The Devi/Shekinah/Holy Spirit/Ruh/Tao/Aykaa Mayee is indwelling feminine aspect of Brahman

>
> The individual Mother within is the Devi/Shekinah/Holy Spirit/Ruh/
> Tao/Aykaa Mayee. The holy scriptures give different names to the
> one and the same Divine Feminine. The information given also varies
> and in the case of the Qur'an almost non-existent and left out
> deliberately:
>
> They ask thee concerning the Spirit.
> Say: "The Spirit (cometh) by command of my Lord:
> Of knowledge it is only a little that is communicated to you."
>
> surah 17: 85 Al Isra' (The Night Journey)
> Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur'an, 1989.)
>

(Jagbir, the verse sounds 'innocent enough'. How can you deduct from that verse, that it was left out 'deliberately'. i am curious about that statement. Are you saying that the 'Book of Enlightenment' was a part of the Qur'an originally, and got separated from it? Do you know who wrote it? i am really surprised that the Shri Lalita Sahasranama, comes from the Qur'an, did you say?! i thought it was of a 'Hindu Source'.)

Violet, even today it is next to impossible, due to the vastness of exoteric breadth and esoteric depth, to comprehend the Devi/Shekinah/ Holy Spirit/Ruh/Tao/Aykaa Mayee. There was absolutely no way illiterate, stone-worshipping and child-sacrificing desert-dwellers 1400 years ago could have been enlightened of His Spirit. Prophet Muhammad was spreading the revelations of God to these backward tribes and ridding them of their false beliefs and rituals. It would have served no purpose to try instilling the far more difficult aspect of His Ruh. So little was communicated to them.

The "Book of Enlightenment" was never part of the Qu'ran and that is why Muslims never bothered about it. Try googling "Kitab Al Munir" and other than my explanation you will not find a single mention. i believe it has been erased/misinterpreted out of the collective Muslim memory.

>
> Only the Sri Lalita Sahasranama provides the deep, detailed and
> enlightening revelations of the Divine Feminine, both esoteric and
> exoteric. This holy text about the Divine Feminine towers over all
> and is indispensable to comprehend the mystical aspect of the Last
> Judgment and Resurrection. That is why it is the Kitab Al Munir
> (Book of Enlightenment) of the Qur'an, without which one cannot
> understand God Almighty:
>
> "Yet there is among men such a one as disputes about Allah, without
> knowledge, without guidance and without the Book of Enlightenment"
>
> surah 22:7-8 Al Hajj
> Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur'an, 1989.)
> http://adishakti.org/kitab_al_munir.htm
>

The Kitab Al Munir or Shri Lalita Sahasranama is the only scripture that reveals the esoteric aspect of His Spirit. There is nothing else worth comparing. This Book of Enlightenment is matchless in revealing the Divine Mother within who by giving Self-realization leads the devotee towards God-realization. You cannot know God-Almighty/Brahman otherwise until and unless you know His indwelling feminine aspect.

The Devi/Shekinah/Holy Spirit/Ruh/Tao/Aykaa Mayee is the indwelling feminine aspect of Brahman - your Self. The Shri Lalita Sahasranama is the Book of Enlightenment whose 1000 names bestow unsurpassable supreme knowledge and guidance to know God Almighty. At the moment i do not have the time and ability to explain such information from the Sri Lalita Sahasranama. So i will just list them:

1) Sri Mata
— Sacred Mother (feminine); the Seer, the Seen and the Seeing.
— The Knower; the Measurer (masculine)
— "For Whom all creatures are born." Taittiriya Upanishad 3. 2

2) Sri Maharajni
— Great Empress
— "By Whom all creatures live." Taittiriya Upanishad 3. 1

4) Sri Cidagni-Kunda-sambhuta
— Born from the Pit of the Fire of Consciousness.
— Burns out ignorance and confers Immortality.

5) Sri Deva-Karya-Samudyata.
— Emerges for a Divine Purpose.
— Appears to answer the prayer of Gods (Divine Beings) for help.
— Battles for the spiritual emancipation of Her devotee.

