Nāstika Traditions - Do not recognize the Vedas as authority
In Indian philosophy, "Nāstika" is a term used to refer to schools of thought that are considered to be heterodox or non-traditional. The term is derived from the Sanskrit word "nāsti," which means "there is not." Nāstika traditions are characterized by their rejection of the authority of the Vedas, the sacred texts of Hinduism, and the existence of a personal, eternal deity or supreme being. Examples of Nāstika traditions include Buddhism, Jainism, and certain schools of scepticism and materialism.
In addition to Buddhism and Jainism, there have also been various schools of scepticism and materialism within the Indian philosophical tradition that are considered to be Nāstika. These schools rejected the concept of a personal, eternal deity or supreme being, and instead focused on understanding the nature of reality through empirical observation and logical reasoning.
Buddhism - Buddha Dharma -
Buddhist thought shares many similarities with Yoga and Vedic thought but does not accept the Vedas as divine authority. To Westerners this concept may be similar to Protestant Religions such as Episcopalians, Lutherans, Baptists and Methodists not seeing the Holy Roman Church as their divine authority but still accepting and building on Jesus the Christ. Buddhism was born in a cultural base of Hinduism therefore shares concepts and terminology ie Sanskrit, Ayurveda, Meditation etc. In our modern interpretations and fragmentation over time Yoga has become equated with physical postures and Buddhism more with meditation. The main contention is Buddhist texts, both Mahayana and Theravadin, refute the idea of the Atman, Brahman, Ishvara, and other key tenets of Hindu Yoga and Vedanta schools of thought. Both traditions of Yoga and Buddism are based on transcending karma, rebirth, realization of truth consciousness through more a stringent analytical approach to spiritual life.
The Buddhas teachings is based in the Four Noble Truths, expressed during his first sermon following his enlightenment. The first noble truth proclaimed by the Buddha is Dukka: Life is suffering and suffering is a reality. The second truth, Samudaya, is that the cause of this suffering originates in our own minds. The third noble truth, Nirodha, offers hope: liberation and freedom from suffering is possible. The fourth noble truth, Magga, gives one the method to attain liberation, known to Buddhists as the path of the “Middle Way.” This is very similar to the Saatva Guna in Yoga.
Mahayana
Mahayana or the Northern or “great vehicle” tradition, which is prevalent in Tibet, China and Japan and neighboring countries. Uses breathing exercises, mantras, visualizations and deities much like the Yoga tradition.
Theravada
Theraveda prevails in the south of Asia, Sri Lanka, Burma and Thailand. Vipassana is the most well known practice of Theravada. The Theravadin form is considered to be the older form of Buddhism. Has less in common with Yoga, though does use similar meditation and concentration methods
Ryōan-ji Zen Garden
Zen
A school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, there known as the Chan School and later developed into various schools. It was strongly influenced by Taoist philosophy, especially Neo-Daoist thought, and developed as a distinct school of Chinese Buddhism
Vajrayana
Vajrayāna, Mantrayāna, Tantrayāna, Tibetan Buddhism, Tantric Buddhism and Esoteric Buddhism are terms referring to the various Buddhist traditions of Tantra and "Secret Mantra", which developed in medieval India and spread to Tibet, Bhutan, and East Asia.
Jain Darma - The Way of Non-Violence - Ahimsa
JAIN is derived from the Sanskrit word jina (victor) referring to the path of victory in crossing over life's stream of rebirths by destroying karma through an ethical and spiritual life. Jains trace their spiritual ideas and history through a succession of twenty-four victorious saviours and teachers known as tirthankaras, with the first being Rishabhanatha, who according to Jain tradition lived millions of years ago, the twenty-third Tirthankara Parshvanatha in 900 BCE, and the twenty-fourth Tirthankara the Mahāvīra around 500 BCE. Jains believe that Jainism is an eternal dharma with the tirthankaras guiding every cycle of the Jain cosmology. Their religious texts are called Agamas.
Jainism excels in its rigorous observance of moral precepts, especially nonviolence (ahimsâ). It was this lofty ideal, in conjunction with an extensive teaching about the causal force (karma) associated with human behavior, that has exerted a lasting influence on the tradition of Yoga.
Jainism has preserved an archaic type of spirituality based on the practice of penance (tapas) combined with an emphasis on renunciation and a very
There are two main sects of Jain Dharma
Digambaras - Sky-Clad
Śvētāmbaras - White-Clad
The two sects have differing beliefs on possessions, dress of monks, liberation of women, scriptures, idolatry, food and the lives of certain saints.
Other Nastika Movements
Carvaka or Lokyata - holds direct perception, empiricism, and conditional inference as proper sources of knowledge, embraces philosophical skepticism and rejects ritualism, and supernaturalism.
Ājīvika - there is no free will, that everything that has happened, is happening and will happen is entirely preordained and a function of cosmic principles
Ajñana - it is impossible to obtain knowledge of metaphysical nature or ascertain the truth value of philosophical propositions; and even if knowledge was possible, it was useless and disadvantageous for final salvation