While the religionists believe in Satya or Absolute (comprising God, soul and the world) in a variety of ways and strongly consider the possibility of life, reward and punishment after death, the materialists (e.g. Carvakas) on the other hand accept that this world alone exists and their ultimate goal in life is the pursuit of personal happiness while still living without any regard for life after death
(http://www.humanistictexts.org/carvaka.htm).

Carvaka or the materialist philosophy incidentally should not be confused as relating to the sense gratification alone. It basically is rooted in the pursuit of personal happiness in life, which ultimately will also lead to the collective happiness in the entire society since everyone has the same goal of achieving happiness.

Because of the differences in their basic beliefs, there is a constant debate between the religionists and the non-religionists (materialists) regarding the nature of Reality involving life (before and after death), soul, God etc.

Note that, purely from the philosophical consideration and argument, the onus of explaining to and convincing the Carvakas about God and soul etc. rests with the believers (in God and soul) and not the other way around, because it is they (believers – Vedantists, etc.) who hold and preach the idea of God and soul beyond the physical body and world to others (such as the Carvakas who believe in this world alone). Logically, it is the believer who has to confirm his belief, whereas the job of a negater is to refute it.

Explaining the existence of God to a materialist or a non-believer has proved quite hard throughout history. Failure to do so on the part of religionists has also led to strange consequences.

For example, in the East, the Vedantists etc. took a rather benign approach, and ignored or only verbally ridiculed the Carvakas, materialists and other non-believers for not agreeing with or following them.

Reaction in the West, on the other hand, to not being able to explain God convincingly to others was rather violent and swift. There, the materialists and non-believers (in God, basically) were branded as the Pagans, Anti-Christ and Kafirs by religionists who, then, went on to discriminate, convert and subjugate them by force, and even torture and murder them sometimes.

Many non-believing people there thus switched to religion and God not because of reason, but to avoid discrimination, suffering and even death. In other words, it was equivalent to their seeking and acquiring the materialistic, bodily and worldly relief and happiness that caused them to convert. This was totally a materialistic approach, sometimes even employing additional material and physical inducements, used by religionists to advance their non-materialistic or spiritual cause involving God and religion.

In a strange way, it could even be interpreted as if the Carvakas and materialists had finally won the argument in favor of their philosophy as being more practical and relevant. Their belief that one should work and live for personal happiness in this world could be seen as the real force behind their decision to accept God and religion while trying to avoid discrimination, suffering and death at the hands of religionists.
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By: Dr. Subhash C. Sharma
Email: lamberdar@yahoo.com
Date: Jan. 18, 2006

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