What Is Brahman definition?
The highest Universal Principle, the Ultimate Reality in the universe, is referred to as Brahman. It is the material, effective, formal, and final cause of all that exists, according to major Hindu philosophical schools. It is the all-encompassing, everlasting, eternal reality and bliss that does not change but is the source of all changes. As a philosophical term, Brahman refers to the single unifying unity that lies underneath diversity.
According to Paul Deussen, Brahman is a Vedic Sanskrit term that is conceptualized in Hinduism as the “creative principle that lies realized in the entire universe.” Brahman is a central idea in the Vedas, and the early Upanishads address it deeply. The Vedas conceptualize Brahman as the Cosmic Principle.
In Hindu scriptures, Brahman is referred to as Atman, which can be personal, impersonal, or Para Brahman, or any combination of these qualities, based on the philosophical school. Brahman is distinct from Atman (soul) in each being, according to dualistic Hindu schools such as theistic Dvaita Vedanta.
In non-dual schools like Advaita Vedanta, Brahman is the same as the Atman, is everywhere and within every living being, and all life is linked spiritually.
Upanishads
The early Upanishads’ primary emphasis is on Brahmavidya and Atmavidya, or the awareness of Brahman and Atman (self, soul), what they are and how they are understood. The texts do not offer a single overarching theory, but rather a variety of themes with many potential interpretations that blossomed in the post-Vedic period as the foundations for Hinduism’s various schools.
The “essence, the smallest particle of the cosmos and the infinite universe,” the “essence of all things which cannot be seen, though it can be experienced,” the “self, the soul inside each entity, each being,” the “truth”, the “reality”, the “absolute”, the “bliss” are some of Gavin Flood’s definitions of Brahman in the Upanishads.
The Ilya doctrine in Chapter 3 of the Chandogya Upanishad, one of the oldest Upanishad books, discusses the spiritual principle of Brahman in a variety of ways. The Ilya doctrine on Brahman is not present only in the Chandogya Upanishad, but also in other ancient texts like the Satapatha Brahmana.
It states that Atman exists, that the Brahman is equal to Atman, and that the Brahman is within man—thematic quotes that later Hindu schools and modern studies on Indian philosophies often quote.
Brahman as a metaphysical concept
In different schools of Hindu philosophy, Brahman is a central philosophical principle. It’s the fundamental question of metaphysics: what is ultimately true, and are there concepts that relate to all that is real? In various orthodox Hindu schools, Brahman is the supreme “eternally, permanent” truth, while the observed universe is a different kind of reality that is “temporary, shifting” Maya. Maya resides alongside Brahman—the Ultimate Truth, the Highest Universal, the Cosmic Principles—and coexists with him.
In addition to Brahman, Hindu metaphysics includes the notion of Atman—or soul, self—which is also regarded as ultimately true. The essence of Atman, whether it is distinct from Brahman or the same as Brahman, is a point of contention among Hindu schools, especially the dual and non-dual schools.
Dvaita Vedanta and later Nyaya schools demonstrate this concept by treating Brahman and Atman as separate entities. Monists or pantheists believe that Brahman and Atman are one and the same, and Advaita Vedanta, later Samkhya, and Yoga schools demonstrate this philosophical concept.
Brahman is the only, absolute truth in schools that equate Brahman with Atman. The divine identity of each human being’s soul, as well as the spiritual identities of all other human beings and living beings, as well as the eternal, universal truth Brahman, is the prevailing teaching in the Upanishads.
Maya is a perceived truth that does not disclose the secret concepts, the true reality—the Brahman—in the metaphysics of Hinduism’s main schools. Maya is asleep, while Brahman-Atman is awake. Brahman is the figurative Updna—the concept and the cause—while Maya is the literal and consequence. Maya is born, alters, develops, and dies over time as a result of circumstances and unseen values.
Atman-Brahman is the untouched absolute and resplendent consciousness that is infinite, unchanging, and invisible. According to Archibald Gough, the Maya definition is “the indifferent sum of all the possibilities of emanatory or derived existences, pre-existing with Brahman,” similar to how the probability of a future tree pre-exists in the tree’s seed.
Brahman as an ontological concept
The ontological premises of Indian philosophy include Brahman, as well as Soul/Self (Atman).
