Wisdom with Responsibility: Traditional Ethics and the Idea of Open Knowledge in Indian Civilization

Abstract

This paper examines Indian approach to knowledge transmission through the lens of  traditional ethics and contemporary open-knowledge mandates. Drawing upon philosophical, medical, spiritual, and scientific traditions - ranging from the Upanishads and classical Ayurveda to yogic, alchemical, and tantric sciences - it argues that Indian knowledge systems combined openness with ethical responsibility. Knowledge was treated not as proprietary capital but as a moral trust, intended for human well-being and social harmony (lokasangraha). The guru-sisya parampara functioned as both a pedagogical framework and an ethical safeguard, ensuring that powerful and subtle forms of knowledge were transmitted only to those with moral maturity and psychological readiness. At the same time, institutions such as Takshashila and Nalanda, public medical treatises, symbolic pedagogies, and cross-cultural scholarly exchanges reflect a strong commitment to accessibility, transparency, and collective refinement of knowledge. The paper further explores how secrecy, symbolism, and gradual revelation operated as protective mechanisms rather than instruments of exclusion. By situating these traditions alongside modern movements in Open Knowledge, Open Science, and Open Access - including initiatives for developing digital repositories of  traditional knowledge - the study demonstrates that India's ethical models of knowledge sharing anticipate and enrich contemporary debates on responsible openness, inclusivity, and sustainability.