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Brahma
#4 - 23 - 0 - Brahma
[ 2006-11-24 15:24:57 ] - shakti
#According to the monotheistic and pantheistic theologies of Hinduism, God is, in the highest sense, One: beyond form, infinite, and eternal.
God is changeless and is the very source of consciousness. God is beyond time, space, and causation and yet permeates everything and every being. God is beyond gender.
When God is thought of as this infinite principle, God is called Brahma. Brahma is the Absolute reality: it is pure existence and knowledge. Brahma does not exist; it is existence itself. It is not all-knowing; it is knowledge itself.
However, when human beings try to think of the infinite God, they project the limitations of their finite minds on God. The human mind cannot think other than in human terms. Therefore, it projects human limitations, such as personality, motherhood, and fatherhood on God.
According to the Advaita school of thought God does not have any such attributes. However, many consider it helpful to project such attributes on God the myriad names and forms of God one finds in Hinduism are all ways for humans to approach the divine. Therefore, the Hindu scriptures depict God not only as an abstract principle or concept, but also as a personal being, much like the God in the Judeo-Christian religions.
Despite Hinduism's belief in the abstract principle of Brahma, most Hindus worship God on a day-to-day basis in one of God's less abstract personal forms, such as Vishnu, Shiva, or Shakti. Some Hindus worship these personal forms of God for a practical reason: it is easier to cultivate devotion to a personal being than to an abstract principle. Other Hindus, such as those following the Dvaita traditions, consider the personal forms in themselves to be the highest form of truth and worship God as an infinite and yet personal being.
The Hindu scriptures declare that Brahma (the impersonal God) is beyond description, and can be understood only through direct spiritual experience. Nevertheless, for the benefit of others, the ancient Hindu sages who experienced Brahma attempted to describe their experiences, as recorded in the ancient Vedic texts known as the Upanishads.
Several mahā-vākyas, or great sayings, indicate what the principle of Brahma is:
* "Brahma is knowledge", (prajnānam brahma)
* "The Self (or the Soul) is Brahma " (ayam ātmā brahma)
* "I am Brahma" (aham brahmāsmi)
* "You are that" (tat tvam asi),
* "All this that we see in the world is Brahma" (sarvam khalv idam brahma),
* "Brahma is existence, consciousness, and happiness" (sachchidānanda brahma).
Thus, Brahma is conceived of as the very essence of existence and knowledge, which pervades the entire universe, including every living being. The goal of Hinduism is to somehow "wake up," and realize one's own connection to the divine reality that may be called Brahma or God. Because God is everywhere, God is also present within each living being.
Govindji Patel
http://www.newgenealogy.com
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