Carvaka

The ancient "atheist" materialist philosophy from India is known only by it's detractors,

as "Gnostic" schools were until recently.

Like the Nag Hammadi, these words are much more aligned with my view of the Allness. 

As i've said before, my school is one of a very hard core purely literal materialism.

The spirit and the thing are not at all identical, they are simply one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cārvāka

That the pleasure arising to man from contact with sensible objects,

is to be relinquished because accompanied by pain—

such is the reasoning of fools.

The kernels of the paddy, rich with finest white grains, 

what man, 

seeking his own true interest, would fling them away,

because of a covering of husk and dust?

The Agnihotra, the three Vedas, the ascetic's three staves, and smearing oneself with ashes —

Brihaspati says, these are but means of livelihood for those who have no manliness nor sense.

In this school there are four elements, earth, water, fire and air;

and from these four elements alone is intelligence produced —

just like the intoxicating power from kinwa &c, mixed together;

since in "I am fat", "I am lean", these attributes abide in the same subject,

and since fatness, &c, reside only in the body, it alone is the soul and no other,

and such phrases as "my body" are only significant metaphorically.

If a beast slain in the Jyothishtoma rite will itself go to heaven,

why then does not the sacrificer forthwith offer his own father?

If the Sraddha produces gratification to beings who are dead,

then why not give food down below to those who are standing on the house-top?

If he who departs from the body goes to another world,

how is it that he come not back again, restless for love of his kindred?

Hence it is only as a means of livelihood that Brahmans have established here

all these ceremonies for the dead, — there is no other fruit anywhere.

The three authors of the Vedas were buffoons, knaves, and demons.

All the well-known formulae of the pandits, jarphari, turphari, etc.

and all the obscene rites for the queen commanded in Aswamedha,

these were invented by buffoons, and so all the various kinds of presents to the priests,

while the eating of flesh was similarly commanded by night-prowling demons.

Fire is hot, water cold,

refreshingly cool is the breeze of morning;

By whom came this variety?

They were born of their own nature.

Springing forth from these elements itself

solid knowledge is destroyed when they are destroyed—

after death no intelligence remains.

While life remains, let a man live happily,

let him feed on butter though he runs in debt;

When once the body becomes ashes,

how can it ever return again?

http://montesite.net

Posted via email from geanark's posterous