Different schools of Indian philosophy have maintained ontologies that are vastly different. Buddhism and the Carvaka school of Hinduism reject the existence of “a spirit, a self” (individual Atman or Brahman in the cosmic sense), while the orthodox schools of Hinduism, Jainism, and the Ajivikas believe that “a soul, a self” (individual Atman or Brahman in the cosmic sense) does exist.
In Hindu schools such as Advaita Vedanta and Yoga, Brahman and Atman in every human being (and living being) is considered equal and the sole truth, the eternal, self-born, limitless, innately free, blissful Absolute.
In theistic schools, such as Dvaita Vedanta, the essence of Brahman is held to be eternal, limitless, innately free, blissful Absolute, while each individual’s soul is held to be distinct and small, capable of coming close to eternal blissful love of the Brahman at best.
Brahman as an axiological concept
The ideas of Brahman and Atman are central to Hindu axiological theories of ethics and aesthetics. According to Michael Myers and other scholars, the idea of Brahman as the inherent inner equilibrium has axiological significance. In an axiological sense, some scholars compare Brahman with the highest meaning.
Hindu value theory is based on the axiological principles of Brahman and Atman. According to Shaw, a statement like “I am Brahman” means “I am connected to all,” and this is the underlying principle for empathy in Hinduism, since each individual’s welfare, peace, or happiness is dependent on others, including other beings and nature in general, and vice versa.
Even in non-dual Hinduism institutes, where Brahman and Atman are viewed as ontologically identical, Tietge claims that the philosophy of values emphasizes the human agent and ethics. According to Tietge, the philosophy of action in these Hindu schools is derived from and based on compassion for the other, rather than egotistical consideration for the self.
Brahman as a teleological concept
The teleological concepts of Brahman and Atman are extremely significant. Teleology is the study of something’s apparent intent, concept, or aim. These issues are addressed in the Shvetashvatara Upanishad’s first chapter.
According to the Upanishads, one of the reasons why the Brahman should be acknowledged is that it eliminates pain from a person’s life. This is because the individual has the ability and experience to distinguish between the constant and the variable, and therefore is not attached to the transient. As a result, the individual is only satisfied with himself, not his body or anything else.
According to the Upanishads, the Brahman is the only truly worthwhile purpose in existence, and one should strive to achieve it as it is both a means and an end in and of itself for ultimate wisdom, immortality, and other benefits. As the Brahman is supreme knowledge, the question of what is the ultimate meaning of all, including the Brahman, is answered by understanding or attaining the Brahman.
Brahman as a soteriological concept
In their discussions of moksha, the orthodox Hindu schools, especially Vedanta, Samkhya, and Yoga, place a strong emphasis on the concepts of Brahman and Atman. According to Advaita Vedanta, there is no difference between Atman and Brahman in terms of being or non-being.
The knowledge of Atman is equivalent to the knowledge of Brahman both inside and outside the person. Furthermore, since Brahman-Atman is the root and end of all things, the fundamental concept behind and at the heart of all that exists, the consciousness that pervades all things, awareness of Brahman leads to a sense of oneness with all life, self-realization, indescribable joy, and moksha.
Theistic sub-schools, such as Hinduism’s Dvaita Vedanta, begin with the same premises but add the assumption that individual souls and Brahman are distinct, leading to completely different conclusions in which Brahman is conceptualized similarly to God in other major world religions.
Comparison of Brahma, Brahman, Brahmin and Brahmanas
Brahma is not to be confused with Brahman. In post-Vedic Puranic literature, Brahma is a male god who creates but neither maintains nor destroys anything. According to some Hindu scriptures, he, along with Vishnu, Shiva, and all other gods, goddesses, matter, and other beings, emerged from the spiritual Brahman.
The supreme unchanging truth, which is uncreated, eternal, infinite, transcendent, the cause, the basis, the root, and the goal of all creation, is referred to as Brahman in Hinduism. It is imagined as either the cause or that which transforms itself into all that exists in the world, including all beings, as well as that which existed prior to the present universe and that which exists after the present universe.
In Hinduism, the phrase Brahmin is priests, preservers, and transmitters of sacred literature through centuries.
Within the Vedas, the Brahmanas are one of four ancient layers of texts. They primarily include myths, legends, Vedic ritual explanations, and, in some cases, philosophy. They are part of the Hindu sruti literature and are found in each of the four Vedas.
