"She knew something was tragic," Atman told the Seattle Times.
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Bottom: VP of product Nate Mitchell; CEO Brendan Iribe; chief architect Atman Binstock.
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"When he was just 4 years old, Atman found out I won," Balu Natarajan told CNN.
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Atman is one of 215 kids who competed this week in the 2018 Scripps National Spelling Bee.
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Atman Trivedi worked on North Korea policy on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and at the State Department.
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"He does help me and try to make me work harder, because he knows that I want this," Atman said.
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Atman Balakrishnan, a 12-year-old from Chicago, hopes to follow in the footsteps of his father, Balu Natarajan, the 1985 champion.
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He's been a staff member and judge for the bee, and nowadays he helps his 13-year-old son, Atman Balakrishnan, prepare for the competition.
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Among the competitors is 12-year-old Atman Balakrishnan, who has tough shoes to fill: His own father was the first Indian-American winner, back in 1985.
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" Mr. Villoresi said it took two years to create his most recent fragrance, the 2018 scent Atman Xaman, the Sanskrit words that he said mean "essence of the shaman.
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More than a dozen former champions were in the audience, including 1985 winner Balu Natarajan, whose son, Atman Balakrishnan, 12, made it to the third round of competition on Wednesday.
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"After you've used one of these for a while and you understand that it has this power to teleport you to a different world, you sort of look at it a different way," says Atman Binstock, chief architect at Oculus.
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"The ability to use new devices in a virtual environment [and] be allowed to push the boundaries of a new device ... is not only really exciting, but I think it's the future of interventional cardiology," said Dr. Atman Shah, a cardiologist with the University of Chicago Medical Center and an advisor to Level Ex. Level Ex medical video games are now poised to pave the way for the future of health care in far away environments like the moon and Mars.
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He stressed the fact that one gains the knowledge of atman (soul) by great efforts. Atman is self-illuminating and of the nature of true knowledge. Attaining Nirvana is equivalent to knowing the Atman. By knowing the Atman all animate as well as inanimate things can be known.
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Sripati, a Veerashaiva scholar, explained Lingayatism philosophy in Srikara Bhashya, in Vedanta terms, stating Lingayatism to be a form of qualified non-dualism, wherein the individual Atman (soul) is the body of God, and that there is no difference between Shiva and Atman (self, soul), Shiva is one's Atman, one's Atman is Shiva. Sripati's analysis places Lingayatism in a form closer to the 11th century Vishishtadvaita philosopher Ramanuja, than to Advaita philosopher Adi Shankara.
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5) while the transcendent atman defined negatively (Brhadaranyaka 3.9.26) would not be so. Again at Katha 2.3.17 the atman is of "the size of a digit", while at Chandogya 3.14.
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In order to realise the self- existent eternal Atman, the seeker after Truth uses "Neti, neti", that is "not this, not this" on Anatman, to reach that which remains as Atman.
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Atman is that which one is at the deepest level of one's existence. Atman is the predominantly discussed topic in the Upanishads, but they express two distinct, somewhat divergent themes. Younger Upanishads state that Brahman (Highest Reality, Universal Principle, Being-Consciousness-Bliss) is identical with Atman, while older upanishads state Atman is part of Brahman but not identical.Paul Deussen, , Dover Publications, pages 86-111, 182-212 The Brahmasutra by Badarayana (~ 100 BCE) synthesized and unified these somewhat conflicting theories.
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Atman is Brahman who is of the nature of satyam, jnanam and anantam, and the knower of Brahman becomes Brahman. Knowledge is gained after renouncing attachment to all sense-objects and all actions, for one's body, that harbours the mind that makes for bondage and is not the atman. The Atman is the substratum of the consciousness of "I".
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By non-realisation of the true nature of the atman, the atman is mistaken as the karana sarira ("causal body"), suksma sarira ("subtle body") and sthula sarira ("gross body") which bodies constitute the anatman. For a person who is unaware of the atman there is no other go except to do karmas intended for purification of the mind.
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Ahimsa theory is a natural corollary and consequence of "Atman is universal oneness, present in all living beings. Atman connects and prevades in everyone. Hurting or injuring another being is hurting the Atman, and thus one's self that exists in another body". This conceptual connection between one's Atman, the universal, and Ahimsa starts in Isha Upanishad, develops in the theories of the ancient scholar Yajnavalkya, and one which inspired Gandhi as he led non-violent movement against colonialism in early 20th century.
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Brahman is the Supreme Lord identified as Pratyagatma (Individual atman or soul). It is beyond ageing, destruction and change. It does not differentiate between people; knowledge is its prime characteristic. It is Atman, the Soul.
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Ananda means bliss. This is the bliss of the Atman. This bliss is experienced when we fall into deep sleep. Anandamaya kosha is the last layer and it is the closest layer to the Atman.
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In contrast, states Buddhadasa, there is no Atman terminology in Buddhism.
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In Jainism, each atman or individual self is a potential Paramatman or God, both are essentially the same. It remains as atman only because of its binding karmic limitations, until such time as those limitations are removed. As Paramatman, the atman represents the ultimate point of spiritual evolution. Even though Jain mysticism centers around Atman and Paramatman because it believes in the existence of soul, in Jainism, which accepts neither Vedic authority nor Monism, all enlightened souls are referred to as Paramatman and regarded as gods.
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That is, the Atman is God and the supreme self. It was religiously taught that, one who pay extreme belief over Vaikundar will be turned of to the name of God (Atman). And hence the 'purified jeeva' is an Absolute Atman or God. Also the Thirunamam is smeared between the 'central point of the eyebrows' where the Ajna Chakra is situated.
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Without knowing the Atman the perception of differences cannot vanish fully and consequently one finds it difficult to fully show compassion and love towards all living-beings. He also said that the Upanishads declare that there is nothing beyond the Atman and Paramatma (God) is the highest manifestation of Atman. Buddha means 'The Enlightened One.' Buddha identified oneself with everyone in this world.
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This identification of individual living beings/souls, or jiva-atmas, with the 'one Atman' is the non-dualistic Advaita Vedanta position. The monist, non-dual conception of existence in Advaita Vedanta is not accepted by the dualistic/theistic Dvaita Vedanta. Dvaita Vedanta calls the Atman of a supreme being as Paramatman, and holds it to be different from individual Atman.
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In Hinduism, self- knowledge is the knowledge and understanding of Atman, what it is, and what it is not. Hinduism considers Atman as distinct from the ever-evolving individual personality characterized with Ahamkara (ego, non-spiritual psychological I-ness Me-ness), habits, prejudices, desires, impulses, delusions, fads, behaviors, pleasures, sufferings and fears. Human personality and Ahamkara shift, evolve or change with time, state the schools of Hinduism; while, Atman doesn't. Atman, state these schools, is the unchanging, eternal, innermost radiant self that is unaffected by personality, unaffected by ego of oneself, unaffected by ego of others; Atman is that which is ever-free, never-bound, one that seeks, realizes and is the realized purpose, meaning, liberation in life.
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It exists and active when man is in awake-state, it exists and active when man is in dream-state. The empirical reality is the "honey" for the Atman, with the honey metaphor repeating "fruit of numerous karma flowers in the valley of life" doctrine found in other Upanishads, such as in the second chapter of Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. To know Atman, look inward and introspect; to know objects, look outward and examine, states Katha Upanishad. Everything that changes is not Atman, that which was, is, will be and never changes is Atman. Just like a baby is concealed inside a mother's womb when conceived, Atman is concealed inside every creature, states verse 2.4.8 of Katha Upanishad.
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Advaita Vedanta holds the premise, "Soul exists, and Soul (or self, Atman) is a self evident truth". Buddhism, in contrast, holds the premise, "Atman does not exist, and An-atman (or Anatta, non-self)Anatta, Encyclopædia Britannica (2013), Quote: "Anatta in Buddhism, the doctrine that there is in humans no permanent, underlying soul. The concept of anatta, or anatman, is a departure from the Hindu belief in atman ("the self")." is self evident".Dae-Sook Suh (1994), Korean Studies: New Pacific Currents, University of Hawaii Press, , page 171 Buddhists do not believe that at the core of all human beings and living creatures, there is any "eternal, essential and absolute something called a soul, self or atman".
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3, the atman is "smaller than a kernel of a grain of millet". Again at Brhadaranyaka 2.3.1, Brahman which is identical with the atman is said "both to have form and also be formless." Likewise at Katha 2.3.
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Lt. Gen. Hanut Singh, Shri Shri Shri Shivabalayogi Maharaj: Life & Spiritual Ministration, pp. 158. Shivabalayogi has clarified that it is the same Atman that manifests either as pure Atman, or appears in the form of the 'Ishta Deva' [God].Lt. Gen.
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Advaita Vedanta holds Brahman as the Atman and Brahman as idam sarvam ("all this").
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This also marked a shift from Atman and Brahman as a "living substance" to "maya-vada", where Atman and Brahman are seen as "pure knowledge-consciousness". According to Scheepers, it is this "maya-vada" view which has come to dominate Indian thought.
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In the first chapter of the Aitareya Upanishad, Atman is asserted to have existed alone prior to the creation of the universe. It is this Atman, the Soul or the Inner Self, that is then portrayed as the creator of everything from itself and nothing, through heat. The text states that the Atman created the universe in stages. First came four entities: space, maram (earth, stars), maricih (light-atom) and apas (ur-water, cosmic fluid).
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Mimamsaka Hindus believed that what matters is virtuous actions and rituals completed with perfection, and it is this that creates merit and imprints knowledge on Atman, whether one is aware or not aware of Atman. Their foremost emphasis was formulation and understanding of laws/duties/virtuous life (dharma) and consequent perfect execution of kriyas (actions). The Upanishadic discussion of Atman, to them, was of secondary importance.Oliver Leaman (2006), Shruti, in Encyclopaedia of Asian Philosophy, Routledge, , page 503 While other schools disagreed and discarded the Atma theory of Mimamsa, they incorporated Mimamsa theories on ethics, self- discipline, action, and dharma as necessary in one's journey toward knowing one's Atman.
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The soteriological goal, in Advaita, is to gain self-knowledge and complete understanding of the identity of Atman and Brahman. Correct knowledge of Atman and Brahman leads to dissolution of all dualistic tendencies and to liberation, Moksha is attained by realizing one's true identity as Ātman, and the identity of Atman and Brahman, the complete understanding of one's real nature as Brahman in this life. This is stated by Shankara as follows: According to Advaita Vedānta, liberation can be achieved while living, and is called Jivanmukti. The Atman-knowledge, that is the knowledge of true Self and its relationship to Brahman is central to this liberation in Advaita thought.
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Thus, Gaudapada differs from Buddhist scholars such as Nagarjuna, states Comans, by accepting the premises and relying on the fundamental teaching of the Upanishads. Among other things, Vedanta school of Hinduism holds the premise, "Atman exists, as self evident truth", a concept it uses in its theory of nondualism. Buddhism, in contrast, holds the premise, "Atman does not exist (or, An-atman) as self evident".Dae-Sook Suh (1994), Korean Studies: New Pacific Currents, University of Hawaii Press, , pp.
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The yogi, asserts the text, should think about the Om reverberation, for that is Brahman, the highest Atman.
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17 the atman "resides in the heart" while at Aitareya Aranyaka 2.1.4.6 it is located in the head.
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The text opens with Sage Angiras stating Purusha manifests itself as three types of atman (Self): Ajayat-Atma or external atman (born self, body), Antar-Atma or the internal atman (individual soul), and the Paramatman or the highest atman (Brahman, the universal soul).Michael Nagler (2007), in The Upanishads (editor: Eknath Easwaran), Blue Mountain, , pages 280, 286-287, 375 The external or outer self, states the text is composed of the anatomical organs and parts to see, perceive, act, react and procreate. The outer Self is the physical body, it is born and it perishes. The internal self is what perceives the five elements: Prithvi (Earth), Ap (water), Vayu (air), Agni (fire) and Akasha (ether).
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It is a modification of avidya and appears as a reflection of the atman compacted of absolute bliss. It is fully manifested in the dreamless deep sleep. It is not the atman because it is connected with upadhis ("limitations") and a modification of Prakrti as an effect of good deeds.
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Brahman-Atman and self- realization develops, in the Upanishad, as the means to moksha (liberation; freedom in this life or after-life).RC Mishra (2013), Moksha and the Hindu Worldview, Psychology & Developing Societies, Vol. 25, No. 1, pages 21-42Mark B. Woodhouse (1978), Consciousness and Brahman-Atman, The Monist, Vol.
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The Self or the Atman is to be sought, the Self is to be enquired into, known and understood.
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The Sruti declares that human birth, by divine grace, is meant to strive to know and understand the atman. The knowledge and understanding of the atman invariably results in Jiwanmukti i.e. Moksha or "Spiritual liberation". Spiritual Liberation is of the nature of bliss in which there is complete negation of all sorrow, it does not arise by mere study of sastras, sacrifice to gods, performance of karmas and meditation on the divinities, these acts do not result in the knowledge of the unity of atman.
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All orthodox schools of Hinduism hold the premise, "Atman exists, as self evident truth". Buddhism, in contrast, holds the premise, "Atman does not exist (or, An-atman) as self evident".Dae-Sook Suh (1994), Korean Studies: New Pacific Currents, University of Hawaii Press, , page 171John C. Plott et al (2000), Global History of Philosophy: The Axial Age, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , page 63, Quote: "The Buddhist schools reject any Ātman concept. As we have already observed, this is the basic and ineradicable distinction between Hinduism and Buddhism".
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Maya is unconscious, Brahman-Atman is conscious. Maya is the literal and the effect, Brahman is the figurative Upādāna—the principle and the cause. Maya is born, changes, evolves, dies with time, from circumstances, due to invisible principles of nature. Atman-Brahman is eternal, unchanging, invisible principle, unaffected absolute and resplendent consciousness.
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Pavel Nikolayevich Atman (; born 25 May 1987) is a Russian handball player for Spartak Moscow and the Russian national team.
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A similar Dialectical Notion can also be found in Hinduism with the concept of the unity of atman and brahman.
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Today she is the marketing manager at "Phat Fashions", the apparel company that houses Phat Farm, Baby Phat, and Atman.
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Atman can be identified only by negation of the anatman. The Panchkoshas are anatman that hide the atman, these koshas or sheaths are required to be systematically removed. Their removal brings to fore a void which void is also required to be removed. After removal of the five sheaths and the resultant void through the process of negation, what remains is the Atman; and then the non-existence of all the modifications beginning with the ahamkara is self-witnessed, the self that witnesses is itself the supreme Self.
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The relationship between Paramātmā, the Universal Self, and 'ātma, the Individual Self, is likened to the indwelling God and the soul within one's heart. Paramatman is one of the many aspects of Brahman. Paramatman is situated at the core of every individual jiva in the macrocosm. The Upanishads do compare Atman and Paramatman to two birds sitting like friends on the branch of a tree (body) where the Atman eats its fruits (karma), and the Paramatman only observes the Atman as a witness (sākṣin) of His friend's actions.
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In the second chapter, Aitareya Upanishad asserts that the Atman in any man is born thrice: first, when a child is born (procreation); second, when the child has been cared for and loved to Selfhood where the child equals the parent; third, when the parent dies and the Atman transmigrates. The overall idea of chapter 2 of Aitareya Upanishad is that it is procreation and nurturing of children that makes a man immortal, and the theory of rebirth, which are the means by which Atman sustainably persists in this universe.
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The text is notable for presenting Shaivism in Vedanta, discussing Atman (Soul, Self) and its relation to Brahman, and Self-knowledge as the path to kaivalya (liberation). The text, states Paul Deussen – a German Indologist and professor of Philosophy, is particularly beautiful in the way it describes the self-realized man who "feels himself only as the one divine essence that lives in all", who feels identity of his and everyone's consciousness with God (Shiva, highest Atman), who has found this highest Atman within, in the depths of his heart.
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36-56), the Brahman-Atman synthesis, "Brahman- Atman-Purusha" (49-50).B. K. S. Iyengar, Light on Yoga (London 1965, reprint NY: Schocken 1966), p.21. In not-Samkhya Hinduism, the individual yogin's "Antaratma (the inner self)" may be realized as connected to the sacred Paramatma (pp. 21, 23-24), also called the Brahman (pp. 314, 315, 325).
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The development of thought in these Upanishadic theories contrasted with Buddhism, since the Upanishadic inquiry fails to find an empirical correlate of the assumed Atman, but nevertheless assumes its existence, "[reifying] consciousness as an eternal self." The Buddhist inquiry "is satisfied with the empirical investigation which shows that no such Atman exists because there is no evidence," states Jayatilleke.
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Atman is a 1997 documentary film by Finnish director Pirjo Honkasalo about two Indian brothers on a pilgrimage. It is the final installment of Honkasalo's "Trilogy of the Sacred and the Satanic", preceded by Mysterion (1991) and Tanjuska and the 7 Devils (1993). Atman received the Joris Ivens Award at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam.
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While it further loses its strength it becomes Apara. These three aspects symbolizes Shiva, Shakti and Atman in philosophical perspective of Trika.
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The orthodox schools of Hinduism, particularly Vedanta, Samkhya and Yoga schools, focus on the concept of Brahman and Atman in their discussion of moksha. The Advaita Vedanta holds there is no being/non-being distinction between Atman and Brahman. The knowledge of Atman (Self-knowledge) is synonymous to the knowledge of Brahman inside the person and outside the person. Furthermore, the knowledge of Brahman leads to a sense of oneness with all existence, self-realization, indescribable joy, and moksha (freedom, bliss),Anantanand Rambachan (1994), The limits of scripture: Vivekananda's reinterpretation of the Vedas, University of Hawaii Press, pages 124–125 because Brahman-Atman is the origin and end of all things, the universal principle behind and at source of everything that exists, consciousness that pervades everything and everyone.
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In Hindu philosophy according to the Doctrine of Non-difference (abheda) there is no difference (bheda) whatsoever between the individual self (atman) and the supreme Self (Paramatman) or (Brahman). The opinion of the Sruti is that the knowledge of oneness of Brahman and atman is samyag-jnana ( Vivekachudamani. 204). The word ekatvam in this sloka that reads - brahmatmaikatvavijnanam samyajjnanam sruter matam means "non-difference", the experience of this non-difference between Brahman (supreme Self) and atman (individual self) is samyag-jnana. It is the person tainted by bhrama ("delusion") and pramada ("carelessness") who cannot determine what is samyag- jnana or "true knowledge".
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It then divided itself into Purusha (spirit) and Mula-Prakriti (matter), states the text. The Purusha-Brahman is changeless Vishnu (Ishvara), while the ever changing reality became five Koshas (covering of Atman) manifesting as Maya (illusion). The theories in chapter 1 and the first part of chapter 2 of the text, represented an expansion of the then mainstream ideas on the nature of Atman and of reality, states Goudriaan, possibly influencing those found in later Tantra traditions.Teun Goudriaan (1992), The Pluriform Atman from the Upanishads to the Svacchanda Tantra, Wiener Zeitschrift für die Kunde Südasiens / Vienna Journal of South Asian Studies, Vol.
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Swami Parmeshwaranand explains that Existence is not existence if it does not mean Self-consciousness, Reality is not reality if it does not express throughout its structure the mark of Self-consciousness, the Ultimate category of existence. According to the Upanishads the Atman or Paramatman and Ishvara are unknowable; they are not merely objects of faith but the objects of mystical realisation. The Atman is unknowable in its essential nature; it is unknowable in its essential nature because it is the eternal subject who knows about everything including itself. The Atman is the knower and also the known.
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Adhyāsa (Sanskrit:अध्यास Superimposition) is a concept in Hindu philosophy referring to the false superimposition of an attribute, quality, or characteristic of one entity onto another entity. In Vedanta, Adhyasa means a false superimposition of the characteristics of physical body (birth, death, skin color etc.) onto the Atman, and also the false superimposition of the characteristics of Atman (sentiency, existence) onto the physical body.
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Ishvaratva is only from the standpoint of Jivatva. Both, Ishvaratva and Jivatva, are the apparent modifications of the Atman or Brahman. Though of mutually opposed qualities they are denoted by word tvam, the Atman as qualified by the mental states such as 'waking', 'dream' and 'dreamless sleep. The Mahavakya, Tat Tvam Asi affirms the identity between Brahman, Jiva and Ishvara (Vivekachudamani 243-244).
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Verses 14–15 assert ontological oneness between Shakti, Shiva and Atman, with the statement that through "knowledge that the self becomes one with Cosmic being".
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Pure, abstract concepts are learnt and realized instead wherein it mentions that the highest reality is Brahman. In verse 4, Kena Upanishad asserts that Brahman cannot be worshipped, because it has no attributes and is unthinkable, indescribable, eternal, all present reality. That what man worships is neither Atman-Brahman nor the path to Atman-Brahman. Rather, Brahman is that which cannot be perceived as empirical reality.
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Buddhism rejects the Upanishadic doctrine of Brahman and Atman (soul, permanent self, essence). According to Damien Keown, "the Buddha said he could find no evidence for the existence of either the personal soul (atman) or its cosmic counterpart (brahman)".Damien Keown, Buddhism (NY: Sterling, 2009), p. 70 The metaphysics of Buddhism rejects Brahman (ultimate being), Brahman-like essence, soul and anything metaphysically equivalent through its Anatta doctrine.
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The main aim of the commentaries is to support this nondualistic (of Atman and Brahman) reading of the sruti. Reason is being used to support revelation, the sruti, the ultimate source of truth. Another question is how Brahman can create the world, and how to explain the manifoldness of phenomenal reality. By declaring phenomenal reality to be an 'illusion,' the primacy of Atman/Brahman can be maintained.
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Gandhi, states Richards, described the term "God" not as a separate power, but as the Being (Brahman, Atman) of the Advaita Vedanta tradition, a nondual universal that pervades in all things, in each person and all life. According to Nicholas Gier, this to Gandhi meant the unity of God and humans, that all beings have the same one soul and therefore equality, that atman exists and is same as everything in the universe, ahimsa (non- violence) is the very nature of this atman. Salt Satyagraha to defy colonial law giving salt collection monopoly to the British.Salt March: Indian History , Encyclopædia Britannica His satyagraha attracted vast numbers of Indian men and women.
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The ultimate goal of its teachings is the realization of the nature of one's Atman and its nonduality with Brahman (ultimate reality). This is the "Shandilya doctrine", named after the Vedic sage after whom this text is titled, and who is credited in section 3.14 of the Chandogya Upanishad with the oldest known statement of the Vedanta foundation. This doctrine, also repeated in the last two chapters of this text, is "the identity of Brahman with the Atman, of God with the soul", states Deussen. The closing sections of the text declare the Aum, Atman, Brahman, Shiva and Dattatreya to be one and the same.
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Love for self and object world is due to unmanifested Brahman (Creator) within the creation. The bliss of Atman is known yet unknown is explained below.
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This text, like other Shaiva Upanishads, is presented with Vedanta nondualism terminology, and states that the individual Atman (soul) is identical with the supreme reality Brahman.
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In Hinduism, moksha is 'identity or oneness with Brahman'. Realization of anatta (anatman) is essential to Buddhist nirvana. Realization of atman (atta) is essential to Hindu moksha.
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Gaudapada opens this chapter by criticizing devotional worship of any form, and states that this assumes that the Brahman-Atman is born. He states that the nondual Brahman-Atman (Self) can give rise to apparent duality (Jivas, individual souls), while remaining unaffected in the process. To this end he gives the analogy of space and jars. Self is like space and the Jivas are like space in jars.
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The most ancient texts of Hinduism such as the Vedas and early Upanishads don't mention the soteriological term Nirvana. This term is found in texts such as the Bhagavad Gita and the Nirvana Upanishad, likely composed in the post-Buddha era. The concept of Nirvana is described differently in Buddhist and Hindu literature. Hinduism has the concept of Atman – the soul, self; Quote: The atman is the self or soul.
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The text, in chapter 2, explains the three lines as various triads: sacred fires, syllables of Om, gunas, worlds, types of atman (Soul), powers, Vedas, the time of extraction of the Vedic drink Soma, and Mahesvara (a form of Shiva). The first line is equated to Garhapatya (the sacred fire in a household kitchen), the A syllable of Om, the Rajas guna, the earth, the external Atman, Kriyā - the power of action, the Rigveda, the morning extraction of Soma, and Maheshvara. The second streak of ash is a reminder of Dakshinagni (the holy fire lighted in the South for ancestors), the sound U of Om, Sattva guna, the atmosphere, the inner Atman, Iccha - the power of will, the Yajurveda, midday Soma extraction, and Sadashiva. The third streak is the Ahavaniya (the fire used for Homa), the M syllable in Om, the Tamas guna, Svarga - heaven, the Paramatman - the highest Atman (Brahman), the power of perception, the Samaveda, Soma extraction at dusk, and Shiva.
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In the Upanishads, it has been variously described as Sat-cit-ānanda (truth-consciousness-bliss) as well as having a form (Sakar)Eliot Deutsch (1980), Advaita Vedanta : A Philosophical Reconstruction, University of Hawaii Press, , Chapter 1 and as the unchanging, permanent, highest reality. Brahman is discussed in Hindu texts with the concept of Atman (),(Self), personal, impersonal or Para Brahman, or in various combinations of these qualities depending on the philosophical school.Klaus K. Klostermaier (2007), A Survey of Hinduism, Third Edition, State University of New York Press, , Chapter 12: Atman and Brahman – Self and All In dualistic schools of Hinduism such as the theistic Dvaita Vedanta, Brahman is different from Atman (soul) in each being.Michael Myers (2000), Brahman: A Comparative Theology, Routledge, , pages 124–127Thomas Padiyath (2014), The Metaphysics of Becoming, De Gruyter, , pages 155–157 In non-dual schools such as the Advaita Vedanta, Brahman is identical to the Atman, is everywhere and inside each living being, and there is connected spiritual oneness in all existence.
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According to Nakamura, the Brahman sutras see Atman and Brahman as both different and not- different, a point of view which came to be called bhedabheda in later times.Nakamura (1990), A History of Early Vedanta Philosophy, p.500. Motilall Banarsidas According to Koller, the Brahman sutras state that Atman and Brahman are different in some respects particularly during the state of ignorance, but at the deepest level and in the state of self-realization, Atman and Brahman are identical, non-different.John Koller (2012), Shankara, in Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Religion, (Editors: Chad Meister, Paul Copan), Routledge, , pages 99-102 This ancient debate flowered into various dual, non-dual theories in Hinduism.
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According to some, Bhagavad Gita is written by Lord Ganesha which was told to him by Vyasa. Vedanta commentators read varying relations between Self and Brahman in the text: Advaita Vedanta sees the non-dualism of Atman (soul) and Brahman (universal soul) as its essence, whereas Bhedabheda and Vishishtadvaita see Atman and Brahman as both different and non-different, while Dvaita Vedanta sees dualism of Atman (soul) and Brahman as its essence. The setting of the Gita in a battlefield has been interpreted as an allegory for the ethical and moral struggles of the human life. The Bhagavad Gita presents a synthesis of Hindu ideas about dharma, theistic bhakti, and the yogic ideals of moksha.
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Just as space is enclosed in a jar, so is the Self manifested as Jivas. When the jar is destroyed the space in the jar merges into space so likewise, are the Jivas one of the Self.For Sanskrit original and translation: RD Karmarkar (1953), Gaudapada Karika, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona, pages 20-21 with footnotes Gaudapada states that the Upanishads such as the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad teach this, that one's own Atman (self) is identical to the Atman in other beings, and all Atman are identical with the Brahman. While some Upanishads, acknowledges Gaudapada, imply a difference between individual soul and the Brahman, those texts are discussing the apparent distinction (duality) when one believes in apparent creation.
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Closely connected to the idea that experience is dependently originated is the Buddha's teaching that there is no independent or permanent self (Sanskrit: atman, Pali: atta). Due to this view which (termed anatta), the Buddha's teaching was opposed to all soul theories of his time, including the Jain theory of a "jiva" ("life monad") and the Brahmanical theories of atman and purusha. All of these theories held that there was an eternal unchanging essence to a person which transmigrated from life to life. While Brahminical teachers affirmed atman theories in an attempt to answer the question of what really exists ultimately, the Buddha saw this question as not being useful, as illustrated in the parable of the poisoned arrow.
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The Yogasutra of Patanjali, the foundational text of Yoga school of Hinduism, mentions Atma in multiple verses, and particularly in its last book, where Samadhi is described as the path to self-knowledge and kaivalya. Some earlier mentions of Atman in Yogasutra include verse 2.5, where evidence of ignorance includes "confusing what is not Atman as Atman". In verses 2.19-2.20, Yogasutra declares that pure ideas are the domain of the soul, the perceivable universe exists to enlighten the soul, but while the soul is pure, it may be deceived by complexities of perception or its intellect. These verses also set the purpose of all experience as a means to self-knowledge.
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Buddhists do not believe that at the core of all human beings and living creatures, there is any "eternal, essential and absolute something called a soul, self or atman". Buddhists reject the concept and all doctrines associated with atman, call atman as illusion (maya), asserting instead the theory of "no-self" and "no-soul".Helen J Baroni (2002), The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Zen Buddhism, Rosen Publishing, , page 14 Buddhism, from its earliest days, has denied the existence of the "self, soul" in its core philosophical and ontological texts. In its soteriological themes, Buddhism has defined nirvana as that blissful state when a person realizes that he or she has "no self, no soul".
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In the second chapter of the Kausitaki Upanishad, each life and all lives is declared as Brahman (Universal Soul, Eternal Being). To the extent a person realizes that his being is identical with Brahman , to that extent he is Brahman. He doesn't need to pray, states Kausitaki Upanishad, the one who realizes and understands his true nature as identical with the universe, the Brahman.Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 30–42; To those who don't understand their Atman, they blindly serve their senses and cravings, they worship the without; and in contrast, those who do understand their Atman, their senses serve their Atman, they live holistically.
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After asserting Atman (Self, Soul) as personified God in first two chapters, the Kausitaki Upanishad develops the philosophical doctrine of the Atman in the third chapter.Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 43–47; It identifies perception of sense-objects as dependent on sense-organs, which in turn depend on integrative psychological powers of the mind. Then it posits that freedom and liberation comes not from sense-objects, not from sense-organs, not from subjective psychological powers of mind, but that it comes from "knowledge and action" alone. The one who knows Self, and acts harmoniously with the Self, solemnly exists as the highest God which is that Self (Atman) itself.
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Ribhu then asks Varaha, "Taking birth as a human, that is also a male and a Brahmin is difficult, a yogi who has studied the Vedanta but who does not know the form of Vishnu, how can such an ignorant one become liberated?" Varaha replies in verses 2.7–2.9 that he alone is Supreme Bliss, that apart from the Atman (soul) there exists no Ishvara or phenomenal world.Srinivasa Ayyangar (Translator), The Yoga Upanishads, Varahopanishad Verses 2.7–2.16, pages 402–404, Aidyar Library, (Editor: SS Sastri) Those who know their Atman (soul) have no notions of Varna (caste) or Ashrama (stage in life); they see Atman as Brahman, they become Brahman and reach "Moksha" salvation even without seeking.
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33 However, some Buddhist schools, sutras and tantras present the notion of an atman or permanent "Self", although mostly referring to an Absolute and not to a personal self.
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Kena Upanishad Mantra 6, G Prasadji (Translator), pages 32-33 In the final paragraphs, Kena Upanishad asserts ethical life as the foundation of self-knowledge and of Atman-Brahman.
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This Thirunaman, a white flame-shaped mark, is treated as the symbol of Ayyavazhi since the 1940s and then the present symbol Lotus and Namam was accepted as the symbol. Even in the present symbol the Thirunamam is used with the same religious definition as the Atman. 1\. The 'white soil' stored for preparing Namam. 2. The prepared Thirunamam In Ayyavazhi symbolism this Atman is placed above Sahasrara which is symbolised as Namam above Lotus.
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According to Glyn Richards, the early texts of Hinduism state that the Brahman or the nondual Brahman–Atman is the Absolute., Quote: "The Self or Atman is the Absolute viewed from the subjective standpoint (arkara), or a real mode of existence of the Absolute." The term has also been adopted by Aldous Huxley in his perennial philosophy to interpret various religious traditions, including Indian religions, and influenced other strands of nondualistic and New Age thought.
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Who indeed then is Brahmana, rhetorically repeats the verse 9 of the text. Whoever he may be, answers the Upanishad, he is the one who has directly realized his Atman (innermost self, soul). He is the one who understands that his soul is without a second, is devoid of class, is devoid of actions, is devoid of faults. He knows that the Atman is truth, is knowledge, is bliss and is eternity.
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A Child with Thirunamam smeared in the forehead. Thiru (word representing sacredness) + Namam (name) represents (The Sacred name). The people of Ayyavazhi wear a vertical white mark on the forehead in the shape of a flame, starting from the central point between the eyebrows, going straight up near the top edge of the forehead. The flame shape represents Aanma Jyothi or Atman meaning Atman is considered sacred and is the name of God.
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The ancient Aitareya Upanishad equates Indra, along with other deities, with Atman (soul, self) in the Vedanta's spirit of internalization of rituals and gods. It begins with its cosmological theory in verse 1.1.1 by stating that, "in the beginning, Atman, verily one only, was here - no other blinking thing whatever; he bethought himself: let me now create worlds".Robert Hume, The Thirteen Principal Upanishads, Oxford University Press, page 294 with verses 1.1.
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These are different from the inmost Atman (soul, self). The Atman, with its unending power, states the text, is exclusive bliss, transcendent and shines. In verses 10 to 14, the text states, everything is Shiva, that which changes is Shiva, and that which is not subject to change is also Shiva. Doubts arise in the Jiva (life force, doer) by agitation of the mind, states the text, and the Jiva (doer) is bound by karma.
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Alternatively, the text presents meditating on Vasudeva within, as the supreme, the transcendent Atman, with Vasudeva as one's own self. The meditation on oneself, asserts the Trishikhibrahmana Upanishad, leads one to realize the Atman and to Vishnu. This is the knowledge of qualified Brahman (saguna), and from there the yogi should proceed to seeking the unqualified transcendental Brahman (nirguna). The Yogin realizes that "I alone am the transcendent Brahman, I am the Brahman".
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Such a numinous, universal Self is called Brahman (Sanskrit: sacred power),Zaehner, The City within the Heart (1981), p. 21 (etymologies: Brahman, Atman). or Paramatma.Zaehner, Hinduism (1962, 1966), Brahman (pp.
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Breath is sound, states the text, and one that stays in all human bodies all their life, filling them with energy. Hamsa, states Jean Varenne, is the symbolism for Atman (soul).
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A common metaphysical entity discussed in the scriptures (such as the Bhagavad Gita, Upanishad and Vachanamrut) in the seven schools of Vedanta is the jiva or atman: the soul or self.
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Page 191. While visiting Sarnath in 640 CE, Xuanzang recorded that the colony had over 1,500 priests and the main stupa was nearly high.Arnett, Robert A. India Unveiled. Atman Press, 2006. .
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Chapter 3 elaborates the path to moksha (liberation) through realization of the ultimate reality and being, the Atman and the Brahman. Atman and Brahman, asserts the text, is unborn, uncaused, devoid of form or nature that can be sensed; is imperishable, neither short nor long, neither definable nor obscure, neither provable nor shrouded, neither manifested nor measurable, neither with interior nor with exterior. One attains this Atman and self-knowledge through virtues, which are six in number – truthfulness, charity, austerity, non-injury to others, Brahmacharya, and renunciation. The text then repeats the "da, da, da" axiology found in section 5.2Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Robert Hume (Translator), Oxford University Press, page 150 of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, referring to dama (self-restraint), dāna (charity) and daya (compassion).
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The various schools of Hinduism, particularly the dual and non-dual schools, differ on the nature of Atman, whether it is distinct from Brahman, or same as Brahman. Those that consider Brahman and Atman as distinct are theistic, and Dvaita Vedanta and later Nyaya schools illustrate this premise.Roy W. Perrett (Editor, 2000), Indian Philosophy: Metaphysics, Volume 3, Taylor & Francis, , page xvii; K. K. Chakrabarti (1999), Classical Indian Philosophy of Mind: The Nyaya Dualist Tradition, State University of New York Press, pages 279–292 Those that consider Brahman and Atman as same are monist or pantheistic, and Advaita Vedanta, later SamkhyaJohn C. Plott et al (2000), Global History of Philosophy: The Axial Age, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 60-62 and Yoga schools illustrate this metaphysical premise.
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Pratītyasamutpāda, or "dependent origination", describes the existence of objects and phenomena as the result of causes. When one of these causes changes or disappears, the resulting object or phenomena will also change or disappear, as will the objects or phenomena depending on the changing object or phenomena. Thus, there is nothing with an eternal self or atman, only mutually dependent origination and existence. However, the absence of an eternal atman does not mean there is nothing at all.
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Jain philosophy is the oldest Indian philosophy that completely separates matter from the soul. According to The Theosophist, "some religionists hold that Atman (Spirit) and Paramatman (God) are identical, while others assert that they are distinct; but a Jain will say that Atman and Paramatman are identical as well as distinct." The five vows of Jain practice are believed in Jainism to aid in freeing the jīva from karmic matter, reduce negative karmic effects and accrue positive karmic benefits.
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Madhvacharya interprets the Upanishadic teachings of the self becoming one with Brahman, as "entering into Brahman", just like a drop enters an ocean. This to the Dvaita school implies duality and dependence, where Brahman and Atman are different realities. Brahman is a separate, independent and supreme reality in the Upanishads, Atman only resembles the Brahman in limited, inferior, dependent manner according to Madhvacharya. Sri Ramanuja's Vishishtadvaita school and Shankara's Advaita school are both nondualism Vedanta schools,J.
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According to Paul Deussen, Hamsa in Indian tradition can refer to the migrating "goose, swan or flamingo", and symbolizes the "migrating soul" or reincarnating soul. Hamsa refers to a migratory bird, such as "swan, goose, flamingo", it reflects Om symbol, and symbolizes Atman. The word Hamsa as a symbolism for Atman and moksha appears in numerous ancient texts of Hinduism. Vogel suggested in 1952, that Hamsa in Hindu texts could be symbolism for goose, rather than swan.
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Different religions have different beliefs about their deity but the core concern of all is the Brahma, the superpower. Thus, the theme of the poem is universal: The Brahma, the superpower, has many little parts atman, the human, who has to achieve salvation (linkage of atman to the Brahma), but entrapped in Maya, transient one, the physical beauty of the world. One who can overcome the Maya will certainly understand the Brahma i.e the achievement of salvation.
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In the phrase – ब्रह्म इदम् सर्वं, which means - "Brahman possessing all the qualities is all-pervading", the word idam is used in the sense of 'it is', the Atman is identified with idam sarvam and the same phrase also expresses the whole world because the world springs from the Atman as is indicated in Stanza V.iii.1. In the Vedas, idam as ayam has been used as a subject in nominal sentences as an equivalent of a proposition.
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9 Katha Upanishad Beyond the senses are the objects; beyond the objects is the mind; beyond the mind, the intellect; beyond the intellect, the Great Atman; beyond the Great Atman, the Unmanifest; beyond the Unmanifest, the Purusha. Beyond the Purusha there is nothing: this is the end, the Supreme Goal.- 1.3.10,11 Katha Upanishad In terms of theology, Ramanujacharya puts forth the view that both the Supreme Goddess Lakshmi and Supreme God Narayana together constitute Brahman - the Absolute.
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It is absolute monism. A person finds the truth when realizing his/her true nature or the pure soul or self (atman). When the person is devoid of ignorance the person realizes that their inner self (atman) is the Brahman (the ultimate reality). Till the person realizes this truth, the person is usually of ignorance and therefore thinks everything around them is real and indulges in it, when it's actually not and is an illusion (maya).
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In the fifth chapter, Atri asks Yajnavalkya whether someone pursuing Brahman can be without the sacred thread. According to the translation by Paul Deussen, a professor and German Indologist, Yajnavalkya answers that "this very thing is sacred thread, namely the Atman". A renouncer or Parivrajaka (another term for renouncer) performs a sacrifice to the Atman whenever he feeds himself or rinses his mouth with water. Feeding and dressing his Prana (life force) is the only duty of the renouncer.
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After these came into existence, came the cosmic self and eight psyches and principles (speech, in-breathing, sight, hearing, skin/hair, mind, out-breathing, reproductivity). Atman then created eight guardians corresponding to these psyches and principles. Then, asserts Aitareya Upanishad, came the connective principles of hunger and thirst, where everything became interdependent on everything else through the principle of apana (digestion). Thereafter came man, who could not exist without a sense of Self and Soul (Atman).
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Sat (Existence, BeingShankara, Chandogya Upanisha Basha, 6.8.7) is this root, it is the essence (atman), it is at the core of all living beings. It is True, it is Real, it is the Self (atman), and Thou Art That, Śvetaketu.Max Muller, Chandogya Upanishad 6.1-6.16, The Upanishads, Part I, Oxford University Press, pages 92-109 with footnotesDominic Goodall (1996), Hindu Scriptures, University of California Press, , pages 136-137 The "Tat Tvam Asi" phrase is called a Mahavakya.
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Sakti- vikasa is a method to dissolve duality (vikalpa ksaya) out of the stream of sensorial impressions. While being engaged in the sense activity, the yogi should remain centered in Atman (his heart), thus superposing the external perceptions onto the light of is revealed heart. This mental attitude is also called Bhairavi Mudra. Its effect is the realization of the nonduality of the external reality by recognizing the same essential nature (Atman, or Śiva) in all cognitions.
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The concept of Brahman, its nature and its relationship with Atman and the observed universe, is a major point of difference between the various sub-schools of the Vedanta school of Hinduism.
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10 of the Yajur Veda) They all express the insight that the individual self (jiva) which appears as a separate existence, is in essence (atman) part and manifestation of the whole (Brahman).
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Everything is god, and god is in everything, asserts the text. All reality is the same Shiva and one absolute, which is identical to Om, the Atman, the satcitananda (existence-consciousness-bliss).
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The chapter invokes deity Indra, personifies him as Atman and reveals him as communicating that he is Life-breath and Atman, and Atman is him and all is One. The chapter presents the metaphysical definition of a human being as Consciousness, Atman, Soul. In verse 3, it develops the foundation for this definition by explaining that speech cannot define a human being, because we see human beings midst us who are born without the power of speech (dumb); that sight cannot define a human being, because we see human beings midst us who are born without the ability of sight (blind); that hearing cannot define a human being, because we see human beings midst us who are born without the ability to hear (deaf); that mind cannot define a human being, because we see human beings midst us who are without the power of clear thinking (foolishness); that arms or legs cannot define a human being, because we see human beings midst us who lose their arms or legs (cut in an accident). A being has life-force, which is consciousness.
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The individual soul is only the reflection of the Atman on the mind; this reflection gives rise to a separate sense of ego. The pure consciousness of the Atman is unchangeable; as the reflection of its consciousness falls upon the mind the mind takes the form of the Atman and appears to be conscious. The mind is able to perceive because it reflects both the Atman and the object of perception (Yoga Sutras IV.21-22). Whereas Padmapada in his Pancapadika and Prakasatman in his Pancapadikavivarna hold that Ishvara and Jiva as reflections of pure consciousness, the reflection that avidya ('nescience') superimposed on Brahman receives, that the reflected image is as real as the prototype, Sarvajnatman in his Samksepasariraka states that Pure Consciousness reflected in nescience is Ishvara and the same pure consciousness reflected in the inner sense is the Jiva on which account Ishvara, as a reflected image, is subject to the defects of avidya in as much as when characterized by nescience the self is construed as a witness; when identified with the intellect, it is taken to be the knower.
