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Brahman
In Hindu religion and oriental philosophy in general, the supreme, impersonal, absolute reality, which is the indweller in every entity, animate and inanimate, the true nature of the self (Atman), and of the essence of being-consciosuness-bliss (sachchidananda).
A distinction is made between the Brahman without qualities (nirguna brahman) and the Brahman with qualities (saguna brahman), the latter being identified with the personal God (Ishwara or Ishvara). Although the majority view, represented for example by Advaita Vedanta, was that the nirguna brahman preceeded the saguna brahman, some monotheistic Hindu sects considered the Brahman with qualities to be higher.
During the later atomic age the monistic conception of Brahman was assimilated into the Western NuAge mindset, trans-personal psychology, etc, along with other forms of monistic mysticism. By the early Information Age the Brahman idea had become pretty much intermixed with comparable Buddhist, Sufii, Taoist, and other ideologies. A few ethnic Indian dominated habitats continued to preach the supreme brahman until well into the First Federation period.
The concept of the Brahman remains strong to this day among some Sophic League monastic clades, and, less critically held, NuAge and neo-nuage groups in the Pleiades Volume.
Satcitananda or Saccidananda. Also Sat-cit-ananda or Sacchidananda. The subjective experience of the ultimate unchanging reality, called Brahman, in certain branches of Hindu philosophy, especially Vedanta. It represents "existence, consciousness, and bliss" or "truth, consciousness, bliss".
A distinction is made between the Brahman without qualities (nirguna brahman) and the Brahman with qualities (saguna brahman), the latter being identified with the personal God (Ishwara or Ishvara). Although the majority view, represented for example by Advaita Vedanta, was that the nirguna brahman preceeded the saguna brahman, some monotheistic Hindu sects considered the Brahman with qualities to be higher.
During the later atomic age the monistic conception of Brahman was assimilated into the Western NuAge mindset, trans-personal psychology, etc, along with other forms of monistic mysticism. By the early Information Age the Brahman idea had become pretty much intermixed with comparable Buddhist, Sufii, Taoist, and other ideologies. A few ethnic Indian dominated habitats continued to preach the supreme brahman until well into the First Federation period.
The concept of the Brahman remains strong to this day among some Sophic League monastic clades, and, less critically held, NuAge and neo-nuage groups in the Pleiades Volume.
Glossary
Atman. The true or eternal Self or the self-existent essence of each individual, as distinct from ego (Ahamkara), mind (Citta) and embodied existence (Prakrti).Satcitananda or Saccidananda. Also Sat-cit-ananda or Sacchidananda. The subjective experience of the ultimate unchanging reality, called Brahman, in certain branches of Hindu philosophy, especially Vedanta. It represents "existence, consciousness, and bliss" or "truth, consciousness, bliss".
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Development Notes
Text by M. Alan Kazlev
Initially published on 08 October 2001.
Initially published on 08 October 2001.
