When the Vedas and Upanishads declare that Consciousness or Atman is
actually nothing but Brahman, then why go round and round, by various tortuous
paths, like the blind led by the blind. One has to realize the fact that, the
mind is in form of universe. Trace the
source of mind and realize that source is consciousness. The mind rises from
consciousness as waking or dream and subsides as deep sleep.
In Mandukya Upanishad Brahman and Atman
are defined as same:
Mandukya Upanishad,
verse-2:-
All indeed is this Brahman; This Atman is Brahman; He, this Atman has
four steps/quarters.
While Brahman lies behind the sum total of the objective universe, some
human minds boggle at any attempt to explain it with only the tools provided by
reason. Brahman is beyond the senses, beyond the mind, beyond intelligence,
beyond imagination. Indeed, the highest idea is that Brahman is beyond both
existence and non-existence, transcending and including time, causation and
space, and thus can never be known in the same material sense as one
traditionally 'understands' a given concept or object.
Imagine a person who is blind from birth and has not seen anything. Is
it possible for us to explain to him the meaning of the colour red. Is any
amount of thinking or reasoning on his part ever going to make him understand
the sensation of the colour red? In a similar fashion the idea of Brahman cannot
be explained or understood through material reasoning or any form of human
communication. Brahman is like the colour red; those who can sense it cannot
explain or argue with those who have never sensed it.
Brahman is considered the all-pervading consciousness which is the basis
of all the animate and inanimate entities and material. (brahmano hi pratisthaham, Bhagavad Gita 14.27)
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. Since the Advaitins regard Brahman to be the
Ultimate Truth, so in comparison to Brahman, every other thing, including the
material world, its distinctness, the individuality of the living creatures and
even Ishvara (the Supreme Lord) itself are all untrue. Brahman is the effulgent
cause of everything that exists and can possibly exist. Since it is beyond
human comprehension, it is without any attributes, for assigning attributes to
it would be distorting the true nature of Brahman. Advaitins believe in the
existence of both Saguna Brahman and Nirguna Brahman; however they consider
Nirguna Brahman to be the absolute supreme truth.
Atman is Brahman. Brahman or Christ or the Absolute is alone real; this
waking is unreal; and the three states are non-different from
Brahman or Christ.
Whatever is, is Brahman or Christ. Brahman or Christ itself is absolutely
homogeneous. All difference and plurality are illusory." Brahman or Christ is not a person, as the
Absolute is not this. But if one wants to call it God or Paramataman, then fine.
But it is not a person. Personifying it can make it easier to understand.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.