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Nikhalananda states that (knowledge of) Atman and Brahman can only be reached by buddhi, "reason," stating that mysticism is a kind of intuitive knowledge, while buddhi is the highest means of attaining knowledge.
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In the Upanishads, 'jnana yoga aims at the realization of the oneness of the individual self (Atman) and the ultimate Self (Brahman). These teachings are found in the early Upanishads. According to Chambliss, the mystical teachings within these Upanishads discuss "the way of knowledge of the Self", a union, the realization that the Self (Atman) and the Brahman are logical. The teachings in the Upanishads have been interpreted in a number of ways, ranging from non-theistic monism to theistic dualism.
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He should surrender his Atman (soul) to Paramatman, the Supreme Soul. In order to realize Atman, he should not pay any attention to his impure body, a parental burden, which is to be shunned like an out caste. As a confined space becomes one with the infinite space, one should absorb his atma (self) with the Supreme Soul. The Macrocosm and microcosm, which are the storehouses of all impure things, are to be rejected to become the "self-luminous Substratum".
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In section 3, the text describes the four states of consciousness, asserting that the fourth and the highest inner state is one of "certitude of one own self, the calm, the one without a second, that which is the Atman which should be known" and which is same as Brahman and Rama. The one who realizes that "I am Atman", "I am Rama" and "I am Brahman" has realized the supreme light, the Ramabhadra, the bliss of liberation, states the Upanishad.
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The Ajñana claimed that the possibility of knowledge is doubtful since the claims to knowledge were mutually contradictory. Silanka quotes, "They posit the theory that since those who claim knowledge make mutually contradictory assertions, they cannot be stating the truth." Regarding Sceptic's point of view, Silanka in his commentary writes, as translated by Jayatilleke: The conflicting theories of atman can be traced to Early Upanisads. The idea of atman "made of everything" (sarvamayah, idammayah adomayah) would be omnipresent (sarvagatam) (Brhadaranyaka 4.4.
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In the "Good" ending, unlocked by completing a specific side quest before the final battle, Yuri helps Alice defeat the Graveyard's ruling spirit Atman and saves her soul, allowing them to return together to her family in France. In the "Bad" ending, Alice's life is claimed by Atman and she dies as she travels with Yuri to France. Both endings conclude with a narration of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heralding the opening of World War I.
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It implies the ultimate release of the soul (atman) from the Saṃsāra and karma and merger of the atman in Brahman, so when a Jivanmukta dies he becomes a Paramukta. In the Hindu view, when an ordinary person dies and his physical body disintegrates, the person's unresolved karma causes his atman to pass on to a new birth; and thus the karmic inheritance is reborn in one of the many realms of samsara. However, when a person attains Jivanmukti, he is liberated from karmic rebirth. When such a person dies and his physical body disintegrates, his cycle of rebirthing ends and he become one with Brahman, then that person is said to have achieved Paramukti and became a Paramukta, so, a Jivanmukta has a body while a Paramukta is bodyless and pure.
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Basically, the Jyotirlinga signifies the infinite nature of Lord Shiv. At the highest level, Shiva is regarded as formless, limitless, transcendent and unchanging absolute Brahman and the primal Atman (soul, self) of the universe.
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Peter Heehs (2002), Indian Religions: A Historical Reader of Spiritual Expression and Experience, New York University Press, , pages 85-86 The liberated man, states the Upanishad, has found the highest Atman in his heart.
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It contains the key terms and ideas of Shaivism, such as Shiva, Rudra, Maheswara, Guru, Bhakti, Yoga, Atman, Brahman and self-knowledge. Shiva standing on Apasmara, carved on a lingam, Gudimallam, 1st-2nd century BCE.
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Her Shakti is in Om. > She alone is Atman. Other than She is untruth, non-self. She is Brahman- > Consciousness. She is the Vidya of Consciousness, nondual Brahman > Consciousness, a wave of Being-Consciousness-Bliss.
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Jñāna is a Sanskrit word that means knowledge. In Vedas it means true knowledge, that (atman) is identical with Brahman. It is also referred to as Atma Jnana which is frequently translated as self-realization.
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The first section of the text presents the Caksusmati-Vidya. The second section discusses nonduality of Atman and Brahman, Yoga, seven steps to reach a dispassionate view of life and freedom, and the Om mantra.
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Renunciation of karma and associated misconceptions leads to peace, but this happens when the JIva is ready because he has reached the proper time and the right knowledge of the Atman, asserts the Trishikhibrahmana Upanishad.
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Several key texts refer to the tathāgatagarbha or Buddha-dhātu as "atman", Self or essence, though those texts also contain warnings against a literal interpretation. Several scholars have noted similarities between tathāgatagarbha texts and the substantial monism found in the atman/Brahman tradition.Jamie Hubbard, Absolute Delusion, Perfect Buddhahood, University of Hawai’i Press, Honolulu, 2001, pp. 99–100 The Tathagatagarbha doctrine, at its earliest, probably appeared about the later part of the 3rd century CE, and is verifiable in Chinese translations of 1st millennium CE.
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Max Muller, Chandogya Upanishad 4.10 - 4.15, The Upanishads, Part I, Oxford University Press, pages 64-68 with footnotes Satyakama joins Upakosala's education and explains, in volume 4.15 of the text,Chandogya Upanishad with Shankara Bhashya Ganganath Jha (Translator), pages 198-212 The Upanishad asserts in verses 4.15.2 and 4.15.3 that the Atman is the "stronghold of love", the leader of love, and that it assembles and unites all that inspires love. Those who find and realize the Atman, find and realize the Brahman, states the text.
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Prana soars to heights when awake and retires during deep sleep, states the text, just like the falcon soars to the skies and returns to its nest in the night. The Chapter 1 uses many similes using nature to describe how the soul and the human body interact. The Brahman (Atman) leads all these gods within the human body, and they follow him, asserts the text, in a way similar to bees and queen-bee. They do and focus on what the Atman wants.
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Simultaneously, by reformulating Brahman as Brahma and relegating it within its Devas and Samsara theories, early Buddhism rejected the Atman-Brahman premise of the Vedas to present of its own Dhamma doctrines (anicca, dukkha and anatta).
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This Upanishad is notable for asserting that the cosmos is Atman (soul), it resides in the heart, its awareness and self-realization emerges by Vichara (investigation into the Self) and Samadhi, the ultimate stage of meditation.
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Maitri Upanishad deals with the concept and nature of Atman (Soul, Self), the question of "how is joy possible?" and "how one can achieve moksha (liberation)?"; in later sections it offers a debate on possible answers.
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"Atman" in early Buddhism appears as "all dhammas are not-Self (an-atta)", where atta (atman) refers to a metaphysical Self, states Peter Harvey, that is a "permanent, substantial, autonomous self or I". This concept refers to the pre-Buddhist Upanishads of Hinduism, where a person is viewed as having a lower self (impermanent body, personality) and a Higher or Greater Self (real permanent Self, soul, atman, atta).[a] , Quote: "In working with the higher consciousness, and in learning to understand one's higher nature and purpose, Assagioli (1991, 1993) believes that a person contacts and expresses the Higher Self (Transpersonal Self or Spiritual Self) equivalent to the Atman (universal Self or Soul of the Hindu Upanishads)."; [b] ; [c] The early Buddhist literature explores the validity of the Upanishadic concepts of self and Self, then asserts that every living being has an impermanent self but there is no real Higher Self. The Nikaya texts of Buddhism deny that there is anything called Ātman that is the substantial absolute or essence of a living being, an idea that distinguishes Buddhism from the Brahmanical (proto-Hindu) traditions.
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At the core of all human beings and living creatures, assert the Hindu traditions, there is "eternal, innermost essential and absolute something called a soul, self that is atman." Within the diverse schools of Hinduism, there are differences of perspective on whether souls are distinct, whether Supreme Soul or God exists, whether the nature of Atman is dual or non-dual, and how to reach moksha. However, despite their internal differences, one shared foundational premise of Hinduism is that "soul, self exists", and that there is bliss in seeking this self, knowing self, and self-realization.Sengaku Mayeda (2000), Sankara and Buddhism, in New Perspectives on Advaita Vedānta (Editors: Richard V. De Smet, Bradley J. Malkovsky), Brill Academic, , pages 18-29 Both Buddhism and Hinduism distinguish ego-related "I am, this is mine", from their respective abstract doctrines of "Anatta" and "Atman".
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Advaita Vedānta (; , IAST: ', literally, "non-duality") is a school of Hindu philosophy, and is a classic system of spiritual realization in Indian tradition. The term Advaita refers to the idea that Brahman alone is ultimately real, the phenomenal transient world is an illusory appearance (maya) of Brahman, and the true self, atman, is not different from Brahman. Originally known as Puruṣavāda and as māyāvāda, the followers of this school are known as Advaita Vedantins, or just Advaitins, regarding the phenomenal world as mere illusory appearance of plurality, experienced through the sense- impressions by ignorance (avidya), an illusion superimposed (adhyāsa) on the sole reality of Brahman.Swami Vireshwarananda (1936), Adhyasa or Superimposition They seek moksha (liberation) through recognizing this illusoriness of the phenomenal world and acquiring vidyā (knowledge) of one's true identity as Atman, and the identity of Atman and Brahman.
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The Dṛg-Dṛśya-Viveka contains 46 slokas performing an inquiry into the distinction between the "seer" (Dṛg) and the "seen" (Dṛśya), an overview of samadhi, centering on savikalpa and nirvikalpa, and the identity of Atman and Brahman.
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Yajnavalkya recommends the Satarudriya, the hymn with the hundred names of the god Rudra. This hymn is found in sections 16.1 to 16.66 of the Vajasaneyi Samhita in Yajurveda, and is conceived as many epithets of Atman.
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The discourse begins after Vishnu and Shiva give a hug to each other, according to the text, and then Vishnu invites Shiva to explain the nature of the world, life and self. Shiva explains Atman (soul, self), Brahman-Purusha, Prakriti, Maya, Yoga and Moksha. The philosophical theme, states Rocher is built on Advaita Vedanta ideas, that is emphasizing the identity of the Atman (individual soul) and the Ultimate Reality concept of Brahman. The text is notable for asserting that anyone from any varna can achieve liberation through Bhakti yoga.
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Panchakoshas (पंचकोश, the five sheaths), are the layers of body that seemingly cover the Atman (Self or Consciousness). The Tvam ("Thou") padartha of the Mahavakya Tat Tvam Asi is determined by the analysis of Panchakoshas that are not the atman. Panchakoshas are discussed in the Brahmanandavalli Chapter of Taittiriya Upanishad which is a part of the Taittiriya Samhita of the Krishna Yajur Veda and in which particular chapter is discussed ways and means to achieve Brahman. It gives a detailed description of the dimensions of human personality or the dimensions of the Self.
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Two different types of the non-dual Brahman-Atman are presented in the Upanishads, according to Mahadevan. The one in which the non-dual Brahman-Atman is the all-inclusive ground of the universe and another in which empirical, changing reality is an appearance (Maya). The Upanishads describe the universe, and the human experience, as an interplay of Purusha (the eternal, unchanging principles, consciousness) and Prakṛti (the temporary, changing material world, nature).Paul Deussen, , pages 161, 240-254 The former manifests itself as Ātman (soul, self), and the latter as Māyā.
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Maitreyi appears in ancient Indian texts, such as in a dialogue where she explores the Hindu concept of Atman (soul or self) in a dialogue with Yajnavalkya in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. According to this dialogue, love is driven by a person's soul, and Maitreyi discusses the nature of Atman and Brahman and their unity, the core of Advaita philosophy. This Maitreyi-Yajnavalkya dialogue is the topic of Sureshvara's varttika, a commentary. Maitreyi is cited as an example of the educational opportunities available to women in Vedic India, and their philosophical achievements.
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For the Buddha's contemporaries, the atman was also seen to be the unchanging constant which was separate from all changing experiences and the inner controller in a person. The Buddha instead held that all things in the world of our experience are transient and that there is no unchanging part to a person. According to Richard Gombrich, the Buddha's position is simply that "everything is process". However, this anti-essentialist view still includes an understanding of continuity through rebirth, it is just the rebirth of a process (karma), not an essence like the atman.
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Goddess Tripura, states Mahadevan, is presented here in tantric terms, as the Kudalini Shakti. The fifth and last Upanishad part is predominantly philosophical, presenting its theory of the abstract nirguna Brahman (ultimate unchanging reality without qualities, without attributes), one's Atman (unchanging reality within as soul, self), mind as a source of egotism, superficial cravings and suffering. Thereafter, the text asserts that the spiritual person should quieten this mind, meditate and know of the Atman within his heart, know that same one soul exists in all beings and this is identical with the formless Brahman.
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It is equated to Sunya (void) in Buddhism, envisioned as a kind of "unlocated paradise", states Rigopoulos. In Hinduism, it is the interior Guru within the person, the Sadashiva, the all pervading ultimate Reality (Brahman) that is the Atman (soul) within.
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In Hinduism, Vaishvanara (, pronounced ), meaning "of or related to Visvanara" is an abstract concept related to the soul atman. Etymologically, Vaishvanara is a derivative of the conjoined word Vishvanara i.e. Vishva (Universe) + Narah (Man) i.e. the 'Universal or Cosmic Man'.
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To Shankara, the teaching of the Gita is to shift an individual's focus from the outer, impermanent, fleeting objects of desire and senses to the inner, permanent, eternal atman-Brahman-Vasudeva that is identical, in everything and in every being.
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Right knowledge removes all products of ajnana ("ignorance"); ajnana is of the nature of Mithya, hinting differences between atman and Brahman. Then, all phenomenal expressions imagined on Brahman are denied and Brahman stands out as outside the negation Neti neti.
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The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad describes Atman as that in which everything exists, which is of the highest value, which permeates everything, which is the essence of all, bliss and beyond description.Raju, Poolla Tirupati. Structural Depths of Indian Thought. SUNY Series in Philosophy.
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Vichāra is reflection and contemplation upon the meaning of Vedantic truths, and leads the individual to true knowledge, it leads to Brahman, the Universal Self. It is also the enquiry into the nature of the Atman, Satya, Ishvara and Brahman.
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The former is that which relies on external perception, the latter relies on inner meditative process. The goal of internal introspection is to realize the Purusha Brahman within oneself, and all of which is only the Atman (soul) asserts the Upanishad.
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A kosha (also kosa; Sanskrit कोश, IAST: ), usually rendered "sheath", is a covering of the Atman, or Self according to Vedantic philosophy. There are five koshas, and they are often visualised as the layers of an onion in the subtle body.
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To an enlightened person who has realized Brahman, the two words "bondage" and "moksha" mean "mine" and "not mine". "Mine" is linked to a person, but "not mine" relates to one who is liberated from all thinking and knows Atman.
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A person's dharma consists of duties that sustain him according to his innate characteristics which are both spiritual and material, generating two corresponding types: # Sanatana-dharma – duties performed according to one's spiritual (constitutional) identity as atman and are thus the same for everyone. # Varnashrama-dharma – duties performed according to one's material (conditional) nature and are specific to the individual at that particular time. According to the notion of sanatana-dharma, the eternal and intrinsic inclination of the living entity (atman) is to perform seva (service). Sanatana-dharma, being transcendental, refers to universal and axiomatic laws that are beyond our temporary belief systems.
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The later verses of Vasudeva Upanisad describe meditation on Vasudeva, as a form of Yoga. The yogin, asserts the text, should look at his inner most self, Atman as Vasudeva.SG Desai (1996), A critical study of the later Upanishads, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, , pages 226-227, 51-54 This goal of meditation, and methodology of worship, is found in Pancaratra Agamas, Puranas and other texts of the Vaishnavism tradition. These texts, states Srinivaschari, assert that Sat (Truth), Atman and Upanishadic concept of Brahman denote the Vedantic metaphysics of Ultimate Reality, and declare all three to be synonymous with Vasudeva.
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Of these, the Upanishads are the most referred to texts.Arvind Sharma (2007), Advaita Vedānta: An Introduction, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 18-19 The identity of Atman and Brahman, and their unchanging, eternal nature, are the basic truths in this tradition. The emphasis in Vedic texts here is the jnana-kanda (knowledge, philosophical speculations) in the Upanishadic part of the Vedas, not its karma-kanda (ritual injunctions). Along with the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita and Brahma Sutras are the central texts of the Advaita Vedanta tradition, providing the truths about the identity of Atman and Brahman and their changeless nature.
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The Upanishad thereafter glorifies Narayana, by stating that "Om Namo Narayana" is the means to cross from mundane world into spiritual world (Taraka). Om in this mantra is Atman (self, soul) asserts the text, Namah represents Prakriti (nature, changing reality), and Narayana is the nature of Parabrahman (supreme Brahman). The text further describes how the sound fragments of the mantra "Om Namo Narayanaya" includes Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Ishvara, all of the universe, Purusha, Bhagavan and Param-atman (supreme self). Om is also the indestructible, unchanging reality (Brahman), states the text, which alone ought to be worshipped.
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According to George Williams, Garuda has roots in the verb gri, or speak. He is a metaphor in the Vedic literature for Rik (rhythms), Saman (sounds), Yajna (sacrifices), and the atman (Self, deepest level of consciousness). In the Puranas, states Williams, Garuda becomes a literal embodiment of the idea, and the Self who attached to and inseparable from the Supreme Self (Vishnu). Though Garuda is an essential part of the Vaishnavism mythology, he also features prominently in Shaivism mythology, Shaiva texts such as the Garuda Tantra and Kirana Tantra, and Shiva temples as a bird and as a metaphor of atman.
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The axiology in the text includes a discussion of the value of Yamas and Niyamas, such as non-violence, truthfulness, compassion, abstinence from anger, temperance in food (Mitahara), among others. The text details yogic postures such as Svastikasana, Gomukhasana, Padmasana, Virasana, Simhasana, Bhadrasana, Muktasana, Mayurasana and Sukhasana. These Asanas are discussed in various breathing and cleansing exercises in later sections. The Upanishad thereafter proceeds to presenting its Vedantic ideas on meditation and nondualism, stating its premise in verse 7.13-7.14, that the Yogin should ascertain his Atman (soul) in the "nondual, cosmic Atman" (Brahman, unchanging, ultimate reality).
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Chapter 3 of the text, states Radhakrishnan, asserts that one must meditate on "That thou art" and "I am Brahman", and thus reach the knowledge that Brahman is non-distinct from the self (Atman). Samadhi, asserts the Upanishad, is Atman-darshan (a visit to or view of one's soul). In the fourth chapter, the text repeats the Vedic metaphor for body-soul as a man in a horse-drawn car. The body is the car, intelligence is the driver, mind the reins, sensory organs are the horses, sense objects the road, and the soul is the traveller in this car.
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The Bahvricha Upanishad (, IAST: Bahvṛca Upaniṣad) is a medieval era Sanskrit text and one of the minor Upanishads of Hinduism. It is classified as one of the eight Shakta Upanishads and attached to the Rigveda. The Upanishad is notable for asserting that the Self (soul, Atman) is a Goddess who alone existed before the creation of the universe. She is the supreme power, asserts the text, she is the ultimate reality (Brahman), from her being and because of her the universe was born, she is the knowledge, the consciousness and the soul (Atman) of every being.
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The verses and ideas in the Devi- Bhagavata Purana, state Foulston and Abbott, are built on the foundation of the Upanishads wherein the nonduality and oneness of Brahman and Atman (soul) are synthesized. The text makes references to the philosophy and metaphors used in the Advaita Vedanta tradition of Adi Shankara. However, those ideas are reformulated and centered around the Goddess in the Devi Bhagavata Purana, states C Mackenzie Brown, as well as other scholars. In Devi Bhagavata text, states Tracy Pintchman, the Devi is not only Brahman-Atman (soul, interconnected oneness), she is also the always-changing empirical reality (Maya).
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According to Sankara, aham (I-sense secured in introspection, visayi) and idam (thou-sense sense secured in extrospection, visaya) are polarly related, they are as opposed as light and darkness. Idam Brahman refers to etadakshara - Brahman as the objective unity and the tadakshara – Brahman refers to the subject, the Atman i.e. Brahman as Itself, which cannot be an object matter of pramana-jnana since the Atman is non-dual and does not have the knowing and the known in it. Reality is to be cognized objectively as an idam as the goal by looking inwards otherwise the vidhi-vakyas would serve no purpose.
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Quote: "Some texts of the tathagatagarbha literature, such as the Mahaparinirvana Sutra actually refer to an atman, though other texts are careful to avoid the term. This would be in direct opposition to the general teachings of Buddhism on anatta. Indeed, the distinctions between the general Indian concept of atman and the popular Buddhist concept of Buddha-nature are often blurred to the point that writers consider them to be synonymous." This can be seen in texts like the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra, which state that Buddha- nature is taught to help those who have fear when they listen to the teaching of anatta.
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In the Rigveda about ten hymns are attributed to Maitreyi. She explores the Hindu concept of Atman (soul or self) in a dialogue contained in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. The dialogue, also called the Maitreyi-Yajnavalkya dialogue, states that love is driven by a person's soul, and it discusses the nature of Atman and Brahman and their unity, the core of Advaita philosophy. This dialogue appears in several Hindu texts; the earliest is in chapter 2.4 – and modified in chapter 4.5 – of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, one of the principal and oldest Upanishads, dating from approximately 700 BCE.
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The word stem paramātman (परमात्मन्, pronounced , its nominative singular being paramātmā — परमात्मा, pronounced ) is formed from two words, parama, meaning "supreme" or "highest", and ātma, which means individual self. The word Ātman generally denotes the Individual Self, but by the word Paramatman which word also expresses Boundless Life, Boundless Consciousness, Boundless Substance in Boundless Space, is meant the Atman of all atmans or the Supreme Self or the Universal Self. The word Atman, which literally means non-darkness or light, is Brahman the subtlest indestructible Divine existence. The word Paramatman refers to the Creator of all.
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The implied meaning reveals that Ishvara and Jiva are the result of ignorance and the imposition of the unreal on the real when "That" refers to the Nirguna Brahman, the pure consciousness who is absolute and without attributes and "Thou" refers to self or atman, the pure consciousness which is the reality underlying the mind-body complex. It is according to the third Lakshana that the identity of Brahman and Atman is established, that these two words in their implicit sense point to the same reality, that Brahma-anubhava is the non-dual experience of the sole reality.
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The identity of Atman and Brahman, and their unchanging, eternal nature, are basic doctrines in Advaita Vedānta. The school considers the knowledge claims in the Vedas to be the crucial part of the Vedas, not its karma-kanda (ritual injunctions). The knowledge claims about self being identical to the nature of Atman and Brahman are found in the Upanishads, which Advaita Vedānta has regarded as "errorless revealed truth." Nevertheless, states Koller, Advaita Vedantins did not entirely rely on revelation, but critically examined their teachings using reason and experience, and this led them to investigate and critique competing theories.
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In the sixth and final chapter, Yajnavalkya lists exemplars of Paramahamsas, the highest renouncers: the sages Samvartaka, Aruni, Svetaketu, Durvasa, Ribhu, Nidagha, Jadabharata, Dattatreya and Raivataka. The Paramahamsas do not carry articles or show signs that suggest they have renounced, their conduct is concealed, they may only seem insane. They do not carry staves, nor bowl, nor hair tuft, nor sacred thread, but they are the ones who seek after the Atman (self, soul). The Paramahamsa is the renouncer who seeks his own self, abandons impure acts and evil within, who devotes himself to meditating on the Atman and the Brahman.
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Some scholars have argued that Osman's original name was Turkish, probably Atman or Ataman, and was only later changed to ʿO _s_ mān, of Arabic origin. The earliest Byzantine sources, including Osman's contemporary George Pachymeres, spell his name as Ατουμάν (Atouman) or Ατμάν (Atman), whereas Greek sources regularly render both the Arabic form ʿU _th_ mān and the Turkish version ʿO _s_ mān with θ, τθ, or τσ. An early Arabic source mentioning him also writes ط rather than ث in one instance. Osman may thus have adopted the more prestigious Muslim name later in his life.
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Vishishtadvaita Vedanta, which promotes qualified-monism, holds the belief that Jiva is anu or monadic in substance. Jiva though infinitesimal, is the individual atman harboured by a body, which atman the Mundaka Upanishad tells us, to be known by the mind is capable of becoming infinite through its attributive knowledge. Jiva is kartā and bhoktā, both; it is the āśraya for jñāna, the substrate for krti or prayatna (effort) caused by the desire to act. Therefore, Jiva is the āśraya for the states of experience that invariably involve changes in mental disposition without affecting the Jiva.
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Varaha explains that through obeisance to Him who is found in everything, and doing meditation for just 48 minutes (a muhurtha), will expand his wisdom to the state of "Pratyagatman", the state of Atman which is forever liberated. It means living close to Jivatma (soul) and Paramatman (the Supreme Soul). The Upanishad states that knowledge of Brahman results in knowing spiritual truth in the Paroksha (indirect cognition) way, but Sakshatkara (direct realization) results in knowing that his own soul is Brahman. And when a practitioner of Yoga becomes a Jivamukta (liberated soul), he knows that his Atman is the ultimate perfection.
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Ahimsa, non-violence, is considered the highest ethical value and virtue in Hinduism.Stephen H. Phillips & other authors (2008), in Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace, & Conflict (Second Edition), , Elsevier Science, Pages 1347–1356, 701-849, 1867 The virtue of Ahimsa follows from the Atman theories of Hindu traditions.NF Gier (1995), Ahimsa, the Self, and Postmodernism, International Philosophical Quarterly, Volume 35, Issue 1, pages 71-86, ; Jean Varenne (1977), Yoga and the Hindu Tradition, University of Chicago Press, , page 200-202 The Atman theory in Upanishads had a profound impact on ancient ethical theories and dharma traditions now known as Hinduism.Ludwig Alsdorf (2010), The History of Vegetarianism and Cow-Veneration in India, Routledge, , pages 111-114 The earliest Dharmasutras of Hindus recite Atman theory from the Vedic texts and Upanishads,These ancient texts of India refer to Upanishads and Vedic era texts some of which have been traced to preserved documents, but some are lost or yet to be found.
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Chapter 8 through 12 state that everything except the Narayana (soul) is transitory and subject to dissolution. Everything merges back into the immortal, fearless, sorrowless, endless, seedless Brahman. Chapter 10 asserts that Atman is Brahman, and everything rests in one's own soul.
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Prana is the life of beings and the Universal life. Whatever happens in the Annamayakosha is wrongly identified as belonging to the atman by reason of its being pervaded by the Pranamayakosha which is effect of Vayu, and totally unaware and dependent.
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Eventually, this branched list developed into the standard twelvefold chain as a linear list. While this list describes the processes which give rise to rebirth, it also analyzes the arising of dukkha as a psychological process, without the involvement of an atman.
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Results showed a correlation between network morphology and the stock market index.Stefan, F., & Atman, A. (2015). Is there any connection between the network morphology and the fluctuations of the stock market index? Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and Its Applications, (419), 630-641.
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" To know the Atman as my nature is both knowledge and realisation. "I > am He, there is not the least doubt of it." "No thought, no word, no deed, > creates a bondage for me. I am beyond the senses, I am knowledge and bliss.
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It means the consciousness of our own real being, the primary reality. Self-consciousness means Self-knowledge, the knowledge of Prajna i.e. of Prana which is Brahman. According to the Upanishads the Atman or Paramatman is phenomenally unknowable; it is the object of realisation.
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Alice Bailey (1973), The Soul and Its Mechanism, , pages 82-83Eknath Easwaran (2007), The Upanishads, Nilgiri Press, , pages 38-39, 318-320 It is eternal, it is the essence, it is ageless. Atman is that which one is at the deepest level of one's existence.
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The boys are split up. Chuck is knocked out by two of the Rollerbabes and taken back to the castle. Scott is targeted by Atman himself, who attempts to attack him with a machete but misses him. Scott knows he is being surrounded and flees.
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The Vivekachudamani (Sanskrit: विवेकचूडामणि; IAST Vivekacūḍāmaṇi) is an introductory treatise within the Advaita Vedanta tradition of Hinduism, traditionally attributed to Adi Shankara of the eighth century. It is in the form of a poem in the Shardula Vikridita metre, and for many centuries has been celebrated as a prakaraṇa grantha (teaching manual) of Advaita. Vivekachudamani literally means the "Crest-jewel of discrimination". The text discusses key concepts and the viveka or discrimination or discernment between real (unchanging, eternal) and unreal (changing, temporal), Prakriti and Atman, the oneness of Atman and Brahman, and self-knowledge as the central task of the spiritual life and for Moksha.
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36, pages 163–186 The Upanishads such as Paingala, states Cohen, formed one of the basis for tantra philosophy by defining "microcosm and macrocosm" in relation to the anatomical elements and mystical physiology of a human being. In second part of chapter 2 and thereafter, the text describes the human body as the changing reality, Jiva-Atman as the Brahman within the body that is changeless. Ignorance (Avidya, Ajnana) makes people attached to the body and forget the Jiva. Bondage occurs because of non-inquiry into self, translates Parmeshwaranand, while moksha is realized through inquiry, and with the understanding that Brahman and Atman (soul, self) are non-different.
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In Akilam all those high-sensible knowledge in the Hindu scriptures is made understandable for the common mass in the ordinary language (colloquial Tamil) being mixed up with an interlinked story line. It also says about the travel of Atman through yugas and its final stage in which it loses its individuality and become the supreme. It also says the evil and its further classifications which acts against the evolution of Atman and also the evolutions of living beings from one form to another again with the same storyline, which is not found n Hinduism. As a whole, Akilam gives the overall ideology, Philosophy, mythology, theology, etc.
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Karen Pechelis, another American Indologist and a professor of Comparative Religion, in contrast, states that Maitreyi is portrayed as theologically minded, as she challenges Yajnavalkya in this dialogue and asks the right questions. First-millennium Indian scholars, such as Sureshvara (Suresvaracharya, c. 750 CE), have viewed this male-female dialogue as profound on both sides; Maitreyi refuses wealth, wishing to share her husband's spiritual knowledge, and in the four known versions of the Upanishadic story she challenges Yajnavalkya's theory of Atman. Yajnavalkya acknowledges her motivations, and that her questions are evidence she is a seeker of ultimate knowledge and a lover of the Atman.
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Madhvacharya was also a critic of Advaita Vedānta. Advaita's nondualism asserted that Atman (soul) and Brahman are identical, there is interconnected oneness of all souls and Brahman, and there are no pluralities. Madhva in contrast asserted that Atman (soul) and Brahman are different, only Vishnu is the Lord (Brahman), individual souls are also different and depend on Vishnu, and there are pluralities.Stafford Betty (2010), Dvaita, Advaita, and Viśiṣṭādvaita: Contrasting Views of Mokṣa, Asian Philosophy: An International Journal of the Philosophical Traditions of the East, Volume 20, Issue 2, pages 215–224 Madhvacharya stated that both Advaita Vedānta and Mahayana Buddhism were a nihilistic school of thought.
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Avidyā is a Sanskrit word whose literal meaning is ignorance, misconceptions, misunderstandings, incorrect knowledge, and it is the opposite of Vidya. It is used extensively in Hindu texts, including the Upanishads, and in other Indian religions such as Buddhism and Jainism, particularly in the context of metaphysical reality. Avidyā, in all Dharmic systems, represents fundamental ignorance and misperception of the phenomenal world. However, the Indian religions disagree on the details, for example with Hinduism considering a denial and misconceptions of Atman (soul, self) as a form of Avidya, and Buddhism considering the denial and misconceptions of An-atman (non-soul, non- self) as a form of Avidya.
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Brahmi sthiti or spiritual situation is the way of the spiritual or godly life; it is liberation from material bondage leading to the kingdom of God. Atman-ananda i.e. happiness of the Atman, that pertains to Brahmi sthiti is called Shanti, which experience is gained when one abandons all desires and lives and acts free from longing, who has no "I" or "mine" i.e. who has extinguished his individual ego in the One and lives in that unity, and attains to great peace; such a person stands firmly in Brahman when one gets totally purged of his ignorance and delusion attains the highest state of perfection – Self-realisation.
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King Janasruti is described as pious, extremely charitable, feeder of many destitutes, who built rest houses to serve the people in his kingdom, but one who lacked the knowledge of Brahman-Atman. Raikva, is mentioned as "the man with the cart", very poor and of miserable plight (with sores on his skin), but he has the Brahman-Atman knowledge that is, "his self is identical with all beings". The rich generous king is referred to as Ṡūdra, while the poor working man with the cart is called Brāhmaṇa (one who knows the Brahman knowledge). The story thus declares knowledge as superior to wealth and power.
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This soul (Devadatta) is like a child without desires experiencing joy innocently, he loves the highest light, experiences the joy therein. Like a caterpillar, which moves from its first grass or leaf abode to the next leaf, puts its foot forward to get a firm footing there before leaving its original abode; the Atman moves to its new abode yet retains a footing in the sleeping body. The Atman, states the text, is the source of the Vedas and the gods. Both Deussen and Olivelle state that the prose in this chapter and many of the similes are fragments and references to earlier Upanishads, such as Mundaka Upanishad 1.1.
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The sound of Om is compared to the sound made by a metallic vessel or the sound of a bell, which gradually terminates into silence. The supreme self (Atman), asserts the text, lives in the heart. To know that self, is to be released from all bondage.
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Thus, Paramatman is one of the many aspects of Brahman and has all attributes of Brahman. Atman (Spirit) and Paramatman (God) are one, some say they are distinct as well as one, they are one with reference to Shakti but distinct with reference to that power.
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Eventually, this branched list developed into the standard twelvefold chain as a linear list. While this list may be interpreted as describing the processes which give rise to rebirth, in essence it describes the arising of dukkha as a psychological process, without the involvement of an atman.
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The fourth Valli starts by asserting that inner knowledge is that of unity, eternal calmness and spiritual Oneness, while the external knowledge is that of plurality, perishable "running around" and sensory objects.Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 288, 290-292WD Whitney, Translation of the Katha-Upanishad, Transactions of the American Philological Association, Vol. 21, pages 104-106 The Katha Upanishad in fifteen verses of the fourth Valli, as well as those the fifth Valli, explains what is Atman, how it can be known, the nature of Atman, and why it ought to be known. For definition, it deploys an epistemic combination of "positive assertions" as well as "exposition by elimination", the latter repeated with,Max Muller (1962), Katha Upanishad, in The Upanishads - Part II, Dover Publications, , pages 15-17 Atman, asserts Katha Upanishad, is the subject of Self-knowledge, the bearer of spiritual reality, that which is all- pervading, inside every being, which unifies all human beings as well as all creatures, the concealed, eternal, immortal, pure bliss.
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"Purushottama" ( from पुरुष, purusha "spirit" or "male" and उत्तम, uttama, "highest") meaning "Supreme Purusha", "Supreme Being", "Supreme God". It means "Foremost Amongst All Men" in Sanskrit. Its symbolic deeper meaning is "One who is the Supreme Purusha beyond the Kshara (Destroyable i.e. Prakṛti) and Akshara (Undestroyable i.e. Atman)".
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Understanding is called anubhava, knowledge or understanding derived from (personal) experience.V.S.Apte, The Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary Anubhava removes Avidya, ignorance, regarding Brahman and Atman, and leads to moksha, liberation. In neo-Vedanta, the status of sruti becomes secondary, and "personal experience" itself becomes the primary means to liberation.
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Their respective interpretations of jnana yoga are also somewhat different, and Abhinavagupta uses Atman, Brahman, Shiva, and Krishna interchangeably. Abhinavagupta's commentary is notable for its citations of more ancient scholars, in a style similar to Adi Shankara. However, the texts he quotes have not survived into the modern era.
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Year is the Murti (idol) of time.Diana L. Eck (1986), Darshan of the Image, India International Centre Quarterly, Vol. 13, No. 1, Images (March 1986), pages 43-53 Time ripens everything, asserts the Upanishad. Sun is the foundation for Time, Sun is the Self (the Atman) of Brahman.
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In Advaita Vedanta, the ultimate goal of life is happiness, in the sense that duality between Atman and Brahman is transcended and one realizes oneself to be the Self in all. Patanjali, author of the Yoga Sutras, wrote quite exhaustively on the psychological and ontological roots of bliss.
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In Advaita Vedanta the Anandamaya kosha is the innermost of the five koshas or "sheaths" that veil the Atman or Supreme Self. Unlike the next three more outer koshas, it constitutes the karana sarira or causal body. It is associated with the state of dreamless sleep and samadhi.
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Bucknell, Roderick S., and Martin Stuart-Fox. 1983. “The ‘Three Knowledges’ of Buddhism: Implications of Buddhadasa’s Interpretation of Rebirth.” Religion 13:99– 112. He argued that since there is no substantial entity or soul (atman), “there is no one born, there is no one who dies and is reborn.
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These wandering monks, states Patrick Olivelle, consider Brahman (unchanging, ultimate reality) as their inner "supreme string on which the entire universe is strung like pearls on a string". This repeated emphasis on knowledge and the abandonment of external dress and rituals in exchange for the inner equivalent of Atman-Brahman in this medieval era text is similar to those in the ancient Upanishads. The text is notable for its repeated and extended discussion of why Sannyasis renounce topknot and sacred thread they wear as householders. Their hair tuft and thread is no longer external, but internal, states the text, in the form of knowledge and their awareness of Atman-Brahman that threads the universe into unified oneness.
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The second chapter of Taittiriya Upanishad, namely Ananda Valli and sometimes called Brahmananda Valli, focuses like other ancient Upanishads on the theme of Atman (Self, Soul). It asserts that "Atman exists", it is Brahman, and realizing it is the highest, empowering, liberating knowledge.Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , page 232-235 The Ananda Valli asserts that knowing one's Self is the path to freedom from all concerns, fears and to a positive state of blissful living. The Ananda Valli is remarkable for its Kosha (Sanskrit: कोष) theory (or Layered Maya theory), expressing that man reaches his highest potential and understands the deepest knowledge by a process of learning the right and unlearning the wrong.
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S Mukerjee (2011), Indian Management Philosophy, in The Palgrave Handbook of Spirituality and Business (Editors: Luk Bouckaert and Laszlo Zsolnai), Palgrave Macmillan, , pages 82-83 The Ananda Valli asserts that Self-knowledge is "not" attainable by cultic worship of God or gods motivated by egoistic cravings and desires (Manomaya). Vijnanamaya or one with segregated knowledge experiences the deeper state of existence but it too is insufficient. The complete, unified and blissful state of Self-knowledge is, states Ananda Valli, that where one becomes one with all reality, there is no separation between object and subject, I and we, Atman and Brahman. Realization of Atman is a deep state of absorption, oneness, communion.
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The Nyaya scholars defined Ātman as an imperceptible substance that is the substrate of human consciousness, manifesting itself with or without qualities such as desires, feelings, perception, knowledge, understanding, errors, insights, sufferings, bliss, and others.KK Chakrabarti (1999), Classical Indian Philosophy of Mind: The Nyaya Dualist Tradition, State University of New York Press, , pages 2, 187-188, 220 Nyaya school not only developed its theory of Atman, it contributed to Hindu philosophy in a number of ways. To the Hindu theory of Ātman, the contributions of Nyaya scholars were twofold. One, they went beyond holding it as "self evident" and offered rational proofs, consistent with their epistemology, in their debates with Buddhists, that "Atman exists".
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The ethical prohibition against harming any human beings or other living creatures (Ahimsa, अहिंसा), in Hindu traditions, can be traced to the Atman theory. This precept against injuring any living being appears together with Atman theory in hymn 8.15.1 of Chandogya Upanishad (ca. 8th century BCE),Sanskrit original: तधैतद्ब्रह्मा प्रजापतये उवाच प्रजापतिर्मनवे मनुः प्रजाभ्यः आचार्यकुलाद्वेदमधीत्य यथाविधानं गुरोः कर्मातिशेषेणाभिसमावृत्य कुटुम्बे शुचौ देशे स्वाध्यायमधीयानो धर्मिकान्विदधदात्मनि सर्वैन्द्रियाणि संप्रतिष्ठाप्याहिँसन्सर्व भूतान्यन्यत्र तीर्थेभ्यः स खल्वेवं वर्तयन्यावदायुषं ब्रह्मलोकमभिसंपद्यते न च पुनरावर्तते न च पुनरावर्तते ॥१॥; छान्दोग्योपनिषद् ४ Wikisource; English Translation: Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , page 205 then becomes central in the texts of Hindu philosophy, entering the dharma codes of ancient Dharmasutras and later era Manu-Smriti.
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Gandhi declared his allegiance to Advaita Vedānta, and was another popularizing force for its ideas. According to Nicholas Gier, this to Gandhi meant the unity of God and humans, that all beings have the same one soul and therefore equality, that atman exists and is same as everything in the universe, ahimsa (non-violence) is the very nature of this atman. Gandhi called himself advaitist many times, including his letters, but he believed that others have a right to a viewpoint different than his own because they come from a different background and perspective. According to Gier, Gandhi did not interpret maya as illusion, but accepted that "personal theism" leading to "impersonal monism" as two tiers of religiosity.
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The Omkara (A-U-M) is the sign for the Viswa (world) and Prajna (wisdom) of nondual Brahman and Atman, states the Upanishad in verses 2.43- 2.48. The "A" in A-U-M signifies the world, the "U" signifies Taijasa (brilliance, the light), while the "M" signifies the wisdom. This is the realization where the yogi fully comprehends, "I am the Vasudeva", that the Atman is transcendent bliss and eternal, the pure, the nondual and the Om. It is the Om, asserts the text, which reminds one of the real existent, the glory of that which is beyond the darkness of ignorance, blissful, the flawless, the wisdom, "the ultimate reality Brahman is me". Thus ends the Upanishad.
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The Kaivalya Upanishad asserts that one must see "his Atman (soul) in all beings, and all beings in his Atman" to attain salvation, there is no other way. In verse 11, the text makes a reference to a fragment from section 1.14 of the Shvetashvatara Upanishad, to metaphorically describe how to gain this knowledge. Making his own soul as the lower fire stick and Om the upper fire stick, states the Kaivalya Upanishad, one must rub these together, light up the fire of knowledge, and burn the ties to ignorance. A Jiva (being) immersed in Maya (changing reality, illusive world) craves for worldly greed, performs karoti (Sanskrit: करोति, ritual works), enjoys bodily pleasures like women, food, drink and pleasures.
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'atman' or consciousness.If one individual posseeses AdiLaxmi,they can effortlessly delve deep into dhyana and realize the state of absolute silence, bliss and peace. Without AdiLaxmi a seeker fails to quieten their wavering and chattering mind.Out of all eight laxmis this particular aspect is responsible for furthering of spiritual wealth.
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A collection of his most important teachings on dharma, knowledge of the atman, detachment, bhakti, and various other matters has been published under the name Swamini Vato. Gunatitanand Swami died in 1867, and a famous shrine known as the Akshar Deri was built upon the spot his cremation rites were performed.
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Various interpretations of the concept have been advanced by Buddhist thinkers throughout the history of Buddhist thought and most attempt to avoid anything like the Hindu Atman doctrine. These Indian Buddhist ideas, in various synthetic ways, form the basis of subsequent Mahāyāna philosophy in Tibetan Buddhism and East Asian Buddhism.