58) Sri Panca-Brahmasana-sthita
— Seated above the Five: Sri Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Isna and Sadasiva.

59) Sri Maha-padmatavi-samstha
— Dwells in the Great Lotus Forest.

61) Sri Sudha-sagara-madhyastha
— Ocean of Nectar.
— Abode of Bliss.

64) Sri Devarsi-gana-sanghata-stuyamanatma-vaibhava
— Gods and Seers perceived Her Cosmic Form.
— Seers realised unity of individual and Cosmic Selves.

65) Sri Bhandasura-vadhodyukta-sakti-sena-samanvita
— Confers powers to devotees to conquer their egos.
— Grants true realisation of Ultimate Reality.

68) Sri Chakra-raja-ratha-rudha-sarvayudha-pariskrta
— Mounted on Sri Chakra inside body with all weapons i.e. Powers.
— Enlightens mind to realise Ultimate Reality as an All Pervading-Consciousness.

70) Sri Chakra-ratharudha-dandanatha-puraskrta
— Mounted on Kiri Chakra, led by Sri Varahi, commander of Her armies.
— Controls forces inside body and marshals them towards God realization.

78) Sri Mahaganesa-nirbhinnavighna-yantra-praharsita
— Delighted at Sri Ganesha destroying obstacles of Her devotees.
— Enables devotee overcome impediments by Her presence in body and Cosmos.

80) Sri Karanguli-nakhotapanna-Narayana-dasakrtih
— 10 avataras of Sri Vishnu emerge from Her fingernails to fight Her battles against Forces of Darkness.

83) Sri Brahmopendra-Mahendradideva-samstuta-vaibhava
— Her splendour praised by Sri Brahma, Vishnu and Indra.
— "You are verily that which cannot be uttered." Sri Brahmadeva (Devi Mahatmyam)

99) Sri Muladharaika-nilaya
— Dwells in Muladhara Chakra inside body.

101) Sri Manipuranta-rudita
— Appears then in Manipurna Chakra; devotee feels unreality of wakeful state.

102) Sri Visnu-granthi-vibhedini
— Cuts Knot of Sri Vishnu; devotee perceives unreality of individuality.

104) Sri Rudra-granthi-vibhedini
— Cuts Knot of Sri Rudra; devotee becomes one with Cosmic Consciousness.

105) Sri Sahasrarambujarudha
— Dwells in Sahasrara Chakra of liberated souls as Saksi or Witness.

110) Sri Kundalini
— She is coiled like a serpent. She is stated to assume 31/2 coils
- the form in which Sri Lalita resides in sacrum bone of every human as potential state.

112) Sri Bhavani
— Giver of Life to Universe.

114) Sri Bhavaranya-kutharika
— Confers moksa from samsara i.e. freedom from cycle of rebirths.

136) Sri Nitya
— Eternal.

137) Sri Nirakara
— Formless

143) Sri Nirupaplava
— Indestructible.

154) Sri Nirupadhih
— Alone

155) Sri Nirisvara
— Supreme.

167) Sri Papanasini
— Dispels all ignorance, or destroys sins.
— "By mere concentration on Her, sin becomes virtue." Brahmanda Purana

173) Sri Samsayaghni
— Destroys doubts of devotees.

174) Sri Nirbhava
— Unborn.

175) Sri Nirnasa
— Deathless.

196) Sri Sarvajna
— Omniscient.

198) Sri Samanadhika-Varjita
— Supreme; none to equal or excel Her.

199) Sri Sarva-Sakti-Mayi
— The Mother of all Powers and Energies such as Mahakali, Mahlaksmi and Mahasaraswati.

201) Sri Sadgati-Prada
— Leads devotee to Highest Truth or Reality which is Herself.

203) Sri Sarvamayi
— Immanent in All.

207) Sri Manonmani
— Highest state of Consciousness. — Secret name of Sri Durga.

208) Sri Mahesvari
— One with Him, God Almighty.

209) Sri Mahadevi
— The Greatest Goddess.

212) Sri Maharupa
— The Supreme Form.

