The concept of God or Gods?

[yogibear]

Brahman is the only God and has no name or form. Everything is contained in Brahman. Brahman manages all that is created through many subtle divine forces. Highly evolved Yogis have glimpsed these subtle forces at work and have given personal forms to them so that ordinary people may worship them. Since it is not possible to imagine Brahman, these personal forms will make it simpler for ordinary people to concentrate on. By prolonged concentration (meditation) on the personal forms the devotee will slip into the pleasant, stillness, peaceful void of Brahman.

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam yoibear: Welcome to these forums.

Aum Namasivaya

[philosoraptor]

Brahman is the only God and has no name or form. Everything is contained in Brahman. Brahman manages all that is created through many subtle divine forces. Highly evolved Yogis have glimpsed these subtle forces at work and have given personal forms to them so that ordinary people may worship them. Since it is not possible to imagine Brahman, these personal forms will make it simpler for ordinary people to concentrate on. By prolonged concentration (meditation) on the personal forms the devotee will slip into the pleasant, stillness, peaceful void of Brahman.

By giving Brahman the name "Brahman" or "God" we contradict the idea that He has no name.

By saying that He contains everything we contradict the idea that He has no form or attributes. Can a formless entity with no attributes contain something that does have form and attributes?

[mradam83]

By giving Brahman the name "Brahman" or "God" we contradict the idea that He has no name.

By saying that He contains everything we contradict the idea that He has no form or attributes. Can a formless entity with no attributes contain something that does have form and attributes?

Namaste,

I wonder if by this, the name Brahman is merely a name that we use just so the concept is easier to comprehend - I can't imagine something as vast as Brahman being concerned with a name?

Pranams.

[philosoraptor]

Namaste,

I wonder if by this, the name Brahman is merely a name that we use just so the concept is easier to comprehend - I can't imagine something as vast as Brahman being concerned with a name?

Pranams.

Namaste

This would be like saying, Brahman has no names except those that we give Him. The problem is, that is how people get names - to distinguish them from other persons or things.

Furthermore, it is a principle of orthodox Vedaanta that the statements of the Veda are eternal and unauthored. If statements of Veda are eternal and unauthored, then the names given in Veda to denote Brahman are also eternal and not the result of human imagination.

So.... He has names eternally.

regards,

[Shuddhasattva]

Namaste

From another perspective, name disappears. Namarupa (name and form) are held as provisional constructs.

There may be an absolute rupa, or an absolute nama, but this is not a body-form, nor can we say it is not a body form, nor can we say at all what it is. As with the name, if there is such.

[mradam83]

Namaste

This would be like saying, Brahman has no names except those that we give Him. The problem is, that is how people get names - to distinguish them from other persons or things.

Furthermore, it is a principle of orthodox Vedaanta that the statements of the Veda are eternal and unauthored. If statements of Veda are eternal and unauthored, then the names given in Veda to denote Brahman are also eternal and not the result of human imagination.

So.... He has names eternally.

regards,

Namaste,

Apologies, but I think I'm misunderstanding Brahman in some ways - I always thought Brahman was everything in the cosmos and assumed Brahman was impersonal.

But Brahman has consciousness? I'm afraid I don't have access to Vedas so I can only ask at the moment the contents until I have a copy myself.

Pranams.

[philosoraptor]

Namaste,

Apologies, but I think I'm misunderstanding Brahman in some ways - I always thought Brahman was everything in the cosmos and assumed Brahman was impersonal.

But Brahman has consciousness? I'm afraid I don't have access to Vedas so I can only ask at the moment the contents until I have a copy myself.

Pranams.

Namaste,

Yes, Brahman is a conscious being. Or so the Upanishads tell us - there are statements like "In the beginning, He willed, let there be many." There are statements also to the effect that Brahman supports everything, pervades everything, and yet is transcendental to everything - these emphasize His majesty and supremacy. Then again, there are other statements to the effect that Brahman only exists.

These two sets of seemingly contradictory statements are reconciled by vishishtaadvaita thinkers by emphasizing His role as the indwelling controller of all living entities and non-sentient matter. As He dwells in all living entities and within all matter, all this (living entities and matter) constitute His body. In that sense, He (Brahman) is all that exists. Yet, just as the soul is different from the body, controls the body, and is unblemished by the actions of the body, so also it it the case that Brahman transcends all of this.

There are many views about Brahman and its relation to other entities that fall under the umbrella of Hinduism, most of the popular ones deriving from some version of Advaita philosophy. But, the character of the Upanishads, with its treatment of Brahman, souls, and matter, seems much more vishishtaadvaitic in flavor. Of course, don't take my word for it - read for yourself. :-)

regards,

[mradam83]

Namaste,

Yes, Brahman is a conscious being. Or so the Upanishads tell us - there are statements like "In the beginning, He willed, let there be many." There are statements also to the effect that Brahman supports everything, pervades everything, and yet is transcendental to everything - these emphasize His majesty and supremacy. Then again, there are other statements to the effect that Brahman only exists.

These two sets of seemingly contradictory statements are reconciled by vishishtaadvaita thinkers by emphasizing His role as the indwelling controller of all living entities and non-sentient matter. As He dwells in all living entities and within all matter, all this (living entities and matter) constitute His body. In that sense, He (Brahman) is all that exists. Yet, just as the soul is different from the body, controls the body, and is unblemished by the actions of the body, so also it it the case that Brahman transcends all of this.

There are many views about Brahman and its relation to other entities that fall under the umbrella of Hinduism, most of the popular ones deriving from some version of Advaita philosophy. But, the character of the Upanishads, with its treatment of Brahman, souls, and matter, seems much more vishishtaadvaitic in flavor. Of course, don't take my word for it - read for yourself. :-)

regards,

Namaste,

Wow - head spinner! I need to look into this more just to digest - it certainly is a very deep subject.

Pranams.

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté

Namaste,

Yes, Brahman is a conscious being.

I look at and comprehend this slightly differently... I take no issue with what you offer, but would use your same words ( less the term 'a' ) slightly differently and say brahman is conscious being.


I would use my own words and say brahman is Being. By default Being is consciousness itself ( some like to use the word awareness); and Being by default is anuttara ( unsurpassable).
Why would I eliminate the term 'a' ? Because it would limit brahman, it would localize brahman, bring boundries to the infinite.


There are some that say brahman is catuṣpād¹ ( 4 quarters) ; some say He is represented by the symbol of 10. This 10 also is the number of syllables in the meter (chandas) of virāṭ - the one the shines (rāṭ) in every form (vi).

This chāndogyopaniṣad informs us daśa santaḥ tat kṛtam - what is created of that One becomes 10 . Hence this 10 suggests all the 10 directions¹ which infers every-thing. There is no-thing it is not. It is also nothing (ākāśa) and everything (avakāśa is to make room for all and anything).

praṇām

words/references

• catuṣpād - chāndogyopaniṣad - 3.18.2
• 10 directions - chāndogyopaniṣad - 4.3.8