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