213) Sri Maha-Pujya
— Worshipped by the Highest i.e. Sri Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

214) Sri Maha-Pataka-Nasini
— Destroys the greatest of sins.

216) Sri Maha-Sattva
— Supreme Existence.
— Supreme Energy.

217) Sri Maha-Saktih
— The Greatest Power.
— "To the Devi who abides in All beings in the form of Power." Sri Durga-Saptasati 32-34

218) Sri Maharatih
— The Greatest Bliss.

221) Sri Mahavirya
— The Greatest Might.

222) Sri Mahabala
— The Greatest Strength.

223) Sri Mahabuddhih
— The Greatest Intelligence.
— "To the Devi who abides in All beings in the form of Pure Intelligence." Sri Durga-Saptasati 20-22

232) Sri Mahesvara-Maha-Kalpa-Maha-Tandava-Saksini
— Silent Witness to the dissolution of the Universe.

252) Sri Paramananda
— The Ultimate Bliss.

254) Sri Dhyana-Dhyatr-Dhyeya-Rupa
— In the form of meditation, meditator and meditated.

256) Sri Visvarupa
— Universe is Her From.

263) Sri Sarvavastha Vivarjita
— Beyond all states. She is one with those who are beyond all those states mentioned above.

265) Sri Brahmarupa
— Of the Form of Sri Brahma, the Creator.

267) Sri Govindarupini
— Of the form of Sri Vishnu, the Sustainer.

268) Sri Samharini
— Destroyer of Universe.

285) Sri Abrahma-Kita-Janani
— Mother of all Life.

296) Sri Anandinidhana
— Having neither Birth nor Death.
— Eternal.

297) Sri Hari-Brahmendra-Sevita
— Served by Sri Vishnu, Brahma and Indra, being Their Overlord.

317) Sri Raksakari
— The Saviour.

325) Sri Jagatikanda
— Root of the Universe.

326) Sri Karunarasa-Sagara
— Ocean of Compassion.

329) Sri Kanta
— Ultimate Form of Reality.

338) Sri Veda-Janani
— Mother of the Vedas.

339) Sri Visnu-Maya
— Produces an illusion of limitation, even to Visnu who is limitless.

340) Sri Vilasini
— Universe is for Her Pleasure.
— Opens or closes way to Self-Realization.

358) Sri Taruni
— Ever Young

359) Sri Tapasaradhya
— Worshipped by Penance.
— Beyond those incapable of meditation and penance.

361) Sri Tamopaha
— The Remover of Ignorance.

366) Sri Para
— The Ultimate.

367) Sri Pratyak-Chiti-Rupa
— Inner Consciousness or Knowledge.

369) Sri Para Devata
— The Ultimate Godhead.

373) Sri Kamesvara-Prananadi
— Life-breath of Sri Shiva.
— "Without Her, He is unable to move." Saundhara-Lahari 1.

374) Sri Krtajna
— Witness and Judge of all.

389) Sri Nirupama
— Unequalled.

390) Sri Nirvana-sukha-dayini
— Giver of the Bliss of Liberation.

396) Sri Paramesvari
— The Ultimate Ruler.

397) Sri Mulaprakrtih
— The Original Nature.

400) Sri Vyapini
— All Pervading.

414) Sri Sva-prakasa
— Self-Illuminated; nothing illuminates Her as She is ‘Svayam-jyoti’.

415) Sri Mano-vachamagochara
— Beyond grasp of mind and speech.
— "Where words turn back." Annapurna Upanisad 2

419) Sri Jadatmika
— Entire Creation has no power of knowing Her.

423) Sri Dvija-Vrnda-nisevita
— Pacified by the twice-born.

442) Sri Kumara-gana-nathamba
— Mother of Sri Kumara and Sri Ganesha, Commanders-in-Chief of the Divine Forces.

457) Sri Mata
— Mother.

463) Sri Suranayika
— Leader of Gods.

470) Sri Vayovastha-vivarjita
— Ageless.

528) Sri Sahasra-dala-padmastha
— Resides in the Thousand-Petalled Lotus.

