yajvan
11 December 2006, 08:18 PM
Hari Om
~~~~~
Namaste Satyakama (lovers of truth)
This Brahman, this fullness is good to discuss...
Bertrand Russell, was an influential British logician, philosopher, and mathematician, working mostly in the 20th century. If you have had a chance to read any of his writing I think you will find a strain of brilliance in this gentleman. I respect his work.
Why is he mentioned in this post? Bertrand Russell mentions many times that before anyone can have a meaningful conversation they must define their terms. If you have noted many that post define the sanskrit words that are in use.
Hence I have mentioned many times the concept of Brahman and thought it wise for those that want to go a bit deeper and 'define our terms' for future reference.
I hope to provide a better appreciation of this concept. Please add to this post to increase comprehension and value.
Why should one care about this subject you may ask? In one's final spiritual journey , this Brahman is the goal. So, to acquaint ones mind to this, to understand this, assists in hitting the mark. Like driving. We learn how to drive , not much caring which road we're on, just enjoying the experience of handling and managing the car. Once we have mastered it we head for a destination, using a map or these days a GPS system. Like that, meditation is the driving, Brahman is the destination ( experience of meditation, knowledge of the goal).
Lets start out by saying what Brahman is not... its not another name for Brahma. We have heard of Brahma, part of the triad of Brahma, Visnu and Siva. All wonderful aspects of this Supreme Intelligence we are all part of. Quite frankly they are the expressions of saguna Brahman which we will get to in a minute. yet by name, two different concepts.
Brahman is from Brahm or "Brh " which means to expand; GREATER THEN THE GREATEST. In Vedanta ( or the end/culmination of the Ved or the last concluding remarks) this Brahm is discussed/experienced as the Absolute Reality. It's this all pervasive supreme principle of Reality - both absolute ( stillness of silence, some call Siva) and the fullness of this phenomenal world. Both , when combined is considered wholeness, and its this wholeness/fullness that is the Brahman. Everything is an expression of Brahm - everything is this permutation of Brahm. Those with enlighened vision even say there is no permutation.... it is Brahman.
It is so impossible ( say the sages) to put Brahm in words, this totality, because it then limits this Greatness. The rishi would say , 'it bounds the Boundless', yet the sages do the best they can with the caveat that it is impossible with the facility of speech (vak) to be as comprehensive as needed to express this Greatness, but they give it a go!
So, if you have interest , let me share with you some of Brahm's qualities:
Nirguna [attribute less] - when speaking of the the Absolute value of Brahm, its attribute less. I have listened to rishi's call it Pure Intelligence, Pure Awareness , also called Being , in its nirguna state.
Saguna - 'with glorious attribute's' - when in the phenomenal world - we know saguna Brahm as Krsna, Vishnu, Lord, Vaisvanara or Divine Spirit, Vishvarupam ( having all forms), Rudra, to name a few, yet in this arena, Brahm is the full known universe at every level of creation and every level ( or loka) of beings e.g. devas, Gandarva, mortal beings, animal, vegetable, solid, liquid, gas, and vacuum states, to name a few.
Brahman As Sound - We are all familiar with Om ( Pranava). The rishi's attribute this sound/vibration as the best simulation/expression of Brahmn . Yet there is one more the rishi's point out - and that is this sound/mantra Kahm. You can find this in the Om Kham Brahma-Brahmana of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. This Kham is either-like (akasha), and is meant as the unconditioned (nirguna) Brahm. This aksaha is the symbol of this Brahm because for us, we can comprehend its vastness and completeness. How so? it is not contained by anything, nor nothing can contain it. We can work with this concept a bit easier then the absolute attribute less state.
Brahm As Plenum - this plenum means "a space, or all space every part of which is full" - The Upanishads says it this way:
Purnam adah purnam idam, 'That is full; this is full'. They say from this fullness everything comes, so those parts that come from this fullness is also full - that defines you... you are this fullness, just as Brahm is full. We think in parts, but we are full.
No matter how you divide it , it remains unaffected, full and whole. If you care to read more on this, please consider
http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/brdup/brhad_V-01.html. (http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/brdup/brhad_V-01.html.)
Satchitananda Attributes Of Brahm - Satchitananda is Truth, Consciousness, Bliss as the fundamental timeless attributes of Brahman. Here is what Swami Krishnananda says ... "Satchidananda is self-luminous, for it is the very existence of eternal Consciousness. It is undivided, Akhanda-Ekarasa, for it is homogeneous and is without internal or external differentiation. It is One Mass of Brilliance and unblemished Grandeur of Divine Existence. It is pure because it is untainted by thought or objectification"
Brahmavid brahmaiva bhavati
The knower of Brahman is Brahman itself -Mundaka Upanishad
~~~~~
Namaste Satyakama (lovers of truth)
This Brahman, this fullness is good to discuss...