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The second book (mandala) of the text asserts that the Jyotir-atman (radiant soul) is the fundamental support of all beings. This is of two forms, one qualified and another unqualified. These two are discussed by the text in Hatha yoga terminology in sections 2.1 and 2.2. In verse 2.2.
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The text presents various mantras of Dattatreya. The single-syllable mantra is considered the important mantra in Tantra for a deity. Dattatreya's dam is described as the hamsa (swan), interpreted as the atman (soul) that dwells in all jivas (living beings). Its lengthened form dām is described to symbolize Parabrahman, the Supreme Brahman.
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It is subject to origination and destruction every moment. It is the anatman because it is not in the beginning and at the end, is non-existent also in the present. It does not know itself. The deluded mind that does not inquire considers his atman to be this body or kosha.
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Once he has stepped across the fields-of- experiences in the waking, dream and deep-sleep conditions, he has reached the Infinite Consciousness, the Atman. The very term "Tri" in Sanskrit means "the three-worlds". "The greatest men of reflection have declared the three fields- of-experiences (Loka) by the simple term 'Tri,"-.
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In Indian mythology, Virochana was the grandson of Hiranyakashipu, the son of Prahlada (according to the Atharvaveda (VIII.10.22)), and the father of Bali. According to the Chandogya Upanishad (VIII.7.2-8.5), he and Indra went to Prajapati to learn about the atman (self) and lived there, practising brahmacharya for thirty-two years.
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Maya, Sarvasara Upanishad defines as all what is not Atman. Maya has no beginning, but has an end. Maya, declares Sarvasara, is anything that can be studied and subjected to proof and disproof, anything with Guṇas. In the human search for Self-knowledge, Maya is that which obscures, confuses and distracts an individual.
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One must avoid the first nine, states the text, and seek the tenth music because it relates to Hamsa. It is in tenth state where the yogi realizes Brahman, his Atman and Brahman become one, the duality vanishes. The yogi then shines, his doubts destroyed, his desires vanish, calmness, enlightenment, bliss becomes him.
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Most of his earlier works contained adoration of Hindu deities with an underlying context of Advaitha Vedantha. But in this work, he directly describes the ways of attaining self-realisation with a philosophical context and stresses seeking the absolute value called "Self" or "the Atman" and not any God to adore as hitherto.
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Brahman and Atman are very important teleological concepts. Teleology deals with the apparent purpose, principle or goal of something. In the first chapter of the Shvetashvatara Upanishad, these questions are dealt with. It says : The main purpose of the Brahman and why it exists is a subjective question according to the Upanishads.
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The of this manuscript is the same as the of the Vangavasi Press edition. The Shiva Purāna, in verses 6.23-6.30 of Vayaviya Samhita, states that Om (Pranava) expresses Shiva, it includes within it Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, and Shiva, there is Purusha in everything, nothing is smaller nor bigger than Shiva-atman.
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The Causal body - originally Karana-Sarira - is a Yogic and Vedantic concept that was adopted and modified by Theosophy and from the latter made its way into the general New Age movement and contemporary western esotericism. It generally refers to the highest or innermost body that veils the atman or true soul.
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297 When a soul (atman) achieves moksha, it is released from the cycle of births and deaths, and achieves its pure self. It then becomes a siddha ('one who has accomplished his ultimate objective'). Attaining Moksha requires annihilation of all karmas, good and bad, because if karma is left, it must bear fruit.
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61, Édition-Diffusion de Boccard (Paris), , pages 1-9 A Jivanmukti is also called atma-jnani (self-realized) because they are the knowers of their true self (atman) and the universal self hence also called as Brahma-Jnani. At the end of their lives, jivanmuktas destroy remaining karmas and attains Paramukti (final liberation) and becomes Paramukta. When a Jivanmukti gives his insight to others and teach them about his realisation of the true nature of the ultimate reality (Brahman) and self (Atman) and takes the role of a guru to show the path of Moksha to others, then that jivanmukta is called as Avadhuta and some Avadhutas also achieves the title of Paramhamsa. When a Rishi (Seer sage) becomes a Jivanmukta then that rishi is called Brahmarshi.
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Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 237-240 These last anuvakas of the second Valli of Tattiriya Upanishad assert that he who has Self-knowledge is well constituted, he realizes the essence, he is full of bliss. He exists in peace within and without, his is a state of calm joy irrespective of circumstances, he is One with everything and everyone. He fears nothing, he fears no one, he lives his true nature, he is free from pride, he is free from guilt, he is beyond good and evil, he is free from craving desires and thus all the universe is in him and is his. His blissful being is Atman-Brahman, and Atman-Brahman is the bliss that is he.
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The Maitreyi dialogue in the Upanishad is significant beyond being a gage of gender relations. Adi Shankara, a scholar of the influential Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy, wrote in his Brihadaranyakopanishad bhashya that the purpose of the Maitreyi-Yajnavalkya dialogue in chapter 2.4 of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is to highlight the importance of the knowledge of Atman and Brahman, and to understand their oneness. According to Shankara, the dialogue suggests renunciation is prescribed in the Sruti (vedic texts of Hinduism), as a means to knowledge of the Brahman and Atman. He adds, that the pursuit of self-knowledge is considered important in the Sruti because the Maitreyi dialogue is repeated in chapter 4.5 as a "logical finale" to the discussion of Brahman in the Upanishad.
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In contrast to Advaita, which describes knowing one's own soul as identical with Brahman as the path to nirvana, in its soteriological themes Buddhism has defined nirvana as the state of a person who knows that he or she has "no self, no soul".David Loy (1982), Enlightenment in Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta: Are Nirvana and Moksha the Same?, International Philosophical Quarterly, Volume 23, Issue 1, pages 65–74 The Upanishadic inquiry fails to find an empirical correlate of the assumed Atman, but nevertheless assumes its existence, and Advaitins "reify consciousness as an eternal self." In contrast, the Buddhist inquiry "is satisfied with the empirical investigation which shows that no such Atman exists because there is no evidence." states Jayatilleke.
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Ramanuja's Vishishtadvaita school and Shankara's Advaita school are both nondualism Vedānta schools,J.A.B. van Buitenen (2008), Ramanuja – Hindu theologian and Philosopher, Encyclopædia Britannica both are premised on the assumption that all souls can hope for and achieve the state of blissful liberation; in contrast, Madhvacharya and his Dvaita subschool of Vedānta believed that some souls are eternally doomed and damned. Shankara's theory posits that only Brahman and causes are metaphysical unchanging reality, while the empirical world (Maya) and observed effects are changing, illusive and of relative existence. Spiritual liberation to Shankara is the full comprehension and realization of oneness of one's unchanging Atman (soul) as the same as Atman in everyone else as well as being identical to the nirguna Brahman.
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Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 284-286 That syllable, Aum, is in Brahman, means Brahman, means the Highest, means the Blissful within. Yama, as the spokesman in the second Valli of the Katha Upanishad asserts that man must not fear anyone, anything, not even death, because the true essence of man, his Atman is neither born nor dies, he is eternal, he is Brahman. These passages have been widely studied, and inspired Emerson among others,Brahma Ralph Waldo Emerson, Poetry Foundation In final verses of the second Valli, the Katha Upanishad asserts that Atman-knowledge, or Self-realization, is not attained by instruction, not arguments nor reasoning from scriptures. It is comprehended by oneself through meditation and introspection.
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13, Katha Upanishad states that Prajna (conscious man) should heed to the ethical precept of self-examination and self-restraint, restraining his speech and mind by the application of his Buddhi (power to reason). Man should, asserts Katha Upanishad, holistically unify his tempered senses and mind with his intellect, all these with his Atman (Soul, great Self), and unify his "great Self" with the Self of the rest, the tranquility of Oneness with the Avyaktam and "cosmic soul". Self (Atman) is soundless, touchless, formless, tasteless, scentless, without beginning, without end, imperishable, beyond great, blissful, and when one reveres one's own Self, he is liberated. Such Self-realization is not easy according to Katha Upanishad, Paul Deussen states that verses 1.3.
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The Brihajjabala Upanishad describes many rituals of the Pashupata sect of Shaivism. Bhasma, sacred ash, is equated to atman (Soul) and antratman (Inner Soul). The rituals of Bhasma-snana (ash-bath) and application of Tripundra, instead of the ash- bath are significant Shaiva practices. The Bhasma Jabala Upanishad like the Brihajjabala Upanishad lauds the Bhasma.
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The path of knowledge is intended for those who prefer philosophical reflection and it requires study and meditation. Jnana yoga encourages its adepts to think and speak of themselves in the third person as a way to distance themselves from the Ego and detach their eternal self (atman) from the body related one (maya).
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As Vishnu in Om, it conquers all and fixes the mind in the highest Atman. As Brahma, it withdraws all senses. As Ishana, it sets the whole world into activity. It is through Om that Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra and Ishana came into being, as did all creatures and the deities of sensory organs in them.
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Thangal near Thiruvattar, Tamil Nadu. The symbol of the Ayyavazhi is a lotus carrying a flame-shaped white 'Namam'.Tha. Krushnanathan's Ayya Vaikundarin Vazhvum Sinthanaiyum, Thinai veliyeetagam, p. 108. The lotus represents the 1,008-petalled Sahasrara (in Tamil, Ladam) and the Namam represents the Aanma Jyothi or atman, sometimes translated as "soul" or "self".
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Vigyanamaya kosha is one of the five koshas that cover Atman. Vigyanamaya kosha literally means a shell that is composed of wisdom (vijnana) or intellect. It is the fourth covering of Atma. It is also the first layer of the causal mind located in the Vishudda chakra, the Ajna chakra and the Sahasrara chakra.
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It is the waking state and dream state that lead to awareness, errors and unawareness. The perceived duality of the world is Maya, when in reality there is only nonduality. Chapter One ends with the discussion of the Om and its symbolism for Brahman, and the Atman within the heart of all living beings.
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The Third stage is in realising that the Atman is Brahman, that there is no difference between the Self and the Absolute. The Fourth stage is in realising "I am the Absolute" - Aham Brahman Asmi. The Fifth stage is in realising that Brahman is the “All” that exists, as also that which does not exist.
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The Jabala Upanishad presents the Vedanta philosophy view that one who truly renounces lives an ethical life, which includes not injuring anyone in thought, word or deed. Such a sannyasi (renunciate) abandons all rituals, is without attachments to anything or anyone, and is one who is devoted to the oneness of Atman and Brahman.
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A knowledgeable person desires only amrita and not poison. Similarly, Brahman rejects everything that is not Atman. As the Sun which makes the pot shine does not vanish when the pot is destroyed, the soul is immortal, not destroyed when its bodily shell perishes. Brahman is devoid of any attachments or bondage, scriptures or guru (teacher).
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It shows that, the Atman reaches the state of supreme self or becomes unified with the supreme Ekam, when it reaches Sahasrara after moving towards the seven other chakras. Some Nizhal Thangals use this symbol Thirunamam as building architecture. Mostly all Thangals use to mount the symbol at the top either with a lotus or not.
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Shiva's icon lingam should be worshipped with bilva leaves and various mantras, which are listed. Goddess Parvati, states the Upanishad, is the all-pervading One and Creator of Time, various deities, and worlds. Shiva is asserted as the Supreme, Omnipresent, and Omniscient one, who sustains everything. The text identifies Shiva as Brahman, Atman (soul), the elements, and Knowledge.
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Some of the examples of Jivan Mukta are Mahavira, Buddha, Adi Shankaracharya, Saint Dnyaneshwar, Kabirdas, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Ramana Maharshi, Vishwamitra, etc. They realized Self (atman) i.e. God within their lifetime by travelling the path of pure Spirituality. They reached the stage of Enlightenment, Self- Realization, God-Realization, Jivan-mukti, Atma-jnana(all words are synonyms).
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Anatman means not-self or non-self. Anatman is everything that is not Atman. All objects of consciousness are called Anatman, including the mind and the ego. The samsara is the vast turbulent ocean which is the embodiment of avidya and its effects that cannot be crossed without the aid of perfect wisdom; the samsara is the anatman.
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From Maya is born everything from the Mahat to Brahmanda that is known as the Karanasarira or the "Causal body of the atman". The Karana sarira is called avyakta because not being available for sense- perception it is to be inferred from its effects.- Vivekachudamani.110, 122, 123 The Doctrine of Maya is not a fabrication of Adi Shankara.
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Vivekananda gave him the monastic name Adbhutananda, meaning, "He who finds bliss in the wonderful nature of the Atman."God lived with them, p.415 According to his brother monks, Adbhutananda lead a very austere life at the monastery practicing meditation and japa. He led the life of a wandering monk around Calcutta area, unattached to people and places.
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44), Asva may not always denote the horse. Aurobindo argued the words asva and asvavati symbolize energy.Aurobindo, Secret of the Veda, (Arya, December 1914) Asva or ratha was also interpreted to be sometimes the "psycho-physical complex on which the Atman stands or in which it is seated". In another symbolic interpretation based on RV 1.164.
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The text is also called Dhyāna-bindūpanishad. The Upanishad discusses meditation in Yoga. It states that silence during meditation is a reminder of the infinite subtlety therein. It asserts there is an Atman (soul) in every living being, and that a Yogi must seek to understand both the part as well as the whole of everything.
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The Brahman which is absolute and pure and the atman which is absolute and pure also are the same in this school of thought. When the person singularly focus on 'I' and indulges in self-enquiry, study of texts, ethical perfection and jnana and the self, they realize the Brahman and don't depend on the material.
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The pre-Buddhist Upanishads of Hinduism assert that there is a permanent Atman, and is an ultimate metaphysical reality. This sense of self, is expressed as "I am" in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.1, states Peter Harvey, when nothing existed before the start of the universe. The Upanishadic scriptures hold that this soul or self is underlying the whole world.
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Located on 15655 S.W. Millikan Way, at the main entrance to the park, is the Tualatin Hills Nature Center, formerly called the Tualatin Hills Nature Park Interpretive Center. The name was changed in November 2014. Nature supervisor Kristin Atman said that "six words is really a mouthful" and the new name would be more consistent with THPRD's other facilities.
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The Sanskrit text of this Upanishad has six chapters. Sage Yajnavalkya answers questions in the first five, wherein the questions are posed by Brihaspati, Atri, students of Brahman-Atman, King Janaka and by Atri again. The last chapter lists the names of famous sages who were model sannyasis (renunciates). The extant texts are found in two versions.
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7 posit a nondualistic (Advaita) position, where both Purusha and Prakrti are only Atman. This position contrasts with one of the fundamental premises of the dualistic schools of Hinduism.Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , page 291 Shankara agrees with this interpretation. Ramanuja doesn't and offers a theistic dualism based interpretation instead.
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21, pages 108-109 Life is spirit, full of joy. Meaning is Atman, full of perennial peace. "Truly, this is that", once deeply felt and understood by man, is inexpressible highest joy. It is he who realizes this who shines, his splendour shines everything with and by (Anu), the whole world shines by such joy unleashed, such splendour manifested.
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5, 1.56.3 and 10.15.3. In these hymns, the Vedic mythology asserts that Vishnu resides in that highest home where departed Atman (souls) reside, an assertion that may have been the reason for his increasing emphasis and popularity in Hindu soteriology. He is also described in the Vedic literature as the one who supports heaven and earth.
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On the 15th a civilian was assassinated by unknown gunmen on the road between Nahteh and Bosr Al-Harir. Protests also broke out in Naf’aa town on the 15th. On December 16, an unidentified man was found dead Atman town. On the 19th, a car was destroyed with an IED Jassim city, but no one was injured or killed.
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The māla (meaning "dirt" or "impurity") Saivism – G.V. Tagare, p. 14 theory states that the infinite self, atman, is reduced and limited by three forces produced by Śiva. Śiva, by exercising his free will – svātāntrya, takes contraction upon himself and manifests as countless atoms of consciousness (cidaṇu – consciousness quantas).The Philosophy of Sadana – D.B. Sen Sharma, p.
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The most direct application of Panca-kritya (the observation of the five actions of consciousness) is Vikalpa Kshaya, literally meaning "dissolution of thoughts".The Yoga of Kashmir Shaivism – S.Shankarananda, p. 305 It is an activity by which the dualizing content of cognitions is dissolved into Atman, which is nondual by excellence.The Pratyabhijna Philosophy – G.V. Tagare, p.
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Scholars contest whether the concept of Brahman is rejected or accepted in Jainism. The concept of a theistic God is rejected by Jainism, but Jiva or "Atman (soul) exists" is held to be a metaphysical truth and central to its theory of rebirths and Kevala Jnana.Ray Billington (1997), Understanding Eastern Philosophy, Routledge, , page 46 Bissett states that Jainism accepts the "material world" and "Atman", but rejects Brahman—the metaphysical concept of Ultimate Reality and Cosmic Principles found in the ancient texts of Hinduism.James Bissett, Cultural and Religious Heritage of India, Volume 2: Jainism (Editors: Sharma and Sharma), Mittal, , page 81 Goswami, in contrast, states that the literature of Jainism has an undercurrent of monist theme, where the self who gains the knowledge of Brahman (Highest Reality, Supreme Knowledge) is identical to Brahman itself.
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In the first days of the offensive, it was reported that rebels captured the Atman checkpoint in Daraa, destroying another one and captured Army positions around the town of Atman. On 14 February 49 rebel groups affiliated with the FSA announced that they united under one armed entity called Southern Front. That same day a car bomb killed at least 33 people (including 12 rebel fighters) in the rebel-held village of Yabuda. Activists accused the Syrian government to be behind the attack. It was also reported that 22 people (including 19 civilians) were killed by air strikes on rebel-held areas in Daraa province.Syria warplanes hit Yabrud near Damascus On 16 February, Brigadier General Salim Idris was dismissed and replaced by Brigadier General Abdul-Ilah al-Bashir as FSA Chief of Staff.
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The Atma Upanishad (), is one of the minor Upanishadic texts of Hinduism, written in Sanskrit language. It is one of the 31 Upanishads, associated with the Atharvaveda. It is classified as a Samanya (general) and Vedantic Upanishad. The Upanishad describes three types of Self (atman): the external self (body), the inner self (individual soul) and the highest self (the Brahman, Paramatma, Purusha).
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As a result, the energy that was previously invested in limitation becomes accessible for being directed towards the greater good.Encounter: Aghoris The teachings and practices of Aghor defy easy categorization. Some adherents classify Aghor as a non-dualistic (advaita) Hindu philosophy. Classic nondualism explains that only the one eternal Self – alternately referred to as God, Brahman, or Atman – is real.
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Hinduism teaches that a part of God resides in all living things, which forms the atman. As such, reverence and respect for animals is taught. In Hinduism, many animals are venerated, including the tiger, the elephant, the mouse, and especially, the cow. Mahatma Gandhi is noted for his compassion to all living things; he advocated against animal experimentation and animal cruelty.
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The bondage that is experienced as individuals is due to the emphasis on individuality rather than the task, and independently on the cause which is organically connected by the same Atman that is present in both; the essence of the Madhu-vidya is the cosmic contemplation of the reality of Prana within and Vayu outside, and the correlation with the Universal Consciousness.
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Some scholars, states Jayatilleke, assert that the Nirvana of Buddhism is same as the Brahman in Hinduism, a view other scholars and he disagree with. Buddhism rejects the idea of Brahman, and the metaphysical ideas about soul (atman) are also rejected by Buddhism, while those ideas are essential to moksha in Hinduism. In Buddhism, nirvana is 'blowing out' or 'extinction'.
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Duality of Atman is caused by a. āvarana (आवरन) the concealing the consciousness form our perception as in deep sleep and b. vikṣepa (विक्षेप) is feeling of body and sense as Self in wake state. This is the cause of delusion and bondage the cause of suffering The cause of the delusion of Reality is due to avidyā (अविद्या, ignorance).
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Jainism differs from both Buddhism and Hinduism in its ontological premises. All believe in impermanence, but Buddhism incorporates the premise of anatta ("no eternal self or soul"). Hinduism incorporates an eternal unchanging atman ("soul"), while Jainism incorporates an eternal but changing jiva ("soul"). In Jain thought, there are infinite eternal jivas, predominantly in cycles of rebirth, and a few siddhas (perfected ones).
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The Upanishad closes by stating that this doctrine is the opinion of the Srutis (scriptures), the Smritis, the Itihasas and the Puranas. There is no other way to attain the state of Brahmana, states Vajrasuchi Upanishad, other than meditating on the non-dual Brahman (ultimate reality and truth), with the Atman as the Satcitananda – truth-consciousness- bliss. Thus ends the Upanishad.
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Deussen remarks that it is from the group of five Upanishads which assert god Shiva as a symbolism for Atman in Hinduism. These five Upanishads – Atharvashiras, Atharvashikha, Nilarudra, Kalagnirudra and Kaivalya – are ancient, with Nilarudra likely the oldest and Kaivalya the relatively later era Upanishad (still BCE) composed closer to the time of Shvetashvatara Upanishad, Mundaka Upanishad, and Mahanarayana Upanishad.
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According to Sarira Traya, the Doctrine of the Three bodies in Hinduism, the human being is composed of three sariras or "bodies" emanating from Brahman by avidya, "ignorance" or "nescience". They are often equated with the five koshas (sheaths), which cover the atman. The Three Bodies Doctrine is an essential doctrine in Indian philosophy and religion, especially Yoga, Advaita Vedanta and Tantra.
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The Mandukya Upanishad describes four states of consciousness, first is called Vaishvanara (waking consciousness), second is Taijasa (dreaming state), third is Prajna (deep sleep state) and fourth is Turiya (the superconsciousness state). Waking state, dreaming state, and deep sleep state are equated with the three bodies. while Turiya (the superconsciousness state) is a fourth state, which is equated with Atman and Purusha.
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The Ayyavazhi people use a unique religious mark. The vertical white mark is worn on the forehead in the shape of a flame, starting from the central point between the eyebrows, and rising to the top edge of the forehead. The flame shape represents Aanma Jyothi or Atman. Zealous devotees smear it on the exterior of the upper arms and over the chest.
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Apart from her autobiography, Bahinabai composed abhangas, which deal with various subjects like praise of god Vithoba, Atman, Sad-guru, sainthood, Brahmanhood, and devotion. Bahinabai's abhanga compositions also focus on her troubled relationship with her husband, the conflict between husband and wife, and to certain extent its resolution. She even portrays her husband's hostile and harmful feelings with empathy.Tharu p.
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Of these, the Markandeya Purana and the Devi-Bhagavata Purana are the most significant texts on Durga. The Devi Upanishad and other Shakta Upanishads, mostly dated to have been composed in or after the 9th century, present the philosophical and mystical speculations related to Durga as Devi and other epithets, identifying her to be the same as the Brahman and Atman (self, soul).
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Adi Shankara held that satcitananda is identical with Brahman and Atman. The Advaitin scholar Madhusudana Sarasvati explained Brahman as the Reality that is simultaneously an absence of falsity (sat), absence of ignorance (cit), and absence of sorrow/self-limitation (ananda). According to Adi Shankara, the knowledge of Brahman that Shruti provides cannot be obtained in any other means besides self inquiry.
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Both Hinduism and Buddhism emphasize that one overcomes dukha through the development of understanding. However, the two religions widely differ in the nature of that understanding. Hinduism emphasizes the understanding and acceptance of Atman (self, soul) and Brahman, while Buddhism emphasizes the understanding and acceptance of Anatta (Anatman, non-self, non-soul) as each discusses the means to liberation from Duḥkha.
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The Katha Upanishad, in verses 1.3.10 through 1.3.12 presents a hierarchy of Reality from the perspective of a human being. It asserts that Artha (objects, means of life) are above Indriya (senses), that Manas (mind) is above Artha in this hierarchy, above the Manas is Buddhi (intellect, his ability to reason), above the Buddhi is Atman (his Soul, great Self).
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The third chapter of Aitareya Upanishad discusses the nature of Atman. It declares that consciousness is what defines man, the source of all intellectual and moral theories, all gods, all living beings (man, animals, plants), all that there is. Then the Upanishad asserts that the key to the riddle of the Universe is one's own inner self. To know the universe, know thyself.
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" [c] , Quote: "(...) Buddha's teaching that beings have no soul, no abiding essence. This 'no-soul doctrine' (anatta-vada) he expounded in his second sermon."[a] Anatta, Encyclopædia Britannica (2013), Quote: "Anatta in Buddhism, the doctrine that there is in humans no permanent, underlying soul. The concept of anatta, or anatman, is a departure from the Hindu belief in atman (“the self”).
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" [c] , Quote: "(...) Buddha's teaching that beings have no soul, no abiding essence. This 'no-soul doctrine' (anatta-vada) he expounded in his second sermon."[a] Anatta, Encyclopedia Britannica (2013), Quote: "Anatta in Buddhism, the doctrine that there is in humans no permanent, underlying soul. The concept of anatta, or anatman, is a departure from the Hindu belief in atman (“the self”).
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9 of the Mundaka Upanishad contain the word rāga. The Mundaka Upanishad uses it in its discussion of soul (Atman- Brahman) and matter (Prakriti), with the sense that the soul does not "color, dye, stain, tint" the matter.Mundaka Upanishad, Robert Hume, Oxford University Press, page 373 The Maitri Upanishad uses the term in the sense of "passion, inner quality, psychological state".
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Gaudapada , Devanathan Jagannathan, University of Toronto, IEP refutes the argument for Buddhist influence on Gaudapada's philosophy by arguing that the whole purpose of Gaudapada was to demonstrate the ultimate reality of the birth-less and non- dual Atman, a concept foreign to Buddhism. Scholars such as Murti state that, while there is shared terminology, the doctrines of Gaudapada and Buddhism are fundamentally different.
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The text asserts that Narayana is Moksha (liberation), representing the state of union between the Atman and the Brahman. The text is notable in that it presents only the first nine verses of the Purusha Sukta, and the absence of last seven verses that describe the creation of living beings and varna (social classes) considered by scholars to be a later addition.
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As part of their dharma, swamis additionally endeavor to perfect the five virtues of non-lust (nishkam/niṣkāma), non-greed (nirlobh/nirlobha), non-attachment (nissneh/nissneha), non-taste (niswad/nissvada), and non-ego (nirman/nirmāna). Another aspect of the practice of dharma is the Swaminarayan diet, a type of vegetarianism, similar to that practiced generally by Vaishnava sampradayas, that entails abstaining from animal flesh, eggs, onions, and garlic. Gnan is knowledge of Parabrahman and realizing oneself as the atman. Basic practices of gnan include the daily study of scriptures like the Vachanamrut and Shikshapatri and weekly participation in congregational worship services (sabha/sabhā) at the mandir (temple), in which scriptural discourses geared towards personal and spiritual growth occur. In the Vachanamrut, Swaminarayan explains that adhering to the Aksharbrahman Guru’s commands is commensurate to perfectly embodying gnan—that is, realizing oneself as the atman.
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Jainism believes in the existence of the soul (Self, atman) and considers it to have "god-quality", whose knowledge and liberation is the ultimate spiritual goal in both religions. Jains also believe that the spiritual nobleness of perfected souls (Jina) and devas make them worship-worthy beings, with powers of guardianship and guidance to better karma. In Jain temples or festivals, the Jinas and Devas are revered.
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As Hindus believe that Dharma is universal and evolves with time, many Hindus also value other spiritual paths and religious traditions. They believe that any traditions that are equally able to nurture one's Atman should be accepted and taught. Hinduism itself encourages any being to reach their own self realization in their own unique way either through Bhagavan or through devotion to their own personal Ishvara Bhagavan.
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Thirunamam represents the 'Sacred name of God'. The phrase Namam also represents the white clay found at the deeper layer of earth, which is used as the powder to wear a flame shaped mark. The Ayyavazhi people wore this Namam, starting from the central point between the eyebrows, going straight up near the top edge of the forehead. The flame shape represents Aanma Jyothi or Atman.
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Under the Samkhya, Hindus may refer to this personal, isolated experience of immortality as the purified self, the purusa, or otherwise called the personal atman (Sanskrit: self). Au contraire, a Hindu mystic following a rival school of Vedanta may understand the same tranquil, steady illumination differently (i.e., as not Samkhya's purusa). As Zaehner proposed: the same or similar mystical experience may result in very different theological interpretations.
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Dependent origination views human persons too as devoid of a personal essence or atman. In Theravadin literature, this usage of the term "Middle Way" can be found in 5th-century CE Pali commentaries: In the Visuddhimagga, the following is found : In the Pali Canon itself, this view is not explicitly called the "Middle Way" but is literally referred to as "teaching by the middle" (majjhena dhamma).
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Achamana involves sipping of water three times for purging the mind of all thoughts of ‘I’, ‘My’, ‘Mine’ for contemplation of ‘Supreme Atman”. Achamana ought to be done only in two directions, namely, East or North. There are three types of Āchamanam, namely, Śrautācamanam (Sanskrit: ), Smṛtyācamanam (Sanskrit: ) and Purāṇācamanam (Sanskrit: ). Since, this is the first āchamana in Sandhyāvandanam, the sipping of water should be Purāṇācamana (i.e.
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Prakrti and Atman, when treated as two separate and distinct aspects form the basis of the Dualism of the Shvetashvatara Upanishad. Quasi-dualism is reflected in the Vaishnavite-monotheism of Ramanuja and the absolute Monism, in the teachings of Adi Shankara. Self-consciousness is the Fourth state of consciousness or Turiya, the first three being Vaisvanara, Taijasa and Prajna. These are the four states of individual consciousness.
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The theism in the tantra texts parallel those found in Vaishnavism and Shaktism. Shaiva Siddhanta is a major subtradition that emphasized dualism during much of its history. Shaivism has had strong nondualistic (advaita) sub-traditions. Its central premise has been that the Atman (soul, self) of every being is identical to Shiva, its various practices and pursuits directed at understanding and being one with the Shiva within.
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This monism is close but differs somewhat from the monism found in Advaita Vedanta of Adi Shankara. Unlike Shankara's Advaita, Shaivism monist schools consider Maya as Shakti, or energy and creative primordial power that explains and propels the existential diversity. Srikantha, influenced by Ramanuja, formulated Shaiva Vishishtadvaita. In this theology, Atman (soul) is not identical with Brahman, but shares with the Supreme all its qualities.
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Starting from the expanded consciousness of the self (atman), the body (and in the end, the exterior reality too) is infused with the experience of non- duality., p. 60 The non-dual, experienced initially only in consciousness, is extended to the whole body. The kaula adept will discover kaulika – the power (siddhi) of identification with the Universal Consciousness experienced in the physical body,, p.
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Indra embodies lightning, light and illumination, thus symbolizing "causal conscious self, with light of truth that discerns correct knowledge from incorrect". The Brahman is Atman, the Eternal. The war between gods and demons is symbolism for the war between good and evil. Devas themselves are allegorical reference to sensory and intellectual capabilities of man, with the war symbolizing challenges a man faces in his journey through life.
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The two texts have a few minor differences. The much older Ashrama Upanishad, for example, mentions that each type aspires to know their self (Atman) for liberation, while the Bhikshuka specifies that they seek this liberation through a yogic path. The Bhikshuka Upanishad is a minor Upanishad attached to the Shukla Yajurveda. It is classified as one of the Sannyasa (renunciation) Upanishads of Hinduism.
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Anjali is Sanskrit for "divine offering", "a gesture of reverence", "benediction", "salutation", and is derived from anj, meaning "to honour or celebrate". Mudra means "seal" or "sign". The meaning of the phrase is thus "salutation seal". The gesture is also known as hrdayanjali mudra meaning "reverence to the heart seal" (from hrd, meaning "heart") and atmanjali mudra meaning "reverence to the self seal" (from atman, meaning "self").
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Gaudapada- karika characterizes Brahman-Atman Absolute with the concept of "Ajātivāda". It is a fundamental philosophical doctrine of Gaudapada. In Gaudapada-Karika, chapter III, verses 46-48, Gaudapada states that Brahman never arises, is never born, is never unborn, it rests in itself: According to Gaudapada, the Absolute has no origin, and is not subject to birth, change and death. The Absolute is aja, the unborn eternal.
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Montezuma's Return debuted the UVision game engine, which was developed over more than two years. The game engine and tools were programmed in C, from 1995 to 1998, by Atman Binstock, Rich Geldreich, and Rob Jaeger, designer of the original Montezuma's Revenge. The game features high-resolution 16-bit color depth graphics. The object modeling takes into account physics such as gravity, reflection, and wind.
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Karana sarira or the causal body is merely the cause or seed of the subtle body and the gross body. It has no other function than being the seed of the subtle and the gross body. It is nirvikalpa rupam, "undifferentiated form". It originates with avidya, "ignorance" or "nescience" of the real identity of the atman, instead giving birth to the notion of jiva.
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At the same time there was the occurrence of Pasa yoga that made him an ascetic, and of the Sanyasa yoga caused by five planets conjoining in the 10th house from Cancer lagna. The exalted Sun situated in the karmasthana as a constituent of the Sanyasa yoga made Buddha possess a strong Atman-shakti, he transformed the Vedic concept of the Triune-unity into Nirvana.
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In Advaita Vedanta and Jnana Yoga Nididhyasana (Sanskrit: निदिध्यासन) is profound and repeated meditation on the mahavakyas, great Upanishadic statements such as "That art Thou", to realize the identity of Atman and Brahman. It is the fourth step in the training of a sisya (disciple), consisting of preparatory practices, listening to the teachings as contained in the sruti, reflection on the teachings, and nididhyasana.
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Francisco Guerrero Marín (July 7, 1951 – October 19, 1997) was a Spanish composer. He was born in Linares and died in Madrid. During his lifetime, he completed several compositions, among which there are five major works for orchestra: Antar Atman (1980), Ariadna (1984), Sahara (1991), Oleada (1993) and Coma Berenices (1997). In 1981, he started working on the cycle Zayin on request by the Arditti Quartet.
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Paramatman (Sanskrit: परमात्मन्, IAST: Paramātman) or Paramātmā is the Absolute Atman, or supreme Self, in various philosophies such as the Vedanta and Yoga schools in Hindu theology, as well as other Indian religions like Sikhism. Paramatman is the "Primordial Self" or the "Self Beyond" who is spiritually practically identical with the Absolute, identical with the Brahman. Selflessness is the attribute of Paramatman, where all personality/individuality vanishes.
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The Jivatva-bhavana is the feeling of limitation induced by the body, mind and intellect. The nature of Jivatva is adventitious, dependent on external factors; Jivatva is accidental and not an essential nature of Brahman. It is illusorily superimposed on Brahman. The Atman is the witness (saksin) of the activities of antahkarana (inward intellect) composed of buddhi (intellect), ahankara (I-faculty) and manas (mind).
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Like all other things and concepts (dhamma) it is anatta, not-self [in Buddhism]."; Quote: "Anatman/Anatta. Literally meaning no (an-) self or soul (-atman), this Buddhist term applies to the denial of a metaphysically changeless, eternal and autonomous soul or self. (...) The early canonical Buddhist view of nirvana sometimes suggests a kind of extinction-like (kataleptic) state that automatically encourages a metaphysical no-soul (self).
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The philosophies within the Buddhist schools have denied Brahman, asserted impermanence and that the notion of anything real is untenable from a metaphysical sense. The Hindu traditions such as those influenced by Advaita Vedanta have asserted the position that everything (Atman, Brahman, Prakriti) is ultimately one identical reality. The concept Upādāna also appears with other sense of meanings, in Vedanta philosophies, such as "taking in".
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Karana sarira or the causal body is the cause or seed of the subtle body and the gross body. It has no other function than being the seed of the subtle and the gross body. It is nirvikalpa rupam, "undifferentiated form". It originates with avidya, "ignorance" or "nescience" of the real identity of the atman, instead giving birth to the notion of jiva- bhuta.
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The chapter 2 of the text gives, for example, an elaborate version of the Rigvedic Gayatri mantra. Narayana is particularly solemnized in the 11th chapter of the text, calling Atman (soul) as Narayana. This description mirrors those found in Yogashikha Upanishad and Yogatattva Upanishad. Narayana is described as the highest goal, the light beyond, the highest self, the highest Brahman, the highest object of thought.
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The Sahasrara, symbolised in Ayyavazhi as Lotus carrying Namam The symbol of Ayyavazhi is a lotus carrying a flame-shaped white Namam.Tha. Krishnanathan, Ayya Vaikundarin Vazhvum Sinthanaiyum, p. 108. The lotus represents the 1,008-petalled Sahasrara (in Tamil, Ladam), while the Namam represents the Aanma Jyothi or atman. Both of the Ayyavazhi scripturesAkilam15:39 "Petti ceelai Uduthu Periya Thirunama Pottumittu"Sivakanda Athikara Pathiram, First Act.
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In April 1897 when Vivekananda was laying down the guidelines for the future monastic order only Shuddhananda volunteered to take his dictation. He was asked to put all rules in a positive form. He was also asked on one occasion to deliver a lecture on Atman in English before an assembled crowd. Swami Vivekananda himself asked Swami Shuddhananda to translate his Raja Yoga into Bengali.
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7 and 2.2.9, Kaushitaki Upanishad at 4.19, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad in section 4.3, and Prashna Upanishad in 2.4. Brahman, as the Atman, expresses itself when the man is awake, he is the bird, the crab, and the lotus. While the bird and lotus analogy for the human soul is commonly found in Vedic literature, this is the first and isolated mention of crab analogy, states Deussen.
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It may refer to a lost Upanishad, or Schrader suggests that the chaotic movements of a crab that is difficult to follow, might be implied in the crab simile here. The Atman is the higher and lower brahman, the one inspiring the principle of non-harm (Ahimsa), imbuing consciousness into the gods that are sensory organs, he is the swan, he is the self.
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In the Ottoman tax registers of 1596, it was a village located the nahiya of Butayna, Qada of Hawran, under the name of Atman. It had a population of 29 households and 15 bachelors, all Muslims. They paid a fixed tax-rate of 40% on agricultural products, including wheat, barley, summer crops, goats and beehives; a total of 8,000 akçe.Hütteroth and Abdulfattah, 1977, p.
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The next day while Scott and Chuck are fishing, Scott sees an old castle on an island. Chuck explains the castle is an abandoned laboratory. However, the laboratory is not abandoned, but a home to the scientist who goes by the name of Atman. Under Atman's control are a group of women on rollerblades he likes to call "Rollerbabes", led by his main servant, "Spike".
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The glossary in Sarvasara Upanishad in collections where it attached to Atharvaveda, covers the following twenty three words: Bandha (bondage), Moksha (liberation), Avidya (incorrect knowledge), Vidya (correct knowledge), Jagrat (waking consciousness), Swapna (dream sleep consciousness), Sushupti (dreamless deep sleep consciousness), Turiyam (fourth stage of consciousness), Annamaya, Pranamaya, Manomaya, Vijnanamaya, Anandamaya, Kartar, Jiva, Kshetrajna, Saksin, Kutastha, Antaryamin, Pratyagatman, Paramatman, Atman and Maya. The glossary in manuscript versions, found in different parts of India, where the text is attached to Krishna Yajurveda include a more extensive discussion of the following concepts in the last two questions: Brahman (ultimate reality), Satya (truth), Jnana (wisdom), Ananta (eternal), Ananda (bliss), Mithya (illusion) and Maya (not Atman). The first 21 of 23 questions in both versions cover the same topics. Brahman, in the Sarvasara text, is Absolute Consciousness, without a second, a Be-ness, nondual, pure, the noumenal, the true and the unchanging.
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Correct knowledge, which destroys avidya, the ignorance that constitutes the psychological and perceptual errors which obscure the true nature of Atman and Brahman, is obtained by following the four stages of samanyasa (self-cultivation), sravana, listening to the teachings of the sages, manana, reflection on the teachings, and svādhyāya, contemplation of the truth "that art Thou". The Advaita Vedānta tradition rejects the dualism of Samkhya purusha (primal consciousness) and prakriti (inert primal matter), By accepting this postulation, various theoretical difficulties arise which Advaita and other Vedānta traditions offer different answers for. A main question is the relation between Atman and Brahman, which is solved by regarding them to be identical. This truth is established from the oldest Principal Upanishads and Brahma Sutras, and is also found in parts of the Bhagavad Gitā and numerous other Hindu texts, and is regarded to be self-evident.
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The Para Brahman (Supreme Brahman) is, states Brahma Upanishad, same as Aditya, Vishnu, Ishvara, Purusha, Prana (human breath, life force), individual Self (soul), and the "god-filled fire inside the Brahman-city of human body" where the highest Brahman shines. The shining Brahman state of the Atman has no worlds or non-worlds, no Vedas nor non-Vedas, neither gods nor non-gods, no sacrifices nor non-sacrifices, no mother nor father, no non-mother nor non- father, no relatives no non-relatives, no ascetic nor non-ascetics, neither recluse nor non-recluse, and this one highest Brahman is which shines. This Atman-Brahman lives in the space of one's heart, but a universe is in it, weaving all we experience. The same soul is ever present in all living creatures, and to know this soul through meditation is to become the highest Brahman.
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KN Aiyar, Thirty Minor Upanishads, University of Toronto Archives, , page 223, Quote: "That man who sees (his) Atman, which is all-witness and is beyond all caste and orders of life, as of the nature of Brahman, becomes himself Brahman". That which is of the character of Truth, Knowledge, Bliss, and Fullness, states Varaha Upanishad in verse 2.16, stands farthest away from Tamas (darkness, destruction, chaos).Sanskrit: सत्यज्ञानानन्दपूर्णलक्षणं तमसः परम् । ब्रह्मानन्दं सदा पश्यन्कथं बध्येत कर्मणा ॥२: १६॥ Source: ॥ वराहोपनिषत् ॥ English Translation: Srinivasa Ayyangar (Translator), The Yoga Upanishads, Varahopanishad Verses 2.16–2.18, page 404, Aidyar Library, (Editor: SS Sastri) Varaha states that what one aspires to is part of His own "light", which is all-encompassing. As Atman, self effulgent, Varaha states that "Brahma-Jnanis" are those who see nothing but the Brahman, and they are happy and content in the universe despite being subject to sufferings.
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The Vachanāmrut: spiritual discourses of Bhagwān Swāminārāyan. (3rd ed.) Ahmedabad: Bochasanvasi Shri Aksharpurushottama Sanstha . Swaminarayan explains in the Vachanamrut that ekantik dharma is a means to earn God’s grace and attain liberation. Ekantik dharma (ekāntik dharma) consists of dharma (dharma; religious and moral duties), gnan (jñāna; realization of the atman and Paramatman) vairagya (vairāgya; dispassion for worldly objects), and bhakti (bhakti; devotion to God coupled with the understanding of God’s greatness).
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Pratyabhijñā Śāstra are those writings which have mainly a metaphysical content. Due to their extremely high spiritual and intellectual level, this part of the written tradition of Shaivism is the least accessible for the uninitiated. Nevertheless, this corpus of writings refer to the simplest and most direct modality of spiritual realization. Pratyabhijñā means "recognition" and refers to the spontaneous recognition of the divine nature hidden in each human being (atman).
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In verses 7–10, the text states that Rama is manifest ultimate reality, that is Brahman. The Upanishad's major emphasis is on the Rama mantra Ram Ramaya namaha. Here, states Lamb, the beej mantra (seed) is asserted to contain the whole animate world, and all that exists is sourced in Rama and Sita. The Yogi who realizes the identity of Rama with Brahman and Atman (Soul) reaches liberation, states the Upanishad.