543) Sri Punya-labhya
— Attained by the meritorious or righteous.
— Worshipped due to good actions in previous births.

552) Sri Agra-ganya
— Primordial.

552) Sri Achintya-rupa
— Form inaccessible to thought.

555) Sri Kali-kalmasa-nasini
— Destroys sins in this Kali age.

563) Sri Mukhya
— The First One.

573) Sri Prajnana Ghana-rupini
— Supreme Wisdom
— State of Consciousness where nothing else is experienced except Self.
— "Like the taste of salt in the sea (It) is everywhere; Prajnana is All Pervasive." Brahadaranyaka Upanisad

591) Sri Sirahsthita
— Dwells inside head near Brahmarandhra.

603) Sri Gurumurtih
— Of the Form of Guru.
— Leads devotee to Highest state of Liberation

615) Sri Adi-Shaktih
— Primal Power.
— The First Cause.

616) Sri Ameya
— Immeasurable.

618) Sri Atma
— The Ultimate Cosmic Soul.

620) Sri Aneka-koti-brahmanda-Janani
— Mother of all Universes.
— Her mind creates Universes at Will.

621) Sri Divya-vigraha
— Represents the Battle of the Divine Forces against Evil.

646) Sri Satyananda-svarupini
— Of the Nature of Truth and Bliss.

651) Sri Vijnatri
— Source of All Knowledge.

654) Sri Yogada
— One who gives Union of individual soul with Cosmic Spirit.

658) Sri Icchasakti-Jnana-Sakti-Kriya-Sakti- Svarupini
— The Power of Will, Knowledge and Action.
— The Force that Creates and Moves the Universe.

661) Sri Sadasad-rupadharini
— The Form of Existence and Non-existence.
— The Source of Reality and Unreality.

664) Sri Loka-yatra-vidhayini
— The One who determines the Life-Cycle of the Universe.

665) Sri Ekakini
— Alone.

668) Sri Dvaita-varjita
— The Ultimate Reality beyond All Duality.

673) Sri Brhati
— The Immense Truth.

678) Sri Bhasa-rupa
— In the Form of Languages.

681) Sri Sukharadhya
— Easily worshipped without putting body to strain.
— Internally worshipped.

683) Sri Sobhana-sulabha-gatih
— The Easiest Path to Self-Realization.

692) Sri Samrajya-dayini
— The Giver of Empires.
— Bestower of the Empire of Liberation.

700) Sri Saccidananda-rupini
— The Truth, Knowledge and Bliss unconditioned by Time and Space.
— The basic components of the Ultimate.

701) Sri Desa-kala-paricchinna
— The Truth unbroken by Time and Space.
— The All Pervading Eternal Truth.

702) Sri Sarvaga
— Present Everywhere and in Everything.

705) Sri Sastramayi
— The Mother of all Scriptures.

706) Sri Guhamba
— The Mother that dwells in the Heart.

707) Sri Guhya-rupini
— Beyond the Senses.
— Unseen and Secret.

713) Sri Guru-mandala-rupini
— The Unbroken Line of Divine Messengers.
— The Succession of Gurus that is She Herself.

718) Sri Mahi
— The Mother Earth.
— Giver of all Life and Food.

719) Sri Ganamba
— The Mother of Sri Ganesha.

725) Sri Daksinamurti-rupini
— The Form of Sri Daksinamurti, The Cosmic Guru.
— The Treasure-House of All Knowledge.

736) Sri Muktida
— The One who confers Liberation.

737) Sri Mukti-Rupini
— The Form of Liberation.
— The Supreme Knowledge of Liberation.

739) Sri Layakari
—The Fifth State beyond Turiya.
—The State where individual and Cosmic Consciousness merge.

742) Sri Bhava-Dava-Sudha-Vrstih
— Ambrosial rain which extinguishes the forest fire of Samsara.
— Ends the cycle of births and death.

755) Sri Candika
— Angry with evil forces.

757) Sri Ksara-Ksaratmika
— Eternal and Indestructible.

