The philosophical content |
| little philosophical content and belief in | | | | is essentially secular and spiritual ideas |
| the "One God" is mandatory, many of India's | | | | emerge from debate and speculation - not |
| ancient religions were not religions in the | | | | immortal revelations that cannot be |
| narrow sense in which religion is construed | | | | challenged or modified with time. In the |
| today. India's early Buddhists were | | | | Nyaya-Sutras, the overwhelming focus is on |
| predominantly atheists, the early Jains were | | | | rational and scientific thinking and |
| agnostic, and within the broad umbrella of | | | | analysis, on human understanding of natural |
| Hinduism, there was space for considerable | | | | phenomenon and physical processes occurring |
| philosophical variety. In the Upanishads, god | | | | in nature. |
| is described in an extremely abstract and | | | | |