|
Essays on Brahman
|
I.
Brahman :
Brahman is the very space and the entire universe, with billions
of galaxies and interstellar spaces and much more than that. The
idea of Brahman probably entered the consciousness of ancient
Hindu seers as they contemplated upon the vast expansive sky and
the star studded mysterious night skies. The Upanishads present
a grand view of this Absolute and highest god of Hinduism.
Read the greatness and significance of Brahman from this
article.
|
|
II.
Belief in One God :
There is a misconception among many that Hindus worship many
gods and nothing else. To those not familiar with Hinduism, this
practice of Hindus appear absurd and primitive. The way Hindus
worship gods is different from the way the ancient Hittites or
the Mediterranean people worshipped their gods. Know from this
article why Hindus worship so many gods and goddesses, but how
at the same time firmly believe in the unquestionable fact that
God is but one indivisible Supreme Truth.
|
|
Mahavakya - I am Brahman, Aham Brahmasmi The
statement "I am Brahman" is both a postulation on the
state of Brahman at an intellectual level and an expression of
an enlightened yogi ( Brahmajnani) in a state of
self-realization. The first comes out of an insight through
study that "I am" is the state of "Brahman".
The second comes out of an inner experience that "I am indeed
none other than Brahman".
|
III.
The 24 principles of Creation :
It has been said that Samkhya philosophy was the greatest
achievement of ancient Indian scholarship. The Samkhyas were
originally atheists in the sense that they did not accept the
concept of a Supreme creator. But they contributed to Hinduism
the concept of Prakriti and evolution of life which was
subsequently modified and absorbed into mainstream Hinduism,
through such works as the Bhagavad gita, the epics, and the
Puranas. Know from this article the twenty four principles of
manifest creation.
|
|
IV.
Aspects of Brahman :
Brahman is both the unmanifest and the manifest, the formless
and the one with form. He is here and beyond. There are four
grand aspects of Brahman, which are not known even to many
Hindus. What are these aspects? Read this article to know.
|
|
V. Shedding Light on Atman, the True Self
When discussing ultimate spiritual topics, it is necessary to
keep in mind at all times that words and concepts do not
suffice. Any attempt we make to describe the transcendental is
ultimately futile, for the boundless cannot be encapsulated
within a concept, a word, a name, or a form
|
|
VI. Mahavakya - Brahman is Knowledge
Knowledge (jnanam) is of different kinds. There is the lower
knowledge of the Vedic rites and rituals, of the smritis,
sutras, puranas, darshanas and vedangas, and the higher
knowledge of Atman (self) and Brahman (supreme-self).
|
|
VII.
Difficulties in Understanding Brahman :
Any attempt to explain Brahman to the satisfaction of a mind
that is driven by reason and familiar with the concretization of
thought is fraught with enormous difficulties, because that
which is inexplicable cannot be explained by any amount of
reasoning and logic. Brahman is beyond the senses, beyond the
mind, beyond our intelligence and dreams... Know from this
article why it is so difficult for the human mind to
conceptualize the idea and the grandeur of Brahman.
|
|
IX. The Advaita Vedanta the Experience of Oneness
Many religions that we know including the atheistic religions such as
Jainism and Buddhism are dualistic. So are Judaism, Zoroastrianism,
Christianity and Islam.
|
|
VIII. Negation
of Self: A few minutes of prayer, a little attention to God, may be
better in a way compared to no religious activity. But if any
one believes that it is going to bring him or her face to face
with God he or she is badly mistaken. To experience God
one has to go beyond the mundane and the ordinary and be prepared
to make great demands upon oneself, with unwavering faith and
uncompromising discipline.
|
|
X.
The Brahma Wheel :
The Svetavatara Upanishad describes the qualities of the
manifest creation inhabited by the divine power of God (devatma-shakti).
Unlike the Prakriti of the Samkhya school, the Shakti that is
described here is not independent of Brahman but an aspect of
Him. This article describes the qualities of the manifested
creation.
|
|
XI. Brahman
and Self-Realization :
Who is this mysterious Brahman? Who is this Being, whom we call
God, who is described so beautifully in the Upanishads, extolled
for centuries by seers and sages in the sacred land of the
Vedas? This essay explains the MYSTERY OF SELF REALIZATION.
|
The Concept of
Brahman As Priest and As Supreme Self This article
traces the origin and development of the concept of Brahman and
his symbolic association with vedic rituals.
|
God and Self and Their Relationship in Hinduism
This article attempts to explain the relationship between God and
individual soul according to the Upanishads.
|
|
|