759) Sri Visva-Dharini
— The One who contains all Universes.

765) Sri Suddha
— Pure Knowledge.

768) Sri Dyuti-Dhara
— The Light.

777) Sri Viraradhya
— Worshipped by the valiant.

783) Sri Pranada
— The Giver of Life.

788) Sri Jayatsena
— Having victorious armies of Divine Forces.

800) Sri Rasa-sevadhih
— The Ocean of Bliss.

802) Sri Puratana
— The Primordial One.
— The Ancient One.

806) Sri Param-jyotih
— The Ultimate Light.
— "There (in the Great Lotus Forest) the sun, moon and stars do not shine because She illumines the mind that illumine all of them." Kathopanisad 5.15

808) Sri Paramanuh
— The Ultimate Atom.
— The Minutest Atom.

809) Sri Parat-para
— The Ultimate of the Ultimate.
— The Ultimate beyond the Trimurti — Sri Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

814) Sri Amurta
— Beyond sense perception.
— Formless.

816) Sri Muni-manasa-hamsika
— Ever dwelling in the minds of Yogis.
— The Female Swan in the Lake of the Great Lotus Forest.

817) Sri Satya-vrata
— Dedicated to the Food of Truth.

819) Sri Sarvantaryamini
— The Spirit

822) Sri Brahma-janani
— The Ultimate Mother of All.

824) Sri Bahu-rupa
— Of Multiform Manifestations.
— "There are many forms of Her: the divine, human, animal, static and mobile. Hence She is known as Bahurupa." Devi-Purana

826) Sri Prasavitri
— Entire Creation emanates from Her.

828) Sri Ajna
— The Command.
— "In the beginning from My Mouth, By My Command were born." Linga Purana

831) Sri Pranesvari
—The Ruler of All Forms of Life.
—The Life of Life.

836) Sri Vira-mata
— The Mother of the Forces battling the forces of evil.

839) Sri Mukti-nilaya
— The Abode of Liberation.

840) Sri Mula-vigraha-rupini
— The Primordial Power.

841) Sri Bhavajna
— The Knower of All Thoughts.

845) Sri Sastra-sara
— The Power behind all Scriptures.

851) Sri Janma-mrtyu-tapta-jana-visranti-dayini
— Bestower of Peace and Solace on those consumed by evils of life, death and old age.
— Endows True Knowledge of their Selves.

852) Sri Sarvopanisadadudghusta
— Proclaimed by all the Upanisads.

854) Sri Gambhira
— The Bottomless Lake.
— "The Ultimate Mother is to be visualised as a great and deep lake of Consciousness, uncomprehended by Space and Time." Siva Sutra 1.23

858) Sri Kalpana-rahita
— Pure Consciousness.

859) Sri Kastha
— The Final Truth.
— "She is the End and She is the Ultimate Path." Kathopanisad 3.11

861) Sri Kantardha-vigraha
— Having half the form which is Female.

866) Sri Aja
— The Unborn One.
— The One without Birth.

870) Sri Antarmukha-samaradhya
— Worshipped by those with Inner Vision.
— Worshipped by those with introspection.

871) Sri Bahirmukha-sudurlabha
— To be sought within.

879) Sri Sudha-srutih
— Ambrosial Stream of Bliss.

880) Sri Samsara-panka-nirmagna- samuddharana-pandita
— Rescues those drowning in Samsara; cycle of births and death.
— "Just as the tusk of Sri Varahavatara rescued the submerged earth, so also She rescues those drowned in the Sea of Births." Saundarya- Lahari 3

891) Sri Vidrumabha
— The Tree of Knowledge

893) Sri Visnurupini
— Sri Vishnu is one of Her Forms.
— The Primordial Power of Sri Mahesha has four different forms.

902) Sri Vijnana-Kalana
— The Knower.
— The Perceiver.

907) Sri Tattvamayi
— The Mother of the Ultimate State of Consciousness.

911) Sri Sadasiva-Kutumbini
— The Matriarch of His Family.
— The Matriarch of Creation.

920) Sri Sadodita
— Ever Present in minds of devotees.

