ABSTRACT
SYSTEMS of philosophy are the elaboration, through concepts and symbols, of certain original intuitions. If all of us had those basic intuitions, systems should be superfluous. Every one is not a Buddha or a Yājñavalkya. It happens that the great mass of mankind can but be followers and are not leaders in thought. Systems of thought are intended to lead them to the highest experience through symbols and concepts. The several systems, both of the Upaniṣadic (ātma) and Buddhistic (anātma) tradition, must be considered as so many attempts to embody their original inspiration. In the process of translation the original freshness and flavour are lost to some extent. Besides, all the systems do not equally penetrate to the original inspiration. Some may stay at the periphery, some go a little deeper, while it is only a few that penetrate to the centre. These differences arise because of the spiritual bias and the capacity of the makers of systems. Though all the Brāhmanical systems are derived from the Upaniṣads, there is justification to hold that only the Advaita Vedānta represents the real heart of the Upaniṣads. Similarly, though all the Buddhistic systems (Theravāda, Vaibhāṣika etc.) embody the teachings of Buddha, it is the Mādhyamika system that represents the real heart of Buddhism.
