|
Essays on Brahman
|
|
|
|
Advaita Vedanta the
Experience of Oneness: Advaita means
non-duality or absence of duality. It is a state of oneness
with the rest of creation, of the subject with the object,
of the knower with the known, of the lower self with the
highest self and of the ordinary consciousness with the
higher consciousness. It comes with a heightened sense of
awareness in which one sees everything in oneself and as
oneself. |
|
Brahman the Supreme
Universal Lord of All: rahman is the
central theme of almost all the Upanishads. Brahman is the
indescribable, inexhaustible, omniscient, omnipresent,
original, first, eternal and absolute principle who is without a
beginning, without an end , who is hidden in all and who is the cause,
source, material and effect of all creation known, unknown and yet to
happen in the entire universe. |
|
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). |
|
Aspects, Emanations, Incarnations and Forms of God in
Vaishnava Tradition
The Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism recognizes five
aspects of the Supreme Being: (Paramatman), which are :
Para, the transcendental Supreme Being beyond all. Vyuhas,
the emanations of God who reside in the higher planes.
Vibhavas, the incarnations of God who appear upon earth from
time to time. Antaryami, the immanent being who resides in
all beings as a partner of the soul. Arcavatara, the
consecrated image of God made out of earthly material, which
is worshipped by His devotees as God Himself. |
|
Brahman according to Advaita and Dvaita schools of thought
In Advaita Vedanta, Brahman is without attributes and
strictly impersonal. It can be best described as infinite
Being, infinite Consciousness and infinite Bliss. It is pure
knowledge itself, similar to a source of infinite radiance. |
|
Bhagavan meaning and significance
Bhagavan means He who resides or abides in the things and
qualities mentioned above. In simple terms bhagvan is God.
In symboic terms bhagavan is represented by many objects and
forms, famour being "salagrama" and "sivaling". |
|
Brahma, the Creator and First God of Hindu Trinity
Brahma is the source, the seed and the creator of all
beings in this world. At the time of creation, he emerged as
the first differentiated consciousness (the first ego) from
the primal waters (universal consciousness). He is called
svayambhu because in reality none created him. He created
himself. |
|
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. |
|
|