925) Sri Kaulini-Kevala
— The Power behind Time.

940) Sri Paramoda
— The Form of the Ultimate Bliss of Realization.

952) Sri Sasvataisvarya
— Having the Eternal Kingdom

960) Sri Lokatita
— Seated above Sahasrara or Sadashiva
- Loka in body.
— Transcends all Universes.

965) Sri Bala
— The First Movement towards Creation.

980) Sri Jnanagamya
— Reached only by Knowledge.

995) Sri Sarvanullanghya Sasana
— Whose command none i.e., not even Trimurtis can transgress.

1000) Sri Lalitambika
— The Mother Sri Lalita.
— "Since the Mother transcends the universe She sports, She is said to be Sri Lalita." (Padma Purana)

Sri Lalita Sahasranama
C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and Printers, 1989.

But what is God Almighty/Brahman/Allah actually? Again the Hindu scriptures provide the most enlightening knowledge that most of their followers remain ignorant of. (Maybe this is because there are no temples or idols of Brahman. The majority of Hindus and their priests need idols and rituals/bhajans/food for them.)

Brahman is the concept of the Godhead found in Hinduism. Brahman is the unchanging, infinite, immanent, and transcendent reality which is the Divine Ground of all matter, energy, time, space, being, and everything beyond in this universe.

This Supreme Cosmic Spirit or Absolute Reality called Brahman is said to be eternal, genderless, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent, and ultimately indescribable in the human language. It can be at best described as infinite Being, infinite Consciousness and infinite Bliss. Brahman is regarded as the source and essence of the material universe. It is pure being. Brahman manifests as Hiranyagarbha, the "world soul", which also can take many forms or manifestations of the thousands of gods. It was deemed a singular substrate from which all that is arises, and debuts with this verse:

"Great indeed are the devas who have sprung out of Brahman." — Atharva Veda

Essentially, it is also beyond being and non-being alike, and thus does not quite fit with the usual connotations of the word God and even the concept of monism. For this reason, some authors use the word 'Godhead' for Brahman, to distinguish it from the usual usage of the word 'God'. It is said that Brahman cannot be known by material means, that we cannot be made conscious of it, because Brahman is our very consciousness. Brahman (Ryke) is also not restricted to the usual dimensional perspectives of being, and thus enlightenment, moksha, yoga, samadhi, nirvana, etc. do not merely mean to know Brahman, but to realise one's 'brahman-hood', to actually realise that one is and always was of Brahman nature. Indeed, closely related to the Self concept of Brahman is the idea that it is synonymous with jiva-atma, or individual souls, our atman (or soul) being readily identifiable with the greater soul of Brahman.

The Advaitic tradition rejects the above notion of an evolving definition of Brahman. It considers the Vedas to be eternal, timeless and contemporaneous with Brahman. In this tradition, the Vedas were handed down generations by vocal memorizations. Written texts of the Vedas are a relatively recent phenomenon.

Connected with the ritual of pre-Vedantic Hinduism, Brahman signified the power to grow, the expansive and self-altering process of ritual and sacrifice, often visually realised in the sputtering of flames as they received the all important ghee (clarified butter) and rose in concert with the mantras of the Vedas. Brahmin came to refer to the highest of the four castes, the Brahmins, who by virtue of their purity and priesthood are held to have such powers.

It is the first instance of monism in organized religion. Hinduism remains the only religion with this concept. To call this concept 'God' would be imprecise. The closest interpretation of the term can be found in the Taittariya Upanishad (II.1) where Brahman is described in the following manner: satyam jnanam anantam brahman - "Brahman is of the nature of truth, knowledge and infinity". Thus, Brahman is the origin and end of all things, material or otherwise. Brahman is the root source and Divine Ground of everything that exists, and does not exist in Hinduism. It is defined as unknowable and Satchitananda (Truth-Consciousness-Bliss). Since it is eternal and infinite, it comprises the only truth. The goal of Hinduism, through the various yogas, is to realize that the soul (Atman) is actually nothing but Brahman. The Hindu pantheon of gods is said, in the Vedas and Upanishads, to be only higher manifestations of Brahman. For this reason, "ekam sat" (all is one), and all is Brahman. This explains the Hindu view that "All paths lead to the one Brahman, though many sages [and religions] call him different things."