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Anna means matter, annam literally means food; Taittiriya Upanishad calls food the medicament of all. The gross body which is matter-born and matter sustained and transient and subject to perception is the Annamayakosha whose origin is food eaten by parents. It is visible, dependent and impure. It is not the atman because it did not exist before its origination and ceases to exist once it is destroyed.
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The fourth half mora (syllable) of Om has three specific pronunciation modes – the short, long and the extra long, states the text. These are related specifically to the degrees of utterance – one, two, and three matras, units of vocal pronunciation. This fourth is sant-atman, or "calm-self". The half syllable is absent in the long pronunciation, the sound which is identified as the illumination of the soul.
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In Hinduism, Saṃsāra is a journey of the soul. The body dies, assert the Hindu traditions, but not the soul which it assumes to be the eternal reality, indestructible and bliss. Everything and all existence is connected, cyclical and composed of two things, the soul and the body or matter. This eternal soul called Atman never reincarnates, it does not change and cannot change in the Hindu belief.
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Krishna Mohan Shrimali (2011), Knowledge Transmission: Processes, Contents and Apparatus in Early India, Social Scientist, Vol. 39, No. 5/6 (May–June 2011), pages 3-22 Fred Dallmayr cites Kena Upanishad's opening lines to state that Upanishads' primary focus is Atman-Brahman (Soul, Self), in Hindu theosophy. These opening lines state, David Stoll composed "Sonata for 2 Pianos" in 1990 inspired by the opening verses of Kena Upanishad.
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Consciousness in all beings is Shabda Brahman. When the necessity of directing the Mantra (identical to Ishta) internally and to objects externally is transcended then one gains Mantra chaitanya which then awakens Atman chaitanya, the Divine Consciousness, and unites with it. The Mantra is Shabda Brahman and Ishta is the light of Consciousness. The prana, body and mind along with the entire universe, are all expressions of Mantra chaitanya.
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Brahman is the origin and end of all things, material and spiritual. Brahman is the root source of everything that exists. He states that Brahman can neither be taught nor perceived (as an object of intellectual knowledge), but it can be learned and realized by all human beings. The goal of Advaita Vedanta is to realize that one's Self (Atman) gets obscured by ignorance and false-identification ("Avidya").
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He pays no heed to external rites, he devotes himself to inner knowledge for liberation with Om and Hamsa (Atman-Brahman). The first chapter of the Parabrahma Upanishad is identical to the first chapter of more ancient Brahma Upanishad. The text also shares many sections with Kathashruti Upanishad. The text also references and includes fragments of Sanskrit text from the Chandogya Upanishad section 6.1, and Aruni Upanishad chapter 7.
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Chart of the 36 tattvas in Kashmir Shaivism Pure-impure tattvas or Vidya tattvas are described as the "instruments" that assist the souls for their liberation. Soul or Atman is considered as "Purusha tattva" here, while the final manifestation of almighty is known as "Maya tattva". Maya manifests into five more tattvas known as "kanchukas" and these six tattvas adjoins the pusursha tattva and thus, produce seven vidya tattvas.
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Madhyamaka also rejects the existence of absolute realities or beings such as Brahman or Self. In the highest sense, "ultimate reality" is not an ontological Absolute reality that lies beneath an unreal world, nor is it the non-duality of a personal self (atman) and an absolute Self (cf. Purusha). Instead, it is the knowledge which is based on a deconstruction of such reifications and Conceptual proliferations.Abruzzi; McGandy et al.
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P. 26. . In hymn 4.4.5, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad describes Atman as Brahman, and associates it with everything one is, everything one can be, one's free will, one's desire, what one does, what one doesn't do, the good in oneself, the bad in oneself. This theme of Ātman, that is soul and self of oneself, every person, every being is the same as Brahman, is extensively repeated in Brihadāranyaka Upanishad.
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Mysterion is a 1991 documentary film by Finnish directors Pirjo Honkasalo and Eira Mollberg about a convent of Russian Orthodox nuns who have dedicated their lives to serving God. It is the first part of Honkasalo's "Trilogy of the Sacred and the Satanic", followed by Tanjuska and the 7 Devils (1993) and Atman (1997). The film won the main prize at the Balticum Film & TV Festival in Denmark in 1992.
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Hinduism advocates the reincarnation and transmigration of souls according to one's karma. Souls (Atman) of the dead are adjudged by the Yama and are accorded various purging punishments before being reborn. Humans that have committed extraordinary wrongs are condemned to roam as lonely, often mischief mongers, spirits for a length of time before being reborn. Many kinds of such spirits (Vetalas, Pishachas, Bhūta) are recognized in the later Hindu texts.
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Katha Upanishad, in verses 1.2.12 asserts Atman – Soul, Self – exists, though it is invisible and full of mystery.Paul Deussen, Kathaka Upanishad in Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 283 It is ancient, and recognizable by Yoga (meditation on one's self), states Katha Upanishad. This is one of the earliest mentions of Yoga in ancient Sanskrit literature, in the context of Self-development and meditation.
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Become immortal, suggests the Aitareya Upanishad, by being you. Max Muller translates parts of the chapter as follows (abridged), Aitareya Upanishad, like other Upanishads of Hinduism, asserts the existence of Consciousness as Atman, the Self or Brahman. It contains one of the most famous expressions of the Vedanta, "Prajnanam Brahma" (Knowledge is Brahman/god/divine/holy),Commentary on Aitareya Upanishad Adi Shankara, pages 3–4 which is one of the Mahāvākyas.
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World religions put forth various theories which affirm life after death and different kinds of postmortem existence. This is often tied to belief in an immortal individual soul or self (Sanskrit: atman) separate from the body which survives death, as defended by Plato, Descartes, Monotheistic religions like Christianity and many Indian philosophers. This view is also a position on the mind body problem, mainly, dualism.Meister 2009, p. 191.
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The Vedantasara is based on Gaudapada’s Karika, Upadesasahasri of Adi Shankara, Panchadasi of Vidyaranya who died in 1386 A.D., and the Naishkarmayasiddhi of Suresvara. The Vedantasara presents Sutratman (text) as Viraj, the prime means to reach knowledge of Atman and Brahman. Only the liberated Self-knower realizes Brahman. Just like the Dṛg- Dṛśya-Viveka the Vedantasara adds samadhi to the triad of sravana ('hearing'), manana ('reflection') and nididhyasana ('repeated meditation').
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Neti neti, meaning, "Not this, not this", is the method of Vedic analysis of negation. It is a keynote of Vedic inquiry. With its aid the Jnani negates identification with all things of this world which is not the Atman, in this way he negates the Anatman. Through this gradual process he negates the mind and transcends all worldly experiences that are negated till nothing remains but the Self.
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The Advaita philosophy rests on the premise that noumenally the Absolute alone exists, Nature, Souls and God are all merged in the Absolute; the Universe is one, that there is no difference within it, or without it; Brahman is alike throughout its structure, and the knowledge of any part of it is the knowledge of the whole (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad II.4.6-14), and, since all causation is ultimately due to Brahman, since everything beside Brahman is an appearance, the Atman is the only entity that exists and nothing else. All elements emanated from the Atman (Taittiriya Upanishad II.1) and all existence is based on Intellect (Aitareya Upanishad III.3). The universe created by Brahman from a part of itself is thrown out and re-absorbed by the Immutable Brahman (Mundaka Upanishad I.1.7). Therefore, the Jiva (the individual self) is non- different from Brahman (the supreme Self), and the Jiva, never bound, is ever liberated.
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The Ishvara and the Jiva are both explained by the Upanishad to be manifestation of Brahman, while Prakriti is explained as Shakti (potency, energy, power) of the Brahman. Jnana in verse 24, says B. R. Rajam Lyer, means knowledge of the truth that the unchanging existence in the Universe is Brahman, who is Chaitanya or consciousness. It is that, asserts the text, which is seer and the seen, all pervading, the realization of the Self that is same in everyone, realized by subduing the senses, by serving the Guru (teacher), and by learning and meditating on Vedantic doctrines. Ajnana is contrasted by the text in verse 25, as the illusion that the Atman (soul, self) within oneself is different from the soul in angels, other living beings, men, women, or because of castes or orders of life, or because something moves and something is fixed, and it is the ignorance that the Atman is different from the all-pervasive Brahman that is the nature of everything.
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Two concepts that are of paramount importance in the Upanishads are Brahman and Atman. The Brahman is the ultimate reality and the Atman is individual self (soul). Brahman is the material, efficient, formal and final cause of all that exists.PT Raju (2006), Idealistic Thought of India, Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part XIIMariasusai Dhavamony (2002), Hindu-Christian Dialogue: Theological Soundings and Perspectives, Rodopi Press, , pages 43-44For dualism school of Hinduism, see: Francis X. Clooney (2010), Hindu God, Christian God: How Reason Helps Break Down the Boundaries between Religions, Oxford University Press, , pages 51-58, 111-115; For monist school of Hinduism, see: B Martinez-Bedard (2006), Types of Causes in Aristotle and Sankara, Thesis - Department of Religious Studies (Advisors: Kathryn McClymond and Sandra Dwyer), Georgia State University, pages 18-35 It is the pervasive, genderless, infinite, eternal truth and bliss which does not change, yet is the cause of all changes.
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George Thibaut, Vedanta Sutras Part 1, , Volume 34 (Editor: Max Muller), Oxford University Press, pages xlvii-lix The second chapter of the Brahma Sūtra has been variously interpreted by various monist, theistic and other sub-schools of Vedanta.Śaṅkarācārya; Sengaku Mayeda (2006), A Thousand Teachings: The Upadeśasāhasrī of Śaṅkara, State University of New York Press, , pages 12-13 The Advaita school for example, states Francis Clooney, asserts that the "identity of Atman and Brahman" based Advaita system is the coherent system while other systems conflict with the Upanishads, or are internally inconsistent, or incoherent with observed reality and cosmos. The theistic sub-schools interpret the text to be stating that Atman is different than Brahman, and thereafter each explains how other systems conflict with the Upanishads or are incoherent. The Pada 2.1 opens with Adhikarana on Samkhya and Vaisheshika schools argument that Smritis should be a basis for examining the concept of Brahman, and their objections to the Vedanta theory of reflection.
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The Upanishad expounds the principles behind Om mantra as part of the yogic practice asserting that "A", "U" and "M" are three letters that mirror the "three Vedas, three Sandhyas (morning, noon and evening), three Svaras (sounds), three Agnis and three Guṇas". Metaphorically this practice is compared to realizing the hidden smell of a flower, reaching the ghee (clarified butter) in milk, reaching the oil innate in sesame seeds, effort to extract gold from its ore, and finding the Atman in one's heart. The letter "A" represents the flowering of lotus, "U" represents the blooming of the flower, "M" reaches its nada (tattva or truth inside, sound), and "ardhamatra" (half-metre) indicates the Turiya, or bliss of silence. The Upanishad states that following the yogic practices prescribed, once the yogin has mastered the functioning of nine orifices of the body and awakened the Sushumna inwards, he awakens his Kundalini, he becomes self- aware, knows the Truth and gains the conviction of his Atman.
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Yogatattva Upanishad emphasizes Hatha yoga (shown). In the Upanishad, Vishnu states to Brahma that Yoga is one, in practice of various kinds, the chief are of four types – Mantra Yoga is the practice through chants, Laya Yoga through deep concentration, Hatha Yoga through exertion, and Raja Yoga through meditation. There are four states which are common to all these yogas, states the text, and these four stages of attainment are: Arambha (beginning, the stage of practicing ethics such as non-violence and proper diet, followed by asana), Ghata (second integration stage to learn breath regulation and relationship between body and mind), Parichaya (the third intimacy stage to hold, regulate air flow, followed by meditation for relationship between mind and Atman), and Nishpatti (fourth stage to consummate Samadhi and realize Atman). The emphasis and most verses in the text are dedicated to Hatha Yoga, although the text mentions Raja yoga is the culmination of Yoga.
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The Nyaya- sutras have been one of the foundations for the historic debate between Hinduism's premise that ultimate reality and atman (soul) exists, and Buddhism's premise that there is voidness and anatta (no-soul).P Bilimoria and JN Mohanty (2003), Relativism, Suffering and Beyond, Oxford University Press, , pages i–ix with Introduction and Chapter 3J Ganeri (2012), The Self: Naturalism, Consciousness, and the First-Person Stance, Oxford University Press, , pages 162–169Ganganatha Jha (1999 Reprint), Nyaya-Sutras of Gautama, Vol 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 198–199 In Nyaya-sutra, the Buddhist premises and arguments to refute those premise are found in many chapters, such as sutras of chapters 3.2, 4.1 and 4.2. The text has been influential in this debate, with the 2nd-century Buddhist scholar Nagarjuna states that the Nyaya school and Buddhism differ on their conception of Self (Atman) and their views on the Vedas, and the sutra 4.2.25 of Nyayasutra is addressed against the Madhyamika system of Buddhism.
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The yoga postures with breathing and cleansing exercises are described in 149 verses of the third through seventh chapters, wherein the text asserts that these yoga exercises help the yogi master his senses and achieve awareness of his body. Meditation discussions start in the eighth chapter of the text, where 40 verses discuss how to start and develop meditative practices with the help of Om and resonating sounds, followed by 44 verses in the ninth chapter for advanced meditation that is reflective on one's mind, Vedana (feelings) and nature of one's Atman (self, soul). The text dedicates 23 verses in the tenth chapter on samadhi (concentration) to become aware of the equality of one's Atman and Brahman (Universal Ultimate Reality, God). The final sections of the text discuss the need for a Guru (teacher) along with the duties of a yogin, and what to do when one realizes one has made a mistake.
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The German Indologist Paul Deussen states the Atma Upanishad converts the "beautiful poetic" section on the Atman in the Chandogya Upanishad, into "most dry" scholastic description. The Upanishad explains and references hymn fragments from ancient texts, including classical Upanishads. The description of Paramatman in this text is derived from the Chandogya Upanishad, the Shvetashvatara Upanishad, the Prashna Upanishad, the Bhagavad Gita, the Katha Upanishad, the Dhyanabindu Upanishad, the Yogashikha Upanishad and the Maitrayaniya Upanishad.
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Internal organs conceal the Truth and after their destruction, the god Vishnu emerges from the Samvit (Consciousness or knowledge). Skanda declares himself as the Unborn one and part of the Samvit. All inert things, except the Atman (soul), are destroyers. The "imperishable" (Achyuta, a name of Vishnu) who discerns between consciousness and inertness is identified with jnana (knowledge), Shiva, Vishnu, Parameshvara (the Supreme God), the Light of Lights and Supreme Brahman (Absolute Reality).
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Dhi, the prefix of Dhimahi and Dhiyo occurring in the Gayatri Mantra (Rig VedaIII.62.10) refers to 'understanding', and its cognate word Buddhi means 'reasoning faculty of the mind', which understanding must be transcended to experience the Ultimate Reality. The word, Dhira, meaning 'calm', denotes the seeker whose intellect is saturated in knowledge which word is the combination of Dhi meaning 'intellect' and ra meaning 'fire' or 'wisdom'. The Non-Atman i.e.
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These five sheaths envelop the atman or "soul". The Vedanta conceives the expression of the gross universe possible by traversing through all these stages of emanation from the cloud of Maya covering the face of Brahman to Sthula bhutas or gross matter with all its multifarious aspect including gross energy. Badarayana, drawing attention to ’s grammar (V.iv.21), explains that the suffix mayat as in Annamaya (made of food), Pranamaya (made of vital air) etc.
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Alternatively, it can be motivated by one's inner reflection and true self (soul, Atman, Brahman). The former creates bondage, the latter empowers freedom. The spiritual path to the liberated state of bliss is to do the best one is able to while being detached to outcomes, to fruits, to success or failure. A karma yogi who practices such nishkama karma (niṣkāmakarma), states Bhawuk, is following "an inward journey, which is inherently fulfilling and satisfying".
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It is that which "hears" the sound in ears, "sees" the view in eyes, "speaks" the words of speech, "smells" the aroma in breath, "comprehends" the meaning in thought. The Atman-Brahman is in man, not that which one worships outside. Woodburne interprets the first khanda of Kena Upanishad to be describing Brahman in a manner that "faith" is described in Christianity. In contrast, Shankara interprets the first khanda entirely as monistic.
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S Sharvananda, Kena Upanishad, Upanishad Series No. 2, Madras (1920), pages 2, 31-37 Kena Upanishad's allegory is suggesting that empirical actions, such as destruction by fire or moving a being from one place to another, does not lead to "knowing the essence of the subject, the wonderful being". The Upanishad is allegorically reminding that a victory of good over evil, is not of manifested self, but of the good, the eternal, the Atman-Brahman.
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While the concepts of Brahman and Atman (Soul, Self) can be consistently traced back to pre-Upanishadic layers of Vedic literature, the heterogeneous nature of the Upanishads show infusions of both social and philosophical ideas, pointing to evolution of new doctrines, likely from the Sramanic movements. Śramaṇa traditions brought concepts of Karma and Samsara as central themes of debate. Śramaṇa views were influential to all schools of Indian philosophies.Flood, Gavin D. (1996) pp.
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German motivational speaker Heide Fittkau—Garthe. and a number of followers During subsequent months' the case disappeared from the international media. At the local level, it was clarified that the Atman Foundation has nothing to do with the Solar Temple but, according to a family of disgruntled German ex-members, may be "just as bad". Police investigations in Germany failed to detect any evidence that the Foundation was preparing a mass suicide.
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When Avidya is removed, the Atman (Soul, Self inside a person) is realized as identical with Brahman. The Brahman is not an outside, separate, dual entity, the Brahman is within each person, states Advaita Vedanta school of Hinduism. Brahman is all that is eternal, unchanging and that which truly exists. This view is stated in this school in many different forms, such as "Ekam sat" ("Truth is one"), and all is Brahman.
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He as Brahman is the origin of the universe, asserts the text, from whom arose Purusha, Atman and Prakriti (nature, substances, body) of Samkhya philosophy. For the last two concepts, the Upanishad uses the term Tejas. Thereafter, from Narayana, arose Shiva and Brahma, the Om, the cosmic chants and songs, the meters of literature, then the Vedas. The text shares some verses with another Vaishnava text – the Mahanarayana Upanishad, and a Shaiva Upanishad – the Atharvashiras.
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Grof 1988, 39 According to Grof, contemporary psychiatry often categorizes these non-ordinary states as psychotic. Grof connects the hylotropic to the Buddhist conception of namarupa ("name and form"), the separate, individual, illusory self. He connects the holotropic to the Hindu conception of Atman-Brahman, the divine, true nature of the self. Thus he is not concerned to explore the concept or state of being of non-self, despite its putative transcendental power.
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The fifth anuvaka declares that "Bhūr! Bhuvaḥ! Svar!" are three holy exclamations, then adds that Bhur is the breathing out, Bhuvah is the breathing in, while Svar is the intermediate step between those two. It also states that "Brahman is Atman (Self), and all deities and divinities are its limbs", that "Self-knowledge is the Eternal Principle", and the human beings who have this Oneness and Self-knowledge are served by the gods.
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The Jivanmukta (one who is in Jivanmukti) has gained liberation while in the body, but in this case, the individual regains full awareness of the world, simultaneously with awareness of "The god is within me and everyone, everything" state. According to Advaita, a liberated human being (jivanmukta) has realised Brahman as his or her own true self and has achieved infinite knowledge. (See Atman.)When a Jivanmukta dies he becomes a Paramukta.
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The notion of citta-santāna developed in later Yogacara-thought, where citta-santāna replaced the notion of ālayavijñāna, the store-house consciousness in which the karmic seeds were stored. It is not a "permanent, unchanging, transmigrating entity", like the atman, but a series of momentary consciousnesses.Davids, C.A.F. Rhys (1903). "The Soul-Theory in Buddhism" in The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Source: (accessed: Sunday 1 February 2009), pp.
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In contrast to these characteristics of time and space, Vaiśeṣika scholars considered Ātman to be many, eternal, independent and spiritual substances that cannot be reduced or inferred from other three non-physical and five physical dravya (substances). Mind and sensory organs are instruments, while consciousness is the domain of "atman, soul, self". The knowledge of Ātman, to Vaiśeṣika Hindus, is another knowledge without any "bliss" or "consciousness" moksha state that Vedanta and Yoga school describe.
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Tanjuska and the 7 Devils () is a 1993 documentary film by Finnish director Pirjo Honkasalo about a ten-year-old Belarusian girl who is believed to have been possessed by the devil. It is the second part of Honkasalo's "Trilogy of the Sacred and the Satanic", preceded by Mysterion (1991) and followed by Atman (1997). The film won several international awards, including the International Jury Award at the Bombay International Film Festival.
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The fourth chapter of Kausitaki Upanishad builds on the third chapter, but it peculiarly varies in various manuscripts of Rig veda discovered in Indian subcontinent. This suggests that this chapter may be an addition of a later era. Despite the variations, the central idea is similar in all recensions so far. The chapter offers sixteen themes in explaining what Brahman (Atman) is, which overlaps with the twelve found in Chapter 2 of Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.
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Knowledge requires effort, and often not comprehended by man even when he reads it or hears it or by internal argument.Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 282-283 The pursuit of Knowledge and the good, can be taught,Note: in later verses, Katha Upanishad clarifies that empirical knowledge can be taught, but spiritual knowledge about Atman can not be instructed, only meditated upon and realized. See verses 1.2.23-1.2.
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Eliade argues that modern man may escape the "Terror of history" by learning from traditional cultures. For example, Eliade thinks Hinduism has advice for modern Westerners. According to many branches of Hinduism, the world of historical time is illusory, and the only absolute reality is the immortal soul or atman within man. According to Eliade, Hindus thus escape the terror of history by refusing to see historical time as the true reality.
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His songs are full of the divine bliss which he enjoyed and transmitted in abundance. The songs on the theme of the Atman craving for the union with the Supreme, are famous for their authenticity, simplicity and easily remembered language. He is also known for his unceasing emphasis on the unity of all paths to God and of all religions, and, in particular, on the unity of the Shaiva siddhanta and Vedanta.
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The basic practice of neo-Advaita is self-inquiry, via the question "Who am I?", or simply the direct recognition of the non-existence of the "I" or "ego." This recognition is taken to be equal to the Advaita Vedanta recognition of the identity of Atman and Brahman, or the recognition of the "Formless Self." According to neo-Advaitins, no preparatory practice is necessary, nor prolonged study of religious scriptures or tradition: insight alone suffices.
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The Jaina philosophy assumes that the soul (Jiva in Jainism, Atman in Hinduism) exists and is eternal, passing through cycles of transmigration and rebirth. After death, reincarnation into a new body is asserted to be instantaneous in early Jaina texts. Depending upon the accumulated karma, rebirth occurs into a higher or lower bodily form, either in heaven or hell or earthly realm. No bodily form is permanent: everyone dies and reincarnates further.
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The Garuda Purana (chapter XV) and the "Anushasana Parva" of the Mahabharata both list over 1000 names for Vishnu, each name describing a quality, attribute, or aspect of God. Known as the Vishnu Sahasranama, Vishnu here is defined as 'the omnipresent'. Other notable names in this list include Hari ('remover of sins'), Kala ('time'), Vāsudeva ('Son of Vasudeva', i.e. Krishna), Atman ('the soul'), Purusa ('the divine being'), and Prakrti ('the divine nature').
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The text describes over a dozen asanas, including Dhanurasana (above). In verses 15–23 of chapter 2, the Upanishad states that Yoga and Jnana (knowledge) is the way to know the Atman, the Shiva. Karma yoga, states the text, is observing the virtues and teachings in the Vedas, while Jnana yoga is the effort of applying one's mind to the understanding and realizing Moksha. The text then defines the eight limbs of yoga.
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Similar concepts in other languages include Greek pneuma, Chinese Ling and hun (靈魂) and Sanskrit akasha / atman (see also prana). Some languages use a word for spirit often closely related (if not synonymous) to mind. Examples include the German Geist (related to the English word ghost) or the French l'esprit. English versions of the Bible most commonly translate the Hebrew word ruach (רוח; wind) as "the spirit", whose essence is divine.
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8 that the highest reality is inside man, by stating that body is warm and this warmth must have an underlying hidden principle manifestation of the Brahman. Max Muller states, that while this reasoning may appear weak and incomplete, but it shows that Vedic era human mind had transitioned from "revealed testimony" to "evidence-driven and reasoned knowledge". This Brahman-Atman premise is more consciously and fully developed in section 3.14 of the Chandogya Upanishad.
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Furthermore, through the third impurity – karma mala – the subject has the illusion that he is the doer, though, limited in power. Atman, by contrast, when acts, is identified with Śiva and acts as a part of Śiva. That is why the limited soul is described as enslaved (pasu) while Śiva is the master (pati). By purification of the three impurities the limited soul too can recognize (pratyabhijna) his real nature, becoming pati himself.
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The first two verses of chapter 1 of the Mudgala Upanishad assert Vishnu to be omnipresent in space and time. The text thereafter asserts that Vishnu (Hari) to be the grantor of liberation, from whom all of Prakriti and Purusha were born. Vishnu, states the text using the words of the Purusha sukta, sacrificed himself and thus became Brahman and Atman (individual soul). Thus arose the world of living beings, asserts the text.
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By stopping the accumulation of venous blood, the yogi is able to lessen or prevent the decay of tissues; the advanced yogi transmutes his cells into pure energy. Elijah, Jesus, Kabir and other prophets were past masters in the use of Kriya or a similar technique, by which they caused their bodies to materialize and dematerialize at will." Swami Satyananda wrote "Kriya sadhana may be thought of as the sadhana of the 'practice of being in Atman'.
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Most Hindus in Punjab follow Sanatani Hinduism. Hinduism in Punjab, as in many other parts of India, has adapted over time and has become a synthesis of culture and history. It centres on using Dharma to purify the soul (Atman) and to connect with a greater "eternal energy" (Paramātmā). Hindus do this while acknowledging the concept of Brahman or "external energy", which is metaphysically believed to be the single binding energy behind the diversity that exists in the universe.
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There are three distinct stages leading to Self-realisation. The First stage is in mystically apprehending the glory of the Self within us as though we were distinct from it. The Second stage is in identifying the "I-within" with the Self, that we are in essential nature entirely identical with the pure Self. The Third stage is in realising that the Atman is Brahman, that there is no difference between the Self and the Absolute.
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Any Hindu religious theme may be the subject for the Harikatha. At its peak Harikatha was a popular medium of entertainment, which helped transmit cultural, educational and religious values to the masses. The main aim of Hari Katha is to imbue truth and righteousness in the minds of people and sow the seeds of devotion in them. Another of the aims is to educate them about knowledge of self (atman) through stories and show them the path of liberation.
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Rudra is Atman and Brahman, and in the heart. Rudra's symbol is Om, states the text, he can be realized by abandoning anger and lust, and through silence alone. The text is known for its monism (Advaita), and was quoted extensively by the German philosopher Hegel.H Glasenapp (1974), Die Philosophie der Inder, Kröner, , pages 259-260 It is also known as Atharvasirasopanishad, Atharvashira, Atharvasira in some texts referencing it, and as Śira Upanishad in Muktikā canon of 108 Upanishads.
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Regardless of whether it is goose or swan, the word in the title is symbolism for something that migrates, is transcendent.Lindsay Jones (2005), Encyclopedia of religion, Volume 13, Macmillan Reference, , page 8894, Quote: "In Hindu iconography the swan personifies Brahman-Atman, the transcendent yet immanent ground of being, the Self."Denise Cush (2007), Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Routledge, , page 697 The text title likely refers to it being a treatise for individual soul, seeking the highest soul (Paramahamsa).
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All Vaishnava schools are panentheistic and perceive the Advaita concept of identification of Atman with the impersonal Brahman as an intermediate step of self-realization, but not Mukti, or final liberation of complete God-realization through Bhakti Yoga. Gaudiya Vaishnavism, a form of Achintya Bheda Abheda philosophy, also concludes that Brahman is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. According to them, Brahman is Lord Vishnu/Krishna; the universe and all other manifestations of the Supreme are extensions of Him.
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Max Muller, , Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft: ZDMG, Volume 19, page 151 The Samaveda version is partly in poetic verses. The Vaishnava Upanishad describes Vishnu as the highest being, and above Brahma. Both groups of texts, however, use reverential words of all Hindu gods, and assert them to be the same Atman- Brahman. The Upanishad presents a syncretism of Vaishnava and Vedanta ideas, and is notable for its teaching of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam", or "the world is one family".
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It is called the Śreṇika heresy (Japanese: Sennigedō 先尼外道). Śreṇika suggested that there is an eternal Self (Atman) that lives in a temporary physical body and is involved in rebirth. In the Buddhist traditions, the Buddha taught there is rebirth and Anātman, or that there is no eternal Self. The Pali texts state that Śreṇika disagreed and asked the Buddha many questions, which the Buddha refused to answer, calling his questions as indeterminate.
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Swami Sivananda characterizes the causal body as "The beginningless ignorance that is indescribable". Siddharameshwar Maharaj, the guru of Nisargadatta Maharaj, also describes the causal body as characterized by "emptiness", "ignorance", and "darkness". In the search for the "I am", this is a state where there is nothing to hold on to anymore. Ramanuja concludes that it is at this stage that consummation of the atman with the Paramatman is reached and the search for the highest Purusa, i.e.
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Appendix: "". (Oxford University Press: New York, 1985) The text is attached to the Atharvaveda, and is also referred to as the Sri Ganapati Atharva Sirsha, the Ganapati Atharvashirsha, the Ganapati Atharvasirsa, or the Ganapati Upanishad. The text exists in several variants, but with the same message. Ganesha is described to be same as other Hindu gods, as ultimate truth and reality (Brahman), as satcitananda, as the soul in oneself (Atman) and in every living being, as Om.
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The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is from the last Kanda (i.e. book 17) of the Kanva recension of the Shatapatha Brahmana. Swami Madhavananda states that this Upanishad is 'the greatest of the Upanishads... not only in extent; but it is also the greatest in respect of its substance and theme. It is the greatest Upanishad in the sense that the illimitable, all-embracing, absolute, self-luminous, blissful reality - the Brhat or Brahman, identical with Atman, constitutes its theme'.
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Dvaita school, states Graham Oppy, is not strict monotheism, as it does not deny existence of other gods and their respective Atman.Graham Oppy (2014), Describing Gods, Cambridge University Press, , page 3 In the Akshar- Purushottam Darshan school of Vedant, the atman, referred to as the jiva, is defined as a distinct, individual soul, i.e. a finite sentient being. Jivas are bound by maya, which hides their true self, which is characterized by eternal existence, consciousness, and bliss.
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Jain nuns meditating The name Sāmāyika, the term for Jain meditation, is derived from the term samaya "time" in Prakrit. Jains also use samayika to denote the practice of meditation. The aim of Sāmāyika is to transcend our daily experiences as the "constantly changing" human beings, called Jiva, and allow identification with the "changeless" reality in practitioner, called the atman. One of the main goals of Sāmāyika is to inculcate equanimity, to see all the events equanimously.
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His studies have included religious literature in Sanskrit, Pali and Tamil. In a review of Ram- prasad's award-winning book Divine Self, Human Self based on the Bhagavad Gita, the Cambridge University scholar Ankur Barua states, "Ram-Prasad skilfully engages Śaṁkara and Rāmānuja in conversations over classical Vedantic themes of selfhood, being, and agency" to exegetically and hermeneutically explain how these two influential Hindu scholars interpreted the same text to reach two views of Self (Atman) in Hindu philosophy.
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The five elements variously combine to produce the senses. All living beings are made up of the conglomeration of the sense-objects (gross matter), the ten senses, manas, the five subtle bhutas and Prakrti, Mahat and Ahamkara; cognition, pleasure, pain, ignorance, life, death, karmas and fruits of karmas belong to this conglomeration. By ignorance, will, antipathy, and work the conglomeration of Purusha with the elements takes place producing knowledge, feeling or action. The Atman is the illuminator of cognition.
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The Shvetashvatara Upanishad, in verses 1.13 to 1.16, states that to know God, look within, know your Atman (Soul, Self). It suggests meditating with the help of syllable Om, where one's perishable body is like one fuel-stick and the syllable Om is the second fuel-stick, which with discipline and diligent churning of the sticks unleashes the concealed fire of thought and awareness within. Such knowledge and ethics is, asserts the Upanishad, the goal of Upanishad.
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Gargi Vachaknavi is one of the earliest known woman sage from the Vedic period. Gargi composed several hymns that questioned the origin of all existence.Gargi - The Virgin Philosopher Swami Sivananda She is mentioned in the Sixth and the Eighth Brahmana of Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, where the brahmayajna, a philosophic congress organized by King Janaka of Videha is described, she challenged the sage Yajnavalkya with perturbing questions on the atman (soul). Bhairavi Brahmani is a guru of Sri Ramakrishna.
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Swami Sivananda characterizes the causal body as "The beginningless ignorance that is indescribable". Siddharameshwar Maharaj, the guru of Nisargadatta Maharaj, also describes the causal body as characterized by "emptiness", "ignorance" and "darkness". In the search for the "I am", this is a state where there is nothing to hold on to anymore. Ramanuja concludes that it is at this stage that consummation of the atman with the Paramatman is reached and the search of the highest Purusa i.e.
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Both the consorts are identified with the soul (Atman), while their husband (pati, Lord) represents God. The marriage of Devasena conveys Vaishnava ideals, where the soul (Devasena) remains detached from God; she has her own relative autonomy and earns the love of the god by her own merit. In contrast, the Shaiva philosophy says that God is attached to the soul (Valli) and hence he woos her. The Paripatal contains a Tamil panegyric dedicated to Murugan.
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The Upanishad describes the human body to be Sri Yantra (Sri chakra), by mapping each part of the body to the chakra. It asserts that the Shakti is the Atman (soul) within. The text is notable for its emphasis on Antaryaga (internal worship) in contrast to external rituals and offerings. The 18th-century scholar Bhaskararaya, in his commentary, explains verse 29 of the Bhavana Upanishad to be based on the premise "all love their own self".
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The Dakshinamurti Upanishad (, IAST: Dakṣiṇāmūrti Upaniṣad) is an ancient Sanskrit text and is one of the minor Upanishads of Hinduism. It is attached to the Krishna Yajurveda, and classified as one of the 14 Shaiva Upanishads. The text is notable for asserting that Dakshinamurti is an aspect of Shiva, an aid to the liberating knowledge that Shiva is within oneself as Atman (self, soul), and everything one does in daily life is an offering to this Shiva.
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An ideal spot for yoga is a secluded and pleasant spot, state verses 2.89–90 of the text. The verses 2.94–2.119 present Pranayama, "extension of the prāṇa or breath", to cleanse the body through breathing exercises. After Pranayama, states the text, the Yogi should seek self-knowledge through Kaivalya (aloneness), wherein he meditates on his transcendent Atman (soul). This process, asserts the text, can be assisted by a yogi focusing his awareness to kundalini centers within his body.
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The Mahavakya Upanishad (Sanskrit: महावाक्य उपनिषत्, IAST: Mahāvākya Upaniṣad) is a Sanskrit text and one of the minor Upanishads of Hinduism.Vedic Literature, Volume 1, , Government of Tamil NaMNok jpa , Madras, India, page 497 It is attached to the Atharvaveda, and is classified as one of the 20 Yoga Upanishads. The text describes the nature of Atman (self, soul) and Brahman (ultimate reality), then asserts that they are identical and liberation is the state of fully understanding this identity.
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The Shaiva Upanishads extol Shiva as the metaphysical Brahman and the Atman (soul, self). A few texts such as Atharvashiras Upanishad include alternate terms such as Rudra, and assert all gods are Rudra, everyone and everything is Rudra, and Rudra is the principle found in all things, their highest goal, the innermost essence of all reality that is visible or invisible. Some Shaiva Upanishads include sections with symbolism about costumes, rites and objects of worship in Shaivism.
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One should make one's Self as lower churn-stick (fire stick), the Om the upper churn-stick, then rub them through meditation to see the godly latent fire within. Just like there is butter in milk, oil in seeds, water in streams, fire hidden in dormant churn-stick, there is Atman within to be found. Through meditation and with such wisdom, asserts the text, one's soul unites itself with the supreme soul. This journey is twilight worship.
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As we have already observed, this is the basic and ineradicable distinction between Hinduism and Buddhism".M. Prabhakar (2012), Review: An Introduction to Indian Philosophy, Philosophy in Review, 32(3), pages 158–160 Brahman as well the Atman in every human being (and living being) is considered equivalent and the sole reality, the eternal, self-born, unlimited, innately free, blissful Absolute in schools of Hinduism such as the Advaita Vedanta and Yoga.Barbara Holdrege (2004), The Hindu World (Editors: S. Mittal and G. Thursby), Routledge, , pages 241–242Anantanand Rambachan (2014), A Hindu Theology of Liberation: Not-Two Is Not One, State University of New York Press, , pages 131–142Ian Whicher (1999), The Integrity of the Yoga Darsana: A Reconsideration of Classical Yoga, State University of New York Press, , pages 298–300; Mike McNamee and William J. Morgan (2015), Routledge Handbook of the Philosophy of Sport, Routledge, , pages 135–136, Quote: "As a dualistic philosophy largely congruent with Samkhya's metaphysics, Yoga seeks liberation through the realization that Atman equals Brahman; it involves a cosmogonic dualism: purusha an absolute consciousness, and prakriti original and primeval matter.
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497-501 The soul (Atman, Brahman) is the essence and immortal that is released at the Antyeshti ritual, but both the body and the universe are vehicles and transitory in various schools of Hinduism. The human body and the universe consist of five elements in Hindu texts – air, water, fire, earth and space. The last rite of passage returns the body to the five elements and its origins.Carl Olson (2007), The Many Colors of Hinduism: A Thematic-historical Introduction, Rutgers University Press, , pp.
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Madhu-vidya establishes the following five truths:- :1) The correspondence and interrelationships between the elements of the external world and the individual beings are analogous to those existing between the honey and the bees. :2) There is only one supreme god and that is Brahman. All the divine powers witnessed in the macrocosm (the external world) and the microcosm (the individual being), are but his manifestations. Brahman behind the cosmic universe is same as the Atman underlying the individual self.
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Sri Vaishnavism's philosophical foundation was established by Ramanuja, who started his Vedic studies with Yadava Prakaasa in an Advaita Vedanta monastery. He brought Upanishadic ideas to this tradition, and wrote texts on qualified monism, called Vishishtadvaita in the Hindu tradition. His ideas are one of three subschools in Vedanta, the other two are known as Adi Shankara's Advaita (absolute monism) and Madhvacharya's Dvaita (dualism). Ramanuja's Vishishtadvaita asserts that Atman (souls) and Brahman are different, a difference that is never transcended.
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King Dhṛtarāṣṭra has been conversing with his half-brother Vidura, who has been responding to his requests for various kinds of counsel. :Ch. 41: King Dhṛtarāṣṭra asks for more information. Vidura replies that he, as born from a Shudra woman, must not speak of secret matters relating to Atman but one who has taken birth as a Brahmin, if he states these secret matters, is not censured by the devatas. Therefore these matters may be spoken by the eternal sage Sanatsujāta.
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The tradition also sees caste theory as being related to false theories of a self (atman), to linguistic prejudice (based around the belief in the superiority of Sanskrit) and to theories of a creator god.Wallace 2001, pp. 118-119. Due to these concerns, the tantric pledges found in the Kālacakra system involve transgressions of Indian social conventions, such as associating with and being in physical contact with all the various social classes without distinction, and seeing them as equal.Wallace 2001, p. 121.
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Jīva () or Atman (; ) is a philosophical term used within Jainism to identify the soul. As per Jain cosmology, jīva or soul is the principle of sentience and is one of the tattvas or one of the fundamental substances forming part of the universe. The Jain metaphysics, states Jagmanderlal Jaini, divides the universe into two independent, everlasting, co-existing and uncreated categories called the jiva (soul) and the ajiva ( non-soul). This basic premise of Jainism makes it a dualistic philosophy.
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The Surya Upanishad (), or Suryopanishad, is one of the minor Upanishads of Hinduism, written in Sanskrit language. It is among the 31 Upanishads associated with the Atharvaveda, and one of the Samanya Upanishads. In this Upanishad, Atharvangiras to whom the Atharvaveda is attributed, extols the virtues of Surya, the Sun god, calling him the ultimate truth and reality Brahman. Surya, asserts the text, is the creator, protector, and destroyer of the universe, and the Sun god is identical to one's Atman (soul, self).
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Some translators title this chapter as Ksetra–Ksetrajna Vibhaga yoga, Religion by Separation of Matter and Spirit, The Field and the Knower, or The Yoga of Difference between the Field and Field-Knower. The chapter opens with Krishna continuing his discourse from the previous chapter. He describes the difference between transient perishable physical body (kshetra) and the immutable eternal soul (kshetrajna). The presentation explains the difference between ahamkara (ego) and atman (soul), from there between individual consciousness and universal consciousness.
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Brahman, along with Soul/Self (Atman) are part of the ontologicalthat is things, beings or truths that are presumed to exist for its philosophical theory to be true, and what is the nature of that which so exists?; see: Edward Craig (1998), Ontology, Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, premises of Indian philosophy.Edward Craig (1998), Ontology, Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, , Accessed (13 June 2015)Stephen H. Phillips (2001), Could There Be Mystical Evidence for a Nondual Brahman? A Causal Objection, Philosophy East and West, Vol.
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One of the reasons to why the Brahman should be realized according to the Upanishads is because it removes suffering from a person's life. This is because the person has the ability and knowledge to discriminate between the unchanging (Atman and Brahman) and the ever-changing (Prakrit) and so the person is not attached to the transient. Hence, the person is only content with the self and not his body or anything other than the self. In Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 3.9.
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207 and where it is also spoken of as the 'Self' (atman).Zimmermann, Michael (2002), A Buddha Within: The Tathāgatagarbhasūtra, Biblotheca Philologica et Philosophica Buddhica VI, The International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology, Soka University, pp. 82–83 The doctrine of a "really existing permanent element" within all sentient beings is a source of much debate and disagreement among Mahāyāna Buddhist philosophers as well as modern academics.Williams, Paul, Buddhist Thought: A Complete Introduction to the Indian Tradition, 2002, pp. 103, 108.
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93–94, and the Upanishads that Surya is explicitly linked to the power of sight, to visual perception and knowledge. He is then interiorized to be the eye as ancient Hindu sages suggested abandonment of external rituals to gods in favor of internal reflections and meditation of gods within, in one's journey to realize the Atman (soul, self) within, in texts such as the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, Chandogya Upanishad, Kaushitaki Upanishad and others.Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Robert Hume (Translator), Oxford University Press, pp.
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The concept of anatta, or anatman, is a departure from the Hindu belief in atman ("the self")."; [b] Steven Collins (1994), Religion and Practical Reason (Editors: Frank Reynolds, David Tracy), State Univ of New York Press, , p. 64; "Central to Buddhist soteriology is the doctrine of not-self (Pali: anattā, Sanskrit: anātman, the opposed doctrine of ātman is central to Brahmanical thought). Put very briefly, this is the [Buddhist] doctrine that human beings have no soul, no self, no unchanging essence.
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The Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gitā and Brahma Sutras are the central texts of the Advaita Vedānta tradition, providing doctrines about the identity of Atman and Brahman and their changeless nature. Adi Shankara gave a nondualist interpretation of these texts in his commentaries. Adi Shankara's Bhashya (commentaries) have become central texts in the Advaita Vedānta philosophy, but are one among many ancient and medieval manuscripts available or accepted in this tradition. The subsequent Advaita tradition has further elaborated on these sruti and commentaries.
