Brahman is a Sanskrit word that has several meanings:
– A member of a high priestly caste in Hinduism;
– A person of good virtuous character (can also be spelled “Brahmin”);
The Absolute God of the Hindus, a mysterious being who occupies the highest place as a creator and enjoys his creation. In this article, we will focus on the third position in order to understand the basics and gain an understanding of the Hindu position regarding the creator God.
The idea of Brahman in relation to Christian theses
Brahman is considered the Light and Delight of the Universe. It is endowed with the most incredible epithets and praised in every way, but there is no exact definition of its essence. Hinduism does not express a single opinion regarding the Ruler; it can refer not only to ideals but also to those who fight for them.
The idea itself attempts to explain Yahweh, the Creator God. Many of his attributes coincide with the understanding of the Lord given by Jews and Christians. Throughout many cultures and civilizations, humanity has sought to know God but most often began to invent alternative theories explaining moral concepts, feelings, and conscience. They did not want to recognize their participation in the creation of a great Being who could direct all processes.
Such a position does not bring anything good because people reject the true God, who puts a sense of good and evil in their hearts. Humanity’s philosophy leads to empty thoughts. Claiming to be wise, people become foolish and replace the glory of the incorruptible God with images resembling ordinary people, birds, animals and reptiles.
What is Brahman?
Brahman (Sanskrit: ब्राह्मण) is the highest reality. It is the spiritual principle that forms the basis of the world. This interpretation refers to the ancient Indian spiritual worldview and the philosophical teachings that emanate from it. It is interesting that everything that exists in the world can collapse, dissolving in Brahman, while it itself is outside of time and space. The main definitions are negative, that is, they begin with the particle “not” – inaudible, invisible, unknowable … Only the highest religious consciousness is able to reveal Brahman, a mundane being who pays most attention to the mortal side of life is not given to do this. The most ancient texts attribute this word to the category of ceremonial designations – sacred truism and prayer. This is a single, unlimited reality that is filled with the highest meaning. Outside of Brahman, nothing exists, but everything that exists is in it as if in an embryo. There is a special concept called hiranyagarbha – the golden embryo. There are two different images of Brahman:
– Saguna-Brahman – endowed with features;
– Nirguna-Brahman – without signs and features.
If we are talking about other schools, then Saguna-Brahman has analogies with Vishnu or Krishna. The universality of Brahman consists in its knowledge of itself, its realities are an endless understanding of itself as the highest deity.