Bertrand Russell, was an influential British logician, philosopher, and mathematician, working mostly in the 20th century. If you have had a chance to read any of his writing I think you will find a strain of brilliance in this gentleman. I respect his work.
Why is he mentioned in this post? Bertrand Russell mentions many times that before anyone can have a meaningful conversation they must define their terms. If you have noted many that post define the sanskrit words that are in use.
Hence I have mentioned many times the concept of Brahman and thought it wise for those that want to go a bit deeper and 'define our terms' for future reference.
I hope to provide a better appreciation of this concept. Please add to this post to increase comprehension and value.
Why should one care about this subject you may ask? In one's final spiritual journey , this Brahman is the goal. So, to acquaint ones mind to this, to understand this, assists in hitting the mark. Like driving. We learn how to drive , not much caring which road we're on, just enjoying the experience of handling and managing the car. Once we have mastered it we head for a destination, using a map or these days a GPS system. Like that, meditation is the driving, Brahman is the destination ( experience of meditation, knowledge of the goal).
Lets start out by saying what Brahman is not... its not another name for Brahma. We have heard of Brahma, part of the triad of Brahma, Visnu and Siva. All wonderful aspects of this Supreme Intelligence we are all part of. Quite frankly they are the expressions of saguna Brahman which we will get to in a minute. yet by name, two different concepts.
Brahman is from Brahm or "Brh " which means to expand; GREATER THEN THE GREATEST. In Vedanta ( or the end/culmination of the Ved or the last concluding remarks) this Brahm is discussed/experienced as the Absolute Reality. It's this all pervasive supreme principle of Reality - both absolute ( stillness of silence, some call Siva) and the fullness of this phenomenal world. Both , when combined is considered wholeness, and its this wholeness/fullness that is the Brahman. Everything is an expression of Brahm - everything is this permutation of Brahm. Those with enlighened vision even say there is no permutation.... it is Brahman.
It is so impossible ( say the sages) to put Brahm in words, this totality, because it then limits this Greatness. The rishi would say , 'it bounds the Boundless', yet the sages do the best they can with the caveat that it is impossible with the facility of speech (vak) to be as comprehensive as needed to express this Greatness, but they give it a go!
So, if you have interest , let me share with you some of Brahm's qualities:
Nirguna [attribute less] - when speaking of the the Absolute value of Brahm, its attribute less. I have listened to rishi's call it Pure Intelligence, Pure Awareness , also called Being , in its nirguna state.
Saguna - 'with glorious attribute's' - when in the phenomenal world - we know saguna Brahm as Krsna, Vishnu, Lord, Vaisvanara or Divine Spirit, Vishvarupam ( having all forms), Rudra, to name a few, yet in this arena, Brahm is the full known universe at every level of creation and every level ( or loka) of beings e.g. devas, Gandarva, mortal beings, animal, vegetable, solid, liquid, gas, and vacuum states, to name a few.
Brahman As Sound - We are all familiar with Om ( Pranava). The rishi's attribute this sound/vibration as the best simulation/expression of Brahmn . Yet there is one more the rishi's point out - and that is this sound/mantra Kahm. You can find this in the Om Kham Brahma-Brahmana of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. This Kham is either-like (akasha), and is meant as the unconditioned (nirguna) Brahm. This aksaha is the symbol of this Brahm because for us, we can comprehend its vastness and completeness. How so? it is not contained by anything, nor nothing can contain it. We can work with this concept a bit easier then the absolute attribute less state.
Brahm As Plenum - this plenum means "a space, or all space every part of which is full" - The Upanishads says it this way:
Purnam adah purnam idam, 'That is full; this is full'. They say from this fullness everything comes, so those parts that come from this fullness is also full - that defines you... you are this fullness, just as Brahm is full. We think in parts, but we are full.
No matter how you divide it , it remains unaffected, full and whole. If you care to read more on this, please consider
http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/brdup/brhad_V-01.html. (http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/brdup/brhad_V-01.html.)
Satchitananda Attributes Of Brahm - Satchitananda is Truth, Consciousness, Bliss as the fundamental timeless attributes of Brahman. Here is what Swami Krishnananda says ... "Satchidananda is self-luminous, for it is the very existence of eternal Consciousness. It is undivided, Akhanda-Ekarasa, for it is homogeneous and is without internal or external differentiation. It is One Mass of Brilliance and unblemished Grandeur of Divine Existence. It is pure because it is untainted by thought or objectification"
Brahmavid brahmaiva bhavati
The knower of Brahman is Brahman itself -Mundaka Upanishad