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It describes how that city became holy, then adds that the holiest place to revere is one within – the Atman (soul, self). The Upanishad asserts that anyone can renounce – this choice is entirely up to the individual, regardless of which Ashrama (stage of life) he is in. The Jabala Upanishad seems to justify suicide as an individual choice in certain circumstances, a view opposed by earlier Vedic texts and Principal Upanishads. Those too sick may renounce the worldly life in their mind.
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There are six āstika (orthodox) schools of thought. Each is called a darśana, and each darśana accepts the Vedas as authority. Each astika darsana also accepts the premise that Atman (soul, eternal self) exists.Klaus Klostermaier (2007), Hinduism: A Beginner's Guide, , Chapter 2, page 26John Plott, James Dolin and Russell Hatton (2000), Global History of Philosophy: The Axial Age, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 60-62 The schools of philosophy are: # Samkhya - An atheistic and strongly dualist theoretical exposition of consciousness and matter.
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In: John Bowker (ed.), Oxford Dictionary of World Religions However, non-Buddhist and Buddhist traditions describe these terms for liberation differently. In Hindu philosophy, it is the union of or the realization of the identity of Atman with Brahman, depending on the Hindu tradition. In Jainism, nirvana is also the soteriological goal, representing the release of a soul from karmic bondage and samsara.John E. Cort (1990), MODELS OF AND FOR THE STUDY OF THE JAINS, Method & Theory in the Study of Religion, Vol.
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The first Adhyaya is considered to be of older origin than the second. The Upanishad is the legendary story of a little boy, Nachiketa – the son of Sage Vajasravasa, who meets Yama (the Hindu deity of death). Their conversation evolves to a discussion of the nature of man, knowledge, Atman (Soul, Self) and moksha (liberation). The chronology of Katha Upanishad is unclear and contested, with Buddhism scholars stating it was likely composed after the early Buddhist texts (fifth century BCE),Richard King (1995).
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In verses 1.2.14 through 1.2.22, the Katha Upanishad asserts that the essence of Veda is to make man liberated and free, look past what has happened and what has not happened, free from the past and the future, refocus his attention past Ignorance to Knowledge, to the means of blissful existence beyond joy and sorrow. This is achievable through realization of Atman- Brahman, asserts Katha Upanishad, and this essence is reminded in the Vedas through the word Om (, Aum), state verses 1.2.15-1.2.16.
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14 and 2.4.15 of the Katha Upanishad; and those who know their Soul and act according to its Dharmainner law, ethics, morals, just, right, precepts remain pure like pure water remains pure when poured into pure water.WD Whitney, Translation of the Katha-Upanishad, Transactions of the American Philological Association, Vol. 21, pages 106-107 There is no plurality and separateness between the essence (Atman) of I and others, between the essence of nature and spirit, asserts Katha Upanishad in verses 2.4.
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Shri Swami Keshwanand Satyarthi Ji Maharaj preached the concept and relevance of Advaita Vedanta, self-realization (Aatm Gyan) and the practices of Dhyana and meditation. Advait refers to the idea that the soul (Atman) is the same as the highest metaphysical reality (Brahman). Advaita Vedanta emphasizes the idea that moksha is achievable in this life in contrast to Indian philosophies that emphasize moksha after death. Advaita Vedanta is one of the most studied and most influential schools of classical Indian thought.
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Pirjo Irene Honkasalo (born 22 February 1947) is a Finnish film director who has also worked as a cinematographer, film editor, producer, screenwriter and actress. In 1980 she co-directed Flame Top with Pekka Lehto, with whom she worked earlier and later as well. The film was chosen for the 1981 Cannes Film Festival. In the 1990s she focused on feature documentaries such as "The Trilogy of the Sacred and the Satanic" (Mysterion, Tanjuska and the 7 Devils and Atman).
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Mircea Eliade brought a new element into the reception of Yoga with the strong emphasis on Tantric Yoga in his seminal book: Yoga: Immortality and Freedom. With the introduction of the Tantra traditions and philosophy of Yoga, the conception of the "transcendent" to be attained by Yogic practice shifted from experiencing the "transcendent" ("Atman-Brahman" in Advaitic theory) in the mind to the body itself.Flood, Gavin D., Body and Cosmology in Kashmir Saivism, San Francisco, 1993: Mellen Research University Press, pp.229ff.
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The Mandala brahmana Upanishad is structured as five Mandala (books, or Brahmana in some manuscripts), each with varying number of chapters. It opens with a praise for the Vedic sage Yajnavalkya, who the text asserts went to the world of Surya (Sun), where he meets the Purusha of the Sun, asks, "Pray, tell me all the tattva (truth) about the Atman (soul, self)?" The Upanishad states that Narayana, the Purusha of the Sun, answers with a discourse on eightfold Yoga along with Jnana.
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The text asserts that the supreme soul (Brahman) is of the nature of Hamsa, it migrates. Om, states the text, is the true sacred thread, and that there is no difference between Om and the Atman (soul). In AUM, asserts the text, "A" represents the past, "U" represents the present, "M" represents the future. The realization of "hamsa-so'ham" (I am he, he is I), is equivalent to completing all yajna, and this realization destroys "anger, self deception, hatred, infatuation" states the Upanishad.
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The text presents Tripura, as the primordial power, as the great goddess of three cities, tantra chakras (yantra) as means of her worship, the wheel of kamakala and describes mantras to remember her. The last chapter of the Upanishad is an Advaita-style discussion of goddess (Shakti) as the ultimate reality Brahman with the text asserting that one's Atman (self, soul) is identical with the Brahman. These philosophical premises of Tripuratapini Upanishad belong to the Shaktadavaitavada tradition (literally, the path of nondualistic Shakti).
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Living beings are like trees, asserts the Upanishad, that bleed when struck and injured, yet the tree lives on with its Soul as resplendent as before. It is this Atman, that despite all the suffering inflicted on a person, makes him to stand up again, live and rejoice at life. Body dies, life doesn't.Chandogya Upanishad with Shankara Bhashya Ganganath Jha (Translator), pages 342-356 The soul and the body are like salt and water, states the Upanishad in volume 6.13.
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Child with Thirunamam smeared on the fore head Unlike the social definition for this ritual practice, the religious or ritual importance for Thirunamam fits to all period of time. Sociologically, while this practice is a basic need, to reform a society (19th century Travancore), religiously the same is performed just with a religious belief. The religious definition for the practice 'Tottu Namam' is as The Name of God. The Atman is assumed to be in a flame shape and it as the name of God.
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Chapter 5 asserts, one by one, that 14 organs in the human body and ahamkara (personality) are divine. He who moves in these organs and binds them is the "fearless, sorrowless, infinite" Atman (soul, self). For example, states the text, the eye is the deity Surya and the source of knowledge, and is thus linked to the soul. The tongue and mouth are Varuna, the hands are Indra, the feet are Vishnu, the mind is Moon, ahamkara (personality) is Rudra, and the sexual organs are Prajapati.
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Skanda Upanishad or Skandopanishad () is one of the 108 Upanishads of Hinduism, written in Sanskrit. It is classified as a Samanya (general) Upanishad and is associated with the Krishna Yajurveda, one of the 32 listed Upanishads under it. The Upanishad is told in first person by Kartikeya (Skanda), the Hindu god of war and the son of Shiva. While the Upanishad states that Skanda is the ultimate reality called Brahman, he is also described as consciousness, Atman (soul, self), and Shiva as well by the text.
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Navaratri in Gujarat is one of the state's main festivals. The traditional celebrations include fasting for a day, or partially each of the nine days such as by not eating grains or just taking liquid foods, in remembrance of one of nine aspects of Shakti goddess. The prayers are dedicated to a symbolic clay pot called garbo, as a remembrance of the womb of the family and universe. The clay pot is lit, and this is believed to represent the one Atman (soul, self).
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Ramapanchayan, the five associated with Rama – Sita, Lakshmana, Bharata, Shatrughna and Hanuman. The narration of the text is presented as replies by Hanuman to the questions posed to him by many rishis seeking true knowledge. Hanuman states god Rama is the supreme reality, the Brahman and the Atman (soul), and he is the medium to attain moksha or emancipation. The text presents goddess Sita, the wife of Rama, as the cause of creation, and Hanuman as the completely absorbed example and ideal devotee of Rama.
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The Tejobindu Upanishad belonging to Krishna- yajurveda explains that in Tyāga ('renunciation') one abandons the manifestations or objects of the universe through the cognition of Atman that is Sat and Cit and this is practiced by the wise as the giver of immediate salvation. Thus, Kaivalya Upanishad portrays the state of man on the way of renunciation (tyāga) as having become free of all attachment to the worldly and who, consequently knows and feels himself only as the one divine essence that lives in all.
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Maya is the literal, Brahman is the figurative Upādāna – the principle, the cause. Maya is born, changes, evolves, dies with time, from circumstances, due to invisible principles of nature, state the Upanishads. Atman-Brahman is eternal, unchanging, invisible principle, unaffected absolute and resplendent consciousness. Maya concept in the Upanishads, states Archibald Gough, is "the indifferent aggregate of all the possibilities of emanatory or derived existences, pre-existing with Brahman", just like the possibility of a future tree pre-exists in the seed of the tree.
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4 The Brahmajāla Sutta mentions many śramaṇas with whom Buddha disagreed. For example, in contrast to Sramanic Jains whose philosophical premise includes the existence of an Atman (self, soul) in every being, Buddhist philosophy denies that there is any self or soul.Stephen J Laumakis (2008), An Introduction to Buddhist Philosophy, Cambridge University Press, , pp. 125–134, 271–272 This concept called Anatta (or Anatman) is a part of Three Marks of existence in Buddhist philosophy, the other two being Dukkha (suffering) and Anicca (impermanence).
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As the previous releases, the album was produced by Atman Active. The new material featured the same macho erotic lyrical style, reaching its climax in the track "Kurva" ("Whore"), becoming one of the most vulgar and morose song in the history of popular music in Serbia. Other songs on the album, "Krug" ("Circle"), "Iza horizonta" ("Beyond the Horizon"), "New Era", featuring sampled music form the hippie musical Hair, and "Bongo Budda", written by Nemanja Kojić, left a much better impression on both the audience and critics.
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According to verses 3.14 to 3.16, Yoga is essential for the light of knowledge to be lit, and the Atman (soul) is the lamp inside one's body. The precepts and guidance of a Guru (teacher) is essential for mastering Kundalini yoga and to cross the ocean of worldly existence, state verses 3.17 to 3.18.Yogakundali Upanishad Sunder Hattangadi, Sanskritdocuments.org Archive (2015) Right knowledge leads to an existence of a tranquil and sublime state, where there is neither darkness nor radiance, it is indescribable asserts the Yogakundali Upanishad.
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William Theodore De Bary, cited in Merv Fowler, Buddhism: Beliefs and Practices (Brighton: Sussex Academic, 1999), p. 98 According to Fowler, some scholars have identified the Buddhist nirvana, conceived of as the Ultimate Reality, with the Hindu Brahman/atman; Fowler claims that this view "has gained little support in Buddhist circles."Merv Fowler, Buddhism: Beliefs and Practices (Brighton: Sussex Academic, 1999), p. 81 Fowler asserts that the authors of a number of Mahayana texts took pains to differentiate their ideas from the Upanishadic doctrine of Brahman.
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It is incorrect to regard one's eternal Atman (self, soul) to be same as the temporal body. The Upanishad explains Brahma Granthi as the first knot of the Kundalini, being situated in the Muladhara chakra (the root chakra). Tantric texts are different than Yogashikha Upanishad, states Harish Johri, because they identify Brahma Granthi to be positioned in the Manipura Chakra which is the third chakra. The text, states Georg Feuerstein, suggests Yoga is a journey and recommends a steady spiritual practice with a Guru (teacher).
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The Second chapter is comparatively a smaller one and expounds the Brahma Vidya. The Third Chapter talks about the nature and forms of Brahman: Sakala Brahman, Niskala Brahman and Sakala-Niskala Brahman. Raman states that the first chapter is one of the most detailed Upanishadic treatises on various types of Yoga. The last two chapters integrate the Vedanta philosophy, particularly the "nondual Nirguna Brahman as the ultimate self" concept of Hinduism, and asserts that there is oneness of Atman in all living beings, that everything is Brahman.
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In the essay Atmajyoti, Pant Maharaj describes the euphoria experienced when he attained self-realization under the guidance of Balmukund. He compares his experience to that of Arjuna in the Mahabharata and Uddhava in the Bhagavatam seeing the Vishvarupa of God. In the second essay Anubhavvalli, Pant Maharaj narrates his anubhavas or experiences in a self-realized state in a question-and-answer form. In the third essay entitled Bramhopadesh, Pant Maharaj explains the concepts of Brahman and Atman in accordance with the Vedas and Upanishads.
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The first verse of the Upanishad proper asserts that Ganesha is the Supreme principle and all pervading metaphysical absolute reality called Brahman in Hinduism. Ganesha is asserted by the text as identical to Om, the Brahman, the Atman or soul, and as the visible manifestation of the Vedic idea Tat tvam asi (you are that) found in the sixth chapter of the Chandogya Upanishad, in a manner similar to Shiva in Shaiva Upanishads, Vishnu in Vaishnava Upanishads, Devi in Shakti Upanishads. > Homage to Lord . '. Reverence to .
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The Upanishads refer to the knowledge of Atman as "true knowledge" (Vidya), and the knowledge of Maya as "not true knowledge" (Avidya, Nescience, lack of awareness, lack of true knowledge). The medieval philosopher Thomas Aquinas argued that God is pure being, and that in God essence and existence are the same. More specifically, what is identical in God, according to Aquinas, is God's essence and God's actus essendi. See also Actus Essendi and the Habit of the First Principle in Thomas Aquinas (New York: Einsiedler Press, 2019).
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Jain meditation is also referred as Sāmāyika. A form of this which includes a strong component of scripture study (Svādhyāya) is mainly promoted by the more conservative Digambara tradition of Jainism. The word Sāmāyika means being in the moment of continuous real-time. This act of being conscious of the continual renewal of the universe in general and one's own renewal of the individual living being (Jiva) in particular is the critical first step in the journey towards identification with one's true nature, called the Atman.
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Madhva in contrast asserts that Atman (soul) and Brahman are different, only Vishnu is the Lord (Brahman), individual souls are also different and depend on Vishnu, and there are pluralities. Madhva criticized Advaita as being a version of Mahayana Buddhism, which he regarded as nihilistic. Of all schools, Madhva focussed his criticism on Advaita most, and he wrote four major texts, including Upadhikhandana and Tattvadyota, primarily dedicated to criticizing Advaita.SMS Chari (1999), Advaita and Visistadvaita, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 5-7 Madhvacharya disagreed with aspects of Ramanuja's Vishishtadvaita.
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Wainwright, William J. (2005) Ch.3 Nontheistic conceptions of the divine. The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Religion p.67 OUP, Further, both the Chandogya and Brihadaranyaka Upanishads assert that the individual atman and the impersonal Brahman are one.Jones, Richard H. (2004) Mysticism and Morality: A New Look at Old Questions, P. 80, Lexington Books, The mahāvākya statement Tat Tvam Asi, found in the Chandogya Upanishad, can be taken to indicate this unity.Brown, Robert L, (1991) Ganesh: Studies of an Asian God, SUNY Press, .
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The body dies, assert the Hindu traditions, but not the soul, which they assume to be the eternal reality, indestructible and bliss. Everything and all existence is believed to be connected and cyclical in many Hinduism-sects, all living beings composed of two things, the soul and the body or matter. Atman does not change and cannot change by its innate nature in the Hindu belief. Current Karma impacts the future circumstances in this life, as well as the future forms and realms of lives.
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Christopher Chapple (1986), Karma and creativity, State University of New York Press, , pages 60-64 Good intent and actions lead to good future, bad intent and actions lead to bad future, impacting how one reincarnates, in the Hindu view of existence. atman) repeatedly takes on a physical body, until moksha. There is no permanent heaven or hell in most Hinduism-sects. In the afterlife, based on one's karma, the soul is reborn as another being in heaven, hell, or a living being on earth (human, animal).
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He reads and listens to ideas about Atman (soul, self), in the quiescent environment of hermitages, by walking alone in the woods and peaceful places of nature, bringing his mind where he is not concerned by anything other than his frame of mind. The state of non-concern is of two kinds, asserts the Upanishad. One is about non-clinging to things, or to one's past karma, or to one's anxiety about the future. The other is about non-clinging to one's assumption about one's soul, self.
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This tradition emphasizes Jñāna yoga (yoga of knowledge), which is aimed at realizing the identity of one's atman (soul, individual consciousness) with Brahman (the Absolute consciousness).Deutsch, Eliot (1988), Advaita Vedanta: A Philosophical Reconstruction, University of Hawaii Press, pp. 104-105. Comans, Michael (2000), The Method of Early Advaita Vedānta: A Study of Gauḍapāda, Śaṅkara, Sureśvara, and Padmapāda, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, p. 183. The most influential thinker of this school is Adi Shankara (8th century), who wrote various commentaries and original works which teach Jñāna yoga.
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The Trishikhibrahmana Upanishad (Sanskrit:त्रिशिखब्राह्मण उपनिषत्, IAST: Triśikhi-brāhmaṇa Upaniṣad), also known as Trisikhibrahmanopanisad, is one of the minor Upanishads of Hinduism and a Sanskrit text.Vedic Literature, Volume 1, , Government of Tamil Nadu, Madras, India, page 272 It is attached to the Shukla Yajurveda and is classified as one of the 20 Yoga Upanishads. The text discusses the non-relative nature of the metaphysical reality (Brahman), soul (Atman), and describes eight limb yoga as a means to self-knowledge. It explains its ideas through Shiva, but includes Vishnu.
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Sakti- sankocah is an illumination technique based on the activation of the heart (the locus of projection of Atman) by retraction of one's energies back into their source. After letting the sense-organs reach to external objects, by bringing them back into the heart, all the energies of the five senses are accumulated inside (pratyahara). Just like a scared tortoise brings its limbs back into the shell, so the yogi should retract his Śaktis (energies of the senses) into Atman.The Pratyabhijna Philosophy – G.V. Tagare, p.
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According to Chester Starr, a professor of History, the next two verses of the Upanishad crystallize the ancient Hindu thought. Man has an Atman (spirit) identical with the great spirit of the world, repeated in its great Upanishadic saying, "That art thou," or God is within man. The verse 17 of the text repeats, that all three states, experienced when one is awake, when one dreams, when one is in deep dreamless sleep, is illuminated therein. "Know yourself to be that Brahman", translates Deussen, and experience liberation.
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The Chidambaram Rahasya is the "formless" representation of Shiva as the metaphysical Brahman in Hinduism, sometimes explained as akasha linga and divine being same as Self (Atman) that is everywhere, in everything, eternally. Facing the Chit Sabha is the Kanaka Sabha (also called pon ambalam), or the gathering of dancers. These two sanctum spaces are connected by five silver gilded steps called the panchakshara. The ceiling of the Chit Sabha is made of wooden pillars coated with gold, while copper coats the Kanaka Sabha is copper colored.
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Put away the sacred thread and shear off the tied tuft of hair on your head, states the text, as it begins its discussion of renunciation. Abandon the external rites and rituals, and rest in peace with your soul and pursuit of its wisdom, the one who does so has understood the Vedas. Everything in this universe is interwoven into the Atman-Brahman, like rows of pearls upon a string. It is this string a yogin, who understands the truth of yoga, should wear.
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The Mudgala Upanishad (, IAST: Mudgala Upaniṣad) is a medieval era Sanskrit text and a major Upanishad of Hinduism. It is classified as a Samanya Upanishad and attached to the Rigveda. The Mudgala Upanishad, along with Subala Upanishad, is one of the two Upanishads that discuss the Purusha Sukta of Rigveda. It is notable for asserting that Narayana (Vishnu) is the Brahman (Highest reality, Supreme being), that he created the universe from a fourth part of himself, then became himself the Atman (soul) in individual living beings.
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Skandha (Sanskrit) means "heaps, aggregates, collections, groupings". In the religion of Jainism, Skandha is a combination of Paramanus (elementary particles). In contrast to Buddhism that allows aggregates of non-matters, Jainism allows only aggregation between matter (only first type out of the five types of aggregates allowed in Buddhism). Jainism doesn't include the last four types of aggregates of Buddhism because those phenomena are explained in Jainism by the groupings between matter (karma particles, second last from the list below) and Atman (unified individual whose existence is denied in Buddhism).
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Humans can approach the Divine intellectually, through learning and behaving according to the Divine Will as enclothed in the Torah, and use that deep logical understanding to elicit and guide emotional arousal during prayer. Christianity has tended to see the mind as distinct from the soul (Greek nous) and sometimes further distinguished from the spirit. Western esoteric traditions sometimes refer to a mental body that exists on a plane other than the physical. Hinduism's various philosophical schools have debated whether the human soul (Sanskrit atman) is distinct from, or identical to, Brahman, the divine reality.
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Buddhism posits that there is no inherent, unchanging identity (Inherent I, Inherent Me) or phenomena (Ultimate self, inherent self, Atman, Soul, Self-essence, Jiva, Ishvara, humanness essence, etc.) which is the experiencer of our experiences and the agent of our actions. In other words, human beings consist of merely a body and a mind, and nothing extra. Within the body there is no part or set of parts which is – by itself or themselves – the person. Similarly, within the mind there is no part or set of parts which are themselves "the person".
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The text is composed in poetic verse style. The text, in both versions of the manuscripts, opens with a metaphorical comparison of Atman (soul, self) as a Hamsa bird (swan, goose), comparing both to the Om symbol and the Samkhya theory of three Gunas. It asserts that true Yoga involves meditation and renunciation from all attachments to the worldly cravings. Dharma (ethics), states the text, is a requirement for a Yogi life, and it is notable for describing Om symbol with twelve moras instead of three and half moras commonly found in ancient Indian literature.
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They note that there is no historical evidence of the philosophers of the two schools meeting, and point out significant differences in the stage of development, orientation and goals of the two philosophical systems. Wadia writes that Plato's metaphysics were rooted in this life and his primary aim was to develop an ideal state. In contrast, Upanishadic focus was the individual, the self (atman, soul), self- knowledge, and the means of an individual's moksha (freedom, liberation in this life or after-life).RC Mishra (2013), Moksha and the Hindu Worldview, Psychology & Developing Societies, Vol.
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In the contemporary era, Shaivism is one of the major aspects of Hinduism.Peter Bisschop (2011), Shaivism , Oxford University Press Shaivist theology ranges from Shiva being the creator, preserver, and destroyer to being the same as the Atman (self, soul) within oneself and every living being. It is closely related to Shaktism, and some Shaiva worship in Shiva and Shakti temples. It is the Hindu tradition that most accepts ascetic life and emphasizes yoga, and like other Hindu traditions encourages an individual to discover and be one with Shiva within.
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Philosophically, the Smarta tradition emphasizes that all idols (murti) are icons of saguna Brahman, a means to realizing the abstract Ultimate Reality called nirguna Brahman. The five or six icons are seen by Smartas as multiple representations of the one Saguna Brahman (i.e., a personal God with form), rather than as distinct beings. The ultimate goal in this practice is to transition past the use of icons, then follow a philosophical and meditative path to understanding the oneness of Atman (soul, self) and Brahman (metaphysical reality) – as "That art Thou".
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In Vedic Astrology Jyotiṣa, the Lagna (Sanskrit ') or Ascendant, is the first moment of contact between the soul and its new life on earth in Jyotiṣa.The Essentials of Vedic and thantrik Astrology, by Komilla Sutton, The Wessex Astrologer Ltd, England, 1999, p.96. Lagna's Rashi and Nakshatra represents the "Atman" (Soul) of an Individual Person while the Lagna Lord represents the Ruler of the Horoscope and therefore the Rashi & Nakshatra where the Lagna Lord is positioned is equally very important as the Lagna Lord also absorbs the traits and qualities of that specific Rashi & Nakshatra.
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In the Dahara-vidya, Brahman is to be conceived as dwelling in the cavity of the heart, and yet as big as the whole universe. Dahara-vidya has for its object the realization of the Atman in the little space (dahara दहरा) the subtle inner sky within oneself in the heart. It is a classical meditative practice mentioned in the Vedas. In this vidya the desires are the auspicious qualities of Brahman which are the objects of desire; the man who knows Brahman obtains, together with Brahman, all qualities of Brahman.
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The Rama tapaniya Upanishad (राम तापनीय उपनिषत्) also called Ramatapaniyopanishad (रामतापिनियोपनिषत्) is a minor Upanishadic text written in Sanskrit. It is one of the 31 Upanishads attached to the Atharvaveda, and is classified as one of the Vaishnava Upanishad. The text is in two parts, the early part called Rama purva tapaniya Upanishad and the later part called Rama uttara tapaniya Upanishad, which together with Ramarahasya Upanishad are Vaishnava Upanishads devoted to the Hindu god Rama. The text presents Rama as equivalent to the Atman (soul, self) and the Brahman (ultimate reality).
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He should dispense with his hair tuft and the sacred thread into the ground or throw it in water. In Brahmacharya stage, as a pupil, he should forego all attachments with his relatives, surrender his begging bowl and filtering cloth as well as the realms of the universe and also discontinue performing fire sacrifices which give him material comforts. As a renouncer, he should give up Vedic mantras. He should bathe thrice a day - dawn, noon, and dusk, intensely meditate to realize and gain union with Atman (soul).
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They note that there is no historical evidence of the philosophers of the two schools meeting, and point out significant differences in the stage of development, orientation and goals of the two philosophical systems. Wadia writes that Plato's metaphysics were rooted in this life and his primary aim was to develop an ideal state. In contrast, Upanishadic focus was the individual, the self (atman, soul), self- knowledge, and the means of an individual's moksha (freedom, liberation in this life or after-life).RC Mishra (2013), Moksha and the Hindu Worldview, Psychology & Developing Societies, Vol.
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Vyasa in his commentary on Yoga Sutra II.23 tells us that adarsana is the failure to see or ignorance (avidya). Patanjali in his Yoga Sutra II.24 does explain that the cause of identification (samyoga) of the Atman, the experiencer, with Prakrti, the object of experience, i.e. bondage, is ignorance. When adarsana ceases, the alliance of Buddhi and Purusa that causes misery ceases and there is complete cessation of bondage for all time, the state of aloofness of Purusa and non- occurrence of future contact with the Gunas ensues.
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Some translators title the chapter as Purushottama yoga, Religion by Attaining the Supreme Krishna, The Supreme Self, or The Yoga of the Supreme Purusha. The fifteenth chapter expounds on Krishna theology, in the Vaishnava Bhakti tradition of Hinduism. Krishna discusses the nature of God, according to Easwaran, wherein Krishna not only transcends impermanent body (matter), he also transcends the atman (soul) in every being. According to Franklin Edgerton, the verses in this chapter in association with select verses in other chapters make the metaphysics of the Gita to be dualistic.
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The Upanishads developed the equation "Atman = Brahman", states Fowler, and this belief is central to the Gita. This equation is, however, interpreted in a number of ways by different sub-schools of Vedanta. In the Gita, the soul of each human being is considered to be identical to every other human being and all beings, but it "does not support an identity with the Brahman", according to Fowler. According to Raju, the Gita supports this identity and spiritual monism, but as a form of synthesis with a personal God.
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Soham or Sohum ( 'In English language literature also printed as So’ham, So Ham, So-aham, Sohum, So Hum, Saham, Sa'ham, Sau-ha, Sah-karena/Sahkara = the sound of Sa) is a Hindu mantra, meaning "I am She/He/That" in Sanskrit.Mariasusai Dhavamony (1999), Hindu Spirituality, GB Press, , page 129 In Vedic philosophy it means identifying oneself with the universe or ultimate reality. The mantra is also inverted from ' (the sandhi of ') to '. The combination of ' has also been interpreted as "I myself am the Swan", where the swan symbolizes the Atman.
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The love between Radha and Krishna became symbolism for the love between Atman (soul within) and the supreme source (Cosmic soul everywhere), a theme that dance ballet and mimetic plays of Kathak artists expressed. Although central asian influence of Kathak rapid whirls has been proposed, Sangitaratnakara, a 13th century Sanskrit text on Indian classical music and dance in Chapter 4 mentions a dance movement with rapid whirling around like a wheel keeping the arms in the Dola pose and bending the body inwards called 'Cakramandala' It is employed in worshipping gods and in vigorous movement.
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While the first three chapters discuss Brahman and Atman (soul, Self), Chapter Four doesn't. This, according to Murti, may be because this was authored by someone else and not Gaudapada, a position shared by Richard King. Further, state both Murti and King, no Vedanta scholars who followed Gaudapada ever quoted from Chapter Four, they only quote from the first three. According to Sarma, Chapter Four may well have been written by Gaudapada assuming he was fully conversant with Mahayana school's teachings, yet "to mistake him to be a hidden or open Buddhist is absurd".
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The Maitrayaniya Upanishad, also known as the Maitri Upanishad, is found in the black Yajurveda. It consists of seven Prapathakas (lessons). The first Prapathaka is introductory, the next three are structured in a question-answer style and discuss metaphysical questions relating to Atman (Self, Soul), while the fifth to seventh Prapathaka are supplements.Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 327-386 However, several manuscripts discovered in different parts of India contain lesser number of Prapathakas, with a Telugu-language version showing just four.
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Many asanas (yogic postures) are mentioned, and nine explained in chapter 3. Chapter 4 asserts that god (Shiva) is within the temple of one's body, and the best pilgrimage is something one can make daily to this inner world. Some subsections in chapter 5 discuss its theory of blood vessels and inner energy flows, along with techniques for inner cleansing. One of the largest chapters is dedicated to breathing exercises, while the last four chapters describe steps for concentration, introspection, meditation, self- knowledge and ultimately union of the soul (Atman) with the Absolute Reality (Brahman).
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Among Hindus, states Gopinath Rao,Gopinath Rao (1914), Elements of Hindu Iconography Madras, Cornell University Archives, pp. 17–39. one who has realised Self (Soul, Atman) and the Universal Principle (Brahman, god) within himself, there is no need for any temple or divine image for worship. Those who have yet to reach this height of realisation, various symbolic manifestations through images, idols and icons as well as mental modes of worship are offered as one of the spiritual paths in the Hindu way of life. This belief is repeated in ancient Hindu scriptures.
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The text is composed in poetic verse style, and uses metaphors. It opens by declaring Vishnu as a great Yogin. The Upanishad describes silence as "the highest place"; it states that there is a soul in every living being just like there is fragrance in flowers, oil in oil-seeds and butter in milk; and that a Yogi must seek to understand the tree branch and the tree, the part as well as the whole of everything. The Upanishad asserts that Om is a means to meditation, to understanding Atman and the Brahman (ultimate reality).
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The Nrisimha Tapaniya Upanishad (नृसिंह तापनीय उपनिषद्) is a minor Upanishadic text written in Sanskrit. It is one of the 31 Upanishads attached the Atharvaveda, and classified as one of the Vaishnava Upanishad. It is presented in two parts, the Purva Tapaniya Upanishad and the Uttara Tapaniya Upanishad, which formed the main scriptures of Nrisimha sect of the Vaishnavas dated prior to the 7th century. The text is notable for asserting a fourfold identity, that Atman (soul, self) is same as Om, Brahman (Absolute Reality) and Vishnu Man-Lion avatar Nrisimha.
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38 Paramatman is different from five elements (pancha mahabhutas), the senses, mind, pradhana and jiva.Bhagavata Purana 3.28.41 Vaishnava sects maintain that attaining knowledge of Brahman and identification of atman with Brahman is an intermediate stage of self-realization, and only Bhakti Yoga can lead to the next step of Paramatman realization as the indwelling God, ultimately leading up to liberation (Mukti) by God-realization. The Viṣṇu or the deity of the quality of goodness in the material world is the puruṣa-avatāra known as Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu or Paramātmā.
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Yasin Pilavcılar (born September 11, 1990 in Istanbul, Turkey) is a horse racing jockey, who is currently riding at Veliefendi Race Course in Istanbul, Turkey. Pilavcılar commenced his apprenticeship training at Veliefendi Race Course in 2005. After successfully completing a two-year training at Jockey Club of Turkey Ekrem Kurt Apprentice Jockey Training Center, he was entitled to an apprentice jockey licence in 2007. He had been training since the last period, began working at the Atman Stablemate, and the same time he was an apprentice to the Turkish master jockey Halis Karataş.
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He won his first race on July 24, 2009, at Veliefendi Race Course with the racehorse Tampico owned by the Meral Atman, in the eighth race of his life rides. In the same year, he finished second, third and fourth place, with horses belonging to Stablemate in his first run at race life. For the Jockey Club of Turkey in 2010, he was sent to Macau Apprentice Jockeys Invitation Races (MAJIR 2010) held by Macau Jockey Club. The race took place with the participation of elite apprentice jockeys from 14 different countries.
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Arvind Sharma(2007), Advaita Vedānta: An Introduction, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 19-40, 53–58, 79–86Edward Roer (Translator), to Brihad Aranyaka Upanishad, pages 2–4 This identity holds that there is One Soul that connects and exists in all living beings, regardless of their shapes or forms, there is no distinction, no superior, no inferior, no separate devotee soul (Atman), no separate God soul (Brahman). The Oneness unifies all beings, there is the divine in every being, and all existence is a single Reality, state the Advaita Vedantins.
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Helen J Baroni (2002), The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Zen Buddhism, Rosen Publishing, , page 14 Buddhism, from its earliest days, has denied the existence of the "self, soul" in its core philosophical and ontological texts. In its soteriological themes, Buddhism has defined nirvana as that blissful state when a person, amongst other things, realizes that he or she has "no self, no soul".David Loy (1982), Enlightenment in Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta: Are Nirvana and Moksha the Same?, International Philosophical Quarterly, Volume 23, Issue 1, pages 65-74 The traditions within Hinduism believe in Atman.
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Some taught that existence was a snare and a delusion, that the world, the flesh, and the devil existed only to tempt weak humankind away from God. In Hindu philosophy, the term Advaita refers to its idea that the true self, Atman, is the same as the highest metaphysical Reality (Brahman). The Upanishads describe the universe, and the human experience, as an interplay of Purusha (the eternal, unchanging principles, consciousness) and Prakṛti (the temporary, changing material world, nature).The former manifests itself as Ātman (Soul, Self), and the latter as Māyā.
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Even mental processes such as consciousness and will (cetana) are seen as being dependently originated and impermanent and thus do not qualify as a self (atman). As noted by Gombrich, in the early texts the Buddha teaches that all five aggregates, including consciousness (viññana, which was held by Brahmins to be eternal), arise dependent on causes. That is, existence is based on processes that are subject to dependent origination. He compared samsaric existence to a fire, which is dynamic and requires fuel (the khandas, literally: "heaps") in order to keep burning.
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There is a system of relations and interdependent phenomena (pratitya samutpada) in Buddhist ontology, but no stable persistent identities, no eternal universals nor particulars. Thought and memories are mental constructions and fluid processes without a real observer, personal agency or cognizer in Buddhism. In contrast, in Advaita Vedānta, like other schools of Hinduism, the concept of self (atman) is the real on-looker, personal agent and cognizer. The Pali Abdhidhamma and Theravada Buddhism considered all existence as dhamma, and left the ontological questions about reality and the nature of dhamma unexplained.
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The Gita insists on the complete unreality of external world and absolute oneness of existence. It does not mention any morality or duties, and therefore is seen by commentators as 'godless'. It also dismisses names and forms as unreal and a sign of ignorance. In a conversation between Janaka and Ashtavakra, pertaining to the deformity of his crooked body, Ashtavakra explains that the size of a Temple is not affected by how it is shaped, and the shape of his own body does not affect himself (or Atman).
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However, in Buddhism, Jainism, and some forms of Hinduism, the Sacred lies outside the flux of the material world (called maya, or "illusion"), and one can only reach it by escaping from the cycles of time.Eliade, The Sacred and the Profane, p.109 Because the Sacred lies outside cyclic time, which conditions humans, people can only reach the Sacred by escaping the human condition. According to Eliade, Yoga techniques aim at escaping the limitations of the body, allowing the soul (atman) to rise above maya and reach the Sacred (nirvana, moksha).
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Because they felt that Vātsīputrīya views were close to the view of a self or atman, they were sharply criticized by the Vibhajjavadins (a record of this is found in the Theravadin Kathavatthu), as well as by the Sarvastivadins (In the Vijñanakaya), Sautrantikas (most famously in the Abhidharmakosha), and the Madhyamaka school ( Candrakirti's Madhyamakavatara).Paul Williams, Anthony Tribe, Alexander Wynne, Buddhist Thought: A Complete Introduction to the Indian Tradition, p. 92. The earliest source for the pudgala doctrinal controversy is the puggalakatha of the Kathavatthu, attributed to Moggaliputtatissa (c. third century BCE).
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The second section (Uttara- khanda) of the text discusses yoga and meditation, asserting the goal of yoga is inner liberation, the realization that the Brahman is within oneself. The Upanishad is notable for asserting in verses 32–33 that the Highest Truth is within one's own body. The knowledge of Atman, asserts the text, comes to the Jivanmukta through his own efforts and on his own accord. Once he reaches this state, he sees everyone as himself, he sees no Ashramas, no Varnas (social classes), no good, no evil, no prohibitions, no mandates.
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It is the 40th chapter of Yajurveda. The name of the text derives from its incipit, ', "enveloped by the Lord",Ralph T. H. Griffith, The Texts of the White Yajurveda, pages 304-308 or "hidden in the Lord (Self)".Max Muller, The Upanishads, The Sacred Books of the East, Part 1, Oxford University Press, Reprinted by Routledge in 2013, , Vol. 1, pages 311-319 The text discusses the Atman (Soul, Self) theory of Hinduism, and is referenced by both Dvaita (dualism) and Advaita (non-dualism) sub-schools of Vedanta.
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The text opens with yogin Nidagha meeting the one who knows Brahman, the Vedic sage Ribhu, paying respects and then asking, "teach me the truth about Atman (soul, Self)". Ribhu begins his answer, in verses 1 to 12, by disclosing the source of his knowledge, which he attributes to goddess Annapurna, calling her the ruler of the world, the goddess of fulfillment, desire and humanity. Ribhu states that he reached the goddess using the prayers developed by the group of female monks. After many days of prayers, states Ribhu, the goddess Annapurna appeared, smiling.
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In volumes 2 through 26 of the seventh chapter, the Upanishad presents, in the words of Sanatkumara, a hierarchy of progressive meditation, from outer worldly knowledge to inner worldly knowledge, from finite current knowledge to infinite Atman knowledge, as a step-wise journey to Self and infinite bliss. This hierarchy, states Paul Deussen, is strange, convoluted possibly to incorporate divergent prevailing ideas in the ancient times. Yet in its full presentation, Deussen remarks, "it is magnificent, excellent in construction, and commands an elevated view of man's deepest nature".
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Vikalpa-ksaya is also the classical technique for calming the agitated mind. In order to capture the underlying consciousness on the surface of which vikalpas have their play, the yogi enters a state of surrender, or, in other words an "alert passivity", because the use of force in this case would only lead to more mental agitation. As vikalpas are being consumed in the light of consciousness, ananda also appears. An accumulation of repeated experiences of identification with Atman in a state of intoxication with bliss form the foundation for stable samadhi.
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This sphere also bears the name Tathagatagarbha (Buddha matrix). It is the deathless realm where dependent origination holds no sway, where non-self is supplanted by the everlasting, sovereign (aishvarya) self (atman) (as a trans-historical, unconditioned, ultimate, liberating, supra-worldly yet boundless and immanent awakened mind). Of this real truth, called nirvana - which, while salvationally infused into samsara, is not bound or imprisoned in it - the Buddha states in the Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra:Yamamoto, Kosho (tr.), Page, Tony (ed.) (1999-2000).The Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra in 12 volumes.
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In Hindu traditions, the "crossing or coming down" is symbolism, states Daniel Bassuk, of the divine descent from "eternity into the temporal realm, from unconditioned to the conditioned, from infinitude to finitude". An avatar, states Justin Edwards Abbott, is a saguna (with form, attributes) embodiment of the nirguna Brahman or Atman (soul). Neither the Vedas nor the Principal Upanishads ever mentions the word avatar as a noun. The verb roots and form, such as avatarana, do appear in ancient post-Vedic Hindu texts, but as "action of descending", but not as an incarnated person (avatara).
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Atman is perceived when the mind located in the space between the eyebrows, becomes free of all distractions and activities. In this state, the yogin becomes aware of self within, and in the sages, in siddhas and others. If dissolution of the mind in the space between the eye brows does not occur, the yogin should envision absolute bliss, alternatively the full moon inside the mouth. This helps the mind dissolve away distractions and activity, helping it reside in Vishnupada or the Akasha (sky), and brings the yogin closer to moksha or liberation.
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KN Aiyar, Thirty Minor Upanishads, University of Toronto Archives, , pages 229–232 The Varaha Upanishad asserts the non-dualistic premise that Brahman and Atman are one, and those who know this fear nothing, suffer nothing, and possess fortitude. He is I, states Vishnu.Srinivasa Ayyangar (Translator), The Yoga Upanishads, Varahopanishad Verses 2.18–2.38, pages 405–407, Aidyar Library, (Editor: SS Sastri) "Become that, Ribhu; Thou am I verily", suggests Vishnu. Those high souled ones, who with the firm conviction that "I am the Brahman", are the Jivanmukta, states verse 2.43 of the text.
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Idealist notions have been propounded by the Vedanta schools of thought, which use the Vedas, especially the Upanishads as their key texts. Idealism was opposed by dualists Samkhya, the atomists Vaisheshika, the logicians Nyaya, the linguists Mimamsa and the materialists Cārvāka. There are various sub schools of Vedanta, like Advaita Vedanta (non-dual), Vishishtadvaita and Bhedabheda Vedanta (difference and non-difference). The schools of Vedanta all attempt to explain the nature and relationship of Brahman (universal soul or Self) and Atman (individual self), which they see as the central topic of the Vedas.
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Brahman and Atman are key concepts to Hindu theories of axiology: ethics and aesthetics.R. Prasad and P. D. Chattopadhyaya (2008), A Conceptual-analytic Study of Classical Indian Philosophy of Morals, Concept, , pages 56–59G. C. Pande (1990), Foundations of Indian Culture, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 49–50 Ananda (bliss), state Michael Myers and other scholars, has axiological importance to the concept of Brahman, as the universal inner harmony.Michael W. Myers (1998), Śaṅkarācārya and Ānanda, Philosophy East and West, Vol. 48, No. 4, pages 553–567Robert S. Hartman (2002), The Knowledge of Good: Critique of Axiological Reason, Rodopi, , page 225 Some scholars equate Brahman with the highest value, in an axiological sense.T. M. P. Mahadevan (1954), The Metaphysics of Śaṁkara, Philosophy East and West, Vol. 3, No. 4, pages 359–363 The axiological concepts of Brahman and Atman is central to Hindu theory of values.Arvind Sharma (1999), The Puruṣārthas: An Axiological Exploration of Hinduism, The Journal of Religious Ethics, Vol. 27, No. 2, pages 223–256 A statement such as 'I am Brahman', states Shaw, means 'I am related to everything', and this is the underlying premise for compassion for others in Hinduism, for each individual's welfare, peace, or happiness depends on others, including other beings and nature at large, and vice versa.