Several mahâ-vâkyas, or great sayings, indicate what the principle of Brahman is:

prajnânam brahma [1] "Brahman is knowledge"
ayam âtmâ brahma [2] "The Self (or the Soul) is Brahman "
aham brahmâsmi [3] "I am Brahman"
tat tvam asi [4] "Thou are that"
sarvam khalv idam brahma [5] "All this that we see in the world is Brahman",
sachchidânanda brahma [6] "Brahman is existence, consciousness, and bliss".

Another way to describe Brahman, as mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita, is to say, "Brahman is not this.. Brahman is not that.." Until everything in the infinite universe has been eliminated and only Brahman remains.

Brahman and Atman

Philosopher mystics of the Upanishads identify Brahman, the world soul, with Atman, the inner essence of the human being also known as "Micro-soul-spark of Brahman. The Ultimate Truth is expressed as Nirguna Brahman, or lord of all "Gods". Nirguna means "formless", "attributeless", mega-soul also known as. "spirit" only. While Advaita philosophy considers Brahman to be without any form, qualities, or attributes, Dvaita philosophy understands nir- guna as without material form or without bad qualities.

In Dvaita, Vishnu is Brahman since the followers stress a personal God. Advaita, on the other hand, considers all personal forms of God including Vishnu and Shiva as different aspects of God in personal form or God with attributes, Saguna Brahman.

According to some, God's energy is personified as Devi, the Divine Mother.

Enlightenment and Brahman

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)

Advaita concept

The universe is not just conscious, but it is consciousness, and this consciousness is Brahman. Human consciousness has forgotten its identity, that of Brahman, as if a drop of water from a vast ocean thought itself separate, and that the only path to merge back into that Brahman or supreme consciousness is through the paths of devotion, moral living, following the eight-fold path of Ashtanga Yoga meditation, often expressed in various systems of spiritual practices known as yogas.

If one seeks Brahman via true knowledge, Atman seeks truth and accepts it no matter what it is. Atman accepts all truths of the self/ego, and thus is able to accept the fact that it is not separate from its surroundings. Then Atman is permanently absorbed into Brahman and become one and the same with it. This is how one forever escapes rebirth.

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.

When man tries to know the attributeless Brahman with his mind, under the influence of an illusionary power of Brahman called Maya, Brahman becomes God (Ishvara). God is Brahman under Maya. The material world also appears as such due to Maya. God is Saguna Brahman, or Brahman with attributes. He is omniscient, omnipresent, incorporeal, independent, Creator of the world, its ruler and also destroyer. He is eternal and unchangeable. He is both immanent and transcedent, as well as full of love and justice. He may be even regarded to have a personality. He is the subject of worship. He is the basis of morality and giver of the fruits of one's Karma. He rules the world with his Maya. However, while God is the Lord of Maya and she (ie, Maya) is always under his control, living beings (jîva, in the sense of humans) are the servants of Maya (in the form of ignorance). This ignorance is the cause of all material experiences in the mortal world. While God is Infinite Bliss, humans, under the influence of Maya consider themselves limited by the body and the material, observable world. This misperception of Brahman as the observed Universe results in human emotions such as happiness, sadness, anger and fear. The Ultimate reality remains Brahman and nothing else. The Advaita equation is simple. It is due to Maya that the one single Atman (the individual soul) appears to the people as many Atmans, each in a single body. Once the curtain of maya is lifted, the Atman is exactly equal to the Brahman.

Notes and references

[1] Aitareya Upanishad 3.3
[2] Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4.4.5,
[3] Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10,
[4] Chhandogya Upanishad 6.8.7 et seq.
[5] Chhandogya Upanishad 3.14.1
[6] Nrisimhauttaratapini, cited in Swami Nikhilananda, The Upanishads: A new Translation Vol. I.

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