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Similar concepts also hold in systems of eastern philosophy in the Brahman-Atman of Hinduism, the Buddha-Nature in Mahayana Buddhism, and in the School of Yin- Yang, Taoism, and Neo-Confucianism as qi. Other resemblances can be found in the thoughts of hermetic philosophers like Paracelsus, and by Baruch Spinoza, Gottfried Leibniz, Friedrich Schelling and in Hegel's Geist ("Spirit"/"Mind"). Ralph Waldo Emerson published "The Over-Soul" in 1841, which was influenced by the Hindu conception of a universal soul. There are also similarities with ideas developed since the 1960s by Gaia theorists such as James Lovelock.
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In Hindu philosophy, vidyā refers to the knowledge of the soul or spiritual knowledge; it refers to the study of the six schools of Hindu philosophy: Nyaya, Yoga, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, Purvamimamsa and Uttaramimamsa. The process of gaining the knowledge of the Atman cannot commence unless one has explored the Prānavidya or Agnividya to the full in all its numerous phase; through vidyā or upasana to jnana was always the eternal order indicated by the Upanishads. Jnāna dawns after the completion and perfection of the being through the vidyās; then, one crosses over beyond birth and death having already destroyed the bonds of death.
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Emerson for the Twenty-First Century: Global Perspectives on an American Icon. Rosemont Publishing and Printing Corp, 2010. p. 453. . Further use of apophatic theology is found in the Brahma Sutras, which state: Buddhist philosophy has also strongly advocated the way of negation, beginning with the Buddha's own theory of anatta (not-atman, not- self) which denies any truly existent and unchanging essence of a person. Madhyamaka is a Buddhist philosophical school founded by Nagarjuna (2nd-3rd century AD), which is based on a fourfold negation of all assertions and concepts and promotes the theory of emptiness (shunyata).
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Chandogya Upanishad concludes by saying that, to him, who gains this knowledge, there dawns the eternal day. In the case of Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, the search for the essence begins with the earth, the essence of all bhutas or creatures, the effects of the earth and essence are identical. All physical, moral and psychical principles make up man who in turn produces these principles, beyond man is the composite self of body, mind etc., the producer of all this – this Brahman is the Atman, the very self of the seeker; nothing exists apart from it, everything is of the nature of everything.
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Advaita is one of the six most known Hindu philosophical systems and literally means "non-duality". Its first great consolidator was Adi Shankaracharya, who continued the work of some of the Upanishadic teachers, and that of his teacher's teacher Gaudapada. By using various arguments, such as the analysis of the three states of experience—wakefulness, dream, and deep sleep, he established the singular reality of Brahman, in which Brahman, the universe and the Atman or the Self, were one and the same. The concept of the Self in the philosophy of Advaita could be interpreted as solipsism.
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Farquhar adds that Rama uttara tapaniya portion of the Upanishad is based on texts borrowed from many older Upanishads and may be of later origin. According to Ramdas Lamb and other scholars such as Paul Deussen, the Rama tapaniya Upanishad, like other sectarian texts, has layers of material which were likely composed over time. It probably went through a process of writing where Brahmanical value system was added. Further, states Lamb, the text was modeled after the popular Nrisimha Tapaniya Upanishad, both in structure (Purva and Uttara sections), as well as the core message that deity Rama is identical to Atman and Brahman.
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The Upanishad mainly explains the structure of Om, aspect of its sound, its placement, its beginning and end, and the significance of the Laya (fading away of its sound). Om is Brahman (ultimate reality), asserts the text. The text is notable for stating that gods live inside human body as five Atmans, with Vishnu in the throat, Rudra in the middle of the palate, Shiva in the forehead, Sadashiva at the tip of nose, and the Brahman in the heart. The innermost Atman, states the text, is same as the all transcendent Paramatman, the Brahman pervading everywhere.
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Basic Hindu symbols: Shatkona, Padma, and Swastika. The Hindu deity Ganesha is sometimes linked to the symbol Om. Hinduism has a developed system of symbolism and iconography to represent the sacred in art, architecture, literature and worship. These symbols gain their meaning from the scriptures or cultural traditions. The syllable Om (which represents the Brahman and Atman) has grown to represent Hinduism itself, while other markings such as the Swastika sign represent auspiciousness, and Tilaka (literally, seed) on forehead – considered to be the location of spiritual third eye, marks ceremonious welcome, blessing or one's participation in a ritual or rite of passage.
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The Advaita tradition considers moksha achievable by removing avidya (ignorance). Moksha is seen as a final release from illusion, and through knowledge (anubhava) of one's own fundamental nature, which is Satcitananda. Advaita holds there is no being/non-being distinction between Atman, Brahman, and Paramatman. The knowledge of Brahman leads to moksha,Anantanand Rambachan, The limits of scripture: Vivekananda's reinterpretation of the Vedas University of Hawaii Press, 1994, pages 124-125 where Brahman is described as that which is the origin and end of all things, the universal principle behind and at source of everything that exists, consciousness that pervades everything and everyone.
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In contrast to the madhyamika-tradition, the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra uses "positive language" to denote "absolute reality". According to Paul Williams, the Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra teaches an underlying essence, "Self", or "atman". This "true Self" is the Buddha-nature (Tathagatagarbha), which is present in all sentient beings, and realized by the awakened ones. Most scholars consider the Tathagatagarbha doctrine in Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra asserting an 'essential nature' in every living being is equivalent to 'Self', and it contradicts the Anatta doctrines in a vast majority of Buddhist texts, leading scholars to posit that the Tathagatagarbha Sutras were written to promote Buddhism to non- Buddhists.
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Some translators title the chapter as Vibhuti–Vistara–yoga, Religion by the Heavenly Perfections, Divine Splendor, or The Yoga of Divine Manifestations. Krishna reveals his divine being in greater detail, as the ultimate cause of all material and spiritual existence, one who transcends all opposites and who is beyond any duality. Krishna says he is the atman in all beings, Arjuna's innermost Self, also compassionate Vishnu, the Surya (sun god), Indra, Shiva-Rudra, Ananta, Yama, as well as the Om, Vedic sages, time, Gayatri mantra, and the science of Self-knowledge. Arjuna accepts Krishna as the purushottama (Supreme Being).
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Some translators title the chapter as Vishvarupa–Darshana yoga, The Manifesting of the One and Manifold, The Cosmic Vision, or The Yoga of the Vision of the Cosmic Form. On Arjuna's request, Krishna displays his "universal form" (Viśvarūpa). This is an idea found in the Rigveda and many later Hindu texts, where it is a symbolism for atman (soul) and Brahman (Absolute Reality) eternally pervading all beings and all existence. Chapter 11, states Eknath Eswaran, describes Arjuna entering first into savikalpa samadhi (a particular), and then nirvikalpa samadhi (a universal) as he gets an understanding of Krishna.
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He is called the highest Brahman because he is the highest of the highest, the highest goal, the strength that strengthens the strong. He is called the one because everything ends in him and he unites all creatures. He, asserts the text is called the exalted Maheshwara because from him all the Vedas flow and in him is raised through the perception of the Atman (soul, self) and the mastery of Yoga. Rudra is in all men, omnipresent, he was born, and he will be born, he is in all the world spaces, begins chapter 5.
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The epilogue in Kena Upanishad is contained in the last six paragraphs of the text. It asserts the timelessness and awareness of Brahman to be similar to moments of wondrous "Ah!!" in life, such as the focussed exclamation one makes upon witnessing lightning flash in the sky, or the focussed "Ah!!" recollection of a knowledge in one's mind of a memory from past. The goal of spiritual knowledge, of self awareness, is wonderful, characterized by an "intense longing" for it in all creatures, states Kena Upanishad. The knowledge of Atman-Brahman is Tadvanam (transcendental happiness, blissfulness).
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Adi Shankara wrote two commentaries on Kenopanishad. One is called Kenopaniṣad Padabhāṣya and the other is Kenopaniṣad Vākyabhāṣya.Kena Upanishad with Shankara Bhasya and Anandagiri Tika Anandashrama Sanskruta Grantavali, New Delhi (in Sanskrit), pages 1-94Isa Kena and Mundaka Upanishads with Shankara's commentary SS Sastri (Translator), pages 36-89 In his commentary on the third khanda of Kena Upanishad, Shankara equates Atman- Brahman with Ishvara-Parameshvara. This equality is repeated by Shankara in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Bhasya in verses III.7.3 and IV.4.15, in the Bhasya on Chandogya Upanishad's verses I.1.1 and V.18.1, Katha Upanishad's Bhasya on hymn 11.2.13.
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While Hinduism sub-schools such as Advaita Vedanta emphasize the complete equivalence of Brahman and Atman, they also expound on Brahman as saguna Brahman—the Brahman with attributes, and nirguna Brahman—the Brahman without attributes.Anantanand Rambachan (2001), Heirarchies in the Nature of God? Questioning The "Saguna-Nirguna" Distinction in Advaita Vedanta, Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies, Vol. 14, No. 7, pages 1–6 The nirguna Brahman is the Brahman as it really is, however, the saguna Brahman is posited as a means to realizing nirguna Brahman, but the Hinduism schools declare saguna Brahman to be ultimately illusory.
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Advaita (literally, non-duality) is a system of thought where "Advaita" refers to the identity of the Self (Atman) and the Whole (Brahman). Recognition of this identity leads to liberation. Attaining this liberation supposedly takes a long preparation and training under the guidance of a guru, however Ramana Maharshi called his death experience akrama mukti, "sudden liberation", as opposed to the krama mukti, "gradual liberation" as in the Vedanta path of Jnana yoga. The key source texts for all schools of Vedānta are the Prasthanatrayi—the canonical texts consisting of the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita and the Brahma Sutras.
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Ajivika's was an atheistic philosophy.Stephen Bullivant and Michael Ruse (2014), The Oxford Handbook of Atheism, Oxford University Press, , page 654 They did not presume any deity as the creator of the universe, or as prime mover, or that some unseen mystical end was the final resting place of the cosmos.GR Garg (1992), Encyclopaedia of the Hindu World, Volume 1, South Asia Books, , page 281 In later texts, the Tamil Nīlakēci, a story of two divinities, Okkali and Ōkali, relates the Ājīvikas instructed men in the scriptures. Ajivikas believed that in every being there is a soul (Atman).
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Jnanashakti pertains to Sattvaguna whose effects are – limpidity of mind, realisation of one’s own self, supreme peace, contentment, great joy and being anchored in the Paramatman always which ensures the enjoyment of bliss without intermission. Adi Shankara states that sattva is very pure yet in combination with rajas and tamas it makes for samsara in the same way as the original which is the atman when reflected makes the entire inanimate world bright as the sun does. The effects of this shakti are – complete absence of pride etc., the presence of yama ("self-restraint") and niyama ("practice of prescribed acts" etc.
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It is, states Nakamura, atyanta-shunyata (absolute emptiness). Michael Comans disagrees with Nakamura's thesis that "the fourth realm (caturtha) was perhaps influenced by the Sunyata of Mahayana Buddhism." According to Comans, Comans further refers to Nakamura himself, who notes that later Mahayana sutras such as the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra and the concept of Buddha-nature, were influenced by Vedantic thought. Comans concludes that Isaeva states that there are differences in the teachings in the texts of Buddhism and the Mandukya Upanishad of Hinduism, because the latter asserts that citta "consciousness" is identical with the eternal and immutable atman "soul, self" of the Upanishads.
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The Mandukya Upanishad is the shortest of all the Upanishads, found in the Atharvaveda text. The text discusses the syllable Om, presents the theory of four states of consciousness, asserts the existence and nature of Atman (Soul, Self).Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 2, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 605-637 The Mandukya Upanishad is notable for inspiring Gaudapada's Karika, a classic for the Vedanta school of Hinduism.Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 2, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 556-557 Mandukya Upanishad is among the oft cited texts on chronology and philosophical relationship between Hinduism and Buddhism.
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The Darshana Upanishad (Sanskrit: दर्शन उपनिषत्, IAST: Darśana Upaniṣad) is one of the minor Upanishads of Hinduism written in Sanskrit. It is one of twenty Yoga Upanishads in the four Vedas, and it is attached to the Samaveda.Alain Daniélou (1991), Yoga, Inner Traditions, , page 167 The text presents classical Yoga similar to the Patanjali's Yogasutras-style format in a sequential ascending eight yogic stages, but unlike Yogasutras, the Darshana Upanishad includes kundalini concepts. The ultimate goal of Yoga, states the Upanishad, is self-knowledge and realizing the identity of one's soul (Atman) with the universal reality (Brahman).
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J. L. Shaw (2011), Freedom: East and West, SOPHIA, Vol 50, Springer Science, pages 481–497 Tietge states that even in non-dual schools of Hinduism where Brahman and Atman are treated ontologically equivalent, the theory of values emphasizes individual agent and ethics. In these schools of Hinduism, states Tietge, the theory of action are derived from and centered in compassion for the other, and not egotistical concern for the self.Katherine L Tietge (1997), Ontology and Genuine Moral Action: Jñaña (Intuitive Perception) Ethics and Karma-Yoga in Sankara's Advaita Vedanta and Schopenhauer's On the Basis of Morality, Ph.D. Thesis, Dept.
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The Upanishad presents Vishnu as the highest being, above Samkhya principles, above Shiva, and above Brahma. This Upanishadic text competes with Shaiva Upanishads, such as the Atharvashikha Upanishad and Atharvashiras Upanishad, which asserts Shiva as higher than Vishnu and Brahma. Both groups, however, use profusely reverential words in describing all three – Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva (or Maheshvara, Rudra), and identify them as manifestations of the same universal Atman-Brahman (ultimate reality). The text references and uses fragments of Vedic hymns, such as from Taittiriya Brahmana section 2.2 and Shatapatha Brahmana section 6.1, but reformulates them in the image of Vishnu.
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Hinduism: In Hinduism, the higher self is one and the same with the Jiva or individual self. With this perspective, the Hindu faith generally teaches that the higher self, or Atman is not an object possessed by an individual, rather the self is the subject which perceives. In his book, The Higher Self, Deepak Chopra utilizes the views of the Hindi denomination to support his claims concerning the divine force that is acquired with the awareness of the self. Hinduism teaches that through the examination of self-knowledge, or “atma jnana,” one can attain salvation by comprehending the true self.
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129, No. 3, pages 487–498 The Yogatattva Upanishad shares ideas with the Yogasutra, Hatha Yoga, and Kundalini Yoga. It includes a discussion of four styles of yoga: Mantra, Laya, Hatha yoga and Raja. As an expounder of Vedanta philosophy, the Upanishad is devoted to the elaboration of the meaning of Atman (Soul, Self) through the process of yoga, starting with the syllable Om. According to Yogatattva Upanishad, "jnana (knowledge) without yoga cannot secure moksha (emancipation, salvation), nor can yoga without knowledge secure moksha", and that "those who seek emancipation should pursue both yoga and knowledge".
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The aim of Dharana, states Yogatattva, is to conceive everyone and everything one perceives with any of his senses as same as his own self and soul (Atman). In verses 72 to 81, the text describes a range of mystical powers that develop within those who have mastered Ghata stage of yoga. The Upanishad adds that "perfection requires practice, the yogin must never revel in what he achieves, never be vain, never be distracted by trying to comply with demonstration requests, remain oblivious to others, yet be always intent on achieving the goals he sets for himself".
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Another linked the Na'vi earth goddess Eywa to the concept of Brahman as the ground of being described in Vedanta and Upanishads and likened the Na'vi ability to connect to Eywa with the realization of Atman. One commentator noted the parallel between the Na'vi greeting "I see you" and the ancient Hindu greeting "Namaste", which signifies perceiving and adoring the divinity within others. Others commented on Avatar's adaptation of the Hindu teaching of reincarnation,—a concept, which another author felt was more accurately applicable to ordinary human beings that are "a step or two away from exotic animals" than to deities.
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According to the Advaita Vedanta tradition, knowledge of the "self" or atman can be gained by self-inquiry, investigating the three bodies, and dis-identifying from them. It is a method which is well-known from Ramana Maharshi, but also from Nisargadatta Maharaj and his teacher Siddharameshwar Maharaj. By subsequently identifying with the three lower bodies, investigating them, and discarding identification with them when it has become clear that they are not the "I", the sense of "I am" beyond knowledge and Ignorance becomes clearly established. In this investigation the three bodies are recognized as not being anatman.
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226–227 Brahmanical motifs can be found in the oldest Buddhist texts, using them to introduce and explain Buddhist ideas. For example, prior to Buddhist developments, the Brahmanical tradition internalised and variously reinterpreted the three Vedic sacrificial fires as concepts such as Truth, Rite, Tranquility or Restraint. Buddhist texts also refer to the three Vedic sacrificial fires, reinterpreting and explaining them as ethical conduct. The Śramaṇa religions challenged and broke with the Brahmanic tradition on core assumptions such as Atman (soul, self), Brahman, the nature of afterlife, and they rejected the authority of the Vedas and Upanishads.
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The sixth, seventh and eighth anuvaka of Ananda Valli states that the "vijnanamaya kosha" (knowledge, ethics, reason) envelops the deepest, hidden layer of existence, which is the "ananda- maya kosha" (bliss, tranquility, contentness). This is the inner most is the realm of Atman-Brahman (Soul, Self, spirituality). The ananda-maya is characterized by love, joy, cheerfulness, bliss and Brahman. The individuals who are aware of ananda-maya, assert the sixth to eighth verses of Ananda Valli, are those who simultaneously realize the empirical and the spiritual, the conscious and unconscious, the changing and the eternal, the time and the timeless.
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The Nrisimha Tapaniya Upanishad describes Sudarshana chakra mandala, which developed into protective amulets, a weapon (11th century, above), but also a means to meditate on Atman.D Dennis Hudson (2008), The Body of God, Oxford University Press, , page 482 The Uttara Tapaniya Upanishad which has nine sections, and starts with a request made to Brahma by the devas to enlighten them on the aspects of AUM and the soul or Atman. He explains that soul is an aspect of God which is more than all knowledge. In the second section Brahman’s four divisions, which match with the four letters of OM, are explained.
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Gargi Vachaknavi (born about 9th to 7th century BCE) was an ancient Indian philosopher. In Vedic literature, she is honored as a great natural philosopher, renowned expounder of the Vedas, and known as Brahmavadini, a person with knowledge of Brahma Vidya. In the Sixth and the eighth Brahmana of Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, her name is prominent as she participates in the brahmayajna, a philosophic debate organized by King Janaka of Videha and she challenges the sage Yajnavalkya with perplexing questions on the issue of atman (soul). She is also said to have written many hymns in the Rigveda.
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The hamsa (Sanskrit: हंस, ' or hansa) is an aquatic bird of passage, which various scholars have interpreted as the goose, the swan,Lindsay Jones (2005), Encyclopedia of religion, Volume 13, Macmillan Reference, , page 8894, Quote: "In Hindu iconography the swan personifies Brahman-Atman, the transcendent yet immanent ground of being, the Self." or even the flamingo.Denise Cush (2007), Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Routledge, , page 697 Its icon is used in Indian and Southeast Asian culture as a spiritual symbol and a decorative element. It is believed by Hindus to be the vahana (or vehicle) of Brahma, Gayatri, Saraswati, and Vishvakarma.
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The apparent modification is an epistemic fact, and the totality of cosmic plurality is also an epistemic fact. The apparently substantial Jivatva is an offshoot of avidya sustained and nourished by mithyajnana. Jivatva, the phenomenal individuality, although beginning-less, is terminable (santa) in the case of one getting release and gaining Brahmatva. The Jivatva of the Jiva is Jiva’s limitedness. The Jivahood of the atman (the individualization of the soul) is unreal, it is merely an imagination caused by the delusion of buddhi, and vanishes with the annulment of the delusion that comes about by the realization of one’s real nature.
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The traces of scepticism can be found in Vedic sources such as in the Nasadiya hymn and hymn to sraddha (faith) in Rigveda. In Brahmanas and Early Upanishads doubt regarding a person's existence after death is cast, while the Yajñavalkya argued for the impossibility of knowing the ultimate reality or the atman. However the flourishing of sceptical thoughts seems to have occurred in a period with diverse, conflicting, and irreconcilable theories, regarding morality, metaphysics, and religious beliefs. It is natural, in the absence of a commonly accepted criterion of truth, for some people to wonder if any theory could be true at all.
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The term appears in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad in the section with a discourse of the oneness of Atman (individual soul) and Brahman (universal consciousness), as follows:Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Robert Hume (Translator), Oxford University Press, pp. 127–147 The English term "nondual" was also informed by early translations of the Upanishads in Western languages other than English from 1775. These terms have entered the English language from literal English renderings of "advaita" subsequent to the first wave of English translations of the Upanishads. These translations commenced with the work of Müller (1823–1900), in the monumental Sacred Books of the East (1879).
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" In the Advaita Vedanta of Adi Shankara, advaita implies that all of reality is one with Brahman, that the Atman (soul, self) and Brahman (ultimate unchanging reality) are one.Joseph Milne (1997), "Advaita Vedanta and typologies of multiplicity and unity: An interpretation of nondual knowledge," International Journal of Hindu Studies, Volume 1, Issue 1, pages 165-188 The advaita ideas of some Hindu traditions contrasts with the schools that defend dualism or Dvaita, such as that of Madhvacharya who stated that the experienced reality and God are two (dual) and distinct.Betty Stafford (2010), Dvaita, Advaita, and Viśiṣṭādvaita. "Contrasting Views of Mokṣa, Asian Philosophy.
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Advaitin ethics includes lack of craving, lack of dual distinctions between one's own soul and another being's, good and just Karma. The values and ethics in Advaita Vedānta emanate from what it views as inherent in the state of liberating self-knowledge. This state, according to Rambachan, includes and leads to the understanding that "the self is the self of all, the knower of self sees the self in all beings and all beings in the self." Such knowledge and understanding of the indivisibility of one's and other's Atman, Advaitins believe leads to "a deeper identity and affinity with all".
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He sent with it a confidential message to the emperor in which he promised to make every effort to reconcile the Armenian and Orthodox churches. In December of that year Theorianus and John Atman returned to Hromgla with letters from the emperor and the Orthodox Patriarch Michael III of Constantinople. The letter from the emperor encouraged Nerses to work toward the unity of the two churches, and expressed sympathy for the problems that were expected from the clergy of the Armenian church. The official statement from Constantinople included nine points which the Orthodox established saw as being at odds with the imperial church.
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The term dharmastikaay also has a specific ontological and soteriological meaning in Jainism, as a part of its theory of six dravya (substance or a reality). In the Jain tradition, existence consists of jiva (soul, atman) and ajiva (non- soul), the latter consisting of five categories: inert non-sentient atomic matter (pudgalastikaay), space (akasha), time (kala), principle of motion (dharmastikaay), and principle of rest (adharmastikaay). The use of the term dharmastikaay to mean motion and to refer to an ontological sub-category is peculiar to Jainism, and not found in the metaphysics of Buddhism and various schools of Hinduism.
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Madhvacharya was a fierce critic of competing Vedanta schools, and other schools of Indian philosophies such as Buddhism and Jainism. He wrote up arguments against twenty one ancient and medieval era Indian scholars to help establish the foundations of his own school of thought. Madhvacharya was fiercest critic of Advaita Vedanta, accusing Shankara and Advaitins for example, as "deceitful demons" teaching Buddhism under the cover of Vedanta. Advaita's nondualism asserts that Atman (soul) and Brahman are blissful and identical, unchanging transcendent Reality, there is interconnected oneness of all souls and Brahman, and there are no pluralities.
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The ideas of spiritual liberation, with the concept of soul and Brahman, appears in Vedic texts and Upanishads, such as in verse 4.4.6 of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. The term nirvana in the soteriological sense of "blown out, extinguished" state of liberation does not appear in the Vedas nor in the Upanishads; according to Collins, "the Buddhists seem to have been the first to call it nirvana." This may have been deliberate use of words in early Buddhism, suggests Collins, since Atman and Brahman were described in Vedic texts and Upanishads with the imagery of fire, as something good, desirable and liberating.
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Katha Upanishad's fifth Valli is an eschatological treatise. It begins by stating that human body is like a Pura (Sanskrit: पुर, town, city) with eleven gatesThese are two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, one mouth, two organs of evacuation/excretion, navel, and Brahmarandhram - the aperture at the top of head through which Atman links with Cosmic Soul. See Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , page 293 that connect him to the universe. The individual, asserts Katha Upanishad, who understands and reveres this town of eternal, non-changing spirit, is never crooked- minded, is always free.
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The central theme of this philosophical work is "the soul's struggle to realize and experience God". It adopts a similar metaphor from the Dnyaneshwari by the saint-poet Dnyaneshwar (1275–1296), in which the atman (soul) is the warrior riding the horse of the Mind and battles the armies of Ego and other passions in its quest to attain glory as Brahman ("Supreme Reality"). Sheikh Muhammad cites examples from the Hindu scriptures such as the Puranas and other philosophical treatises to convey his ideas. The Yoga-samgrama has references to the Hindu gods Rama, Krishna (both forms of Vishnu), Vishnu, and Shiva.
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Sections 6.18 through 6.30 of the Maitri Upanishad is another motley collection of various theories. The supplementary section starts with the theory of Yoga, as the way by which the highest human goal of Self-knowledge can be attained. Paul Deussen states that this highest goal is the knowledge of Atman (Soul, Self, one's inmost being), and with that knowledge realized, becoming one with the Atman.Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 358-361 Along with Katha Upanishad and Shvetashvatara Upanishad, the Maitri Upanishad offers one of the oldest known descriptions of Yoga theory.
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The one who thus knows Atman, asserts the text, becomes innately one of goodness, liberated, limitless, blissful.Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 359-360 In section 6.23, the Upanishad re-asserts that Brahman is the syllable Om, and then adds that Brahman is manifested in the name of Vishnu, recommending the worship of both.Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , page 362 In section 6.30, the Maitri Upanishad acknowledges a debate, based on the Samkhya theories, whether it is the Prakrti or Purusha who attains moksha.
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Verses 3.1 through 3.6 of the Shwetashvatara Upanishad describe the "Atman, Soul, Self" as the personal God, as the one and only Lord, that resides within, the origin of all gods, calling it the Isha or Rudra. This innermost Self, is stated as under the sway of Māyā or empirical Prakrti.Max Muller, Shvetashvatara Upanishad, The Upanishads, Part II, Oxford University Press, pages 244-245 with footnotes This theme of Eka Deva (one God) – eternal, all prevading and forging the world with his heat – in Svetasvatara Upanishad, is common in more ancient Sanskrit texts such as Rig Veda's hymns 10.72.2 and 10.81.
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While most spiritual paths conceive of Being as universal, the Diamond Approach also pays a great deal of attention to a more individual way of experiencing Being, called Essence. The concept of Essence is similar to the Hindu idea of Atman. While Being is the true nature of all of reality, Essence is the portion of it that forms the true and personal nature of the soul. It is experienced as a substantial fluid Presence which can differentiate into various qualities or aspects, such as compassion, strength, will, joy, peace, love, value, humanness, personalness, identity, and space.
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The first section of the Upanishad opens with an expression of reverence, by sage Samkriti to Surya (Sun). He expresses respect to all three Guṇas in the Samkhya philosophy, with salutations to Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. Then a fragment of hymn from the ancient Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is incorporated by the text, stating, Sun is the one who shows the truth, who scorches ignorance, who cleanses, he is the embodiment of Hamsa (Atman, soul), asserts the Upanishad. Thousand beamed Sun is, a hundred directions does Sun radiate unto, states the text, he is the life-giving energy to all living beings.
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The text is named after Jnana (knowledge) aspect of the Hindu god Shiva, as Dakshinamurti which means giver of knowledge. He is traditionally the expounder of the Shastras, represented as seating under a Banyan tree in the Himalayas resplendent with energy and bliss, surrounded and revered by sages, in a yoga pose (virasana), holding the fire of knowledge in one hand and a book or snake or lotus or nilotpala flower in another. Dakshinamurti is the "teacher-god", with Atma-vidya, literally the knowledge of Atman (soul, self). He is the ancient guru, who teaches One Self through silence.
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The Mahavakyas (sing.: mahāvākyam, महावाक्यम्; plural: mahāvākyāni, महावाक्यानि) are "The Great Sayings" of the Upanishads, as characterized by the Advaita school of Vedanta. Most commonly, Mahavakyas are considered four in number, # Prajnanam Brahma (प्रज्ञानम् ब्रह्म) - "Insight is Brahman," or "Brahman is insight" (Aitareya Upanishad 3.3 of the Rig Veda) # Ayam Atma Brahma (अयम् आत्मा ब्रह्म) - "This Self (Atman) is Brahman" (Mandukya Upanishad 1.2 of the Atharva Veda) # Tat Tvam Asi (तत् त्वम् असि) - "That essence (tat, referring to sat, "the Existent") are you" (Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7 of the Sama Veda) # Aham Brahma Asmi (अहम् ब्रह्मास्मि) - "I am Brahman" (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.
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Vishnu (; ; , ') is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. The "preserver" in the Hindu triad (Trimurti), Vishnu is revered as the supreme being in VaishnavismGavin Flood, An Introduction to Hinduism (1996), p. 17. as identical to the metaphysical concept of Brahman (Atman, the self, or unchanging ultimate reality), and is notable for adopting various incarnations (such avatars as Rama and Krishna) to preserve and protect dharmic principles whenever the world is threatened with evil, chaos, and destructive forces. In the Smarta Tradition of Hinduism, Vishnu is also one of the five equivalent deities worshipped in Panchayatana puja.
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There is no other means to liberation other than realizing the identity of Atman and Brahman, asserts the text. The Upanishad asserts that Samadhi while being a yogic accomplishment is not Self-knowledge and moksha, nor is it the dissolution of mind to external objects. The highest state is, translates Ayyangar, oneness with the inmost Brahman. This is when, asserts the text, the yogin fully feels and understands "the radiant knowledge of sun is in me, Shiva is within me, this transcendent radiance in the universe is in me", and such is the conviction with which he attains the union with Mahavishnu within.
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The Occult Glossary Karana or "instrument" is a synonymous term. In the Classical Samkhya system of Isvarakrsna (ca. 4th century CE), the Lińga is the characteristic mark of the transmigrating entity. It consists of twenty-five tattvas from eternal consciousness down to the five organs of sense, five of activity (buddindriya or jñānendriya, and karmendriya respectively) and the five subtle elements that are the objects of sense (tanmatras) The Samkhyakarika says: The classical Vedanta tradition developed the theory of the five bodies into the theory of the koshas "sheaths" or "coverings" which surround and obscure the self (atman).
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The principle of anekāntavāda is one of the foundational Jain philosophical concept. The development of anekāntavāda also encouraged the development of the dialectics of syādvāda (conditioned viewpoints) and nayavāda (partial viewpoints). According to Karl Potter, the Jain anekāntavāda doctrine emerged in a milieu that included Buddhists and Hindus in ancient and medieval India. The diverse Hindu schools such as Nyaya-Vaisheshika, Samkhya-Yoga and Mimamsa-Vedanta, all accepted the premise of Atman that "unchanging permanent soul, self exists and is self- evident", while various schools of early Buddhism denied it and substituted it with Anatta (no-self, no-soul).
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An attack on two other minibuses at Homs Military Hospital reportedly killed a civil employee. SANA also reported a brigadier general and first lieutenant were shot dead in Talfita, two polcemen and a civil employee were shot dead on the Souran-Hama road, while a policeman was killed by a bomb in Atman. The head of Arab League observers, Sudanese General Dabi, rejected criticism of his team's work and said that the mission had reduced the bloodshed in Syria. He also said that in some regions, the FSA attacked security forces, prompting them to return fire.
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The epistemology they developed defends the view that there are only two 'instruments of knowledge' or 'valid cognitions' (pramana): "perception" (pratyaksa) and "inference" (anumāṇa). Perception is a non-conceptual awareness of particulars which is bound by causality, while inference is reasonable, linguistic and conceptual.Tom Tillemans (2011), Dharmakirti, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy These Buddhist philosophers argued in favor of the theory of momentariness, the Yogacara "awareness only" view, the reality of particulars (svalakṣaṇa), atomism, nominalism and the self-reflexive nature of consciousness (svasaṃvedana). They attacked Hindu theories of God (Isvara), universals, the authority of the Vedas, and the existence of a permanent soul (atman).
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The philosophy of Dvaita or Tattvavada was an obscure movement within Vedanta in medieval India. Philosophically, its tenets stood in direct opposition to Advaita in that its progenitor, Madhva, postulated that the self (Atman) and god (Brahman) are distinct and that the world is real. As Advaita was the prevailing sub-sect of Vedanta at the time, the works of Madhva and his followers came under significant attack and ridicule. Madhva deployed his disciples to promulgate the philosophy across the country, which led to the establishment of a small and diffuse network of mathas, or centres of worship, across the subcontinent.
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Rajaraja, who commissioned the temple, called it Rajarajeshvaram (Rajarājeśvaram), literally "the temple of the god of Rajaraja". A later inscription in the Brihannayaki shrine calls the temple's deity Periya Udaiya Nayanar, which appears to be the source of the modern names Brihadisvara and Peruvudaiyar Kovil. Brihadishvara (IAST: Bṛihádīśvara) is a Sanskrit composite word composed of Brihat which means "big, great, lofty, vast",Brihat, Monier Monier Williams, Sanskrit English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, page 735 and Ishvara means "lord, Shiva, supreme being, supreme atman (soul)".Monier Williams, Sanskrit-English dictionary, Iṡvará, Oxford University Press, page 171James Lochtefeld, "Ishvara", The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Vol.
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A Brahmin meditating (1851) Jammu and Kashmir, India) Dhyāna in Hinduism means contemplation and meditation. Dhyāna is taken up in Yoga exercises, and is a means to samadhi and self-knowledge. The various concepts of dhyana and its practice originated in the Sramanic movement of ancient India, which started before the 6th century BCE (pre-Buddha, pre-Mahavira), and the practice has been influential within the diverse traditions of Hinduism. It is, in Hinduism, a part of a self-directed awareness and unifying Yoga process by which the yogi realizes Self (Atman, soul), one's relationship with other living beings, and Ultimate Reality.
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These doctrines are represented in verses such as brahma satyam jagan mithya; jīvo brahmaiva na aparah (Brahman is alone True, and this world of plurality is an error; the individual self is not different from Brahman). Other forms of Vedanta like the Vishishtadvaita of Ramanuja and the Bhedabheda of Bhāskara are not as radical in their non- dualism, accepting that there is a certain difference between individual souls and Brahman. Dvaita school of Vedanta by Madhvacharya maintains the opposing view that the world is real and eternal. It also argues that real atman fully depends and reflection of independent brahman.
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The chapters 1.16 through 1.20 of the Vishnu Purana presents the legend of compassionate and Vishnu devotee Prahlada and his persecution by his demon king father Hiranyakasipu, wherein Prahlada is ultimately saved by Vishnu. This story is also found in other Puranas.Wendy Doniger (2000), Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions, Merriam-Webster, , page 455 Vishnu is described in the first book of Vishnu Purana as, translates Wilson, all elements, all matter in the world, the entire universe, all living beings, as well as Atman (Inner Self, essence) within every living being, nature, intellect, ego, mind, senses, ignorance, wisdom, the four Vedas, all that is and all that is not.
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The Subala Upanishad was frequently cited by the 11th-century scholar Ramanuja, the main proponent of Vishishtadvaita (qualified monism) school of Vedanta philosophy. His bhasya (commentary) on Brahma Sutras, for example, references the Subala Upanishad, as he interprets the Sutras. Ramanuja justifies Vishnu as each individual self (Atman, soul), the inner self of everyone, everything in the world, the means to ultimate liberation, with theological arguments partly based on the Subala Upanishad. Bartley states that the Narayana theology of the Subala Upanishad was an important influence on Ramanuja, while Oberhammer and Rastelli describe Subala Upanishad as possibly the decisive impetus to Ramanuja's Vishishtadvaita philosophy.
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Later, new movements within Hinduism added raja yoga as a fourth spiritual path, but it is not universally accepted as distinct from the other three. The jnana yoga is a spiritual practice that pursues knowledge with questions such as "who am I, what am I" among others. The practitioner studies usually with the aid of a counsellor (guru), meditates, reflects, and reaches liberating insights on the nature of his own Self (Atman, soul) and its relationship to the metaphysical concept called Brahman in Hinduism.[a] ; [b] ; [c] The jnanamarga ideas are discussed in ancient and medieval era Hindu scriptures and texts such as the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita.
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Reprinted in The World's Religions: The Religions of Asia, edited by F. Hardy. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul (1990), pp. 128–72. Pashupata theology, according to Shiva Sutras, aims for a spiritual state of consciousness where the Pashupata yogi "abides in one's own unfettered nature", where the external rituals feel unnecessary, where every moment and every action becomes an internal vow, a spiritual ritual unto itself. The Pashupatas derive their Sanskrit name from two words: Pashu (beast) and Pati (lord), where the chaotic and ignorant state, one imprisoned by bondage and assumptions, is conceptualized as the beast, and the Atman (self, soul, Shiva) that is present eternally everywhere as the Pati.
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The text clarifies Taraka-yoga to be of two kinds: Verse 9 asserts that macrocosm of the universe is present inside the microcosm of human body, and the Yogin should contemplate upon macrocosm and microcosm as essentially one. Taraka can be distinguished into two, one Murti-Taraka (one with form) and the other Amurti-Taraka (one without form), states verse 10. The Murti-Taraka can be perceived with sensory organs, the Amurti-Taraka is knowable by means of introspection with "the eye aided by the mind". The Taraka manifestation occurs when there is conjunction of the Atman, the Mind and the eyes, to perceive the inward truth, asserts the text.
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The Gheranda Samhita calls itself a book on ghatastha yoga, which literally means "vessel yoga", wherein the body and mind are depicted as vessels that carry and serve the soul (atman, purusha). It is generally considered a Hatha yoga text., Quote: "The Gheranda Samhita, Siva Samhita and Hatha Yoga Pradipika are three of the most important Hatha Yoga texts and are intimately connected with the practice of Nada Yoga as propounded by Gorakhshanath and his school." The text teaches a seven limbed yoga, in contrast to eight limbed yoga in Patanjali's Yogasutras, six limbed yoga taught in Goraksha Samhita, and four limbed yoga discussed in Hatha Yoga Pradipika.
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Therefore, Sage Parashara had given a strong emphasis on the prime importance of the Lagna and also the Lagna Lord. So it is important for an Individual not to ignore the position of their Lagna's (Rasi & Nakshatra) because it represents individuality, character, behavior, attitude, intelligence, personality, etc. To sum up the Lagna (Lagna's Rasi & Nakshatra) is the Atman (Soul) of the individual person whereas the Lagna Lord and its (Rashi & Nakshatra) represents the single most important planet in the horoscope and also how and where are you going to utilize all of the aforementioned qualities obtained from the Lagna to focus and succeed your ambition and motive in your life.
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Yamunacharya was the grandson of Nathamuni, also known in Sri Vaishnava tradition as Alavandar, whose scholarship is remembered for correlating Alvar bhakti theology and Pancaratra Agama texts to Vedic ideas. He was the Acharya (chief teacher) of Sri Vaishnavism monastery at Srirangam, and was followed by Ramanuja, even though they never met. Yamunacharya composed a number of works important in Sri Vaishnavism, particularly Siddhitrayam (about the nature of Atman, God, universe), Gitarthasangraha (analysis of the Bhagavad Gita), Agamapramanya (epistemological basis of Agamas, mapping them to the Vedas), Maha Purushanirnayam (extension of Nathamuni's treatise), Stotraratnam and Chathusloki (bhakti strota texts). Yamunacharya is also credited with Nitya Grantha and Mayavada Khandana.
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It had been announced that she would play Jenna Lestrade, the lead in the CW zombie pilot Awakening, however the show did not go ahead. In November 2011 it was revealed that Griffiths would play Nora, the sister of vampire Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgård), in the fifth season of HBO's True Blood. Nora is not a character in the Southern Vampire Mysteries (the books the TV series is based on) but she has been described as "intelligent, intimidating, cool under pressure and a very good liar" according to TV Line. During November 2011 Griffiths also appeared on stage at the Finborough Theatre, London, in the play Atman by Iain Finlay Macleod.
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At the mental level freedom is attained by the awakening of Kundalini through asana, pranayama, mudra or mantras, the amplification and sublimation of the vital and mental energy and the elevation of consciousness. The culmination of this process is spiritual illumination. Absolute freedom is to be found only in the revelation of the unity of the spirit with God, a state described as Atma-vyapti or re-absorption into the true Self (atman) or Shiva-vyapti: re-absorption into the supreme consciousness of Shiva.Kundalini, the Energy of the Depths, Lilian Silburn To be free is to be absolved from the necessity of rebirth conditioned by karmic restraints.
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Jaina believe that this soul is what transmigrates from one being to another at the time of death. The moksa state is attained when a soul (atman) is liberated from the cycles of deaths and rebirths (saṃsāra), is at the apex, is omniscient, remains there eternally, and is known as a siddha. In Jainism, it is believed to be a stage beyond enlightenment and ethical perfection, states Paul Dundas, because they can perform physical and mental activities such as teach, without accruing karma that leads to rebirth. Jaina traditions believe that there exist Abhavya (incapable), or a class of souls that can never attain moksha (liberation).
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The text then references and quotes the hymn 3.62.10 of Rigveda, the Gayatri mantra, namely, "Om, earth, atmosphere and sky, we meditate on the resplendent splendor of the Sun, may he inspire our thoughts". The Sun is the Atman (soul) of the world, it is that which moves and does not move, it is the creator of living beings, it is the source of fuel to yajna, it is the source of rains, food and drinks, states the Upanishad. Sun is the manifested form of the ultimate truth and reality Brahman, asserts the text, identical to Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra, of all the knowledge in Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvaveda.
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James Lochtefeld, Brahman, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Vol. 1: A–M, Rosen Publishing. , page 122Jeffrey Brodd (2009), World Religions: A Voyage of Discovery, Saint Mary's Press, , pages 43-47 Brahman is "the infinite source, fabric, core and destiny of all existence, both manifested and unmanifested, the formless infinite substratum and from which the universe has grown". Brahman in Hinduism, states Paul Deussen, as the "creative principle which lies realized in the whole world".Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , page 91 The word Atman means the inner self, the soul, the immortal spirit in an individual, and all living beings including animals and trees.
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The text like other Shaiva Upanishads, states Klostermaier, is premised on identifying Shiva as identical to the Hindu concept of Ultimate Reality (Brahman). It is part of the Upanishadic collection, starting with Shvetashvatara Upanishad, which together teach the theory of Vedanta and the practice of Yoga as a means of salvation. Shiva is within as the Atman, assert these texts, the realization of this Shiva is means to infinite peace, and ritual of producing "fire, ashes and leftovers", then smearing oneself with the ashes on the forehead is a constant reminder of the spiritual essence. The lines of ashes on the forehead is called Tilaka or Pundra, while Tri means three.
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Also, specific features that constitute the effect are not different from the cause. Thus, the entire world which prior to its manifestation is existent in an unmanifest state in the nature of Prakrti, the Primal Energy, the modification of Prakrti resulting in the perceivable world does not make it lose its identity. Existence is a manifestation of the unmanifest Brahman, and the individual souls (atman) are the reflections of Brahman and non-different from Brahman, but even then non-difference cannot become the content of awareness without reference to difference. To the Advaitins, non-difference is real and it is not known through reasoning.
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The term isvara - from the root is, to have extraordinary power. Some traditional sankhya systems contrast purusha (devine, or souls) to prakriti (nature or energy), however the term for sovereign god, ishvara is mentioned six times in the Atharva Veda, and is central to many traditions. As per Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy the notion of Brahman (the highest Universal Principle) is akin to that of god; except that unlike most other philosophies Advaita likens Brahman to Atman (the true Self of an individual). For Sindhi Hindus, who are deeply influenced by Sikhism, God is seen as the omnipotent cultivation of all Hindu gods and goddesses.
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The third chapter of the Upanishad discusses the state of Samadhi and that is Jivanmukta (living liberation). It defines Samadhi as that state of Atman and pure consciousness in which "all is known as one" and the existence in the nectar of oneness.John George Woodroffe (1974, pen name: Arthur Avalon), The Serpent Power, Courier, , page 194 The verses 3.1 to 3.11 assert, translates Ayyangar, that this state is "assuming the attitude of I am the Brahman and giving up that also", eliminating all bondages of the mind, and awakening the Ishvara (god) within, through one's energized Kundalini and the six Chakras. This state is one of entering bliss, asserts the Upanishad.
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He is marked by fearlessness, fortitude, equanimity, a conduct that is both respectful of others and his own wishes, he does not revile others nor find faults in others, states the Upanishad. The verse 36–37 of the text asserts a position reverse of the Sunyavada of Buddhism, states Olivelle, where the Hindu sannyasi does not accept void-emptiness as ultimate reality, but believes Atman-Brahman as the ultimate reality. The primordial Brahman, states sutra 40 of the text, is self-knowledge for the renouncer. The sannyasi finds home when he is in union with truth and perfection, states sutra 38 of the text.
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This psycho-physical process is further linked with psychological craving, manas (conceit) and ditthi (dogmas, views). One of the most problematic views according to the Buddha, is the notion of a permanent and solid Self or 'pure ego'. This is because in early Buddhist psychology, there is no fixed self (atta; Sanskrit atman) but the delusion of self and clinging to a self concept affects all one's behaviors and leads to suffering. For the Buddha there is nothing uniform or substantial about a person, only a constantly changing stream of events or processes categorized under five categories called skandhas (heaps, aggregates), which includes the stream of consciousness (Vijñāna-sotam).
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The concept of anatta, or anatman, is a departure from the Hindu belief in atman ("the self")."; [b] Steven Collins (1994), Religion and Practical Reason (Editors: Frank Reynolds, David Tracy), State Univ of New York Press, , page 64; "Central to Buddhist soteriology is the doctrine of not-self (Pali: anattā, Sanskrit: anātman, the opposed doctrine of ātman is central to Brahmanical thought). Put very briefly, this is the [Buddhist] doctrine that human beings have no soul, no self, no unchanging essence."; [c] John C. Plott et al (2000), Global History of Philosophy: The Axial Age, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , page 63, Quote: "The Buddhist schools reject any Ātman concept.
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In sections 4.5–6 of the Maitri Upanishad, students ask their Vedic Guru (teacher) about which god is best among gods they name, a list that includes Agni.Maitri Upanishad – Sanskrit Text with English Translation EB Cowell (Translator), Cambridge University, Bibliotheca Indica, page 254 The Guru replies that they are all supreme, all merely forms of the Brahman, the whole world is Brahman. So pick anyone, suggests the Upanishad, meditate and adore that one, then meditate over them all, then deny and discard the individuality of every one of these gods including of Agni, thus journey unto the universal, for a communion with the Purusha, the Atman.
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The first anuvaka commences by stating the premise and a summary of the entire Ananda Valli. Paul Deussen notes that the word Ananta in verse 1 may be vulgate, and a related term Ananda, similarly pronounced, is more consistent with the teachings of other Upanishads of Hinduism, particularly one of its central premise of Atman being sat-chit-ananda. In Deussen's review and translation, instead of "Brahman is infinite", an alternate expression would read "Brahman is bliss". The second anuvaka of Ananda Valli then proceeds to explain the first layer of man's nature and knowledge-seeking to be about "material man and material nature", with the metaphor of food.
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According to the Garuda Purana, a soul after leaving the body travels through a very long and dark tunnel towards the South. This is why an oil lamp is lit and kept beside the head of the corpse, to light the dark tunnel and allow the soul to travel comfortably. The soul, called atman leaves the body and reincarnates itself according to the deeds or karma performed by one in last birth. Rebirth would be in form of animals or other lower creatures if one performed bad karmas and in human form in a good family with joyous lifetime if the person was good in last birth.
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She has no blemishes. She represents the vocal form of the four Vedas, which the text asserts comes from 21 schools of Rigveda, 109 schools of Yajurveda, 1000 schools of Samaveda, and 40 schools of Atharvaveda. She is ethics, tradition, law, legend, and the five minor Vedas, asserts the text, naming these as architecture, archery, music, medicine and Daivika (divinity). She is the basis of the whole world, is composed of Brahma Vishnu and Shiva, and she is the soul (inner self, Atman) that resides in all livings. Her name Sita, signifies Pranava or “Aum”, and she is the first cause of the universe.
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Jatin learns death is not the end of everything, but, it is just a beginning of a new life. Jatin meets many characters who shape his knowledge and wisdom on death, human relationship and its existence beyond human life, life after death, God, Atman, reincarnations, divine manifestations or avatars and Karma. There is a certain goddess who in the novel is referred to as Karuna Devi or goddess of compassion, who, out of the desire for the welfare and well being of ordinary mortals, comes to the earth to help people. He also meets a sannyasin or ascetic monk who attained the nirvikalpa samadhi and hence is a liberated soul.
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Second, they developed theories on what "Atman is and is not".Roy W. Perrett (Editor, 2000), Indian Philosophy: Metaphysics, Volume 3, Taylor & Francis, , page xvii; also see Chakrabarti pages 279-292 As proofs for the proposition "self/soul exists", for example, Nyaya scholars argued that personal recollections and memories of the form "I did this so many years ago" implicitly presume that there is a self that is substantial, continuing, unchanged, and existent.See example discussed in this section; For additional examples of Nyaya reasoning to prove that "soul exists", using propositions and its theories of negation, see: Nyayasutra verses 1.2.1 on pages 14-15, 1.2.59 on page 20, 3.1.1-3.1.
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Advaita Vedānta posits a substance ontology, an ontology which holds that underlying the change and impermanence of empirical reality is an unchanging and permanent absolute reality, like an eternal substance it calls Atman- Brahman. In its substance ontology, as like other philosophies, there exist a universal, particulars and specific properties and it is the interaction of particulars that create events and processes. In contrast, Buddhism posits a process ontology, also called as "event ontology". According to the Buddhist thought, particularly after the rise of ancient Mahayana Buddhism scholarship, there is neither empirical nor absolute permanent reality and ontology can be explained as a process.
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Ramachandra Dattatrya Ranade states that the bliss of Self-realisation is experienced only when the Self is made to stand in its native purity and grandeur and it is implied that the Self is the sole object of desire, but he warns that the word Self or Atman should not be interpreted in an egoistic sense. While enjoying the bliss of Self-realisation one sees his own form in a flood of supreme light arising from within himself. The unique awareness of Sameness, which is actually the awareness of Oneness, is the knowledge of Reality, which is Bliss, and the sole source of bliss. The bliss of Self-realisation is Paramananda.
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Madhvācārya's teachings are built on the premise that there is a fundamental difference between Atman (individual soul, self) and the Brahman (ultimate reality, God Vishnu), these are two different unchanging realities, with individual soul dependent on Brahman, never identical. His school's theistic dualism teachings disagreed with the monist teachings of the other two most influential schools of Vedanta based on Advaita's nondualism and Vishishtadvaita's qualified nondualism. Liberation, asserted Madhva, is achievable only through the grace of God. The Dvaita school founded by Madhva influenced Vaishnavism, the Bhakti movement in medieval India, and has been one of the three influential Vedānta philosophies, along with Advaita Vedanta and Vishishtadvaita Vedanta.
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This God, asserts the text, is one, and is in each human being and in all living creatures. This God is the soul (Atman) veiled inside man, the inmost self inside all living beings, and that the primal cause is within oneself.A Gough, The philosophy of the Upanishads and ancient Indian metaphysics, Shvetashvatara Upanishad, Trubner Oriental Series, page 231Dominic Goodall (1996), Hindu Scriptures, University of California Press, , pages 201-202 The Upanishad, states it as follows (abridged), Swan (Haṁsa, हंस) is the frequently used symbolic term for the Highest Self (Soul) in Vedic literature, and is used in verses 6.15-6.16 of Shvetashvatara Upanishad to discuss Moksha.
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Helminiak's psychology of spirituality offers a coherent Western alternative to prevalent understandings of spirituality based on Eastern philosophy. Whereas Jewish, Christian, and Muslim theologies see God most fundamentally as Creator and, perforce, see all else—including human consciousness or spirit—as created and, therefore, not divine, Eastern thought tends to obscure the distinction between the spiritual and the divine and holds that, "deep down inside" and purified of all earthly attachment, humanity really is divinity. Such is the intent of the Hindu axiom, "Atman is Brahman," and the Vedic lesson, "That thou art." Western thinking insists that, although God is spiritual, all that is spiritual is not thereby God.
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The Ekakshara Upanishad (; IAST: ), also titled Ekaksharopanishad (), is a minor Upanishadic text of Hinduism written in Sanskrit language. It is attached to the Krishna Yajurveda, and is a Samanya (general) Upanishad. The Upanishad discusses Om (Pranava) as the Ultimate Reality Brahman, equating it to the imperishable truth and sound, the source of the universe, the Uma, the Shiva, the Narayana, the Atman (soul) that resides in one’s heart.Vedic Literature, Volume 1, , Government of Tamil Nadu, Madras, India, pages 310-311 The one immortal syllable (Ekakshara), is described in the text as the Hiranyagarbha (the golden fetus, the sun, Brahma), the manifested universe, as well as the guardian of the universe.
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Dharma is Rudra, world is Vishnu, knowledge is Brahma, all is inseparable. The text, states Shakya, is the only Upanishad that presents the composite merged form of Rudra-Uma as all truth and reality, and emphasizes this hermaphrodite-style union aspect by presenting the unison in other combinations such as Brahma-Vani and Vishnu- Lakshmi. The later part of the Rudrahridaya Upanishad presents the Advaita theory of nonduality, by presenting threefold character of Atman. The text states that the absolute truth is "nirguna (without attributes, abstract), nirakara (without shape), with sensory organs, omnipresent, impersonal, imperishable" and identical to the soul within oneself and each living being.
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Awareness of that reflection of atman/self within the most subtle sheath, Anandamayakosha, however, is but the foundation for discerning that which the elements, energies, senses, and kosha serve. To that end, one re-examines the components of the five koshas in daily devotional meditation after recitation of twenty-one OM, viz, one OM per each of the five elements, the five pranas, the five indriyas, and the five kosha, equaling twenty OM, then a twenty-first OM is offered for the ineffable, such that a spiritual discernment of ever- increasing subtlety arises in the purified intellect, alaya nirvijnana, the womb of the tathāgata, wherein silence ensues and clarity blossoms.
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The Chandogya Upanishad opens volume 5.11 with five adults seeking knowledge. The adults are described as five great householders and great theologians who once came together and held a discussion as to what is our Self, and what is Brahman?Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 146-155 with preface The five householders approach a sage named Uddalaka Aruni, who admits his knowledge is deficient, and suggests that they all go to king Asvapati Kaikeya, who knows about Atman Vaishvanara. When the knowledge seekers arrive, the king pays his due respect to them, gives them gifts, but the five ask him about Vaisvanara Self.
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The answer that follows is referred to as the "doctrine of Atman Vaishvanara", where Vaisvanara literally means "One in the Many". The entire doctrine is also found in other ancient Indian texts such as the Satapatha Brahmana's section 10.6.1. The common essence of the theory, as found in various ancient Indian texts, is that "the inner fire, the soul, is universal and common in all men, whether they are friends or foe, good or bad". The Chandogya narrative is notable for stating the idea of unity of the universe, of realization of this unity within man, and that there is unity and oneness in all beings.
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The Upanishad is presented as a discourse between the Vedic sage Ashvalayana and the god Brahma, wherein the Ashvalayana asks Brahma for Brahma-vidya, that is the knowledge of ultimate reality Brahman. The Upanishad's structure is notable as it embeds key parts of verses from early Principal Upanishads, thus referencing them and yet building its own message. The fragments of earlier major Upanishads it thus integrates within it, include Mundaka Upanishad and Shvetashvatara Upanishad. The text is also notable for presenting Shaivism with Vedanta terminology, discussing the relationship of Atman (Soul, Self) and Brahman (ultimate Reality), and Self- knowledge as the means to Kaivalya (liberation).
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Chapter 2 opens as a discourse of Vasudeva to Indra, wherein Vasudeva teaches Bhagavatism. Purusha Narayana is asserted by the text to be "what has been, what is, and what will be", who divided himself into four, wherein the first three remained in the heavens, and the last fourth became all of living beings include humanity, as well as non-living nature. He, that is Vishnu, is the soul within each living being (jiva), identical everywhere and with the universal soul (atman). Chapter 3 asserts that everything is manifestation of Vishnu, from Asuras to Gandharvas, from men to gods, and regardless of how one worships him, they become him.
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Detachment from everything else (Asamsakti) is the fifth stage. Conceptual analysis and gaining complete, correct meaning of the topic (Pada-artha-bhavana) is the sixth stage. The seventh or last stage is Turiya (or Turīyagā), complete consciousness.KN Aiyar, Thirty Minor Upanishads, University of Toronto Archives, , Chapter IV, pages 232–233Srinivasa Ayyangar (Translator), The Yoga Upanishads, Varahopanishad Verses 4.1–4.10, pages 423–425, Adyar Library, (Editor: SS Sastri) The text states that AUM is a means for meditating on the nature of Atman and Brahman, wherein "A" represents Akara and Visva, "U" represents Ukara and Taijasa, M represents Makara and Prajna, the Ardhamatra that follows AUM, represents the Turiya.
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In the Vachanamrut, the principal theological text of the sampradaya, Swaminarayan identifies five eternal and distinct entities: Parabrahman, Aksharbrahman, maya (māyā), ishwar (iśvara), and jiva (jīva). He further explains that the ultimate goal of life is moksha (mokṣa), a spiritual state of ultimate liberation from the cycle of births and deaths that is characterized by eternal bliss and devotion to God. Swaminarayan instituted the sampradaya’s mandir tradition to facilitate followers’ devotional worship of God. During his lifetime, Swaminarayan constructed six mandirs: Ahmedabad (1822), Bhuj (1823), Vadtal (1824), Dholera (1826), Junagadh (1828), and Gadhada (1828). Socially, Swaminarayan’s doctrine that everyone’s true self is the atman within which God resides, led him to reject caste-based discrimination within the religious community.
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A grouping between matter and Atman is not considered a Skandha but is considered a Bandha (bondage). Each Paramanu has "intensity points" of aridness or cohesiveness that, because of transformation, can increase or decrease between one and infinity. These Paramanus can combine with each other to create Skandhas or Aggregates when there is a difference of two "intensity points", whether it is arid or cohesive or whether having even or odd "intensity points" except the minimum (one) "intensity point". For example, a paramanu with two points of cohesiveness can combine with a paramanu of four points of cohesiveness or aridness; and that of three points with that of five points and so on.
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And Why it Matters for Buddhist Practice According to Owen Flanagan, the Dalai Lama states that "Buddhists believe in rebirth" and that this belief has been common among his followers. However, the Dalai Lama's belief, adds Flanagan, is more sophisticated than ordinary Buddhists, because it is not the same as reincarnation—rebirth in Buddhism is envisioned as happening without the assumption of an "atman, self, soul", but rather through a "consciousness conceived along the anatman lines". The doctrine of rebirth is considered mandatory in Tibetan Buddhism, and across many Buddhist sects. According to Christopher Gowans, for "most ordinary Buddhists, today as well as in the past, their basic moral orientation is governed by belief in karma and rebirth".
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The Mimamsa schools introduced the concept of intrinsic validity of knowledge (svatahpramanya) and extrinsic validity of knowledge (parastah-apramana) but agreed that the validity of knowledge cannot be determined by the knowledge of any special excellence in its cause or the knowledge of its harmony with the real nature of its object or the knowledge of a fruitful action. Sankara accepted perception, inference, scriptural testimony, comparison, presumption and non-apprehension as the six sources of knowledge and concluded that the knowledge which corresponds with the real nature of its object is valid. The Atman is the reality in the empirical self as the ever-present foundational subject-objectless universal consciousness which sustains the empirical self.
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The Yogarahasya text, states Govindacharya, is a meditational text, includes the eight limb yoga similar to that of Patanjali, but emphasizes yoga as "the art of communion with God". The Nyaya Tattva text survives only in quotes and references cited in other texts, and these suggest that it presented epistemic foundations (Nyaya) including the philosophical basis for the Hindu belief on the existence of "soul" (Atman), in contrast to Indian philosophies such as Buddhism that denied the existence of soul. Nathamuni, for example asserts, > If "I" did not refer to the true self, there would be no interiority > belonging to the soul. The interior is distinguished from the exterior by > the concept "I".
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Dattatreya replies, asserts the Avadhuta Upanishad, that the word Avadhuta consists of four syllables, each of which come from four concepts. "A" comes from Akshara (alphabet) or that which is imperishable, "Va" comes from Varenya or excellent, "Dhu" comes from Dhuta (shaken off) and Ta comes from Tat or that. Avadhuta, states the Upanishad, is that person who has shaken off the world, is imperishable excellence, with the knowledge of that (Brahman), who is always is driven by his Atman (self, soul) alone, who has transcended discriminating against or for anyone by their varna (class) or stage of life. He lives in bliss, he wanders without care or unconcerned how he looks.
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The Upanishad recommends the practice of Samadhi as a means to know the Atman (Self), which states Patrick Olivelle, contextually means deep yogic contemplation. It is also notable as one of the earliest text stating that knowledge qualifies one to undertake Sannyasa, a position different from other ancient Upanishads such as the Jabala Upanishad which states that detachment from the world qualifies one to begin the journey of renunciation. The text, states Paul Deussen, is a vivid record of a remarkable cultural phenomenon of ancient India, that has survived into the modern era, and "what gave birth to it lies in Man, lies in all of us". The text also known as Aruneyi Upanishad, Arunika Upanishad and Aruni Upanishad.
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Deussen states that the text is from the group of five Upanishads which assert god Shiva as a symbolism for Atman in Hinduism. Atharvashikha along with the other four Upanishads – Atharvashiras, Nilarudra, Kalagnirudra and Kaivalya – are ancient, with Nilarudra likely the oldest and Kaivalya the relatively later era Upanishad (still BCE) composed closer to the time of Shvetashvatara Upanishad, Mundaka Upanishad, and Mahanarayana Upanishad. Atharvashikha is probably among the later Upanishad in this group, and may be the stage of Hinduism where a transition occurred from Rudra, Ishana and related Vedic deities to one Shiva. The Atharvashikha Upanishad is, states Parmeshwaranand, a relatively later era composition (still 1st millennium BCE), influenced by the Pashupata Shaivism.
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373-374 with footnote 6, Trubner's Oriental Series, Reprinted by Routledge (2000), However, acknowledges Ballantyne, Edward Gough translates the same verse in Shvetashvatara Upanishad differently, 'Let the sage know that Prakriti is Maya and that Mahesvara is the Mayin, or arch-illusionist. All this shifting world is filled with portions of him'.The Philosophy of the Upanishads and Ancient Indian Metaphysics Edward Gough, page 224 In continuation of the Samkhya and Upanishadic view, in the Bhagavata philosophy, Maya has been described as 'that which appears even when there is no object like silver in a shell and which does not appear in the atman'; with maya described as the power that creates, maintains and destroys the universe.Vyas, Ramnarayan.(1974).
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4, 1.164.42). The Manduka Upanishad partitions the symbol Aum in three different morae and adds a fourth mora-less part instructing that the mora- less part alone is ultimately real and not the other three representing "wakefulness", "dream" and the "sleep" states of consciousness. The mora-less part of Aum has correspondence with the fourth dimension of metaphysics, the Atman. Madhavananda in his commentary on the Brahmopanishad belonging to the Atharvaveda, explains that vide Mundaka Upanishad I.7 and II.1-2 the term Aksara signifies Brahman in Its aspect of the manifesting principle who Pippalada says is the thread (Sutram) to be worn instead of the sacrificial thread on the body which should be discarded.
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Tajjalān is a riddle that describes in a positive way the three basic attributes of Brahman with regard to explaining the process of creation etc. from the primeval Atman. Taittiriya Upanishad II.1/ III.1 proposes the Theory of the emanation of the elements from Brahman, the same Upanishad defines Brahman as Existence, Consciousness and Infinity and declares “that alone might be regarded as the Ultimate Reality of things, from which all these beings are born, by which they live when born, to which they repair and into which they are finally resolved”, because behind the cosmos there must be an existence which must be regarded as responsible for its origin, sustenance, and absorption.
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Eduard Roer, Mundaka Upanishad Bibliotheca Indica, Vol. XV, No. 41 and 50, Asiatic Society of Bengal, pages 142-164Max Muller (1962), Manduka Upanishad, in The Upanishads - Part II, Dover Publications, , pages 27-42 The first Mundakam, states Roer, defines the science of "Higher Knowledge" and "Lower Knowledge", and then asserts that acts of oblations and pious gifts are foolish, and do nothing to reduce unhappiness in current life or next, rather it is knowledge that frees. The second Mundakam describes the nature of the Brahman, the Atman (Self, Soul), and the path to know Brahman. The third Mundakam continues the discussion and then asserts that the state of knowing Brahman is one of freedom, fearlessness, liberation and bliss.
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He claimed that the manuscripts > were several thousands of years old, compiled by ancient rishis, Bharadwaja, > Narada and others, dealing, not with the mysticism of ancient Hindu > philosophy of Atman or Brahman, but with more mundane things vital for the > existence of man and progress of nations both in times of peace and war. > [...] One manuscript dealt with Aeronautics, construction of various types > of aircraft for civil aviation and for warfare. [...] Mr. Josyer showed some > types of designs and drawing of a helicopter-type cargo-loading plane, > specially meant for carrying combustibles and ammunition, passenger aircraft > carrying 400 to 500 persons, double and treble-decked aircraft. Each of > these types had been fully described.
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Anubhavah refers to poetic, narrative or ritual experience, enjoyment, relish or delight resulting, for the devotee or the seeker after truth, in the ecstatic experience of the divine; it is a means to understand during one’s own life-time the true nature of one’s own self which is the real nature of the Atman by experiencing the sublime delight of the unity with the Supreme Self. Cognition is said to be of two kinds – smrti ('reproductive') which is other than re-cognitive perception requiring disposition, and anubhavah ('productive') which involves a kind of awareness not derived from disposition alone. The difference between the waking state and the dreaming state becomes known through anubhava ('perception').
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The text is obscure, states T.M.P. Mahadevan, while Paul Deussen states the text may have been a memory aid that went with the glossary sections of the 108 Upanishads, namely the Sarvasara Upanishad and Niralamba Upanishad. Patrick Olivelle concurs with Deussen and considers this Upanishad as an early text in the Sutra tradition of Hinduism. The text, state Olivelle, has a distinct Advaita Vedanta of Hindu philosophy flavor, like most Sannyasa Upanishads, but this may be because major Hindu monasteries of 1st millennium AD belonged to the Advaita Vedanta tradition. Buddhadasa, a Thai Buddhist, in a commentary on Nirvana between two Indian religions, states that the Upanishad's view is that an eternal, uncreated Atman exists.
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From the level of ultimate truth (paramārthatā) the phenomenal world is māyā, changing and not what it seems to be.M Hiriyanna (2000), The Essentials of Indian Philosophy, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 25, 160-161Wendy Doniger O'Flaherty (1986), Dreams, Illusion, and Other Realities, University of Chicago Press, , page 119 The Ajativada of Gaudapada, states Karmarkar, has nothing in common with the Sunyavada concept in Buddhism.RD Karmarkar, Gaudapada's Karika, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, pages xxxix-xl While the language of Gaudapada is undeniably similar to those found in Mahayana Buddhism, Coman states that their perspective is different because unlike Buddhism, Gaudapada is relying on the premise of "Brahman, Atman or Turiya" exist and are the nature of absolute reality.
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In the pantheistic Kutsayana Hymn, the Upanishad asserts that one's Soul is Brahman, and this Ultimate Reality, Cosmic Universal or God is within each living being. It equates the Atman (Soul, Self) within to be Brahma and various alternate manifestations of Brahman, as follows, "Thou art Brahma, thou art Vishnu, thou art Rudra (Shiva), thou art Agni, Varuna, Vayu, Indra, thou art All." In the verse (5,2), Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva are mapped into the theory of Guṇa, that is qualities, psyche and innate tendencies the text describes can be found in all living beings.Max Muller, The Upanishads, Part 2, Maitrayana-Brahmana Upanishad, Oxford University Press, pages 303-304Jan Gonda (1968), The Hindu Trinity, Anthropos, Vol.
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The text consists of 9 verses. Some manuscripts include a prelude in the form of an invocation asserting that the Vedas must be imbibed in one’s mind, thoughts and speech, and through truth only is peace assured. The Upanishad opens with the assertion "Devi is one and she alone existed in the beginning", she is Kama (love), and she is Atman (soul, Self), The second verse of the Upanishad states that not only Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra are her progeny but every being in the universe is her creation. The Upanishad describes Devi as identical to all truth and reality, and whatever is not she as unreal, non-truth and non-self.
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Sheridan also describes Advaitic Theism as a "both/and" solution for the questions of whether God is transcendent or immanent, and credits the Bhāgavata with a 'truly creative religious moment' for introducing this philosophy. The text suggests that God Vishnu and the soul (atman) in all beings is one in quality (nirguna). Bryant states that the monism in Bhagavata Purana is certainly built on Vedanta foundations, but not exactly the same as the monism of Adi Shankara. The Bhagavata asserts, according to Bryant, that the empirical and the spiritual universe are both metaphysical realities, and manifestations of the same Oneness, just like heat and light are "real but different" manifestations of sunlight.
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Though Ayyavazhi has a separate outlook as a religion outside Hinduism the basic beliefs are based on the ultimate Dharma which is the core of the present 'Sanathana Dharma' , gives an idea that Ayyavazhi is a sect inside Hinduism. The Akilam based mythology is closely related to that of the mainstream Hindu scriptures. The basic doctrine is that 'to realise the invisible' (the ultimate monistic power) in the midst of the visibles, which is similar to that of Hinduism where the aim of atman is 'to attain Dharma (the supreme knowledge) . Many rituals such as circumambulating temples and wearing symbols in the fore-head in Ayyavazhi resembles that of Hinduism with minimal variations.
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These ideas include treating the cow as sacred, extensive use of terms and same metaphors that are pervasive in the Hindu scriptures – the Vedas, and the inclusion of theory of Karma, self (Atman) and Brahman (metaphysical reality) along the lines of those found in ancient Hindu texts. However, adds Engler, the text also includes another layer of ideas, where empirical rational ideas flourish in competition or cooperation with religious ideas. The text may have Buddhist influences, since a redactor named Nagarjuna has raised many historical questions, whether he was the same person of Mahayana Buddhism fame. Zysk states that the ancient Buddhist medical texts are significantly different from both Sushruta and Caraka Samhita.
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The Upanishad calls one's Guru as the one who is a spiritual guide and one worthy of devotion, praising the Guru as Brahman, Vishnu, Achyuta, identical to one's Atman (soul), declaring that there is no one greater in the universe than one's Guru. The verse 2.22 states that those who have faith in Ishvara and Guru will become great. The last chapter of the Upanishad emphasizes the importance of Dhyana (meditation) on the highest self, Hamsa and Om. The variation in the manuscripts suggest corruption of the text over time, states Deussen, such as the abrupt, non-metric addition of "reciting this text thrice a day leads to liberation" in verse 8 of the short version.
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The Om is the bow, the soul is the arrow, the Brahman the target of the arrow, asserts verse 19 of the text, metaphorically. Om should be meditated upon as eternal, infinite energy to see the God within, states the text, or for those addicted to God with form, Om should be meditated as Lord Shiva representing the light within the heart (Atman). The longer version of the Dhyanabindu manuscript that has survived into modern era, includes a six-staged Yoga method quite different than Patanjali's eight-staged practice described in the Yogasutras. The six fold yoga of Dhyanabindu includes Asana (posture), focus on breath and controlling its pace, withdrawing breath, steadiness of breath, Dhyana (meditation) and Dharana (concentration).
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The next inner, deeper layer of nature and knowledge-seeking relates to Manas (mind, thought, will, wish), or Manomaya kosha. Manas, asserts the fourth anuvaka of Ananda Valli, exists only in individual forms of beings. It is characterized by the power to will, the ability to wish, and the striving for prosperity through actions on the empirical nature, knowledge and beings.Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 233-237 The verse of fourth anuvaka add that this knowledge is essential yet incomplete, that it the knowledge of Brahman that truly liberates, and one who knows Atman-Brahman "dreads nothing, now and never" and "lives contently, in bliss".
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Jivatva (Sanskrit: जीवत्व) means – the state of life or the state of the individual soul. Jivatva is the state of life of the Jiva (transmigratory individual soul), the living entity, which is a particular manifestation of Atman, the embodied being limited to psycho-physical states, and the source of avidya that suffers (repeated) transmigration as result of its actions. Until ignorance ceases the Jiva remains caught in experience of the results of actions bringing merit and demerit, and in the state of individuality (jivatva) (Brahma Sutra I.iv.6), and so long as the connection with the intellect as conditioning adjunct lasts, so long the individuality and transmigration of soul lasts (Brahma Sutra II.iii.30).
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The Sceptics specifically pointed to the conflicting theories of atman and the requirement of omniscience, and hence the criticism of omniscience, to obtain true knowledge. A proliferation of view points existed during the period immediately preceding the rise of Buddhism, as attested in the Buddhist and Jain texts. The Buddhist Brahmajal Sutta lists four types (or schools) of Sceptics along with fifty- eight other schools of thought, while the Jain Sutrakrtanga lists sixty-seven "schools" of Sceptics among three hundred and sixty-three different schools of thought. While the list is artificially constructed according to Jain categories, the four main schools of thought, Kriyavada, Akriyavada, Ajnanikavada, and Vainayikavada, and their subgroups must have existed.
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"Advaita" refers to nondualism, non-distinction between realities, the oneness of Atman (individual self) and Brahman (the single universal existence), as in Vedanta, Shaktism and Shaivism. Although the term is best known from the Advaita Vedanta school of Adi Shankara, "advaita" is used in treatises by numerous medieval era Indian scholars, as well as modern schools and teachers. The Hindu concept of Advaita refers to the idea that all of the universe is one essential reality, and that all facets and aspects of the universe is ultimately an expression or appearance of that one reality. According to Dasgupta and Mohanta, non-dualism developed in various strands of Indian thought, both Vedic and Buddhist, from the Upanishadic period onward.
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Any imagined unity of self-hood is a false projection. Vasubandhu also uses this analysis of the stream of consciousness to attack non-Buddhist Hindu views of the Atman. Vasubandhu shows that the Hindu view of the Self as 'controller' is refuted by an analysis of the flux and disorder of mental events and the inability of the supposed Self to control our minds and thoughts in any way we would like. If the Self is truly an eternal un-caused agent, it should be unaffected by mere physical and mental causes, and it also seems difficult to explain how such a force existing independently outside of the mind could causally interact with it.
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Sruti (scriptures), proper reasoning and meditation are the main sources of knowledge (vidya) for the Advaita Vedānta tradition. It teaches that correct knowledge of Atman and Brahman is achievable by svādhyāya, study of the self and of the Vedic texts, and three stages of practice: sravana (perception, hearing), manana (thinking) and nididhyasana (meditation), a three-step methodology that is rooted in the teachings of chapter 4 of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. Sravana literally means hearing, and broadly refers to perception and observations typically aided by a counsellor or teacher (guru), wherein the Advaitin listens and discusses the ideas, concepts, questions and answers. Manana refers to thinking on these discussions and contemplating over the various ideas based on svadhyaya and sravana.
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Complete knowledge of true Reality includes knowing both Vyavaharika (empirical) and Paramarthika (spiritual), the Māyā and the Brahman. The goal of spiritual enlightenment, state Advaitins, is to realize Brahman, realize the unity and Oneness of all reality., Quote: (p. 30) – "As a philosophical and metaphysical term it [monism] refers to the acceptance of one single, ultimate, principle as the basis of the cosmos, the unity and oneness of all reality (...) [monism] has a model par excellence in that put forward by the eighth-century Indian philosopher Shankara, who is associated with the school of thought of Advaita Vedanta. (p. 263) – "In Shankara's words: 'the notions oneself and one's own are indeed falsely constructed (upon Atman) through nescience.
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Some claim, states Deutsch, "that Advaita turns its back on all theoretical and practical considerations of morality and, if not unethical, is at least 'a-ethical' in character". However, adds Deutsch, ethics does have a firm place in this philosophy. Its ideology is permeated with ethics and value questions enter into every metaphysical and epistemological analysis, and it considers "an independent, separate treatment of ethics are unnecessary". According to Advaita Vedānta, states Deutsch, there cannot be "any absolute moral laws, principles or duties", instead in its axiological view Atman is "beyond good and evil", and all values result from self-knowledge of the reality of "distinctionless Oneness" of one's real self, every other being and all manifestations of Brahman.
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In 1171, the emperor sent a delegation led by Theorianus, a theologian from Constantinople, and John Atman, an Armenian member of the Orthodox Church and abbot of the monastery at Philippopolis. Although there had been early hope for active participation by the Jacobite Church as well, the patriarch of the Jacobite church, Michael the Syrian, chose to only send an observer with a Jacobite profession of faith to the meeting. The meeting ultimately concluded with an agreement which basically accepted the position of the Greek church. Nerses created a new profession of faith for his church written in a conciliatory tone to be taken back to Constantinople for review by that church.
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According to Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, a professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics, this Upanishad seems to justify suicide in certain circumstances, a view opposed by earlier Vedic texts and principal Upanishads. The text discusses the city of Banaras as "one Shiva never leaves", and as a holy place to revere. It also is among the earliest texts which states that the four stages of life are not necessarily sequential in that anyone can renounce their worldly life at any time. The Jabala Upanishad presents the Vedanta philosophy view that the proper life of a sannyasi is not about any rituals, nor wearing any sacrificial thread, but about the knowledge of one's soul (Atman, self).
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Beyond the Atman, states Katha Upanishad, is the Avyaktam (unmanifested Reality), and Purusha (cosmic soul) is beyond the Avyaktam, and beyond the Purusha, there is nothing - for it is the goal, for it is the highest road. At the basic level of life, the interaction is between Artha and Indriya (sensory organs); while at the highest level, man becomes aware of and holistically realizes the entire hierarchy. The Soul is hidden in all beings, asserts the Katha Upanishad; it does not show itself, but its awareness is felt by seers with agrya sukshma (subtle, more self-evident conscious, keen thinkers).Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 288-289 In verse 1.3.
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The sixth Valli continues the discussion of Karma and rebirth theory, sections of which Max Muller states is possibly interpolated and inserted in a later period. The first five verses of the last section of the Upanishad assert that those who do not know or do not understand Atman return to the world of creation, and those who do are free, liberated.Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 296-298WD Whitney, Translation of the Katha-Upanishad, Transactions of the American Philological Association, Vol. 21, pages 109-111 Some unaware of Brahman's essence are naturally inclined to fear God and its manifestation such as nature (fire, lightning, sun), state verses 2.6.
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Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 217-219 The chronology of Maitrayaniya Upanishad is contested, but generally accepted to be a late period Upanishadic composition.Stephen Phillips (2009), Yoga, Karma, and Rebirth: A Brief History and Philosophy, Columbia University Press, , Chapter 1 The Maitrayaniya Upanishad consists of seven Prapathakas (lessons). The first Prapathaka is introductory, the next three are structured in a question-answer style and discuss metaphysical questions relating to Atman (Self, Soul), while the fifth to seventh Prapathaka are supplements. However, several manuscripts discovered in different parts of India contain lesser number of Prapathakas, with a Telugu language version showing just four, and another Burnell version showing just one section.
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Robert Hume, Shvetashvatara Upanishad, The Thirteen Principal Upanishads, Oxford University Press, pages 406-408 with footnotes The fifth chapter is notable for the mention of word Kapila in verse 5.2. The interpretation of this verse has long been disputed as either referring to sage Kapila – the founder of atheistic/non-theistic Samkhya school of Hinduism, or simply referring to the color "red". The fifth chapter is also notable for verse 5.10, regarding the genderlessness of the Brahman- Atman (Soul, Self), that is present in every being.Hilko W Schomerus (2000), Śaiva Siddhānta: An Indian School of Mystical Thought, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 151 This view expressed in Shvetashvatara Upanishad is also found in Aitareya and Taittiriya Āraṇyakas.
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The Jenifers released three songs on a compilation featuring five Melbourne improvising ensembles called Solid through Larrikin Records. In 1994 Zion joined the improvising ensemble "Kadoonka" (led by Dan West), performing at Monsalvat Jazz Festival in 1994, The Melbourne International Jazz Festival 2000, and Wangaratta Jazz Festival 2000. Kadoonka are currently performing around Melbourne and continue to develop new repertoire, and have currently released an album through Newmarket Records entitled By The Scruff. Zion has also performed with numerous bands and artists across many genres, including Judy Jacques, Jack Jones, Joe Camilleri, Stephen Magnusson, Adam Simmons, Tony Gould, Graeme Lyall, Albare, Ross Hannaford, Mr Brown, Strumpet, Salamander, Tine Kopa's The Atman Project, Ruby Page and Pete Murray.
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Amanaskatā is the alert state of dynamic fullness of the self (atman), it is the condition where there is no mind, the mindless state; it is the state when the mind dissolves and the self shines. It is the transmental state which is also called no-mindedness (unmani) and yogic sleep (yoga-nidra) as the prolonged absorption in the formless ecstasy or nirvikalpa samadhi; it is the state in which the jivanmukta (liberated being) exists experiencing a sense of universality. According to the Laya-chintana of Antahkarana ('mind'), the mind is absorbed in Mahat (Buddhi), Individual Buddhi is absorbed in the Cosmic Buddhi, Cosmic Buddhi in Avyakta which is Brahman; in other words, the effect is absorbed into cause.
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The three lines signify the trimurti of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The top line represents “Garhapathya” agni or home fire, syllable “Aa” of AUM, one's own body (self), Rajas guna, the power to act, the Rigveda, ushakala (twilight hour) or early morning hour, and is the personification of Brahma. The second streak or the middle line denotes "Dakshinagni", syllable “Uu” of AUM, Sattva Guṇa (virtue), atman (soul, innermost self), the power to will, Yajurveda, midday, and is the personification of Vishnu. The third streak of bhasma or ash line represents the "Ahavaniya agni", the syllable "Ma" of AUM, the Supreme Self (Brahman), the power to know, the heavens, Tamas guna, Samaveda, evening time, and is personified by Shiva.
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The Mahavakya Upanishad is a short text that discusses nature of Atman (self, soul) and Brahman (metaphysical reality), their oneness, and the nature of knowledge and ignorance. The text asserts that Yoga and introspection is the way to spiritual knowledge, with the help of a guru. The Upanishad is notable for characterizing Vedic rituals and chasing sensual pleasures as a mark of darkness within, that this darkness can be shed with the radiance of knowledge, the discovery of self as light. This, states the text, is why yoga is started with Gayatri mantra and yogins assert "hamsa-so'ham" (I am he, he is I). Supreme self is satcitananda, or "truth-consciousness-bliss", states the Upanishad.
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According to Stearns, In line with the Buddha- nature teachings and the prevalent Yogacara-Madhyamaka synthesis, Dölpopa interpreted śūnyatā as twofold, distinguishing the conventional "emptiness of self-nature" (rangtong), and the ultimate "emptiness of other" (shentong), which is the clear nature of mind. Dölpopa taught that emptiness of self- nature applied only to relative truth, while emptiness of other is characteristic of ultimate truth, i.e. ultimate Reality is not empty of its own uncreated and deathless Truth, but only of what is impermanent and illusory.Hopkins, Mountain Doctrine, 2006, passim Dölpopa employed the term 'Self' or 'Soul' (atman) to refer to the ultimate truth, that, according to him, lay at the heart of all being.
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Swami Vivekananda warned it is completely unfair to discriminate between sexes, as there is not any sex distinction in atman (soul), the soul has neither sex, nor caste nor imperfection. He suggested not to think that there are men and women, but only that there are human beings. Swami Vivekananda felt, The best thermometer to the progress of a nation is its treatment of its women and it is impossible to get back India's lost pride and honor unless they try to better the condition of women. Vivekananda considered men and women as two wings of a bird, and it is not possible for a bird to fly on only one wing.
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The first six verses of the thirteenth volume of Chandogya's third chapter state a theory of Svarga (heaven) as human body, whose doorkeepers are eyes, ears, speech organs, mind and breath. To reach Svarga, asserts the text, understand these doorkeepers. The Chandogya Upanishad then states that the ultimate heaven and highest world exists within oneself, as follows, This premise, that the human body is the heaven world, and that Brahman (highest reality) is identical to the Atman (Soul, Self) within a human being is at the foundation of Vedanta philosophy.Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 108-110 with preface The volume 3.13 of verses, goes on to offer proof in verse 3.13.
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The essential nature of Brahman as revealed in deep sleep and Yoga is Chaitanya (pure consciousness). The Vedantists also speak about the Consciousness or Mayaopahita-chaitanya that is associated with the indescribable Maya which is responsible for the functions of creation, preservation and dissolution of entire Existence, and about the Consciousness or Avidyaopahita-chaitanya that is associated with Avidya which causes the wrong identification of the Atman with the body etc.; after negating both Maya and Avidya, that is, after all distinctions are obliterated, what remains is Pure Consciousness or Chaitanya. The form of an object that the mind assumes, after coming into contact with that object or enveloping it, is called Vritti.
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The Kaivalya Upanishad, remarks Deussen, is from the group of five Upanishads which extol and assert god Shiva as a symbolism for Atman (soul). These five Upanishads – Atharvashiras, Atharvashikha, Nilarudra, Kalagnirudra and Kaivalya – are ancient, with Nilarudra likely the oldest and Kaivalya the relatively later era 1st millennium BCE Upanishad, composed closer to Shvetashvatara Upanishad, Mundaka Upanishad, and Mahanarayana Upanishad. The manuscripts of this minor Upanishad is sometimes attached to the Krishna Yajurveda, or alternatively attached to the Atharvaveda. In the Muktika canon, narrated by Rama to Hanuman, this ShaivaAM Sastri, The Śaiva-Upanishads with the commentary of Sri Upanishad-Brahma- Yogin, Adyar Library, Upanishad is listed 12th in the anthology of 108 Upanishads.
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This warms up the Kundalini, awakening her, and the warmth glows through the entire body, and at this stage the yogin must draw the breath above the navel. Yagnavalkya explains that warm air inhaled passes to the Brahmarandhra via the navel which helps in curing diseases. When hot air is retained in the heart it is the stage when it makes entry into the Sahasrara Chakra, the thousand petaled lotus, that then emerges in an inverted form. When the vital air is held in the abode of Brahman (Atman), which is the heart, according to verses 12.15–22, the fire located in the region of Susumna, which is between the eyebrows glows.
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The New Encyclopædia Britannica (2003 Edition), Volume 4, , page 56, Article on Yoga In Dhyana, the meditator is not conscious of the act of meditation (i.e. is not aware that he/she is meditating) but is only aware that he/she exists (consciousness of being), his mind and the object of meditation. Dhyana is distinct from Dharana, in that the yogi contemplates on the object of meditation and the object's aspects only, free from distractions, with his mind during Dhyana. With practice, the process of Dhyana awakens self-awareness (soul, the purusha or Atman), the fundamental level of existence and Ultimate Reality in Hinduism, the non-afflicted, conflictless and blissful state of freedom and liberation (moksha).
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Varaha Upanishad (, "boar") is a minor Upanishad of Hinduism composed between the 13th and 16th centuries CE. Composed in Sanskrit, it is listed as one of the 32 Krishna Yajurveda Upanishads, and classified as one of 20 Yoga Upanishads. The text has five chapters, structured primarily as a discussion between Vishnu in his Varaha (boar) avatar and the sage Ribhu. The discussion covers the subjects of Tattvas, the nature and relationship between the individual soul (Self, Atman) and the Ultimate Reality (Brahman), the seven stages of learning, the characteristics of Jivanmukti (inner sense of freedom while living), and the four types of Jivanmuktas (liberated persons). The last chapter of the text is dedicated to Yoga, its goals and methods.
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A deity is typically conceptualized as a supernatural or divine concept, manifesting in ideas and knowledge, in a form that combines excellence in some or all aspects, wrestling with weakness and questions in other aspects, heroic in outlook and actions, yet tied up with emotions and desires. In other cases, the deity is a principle or reality such as the idea of "soul". The Upanishads of Hinduism, for example, characterize Atman (soul, self) as deva (deity), thereby asserting that the deva and eternal supreme principle (Brahman) is part of every living creature, that this soul is spiritual and divine, and that to realize self-knowledge is to know the supreme. Theism is the belief in the existence of one or more deities.
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HH Wilson (1839), Essays on the Puránas. II, The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. 5, No. 2, pages 280-313 The style of composition and textual arrangement suggest that it is likely a compilation of different parts written in different era by different authors. The text includes sections on cosmology, mythology, genealogy, geography, rivers and seasons, temples and pilgrimage to numerous sites in India – notably to the Brahma temple in Pushkar Rajasthan, versions of story of Rama and Sita different from one found in Valmiki's Ramayana, festivals, glorification mainly of Vishnu but also in parts of Shiva and their worship, discussions on ethics and guest hospitality, Yoga, theosophical discussion on Atman (soul), Advaita, Moksha and other topics.
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The sage of the Mundaka Upanishad (Verse I.1.4), more in the context of the ritualistic than of epistemological concerns, states that there are two kinds of knowledge (vidyā) to be attained, the higher (para) and the lower (apara). Para vidyā, the higher knowledge, is knowledge of the Absolute (Brahman, Atman); Apara, the lower knowledge, is knowledge of the world – of objects, events, means, ends, virtues and vices. Para vidyā has Reality as its content; Apara vidyā, the phenomenal world. According to Advaita Vedanta, Para vidyā, by the nature of its content, possesses a unique quality of ultimacy that annuls any supposed ultimacy that might be attached to any other or form of knowledge, and is intuitively gained as self-certifying.
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In addition to the two main deities worshiped within Wicca—the God and Goddess—there are also several possible theological conceptions of an ultimate (impersonal) pantheistic or monistic divinity, known variously as Dryghtyn or "the One" or "The All." This impersonal ultimate divinity is generally regarded as unknowable, and is acknowledged but not worshiped. This monistic idea of an ultimate impersonal divinity is not to be confused with the monotheistic idea of a single supreme personal deity. (Especially since Wicca traditionally honors its two supreme deities, the Goddess and the God, as equal.) This impersonal ultimate divinity may also be regarded as the underlying order or organising principle within the world, similar to religious ideas such as Tao and Atman.
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Adi Shankara as a guru with his students. Four often-cited verses (14–18) from the Advayataraka Upanishad reverentially narrate a Guru or teacher. The best Acharya (आचार्य, spiritual teacher), state verses 14-15, is one knows the Vedas, a devotee of the god Vishnu, has no spite, who knows yoga, has his own views on it, Yoga is part of how he lives his life, is clean, reveres his own Guru, and who understands the concept of Purusha (Atman-Brahman).Georg Feuerstein (1990), Encyclopedic dictionary of Yoga, 1st edition, New York: Paragon House, The Upanishad then explains the word "Guru" as follows: Thus, the role of a Guru is one of eliminating ignorance by helping the student reach knowledge.
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This is supported by the explanation given by the 6th century Mahayana philosopher Bhavaviveka. According to Bhante Sujato, Vibhajyavāda means that the doctrine "distinguishes" (vibhajanto) the heterodox and orthodox views, particularly the non-buddhist theory of a self (atman) and also the pudgala theory of the pudgalavadins. The characteristic method used by the Buddha and early Buddhists to break down the idea of self was the method of analyzing (vibhajjati) the components of a person and investigating them to find that they do not possess the features that one could ascribe to a self. Thus, it would make sense that the term refers to "the Abhidhamma movement as an analytic approach to Dhamma in general, and as a critique of the ‘self’ in particular".
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His interpretation of Advaita Vedanta has been called Neo-Vedanta. In Advaita, Shankara suggests meditation and Nirvikalpa Samadhi are means to gain knowledge of the already existing unity of Brahman and Atman, not the highest goal itself: Vivekananda, according to Gavin Flood, was "a figure of great importance in the development of a modern Hindu self-understanding and in formulating the West's view of Hinduism." Central to his philosophy is the idea that the divine exists in all beings, that all human beings can achieve union with this "innate divinity", and that seeing this divine as the essence of others will further love and social harmony. According to Vivekananda, there is an essential unity to Hinduism, which underlies the diversity of its many forms.
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Buddhi with its organs of knowledge and its actions having the characteristics of an agent is the Vigyanakosha, the cause of samsara. It has the power of reflection of the chaitanya which it accompanies as a modification of Prakrti (avidya) and characterised by knowledge and action and always identified with the body, organs etc. This kosha is endowed with jnana and to it belong the waking and dream states and the experiences of joy and sorrow. Being very luminous in close proximity of the Paramatman deluded by which upadhi it is subject to samsara, this atman which is compacted of vigyanana and shining in the heart near the pranas being immutable becomes a doer and enjoyer in the midst of the upadhis.
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While Saṃsāra is usually described as rebirth and reincarnation of living beings, the chronological development of the idea over its history began with the questions on what is the true nature of human existence and whether people die only once. This led first to the concepts of Punarmṛtyu ("redeath") and Punaravṛtti ("return"). These early theories asserted that the nature of human existence involves two realities, one unchanging absolute Atman (soul) which is somehow connected to the ultimate unchanging immortal reality and bliss called Brahman, and that the rest is the always-changing subject (body) in a phenomenal world (Maya). Redeath, in the Vedic theosophical speculations, reflected the end of "blissful years spent in svarga or heaven", and it was followed by rebirth back in the phenomenal world.
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The text mentions different types of rosaries, their significance, the relevant mantras, and the symbolism. The inner thread of Japa Mala, states the text, signifies the Ultimate Reality (Brahman-Atman), the silver thread on its right symbolizes Shiva, the copper thread on left of Vishnu, the face is Sarasvati, the bottom is Gayatri, the hole of each bead a reminder of Jnana (knowledge), and the knot is Prakriti (nature). Klaus Klostermaier classifies this text with the Bhasmajabala Upanishad, the Rudrakshajabala Upanishad, the Brihajjabala Upanishad and the Kalagni Rudra Upanishad as Shaiva texts that explain symbolism of rites and objects of worship in Shaivism. While this Shaiva Upanishadic text discusses consecration and use of rosary for meditation, the use of rosary is common in other traditions.
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Early Buddhardharma as a general rule ostensibly rejected such reified 'essences' (Sanskrit: svabhāva) as it was such views that supported the notion of the 'self' (Sanskrit: atman) which in turn supported the rigidity of the Varnashrama dharma social system of caste that Shakyamuni challenged (Williams 1980, 1981). But this is not always the case in the Buddhadharma as the sound in the title of this tantra denotes the immutable, unconditioned, uncreated, 'primordial sound' (nada). It is in this notion that the Tantra of the Vajrayana and Mantrayana and that of Sanatana Dharma are in accord. The exoteric and esoteric motifs of sound and speech as permutations and evocation of mantra and bija in the Buddhadharma and the wider tradition of Dharma is ubiquitous.
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James Lochtefeld, Brahman, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Vol. 1: A–M, Rosen Publishing, , page 746Klaus K Klostermaier (2010), A Survey of Hinduism, Third Edition, State University of New York Press, , page 501 The text systematizes and summarizes the philosophical and spiritual ideas in the Upanishads.James Lochtefeld, Brahman, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Vol. 1: A–M, Rosen Publishing, , page 124 Brahmaasutra synthesized the diverse and sometimes conflicting teachings of Upanishads by arguing, as John Koller states: "that Brahman and Atman are, in some respects, different, but, at the deepest level, non-different (advaita), being identical." It is one of the foundational texts of the Vedānta school of Hindu philosophy. The Brahma Sūtras consists of 555 aphoristic verses (sutras) in four chapters.
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Advaita Vedanta (IAST '; Sanskrit: अद्वैत वेदान्त ) is a philosophical concept where followers seek liberation/release by recognizing identity of the Self (Atman) and the Whole (Brahman) through long preparation and training, usually under the guidance of a guru, that involves efforts such as knowledge of scriptures, renunciation of worldly activities, and inducement of direct identity experiences. Originating in India before 788 AD, Advaita Vedanta is widely considered the most influential and most dominantGandhi And Mahayana Buddhism, Journal of Oriental Studies 35:2 (1996), pp. 84-105 (accessdate=2011-06-10) sub-school of the Vedānta (literally, end or the goal of the Vedas, Sanskrit) school of Hindu philosophy. Other major sub-schools of Vedānta are ' and Dvaita; while the minor ones include Suddhadvaita, Dvaitadvaita and Achintya Bhedabheda.
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The Yoga-kundalini Upanishad (Sanskrit: योगकुण्डलिनी उपनिषत् IAST: ), also called Yogakundali Upanishad (Sanskrit: योगकुण्डल्युपनिषत्, IAST: Yogakuṇḍalī Upaniṣad),Gerald James Larson (2008), The Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies: Yoga: India's philosophy of meditation, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 615–616 is a minor Upanishad of Hinduism. The Sanskrit text is one of the 20 Yoga Upanishads, and is one of 32 Upanishads attached to the Krishna Yajurveda. In the Muktika canon, narrated by Rama to Hanuman, it is listed at number 86 in the anthology of 108 Upanishads. It is a highly significant text related to the exposition of the Kundalini Yoga, describes Hatha and Lambika yoga, and the last chapter is primarily about the quest of self-knowledge, Atman, Brahman (the Non-dual Brahman) and living liberation.
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Nancy Bauer (1987), Advaita Vedānta and Contemporary Western Ethics, Philosophy East and West, Vol. 37, No. 1, pages 36–50 The axiological premises in the Hindu thought and Indian philosophies in general, states Nikam, is to elevate the individual, exalting the innate potential of man, where the reality of his being is the objective reality of the universe. The Upanishads of Hinduism, summarizes Nikam, hold that the individual has the same essence and reality as the objective universe, and this essence is the finest essence; the individual soul is the universal soul, and Atman is the same reality and the same aesthetics as the Brahman.N. A. Nikam (1952), A Note on the Individual and His Status in Indian Thought, Philosophy East and West, Vol.
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A page from Patanjali's Yoga Sutras and Bhasya commentary (c. 2nd to 4th century CE), which placed the practice of asanas as one of the eight limbs of classical yoga The eight limbs are, in order, the yamas (codes of social conduct), niyamas (self-observances), asanas (postures), pranayama (breath work), pratyahara (sense withdrawal or non-attachment), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (realization of the true Self or Atman, and unity with Brahman, ultimate reality). Asanas, along with the breathing exercises of pranayama, are the physical movements of hatha yoga and of modern yoga. Patanjali describes asanas as a "steady and comfortable posture", referring to the seated postures used for pranayama and for meditation, where meditation is the path to samadhi, transpersonal self- realization.
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The verse 8 states the unity of Atman (individual soul) and Brahman (universal soul) as follows, In verses 9, 10, and 11 the Upanishad states the sanctity of water in purifying everything on the earth, requesting that she (goddess of water) purify the one offering the prayer of food. The Upanishad declares that water is ambrosia. The verses offer the benediction that may she purify "whatever uneatable I eat without knowing, whatever misdeeds I did without knowing, may she nourish the life-force". With the water accepting and purifying whatever is offered to it, then oblation is offered reciting Om to the five fires in the body, with the prayer that "may myself be in the Brahman" in verse 10 of the Upanishad.
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Cartwright (2010). p. 458 Their correspondence remained reserved, and Arthur Schopenhauer seemed undisturbed by her death in 1838.Cartwright (2010). p. 460 His relationship with his sister grew closer and he corresponded with her until she died in 1849.Cartwright (2010). p. 463 In July 1832 Schopenhauer left Frankfurt for Mannheim but returned in July 1833 to remain there for the rest of his life, except for a few short journeys.Cartwright (2010). p. 464 He lived alone except for a succession of pet poodles named Atman and Butz. In 1836, he published On the Will in Nature. In 1836 he sent his essay "On the Freedom of the Will" to the contest of the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and won the prize next year.
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The Maitreyi-Yajnavalkya dialogue has survived in two manuscript recensions from the Madhyamdina and Kanva Vedic schools; although they have significant literary differences, they share the same philosophical theme. After Yajnavalkya achieved success in the first three stages of his life – brahmacharya (as a student), grihastha (with his family) and vanaprastha (in retirement) – he wished to become a sannyasi (a renunciant) in his old age. He asked Maitreyi for permission, telling her that he wanted to divide his assets between her and Katyayani. Maitreyi said that she was not interested in wealth, since it would not make her "immortal", but wanted to learn about immortality: In the dialogue which follows, Yajnavalkya explains his views on immortality in Atman (soul), Brahman (ultimate reality) and their equivalence.
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While the concept of soul in Hinduism (as atman) and Jainism (as jiva) is taken for granted, which is different from the Buddhist concept of no-soul, each of the three religions believed in rebirth and emphasized moral responsibility in different ways in contrast to pre-Buddhist materialistic schools of Indian philosophies. The materialistic schools of Indian philosophies, such as Charvaka, are called annihilationist schools because they posited that death is the end, there is no afterlife, no soul, no rebirth, no karma, and death is that state where a living being is completely annihilated, dissolved. Buddha criticized the materialistic annihilationism view that denied rebirth and karma, states Damien Keown. Such beliefs are inappropriate and dangerous, stated Buddha, because they encourage moral irresponsibility and material hedonism.
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Composed in medieval India, the Shakta Upanishads are among the most recent minor Upanishads, and constitute an important source of information on Devi worship and Tantra-related theology. Some Shakta Upanishads exist in more than one version.Gudrun Buhnemann (1996), Review: The Secret of the Three Cities: An Introduction to Hindu Śakta Tantrism, Journal of the American Oriental Society, Volume 116, Number 3, page 606 The Shakta Upanishads are notable for declaring and revering the feminine as the Supreme, the primal cause and the metaphysical concepts in Hinduism called Brahman and Atman (soul). The philosophical premises in many Shakta Upanishads, states June McDaniel, is syncretism of Samkhya and Advaita Vedanta schools of Hindu philosophy, called Shaktadavaitavada (literally, the path of monistic Shakti).
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An early Kushan head of Ardhanarishvara, discovered at Rajghat, now in the Mathura Museum The conception of Ardhanarishvara may have been inspired by Vedic literature's composite figure of Yama-Yami,Swami Parmeshwaranand p. 58 the Vedic descriptions of the primordial Creator Vishvarupa or Prajapati and the fire-god Agni as "bull who is also a cow," the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad's Atman ("soul") in the form of the androgynous cosmic man Purusha and the androgynous myths of the Greek Hermaphroditus and Phrygian Agdistis. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says that Purusha splits himself into two parts, male and female, and the two halves copulate, producing all life – a theme concurrent in Ardhanarishvara's tales.Srinivasan pp. 57, 59 The Shvetashvatara Upanishad sows the seed of the Puranic Ardhanarishvara.
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It asserts that "Atman (Soul, Self) exists", teaches the precept "seek Self-knowledge which is Highest Bliss", and expounds on this premise like the other primary Upanishads of Hinduism. The Upanishad presents ideas that contrast Hinduism with Buddhism's assertion that "Soul, Self does not exist", and Buddhism's precept that one should seek "Emptiness (Śūnyatā) which is Highest Bliss".Robert Altobello (2009), Meditation from Buddhist, Hindu, and Taoist Perspectives, American University Studies - Series VII, Peter Lang Publishers, , pages 73-101John C. Plott et al (2000), Global History of Philosophy: The Axial Age, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , page 63, Quote: "The Buddhist schools reject any Ātman concept. As we have already observed, this is the basic and ineradicable distinction between Hinduism and Buddhism".
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The third Valli of Katha Upanishad presents the parable of the chariot, to highlight how Atman, body, mind, senses and empirical reality relate to a human being.Katha Upanishad - Third Valli The Thirteen Principle Upanishads, Robert Hume (Translator), page 351 The Katha Upanishad asserts that one who does not use his powers of reasoning, whose senses are unruly and mind unbridled, his life drifts in chaos and confusion, his existence entangled in samsara. Those who use their intelligence, have their senses calm and under reason, they live a life of bliss and liberation, which is the highest place of Vishnu. Whitney clarifies that "Vishnu" appears in Vedas as a form of Sun, and "Vishnu's highest place" is a Vedic phrase that means "zenith".
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Just like the Sun exists and its nature is not contaminated by the impurities seen by the eyes, the "one inner Self" of beings exists and its nature is pure, never contaminated by the sorrows and blemishes of the external world. Parts of the ideas in these first two similes of Katha Upanishad are of far more ancient origins, and found for example in Book 6, Chapter 47 of Rig veda. That individual is perennially happy, asserts Katha Upanishad, who realizes the Atman is within him, that he himself is the Master, that the inner Self of all beings and his own Self are "one form manifold", and none other.WD Whitney, Translation of the Katha-Upanishad, Transactions of the American Philological Association, Vol.
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In section 6.31, the Maitri Upanishad acknowledges concepts, such as Sūnya (voidness) found in Buddhism, in a form that suggests a challenge to its premise, as follows, The text answers that Soul exists, that reason, steadfastness, recollection, consciousness are related to Soul, as plants are related to seeds, as smoke is related to flame and sparks to fire. The Soul (Atman), states the Upanishad, is the source of all life- forces, all worlds, all the Vedas, all gods, all beings, all knowledge, all nature, all literature, all sciences, all explanations, all commentaries, it is in everything.Max Muller, The Upanishads, Part 2, Maitrayana-Brahmana Upanishad, Oxford University Press, page 330 with footnotes The Upanishad (secret meaning) of the Soul is that "it is the Reality of the realities".
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William Wainwright (2012), Concepts of God, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University A Smarta may choose any saguna deity (istadevata) such as Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti, Surya, Ganesha or any other, and this is viewed in Smarta Tradition as an interim step towards meditating on Om and true nature of supreme reality, thereby realizing the nirguna Brahman and its equivalence to one's own Atman, as in Advaita Vedanta. The movement is credited to Shankara (~8th century CE), who is regarded as the greatest teacher and reformer of the Smartha. According to Hiltebeitel, Shankara established the nondualist interpretation of the Upanishads as the touchstone of a revived smarta tradition. The Sringeri Sharada monastery founded by Adi Shankara Acharya in Karnataka is still the centre of the Smarta sect.
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The fifth chapter of the Upanishad shifts back to using the word Brahman, instead of Rudra, and presents a threefold Brahman-Atman, all part of infinite highest Brahman, and contained in Oneness.Max Muller, Shvetashvatara Upanishad, The Upanishads, Part II, Oxford University Press, pages 255-259 with footnotes The first theme is of "default state of ignorance" in human beings, the second is "realized state of knowledge", and third is of elevated eternal omnipresent Brahman that embraces both.Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , page 319-322 with footnotes The text states that ignorance is perishable and temporary, while knowledge is immortal and permanent.Dominic Goodall (1996), Hindu Scriptures, University of California Press, , pages 197-198 Knowledge is deliverance, knowledge liberates, asserts the Upanishad.
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The Upanishad, in verses 6.14 through 6.20 discusses Deva (God), interchangeably with Brahman-Atman, and its importance in achieving moksha (liberation, freedom). The text asserts that Deva is the light of everything, and He is the "one swan" of the universe. It is He who is self- made, the supreme spirit, the quality in everything, the consciousness of conscious, the master of primeval matter and of the spirit (individual soul), the cause of transmigration of the soul, and it is his knowledge that leads to deliverance and release from all sorrow, misery, bondage and fear. It is impossible to end sorrow, confusion and consequences of evil, without knowing this joyful, blissful Deva, asserts the sixth chapter of the Shvetashvatara Upanishad.
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While Adorno claims that his Negative Dialecitcs are a correction of Hegelian Dialectics, Zizek claims that these negative Dialectics had already been a part of Hegels conception. Arguably this notion of Negative Dialectics originating in Hegels concept of "Negation of Negation" is related to the Buddhist concept of Śūnyatā, which Siddharta Gautama developed in response to the Brahmanist notion of atman - as individual self or soul - which he contrasted with anatman the "not-self". Historically, dialecticians and dialectical thought have been primarily associated both with the tradition of German Idealism and later with Karl Marx dialectical materialism, which he developed both from and in opposition to the dialectical method of Hegels Absolute idealism. However, individuals widely recognized as dialecticians exist outside of the German Dialectical Tradition.
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Max Muller (Translator), Vajasaneyi Samhita Upanishad, Oxford University Press, pages 314-320 The Advaita Vedanta scholar Shankara interprets the above hymn 1 as equating "the Lord" as the "Atman" (Soul, Self). In contrast, Madhvacharya, the Dvaita Vedanta scholar interprets the hymn as equating "the Lord" as Vishnu, or a monotheistic God in a henotheistic sense.Isopanishad with commentary by Sri Madhavacharya Extracted pages 1-5 (in Sanskrit) Other interpretations have also been suggested. For example, the more recent scholar Mahīdhara suggested that hymn 1 may be referring to Buddha, an interpretation that Max Muller stated was inadmissible because of the fundamental difference between Hinduism and Buddhism, with Hinduism relying on the premise "Soul, Self exists" and Buddhism relying on the premise "Soul, Self does not exist".
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The Chandogya Upanishad in volume 6.9, states that all souls are interconnected and one. The inmost essence of all beings is same, the whole world is One Truth, One Reality, One Soul. Living beings are like rivers that arise in the mountains, states the Upanishad, some rivers flow to the east and some to the west, yet they end in an ocean, become the ocean itself, and realize they are not different but are same, and thus realize their Oneness. Uddalaka states in volume 6.10 of the Upanishad, that there comes a time when all human beings and all creatures know not, "I am this one, I am that one", but realize that they are One Truth, One Reality, and the whole world is one Atman.
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Some interpretations of Buddhism teach that reality is a coin with two sides: the not-permanent characteristic or anicca and the "not-self characteristic" or anatta, referred to as "emptiness" in some Mahayana schools. Dzogchen, as the non-dual culmination of the Ancient School (a school with a few million followers out of a few hundred million Buddhists) of Mantrayana, resolves atman and anatman into the Mindstream Doctrine of Tapihritsa. The Buddha Shakyamuni is said to have taught the variously understood and interpreted concept of "not-self" in the Anatta-lakkhana Sutta. In this sutta, he lists the characteristics that we often associate with who we are, and found that these characteristics, ultimately, are not who we are because they are subject to change without control.
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J Fowler (1996), Hinduism: Beliefs and Practices, Sussex Academic Press, , pages 59-60 The rite of passage is performed in harmony with the sacred premise that the microcosm of all living beings is a reflection of a macrocosm of the universe.Terje Oestigaard, in The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of Death and Burial (Editors: Sarah Tarlow, Liv Nilsson Stut), Oxford University Press, ISBN , pages 497-501 The soul (Atman, Brahman) is the essence and immortal that is released at the Antyeshti ritual, but both the body and the universe are vehicles and transitory in various schools of Hinduism. They consist of five elements - air, water, fire, earth and space. The last rite of passage returns the body to the five elements and origins.
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Srinivasa Ayyangar (Translator), The Yoga Upanishads, Varahopanishad Verses 4.32, page 430, Aidyar Library, (Editor: SS Sastri); Sanskrit: शिवो गुरुः शिवो वेदः शिव देवः शिवः प्रभुः । शिवोऽस्म्यहं शिवः सर्वं शिवदन्यन्न किञ्चन ॥ ३२॥ Source, see: ॥ वराहोपनिषत् ॥४: ३२॥ The Ultimate Truth, states the text, is that which always is, which preserves its nature over time, and which is unaffected by anything. The Atman, the Brahman, the "Chit, Sat and Ananda", and Janardhana (Vishnu) is such Truth, and they are synonymous, one. Some try to seek Sidhis, asserts the Upanishad, through mantras, religious rituals, time, skill, medicine, or wealth, but such Sidhis are fleeting and fruitless. Be an Atmajnani (one with Self-knowledge) through Yoga, says Vishnu to Ribhu, and to such a person Siddhis are of no importance.
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The Vachanāmrut: spiritual discourses of Bhagwān Swāminārāyan. (3rd ed.) Ahmedabad: Bochasanvasi Shri Aksharpurushottama Sanstha . Bhakti involves devotion towards God, while understanding God’s greatness and believing oneself—the atman—as one with Aksharbrahman.See Panchala 9 Sahajānanda, Swami (2015). The Vachanāmrut: spiritual discourses of Bhagwān Swāminārāyan. (3rd ed.) Ahmedabad: Bochasanvasi Shri Aksharpurushottama Sanstha . Important bhakti rituals for Swaminarayan Hindus include puja (pūjā; personal worship of God), arti (ārtī; the ritual waving of lighted wicks around murtis, or images), thal (thāl; the offering of food to murtis of God), and cheshta (ceṣtā; the singing of devotional songs that celebrate the divine acts and form of Swaminarayan). During puja, adherents ritually worship Swaminarayan, and depending on their denominational affiliation, also the lineage of gurus through whom Swaminarayan is believed to be manifest.
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This meditative focus contrasts with the anatta focus of Buddhism, and the atman focus in various vedanta schools of Hinduism such as the advaita and vishistadvaita schools. A special stress is placed on "pure real perspective" (Nishchay Naya), predeterminism, compatibility of predeterminism and free will, and "knowledge of self". The scripture of Samayasara is given the highest status as this book describes path to liberation from "pure real perspective" in contrast to Tattvartha Sutra that describes the same subject matter and has approximately same chapters, but from a different point of view. Gatha 1, Gatha 8, Gatha 11, Gatha 13, Gatha 38, Gatha 73, Gatha 320 and Gatha 412 of Samayasara and Gatha 80, Gatha 114 and Gatha 172 of Pravachanasara are considered particularly important because they include techniques of realizing pure self.
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These filter out, and over time, he can hear more subtle sounds such as single note of musical instruments at his will, and get absorbed in whichever sound note it wants to, asserts the text. This focus on sound notes help the yogi destroy distractions from other senses and fluctuations of his mind, just like a bee focussed on honey does not care about the odour that surrounds it. Such a yogi does not care about fame or disgrace from others, he does not feel heat or cold, neither joy nor sorrow, he is lost within, in his self, in Brahman-Pranava (Om). The goal of Yoga, asserts the text, is to realize the transcendent Atman, its existence in everyone, and its oneness with Brahman through meditation and absorption into Nada (sound Om).
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Terje Oestigaard, in The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of Death and Burial (Editors: Sarah Tarlow, Liv Nilsson Stut), Oxford University Press, ISBN, pages 497-501 The soul (Atman, Brahman) is believed to be the immortal essence that is released at the Antyeshti ritual, but both the body and the universe are vehicles and transitory in various schools of Hinduism. They consist of five elements: air, water, fire, earth and space. The last rite of passage returns the body to the five elements and origins.Carl Olson (2007), The Many Colors of Hinduism: A Thematic-historical Introduction, Rutgers University Press, , pages 99-100 The roots of this belief are found in the Vedas, for example in the hymns of Rigveda in section 10.16, as follows, A Hindu cremation rite in Nepal.
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The Avadhuta Gita is structured in 8 chapters, wherein Dattatreya – the symbol of the highest yogi and monastic life, describes as the divine master and example, the journey of self-realization, thereafter the nature and state of a person who lives in his soul's truth. Dattatreya asserts in the text, that the self-realized person is "by nature, the formless, all pervasive Self". He is in the state of sama-rasya or samata, which is where there are no differences between anything or anyone, neither one own's body or another person's, neither class nor gender, neither human being nor other living beings, between the abstract and the empirical universe, all is one interconnected reality, it is the unification of the One and the Beyond. His universe, all of the universe, is within his Atman (soul).
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These Hindu scriptures are variously dated between 900 BCE and 700 BCE, according to the Indologist and Sanskrit scholar Patrick Olivelle. Among with other ideas such as Atman (self, soul) and the ontological concept of Brahman, these early Upanishads discuss human life, activities and the nature of existence as a form of internalized worship, where sexuality and sex is mapped into a form of religious yajna ritual (sacrificial fire, Agni) and suffused in spiritual terms: > A fire – that is what a woman is, Gautama. Her firewood is the vulva, her > smoke is the pubic hair, her flame is the vagina, when one penetrates her, > that is her embers, and her sparks are the climax. In that very fire the > gods offer semen, and from that offering springs a man.
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Unlike Jainism, Hindu philosophies encompass nondualism where all souls are identical as Brahman and posited as interconnected one While both Hinduism and Jainism believe "soul exists" to be a self-evident truth, most Hindu systems consider it to be eternally present, infinite and constant (vibhu), but some Hindu scholars propose soul to be atomic. Hindu thought generally discusses Atman and Brahman through a monistic or dualistic framework. In contrast, Jain thought denies the Hindu metaphysical concept of Brahman, and Jain philosophy considers the soul to be ever changing and bound to the body or matter for each lifetime, thereby having a finite size that infuses the entire body of a living being. Jainism is similar to Buddhism in not recognizing the primacy of the Vedas and the Hindu Brahman.
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The Upasanakhanda, or the first part of the Ganesha Purana, presents two modes of worship.R Stevenson, , Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, Art 16, Vol 8, page 320 One is meditation and mystic contemplation of Ganesha as the eternal Brahman presented in Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy, the metaphysical absolute and Paramatma (Nirguna, supreme spirit), where he is same as the Atman (soul, innermost self) within oneself. The second approach, suggests the Ganesapurana, is through preparing an image of god (Saguna, murti), decorating it with flowers, presenting it offerings and festively remembering him in Puja-style homage. The Upasanakhanda presents these ideas in a series of episodical stories and cosmogony, that weaves in ancient mythologies as dynamic empirical reality and presents Ganesha as the Vedantist Brahman, or the absolute unchanging reality.
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Stafford Betty (2010), Dvaita, Advaita, and Viśiṣṭādvaita: Contrasting Views of Mokṣa, Asian Philosophy: An International Journal of the Philosophical Traditions of the East, Volume 20, Issue 2, pages 215-224Edward Craig (2000), Concise Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Routledge, , pages 517-518 In the Vishishtadvaita school, the Upanishads are interpreted to be teaching an Ishwar (Vishnu), which is the seat of all auspicious qualities, with all of the empirically perceived world as the body of God who dwells in everything. The school recommends a devotion to godliness and constant remembrance of the beauty and love of personal god. This ultimately leads one to the oneness with abstract Brahman. The Brahman in the Upanishads is a living reality, states Fowler, and "the Atman of all things and all beings" in Sri Ramanuja's interpretation.
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The poet T. S. Eliot, inspired by his reading of the Upanishads, based the final portion of his famous poem The Waste Land (1922) upon one of its verses. According to Eknath Easwaran, the Upanishads are snapshots of towering peaks of consciousness. Juan Mascaró, a professor at the University of Barcelona and a translator of the Upanishads, states that the Upanishads represents for the Hindu approximately what the New Testament represents for the Christian, and that the message of the Upanishads can be summarized in the words, "the kingdom of God is within you".Juan Mascaró, The Upanishads, Penguin Classics, , page 7, 146, cover Paul Deussen in his review of the Upanishads, states that the texts emphasize Brahman-Atman as something that can be experienced, but not defined.
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The section 10.1 of the Taittiriya Aranyaka mentions Sanmukha (six faced one), while the Baudhayana Dharmasutra mentions a householder's rite of passage that involves prayers to Skanda with his brother Ganapati (Ganesha) together. The chapter 7 of the Chandogya Upanishad (~800–600 BCE) equates Sanat-Kumara (eternal son) and Skanda, as he teaches sage Narada to discover his own Atman (soul, self) as a means to the ultimate knowledge, true peace and liberation.The Thirteen Principal Upanishads , Robert Hume, Oxford University Press, pages 250-262 According to Fred Clothey, the evidence suggests that Kartikeya mythology had become widespread sometime around 200 BCE or after in north India. The first clear evidence of Kartikeya's importance emerges in the Hindu Epics such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata where his story is recited.
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From the level of ultimate truth (paramārthatā) the phenomenal world is māyā, "illusion", apparently existing but ultimately not real. In Gaudapada-Karika, chapter III, verses 46-48, he states that the quietened mind becomes one with Brahman and does not perceive of any origination: Acknowledgeing the strong Buddhist influences, but arguing for the need of an "unchangeable permanent reality," Karmakar opinions that the ajativada of Gaudhapada has nothing in common with the Sunyavada concept in Buddhism.RD Karmarkar, Gaudapada's Karika, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, pages xxxix-xl While the language of Gaudapada is undeniably similar to those found in Mahayana Buddhism, Coman states that their perspective is different because unlike Buddhism, Gaudapada is relying on the premise of "Brahman, Atman or Turiya" exist and are the nature of absolute reality.
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The school founded by Kanada explains the creation and existence of the universe by proposing an atomistic theory, applying logic and realism, and is one of the earliest known systematic realist ontology in human history. Kanada suggested that everything can be subdivided, but this subdivision cannot go on forever, and there must be smallest entities (parmanu) that cannot be divided, that are eternal, that aggregate in different ways to yield complex substances and bodies with unique identity, a process that involves heat, and this is the basis for all material existence. He used these ideas with the concept of Atman (soul, Self) to develop a non-theistic means to moksha. If viewed from the prism of physics, his ideas imply a clear role for the observer as independent of the system being studied.
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The deity Brahma is mentioned in the Vedas and the Upanishads but is uncommon, while the abstract Brahman concept is predominant in these texts, particularly the Upanishads. In the Puranic and the Epics literature, deity Brahma appears more often, but inconsistently. Some texts suggest that god Vishnu created Brahma, others suggest god Shiva created Brahma, yet others suggest goddess Devi created Brahma, and these texts then go on to state that Brahma is a secondary creator of the world working respectively on their behalf. Further, the medieval era texts of these major theistic traditions of Hinduism assert that the saguna (representation with face and attributes) Brahma is Vishnu, Shiva, or Devi respectively, and that the Atman (soul, self) within every living being is the same or part of this ultimate, eternal Brahman.
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In the Puranic and the Epics literature, deity Brahma appears more often, but inconsistently. Some texts suggest that god Vishnu created Brahma (Vaishnavism), others suggest god Shiva created Brahma (Shaivism), yet others suggest goddess Devi created Brahma (Shaktism), and these texts then go on to state that Brahma is a secondary creator of the world working respectively on their behalf. Further, the medieval era texts of these major theistic traditions of Hinduism assert that the saguna Brahman is Vishnu, is Shiva, or is Devi respectively, they are different names or aspects of the Brahman, and that the Atman (soul, self) within every living being is same or part of this ultimate, eternal Brahman. Brahmin is a varna in Hinduism specialising in theory as priests, preservers and transmitters of sacred literature across generations.
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Only a few reach the final two stages, The penultimate is the becoming of a Magus (symbolized by entering Chokmah on the Tree of Life), whose essential duty is to communicate a new Truth to mankind. Of the Magi, Crowley writes: > There are many magical teachers but in recorded history we have scarcely had > a dozen Magi in the technical sense of the word. They may be recognized by > the fact that their message may be formulated as a single word, which word > must be such that it overturns all existing beliefs and codes. We may take > as instances the Word of Buddha—Anatta (absence of an atman or soul) [...] > Mohammed, again, with the single word Allah [...] Similarly, Aiwass, > uttering the word Thelema (with all its implications), destroys completely > the formula of the Dying God.
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In present-day scholarly consensus, Buddhism is considered very different from pre-Buddhist Indian religion, however. For example, Indologist Richard Gombrich wrote that the Buddha was a radical religious reformer, making religious practice and salvation a more personal matter than it was before the arising of Buddhism. The Oxford professor and later President of India, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan states that "as a matter of fact, nowhere did Buddha repudiate the Upanishad conception of Brahman, the absolute"; that Buddha, if anything, "accepted the Upanishad's position".S Radhakrishnan, Indian Philosophy, Volume 1, George Allen, page 682 Buddhologists like K.R. Norman and Richard Gombrich meanwhile, argue that the Buddha's anatta theory does indeed extend to the Brahmanical belief expounded in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad that the Self (Atman) is the Universal Self, or Brahman.
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However, the ideas in the four texts show an acceptance of a diversity of views; for example, this text asserts that Manipura Chakra has 12 petals instead of 10 in the other texts. Section 1.8 of Shandilya presents five kinds of Pratyahara, namely the ability to withdraw sensory organs from the external world at will, the ability to view everything as the Atman (soul), the ability to give away fruits of one's effort, the ability to be unaffected by the presence of sensual pleasures, and finally the fifth Pratyahara being the ability to project one's attention to one of eighteen vital parts of one's own body. Section 1.9 of the Upanishad presents five kinds of Dharanas (concentration), section 1.10 presents two kinds of Dhyana (meditation), while section 1.11 describes Samadhi – its last stage of Yoga.
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An alternative idea of Mahāyāna nirvana is found in the Tathāgatagarbha sūtras. The title itself means a garbha (womb, matrix, seed) containing Tathagata (Buddha). These Sutras suggest, states Paul Williams, that 'all sentient beings contain a Tathagata' as their 'essence, core or essential inner nature'. The tathāgatagarbha doctrine (also called buddhadhatu, buddha- nature), at its earliest probably appeared about the later part of the 3rd century CE, and is verifiable in Chinese translations of 1st millennium CE. Most scholars consider the tathāgatagarbha doctrine of an 'essential nature' in every living being is equivalent to 'Self', and it contradicts the "no self" (or no soul, no atman, anatta) doctrines in a vast majority of Buddhist texts, leading scholars to posit that the Tathagatagarbha Sutras were written to promote Buddhism to non-Buddhists.
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24fps finds her and achieves their goal of allowing Prairie to meet her, at an enormous reunion of Frenesi's family. Weed Atman is also present at the reunion as one of many Thanatoids in the book—people who are in a state that is "like death, but different." Brock, nearly omnipotent with D.E.A. funds, finds Prairie with a surveillance helicopter, and tries to snatch her up to get to Frenesi, but while he is hovering above her on a ladder, the government abruptly cuts all his funding due to a loss of interest in funding the war on drugs because people have begun playing along willingly with the antidrug ideal, and his helicopter pilot flies him away. Later he tries to come after Prairie and Frenesi again, but is killed when he crashes his helicopter.
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The Asian ideas of nondualism developed in the Vedic and post-Vedic Upanishadic philosophies as well as in the Buddhist traditions. The oldest traces of nondualism in Indian thought are found in the earlier Hindu Upanishads such as Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, as well as other pre-Buddhist Upanishads such as the Chandogya Upanishad, which emphasizes the unity of individual soul called Atman and the Supreme called Brahman. In Hinduism, nondualism has more commonly become associated with the Advaita Vedanta tradition of Adi Shankara. In the Buddhist tradition non-duality is associated with the teachings of emptiness (śūnyatā) and the two truths doctrine, particularly the Madhyamaka teaching of the non-duality of absolute and relative truth, and the Yogachara notion of "mind/thought only" (citta-matra) or "representation-only" (vijñaptimātra).
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" Another concept found in both Madhyamaka Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta is Ajativada ("ajāta"), which Gaudapada adopted from Nagarjuna's philosophy. Gaudapada "wove [both doctrines] into a philosophy of the Mandukaya Upanisad, which was further developed by Shankara. Michael Comans states there is a fundamental difference between Buddhist thought and that of Gaudapada, in that Buddhism has as its philosophical basis the doctrine of Dependent Origination according to which "everything is without an essential nature (nissvabhava), and everything is empty of essential nature (svabhava-sunya)", while Gaudapada does not rely on this principle at all. Gaudapada's Ajativada is an outcome of reasoning applied to an unchanging nondual reality according to which "there exists a Reality (sat) that is unborn (aja)" that has essential nature (svabhava), and this is the "eternal, fearless, undecaying Self (Atman) and Brahman".
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Philosophical schools such as Advaita (non-dualism) see the "spirit/soul/self" within each living entity as being fully identical with Brahman. The Advaita school believes that there is one soul that connects and exists in all living beings, regardless of their shapes or forms, and there is no distinction, no superior, no inferior, no separate devotee soul (Atman), no separate god soul (Brahman).Arvind Sharma (2007), Advaita Vedānta: An Introduction, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 19-40, 53-58, 79-86 The oneness unifies all beings, there is divine in every being, and that all existence is a single reality, state the Advaita Vedanta Hindus. In contrast, devotional sub-schools of Vedanta such as Dvaita (dualism) differentiate between the individual Atma in living beings, and the supreme Atma (Paramatma) as being separate.
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Individuals have had a choice to enter, leave or change their god(s), spiritual convictions, accept or discard any rituals and practices, and pursue spiritual knowledge and liberation (moksha) in different ways.Bhavasar and Kiem, Spirituality and Health, in Hindu Spirituality, Editor: Ewert Cousins (1989), Gavin Flood, Brill's Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Editor: Knut Jacobsen (2010), Volume II, Brill, However, various schools of Hinduism do have some core common beliefs, such as the belief that all living beings have Atman (soul), a belief in karma theory, spirituality, ahimsa (non- violence) as the greatest dharma or virtue, and others. Religious conversion to Hinduism has a long history outside India. Merchants and traders of India, particularly from Indian peninsula, carried their religious ideas, which led to religious conversions to Hinduism in Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Burma.
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The truly free doesn't want anything or anyone, he is "steadfast, blissful, polished, simple, sweet, without self-pity", and he works and lives because he wants to, without "craving for what is yet to be, or banking on the present, or remembering the past", is a "Jivanmukta (liberated in life)" states verses 2.28–29. He reaches this state because "all the world is his Self alone", self-realization is the plenitude that is everywhere in the world, all is one supreme sky, devoid of all duality, the free is being you, yourself, the Self and nothing else, states verse 2.39. The best renunciation, asserts the text, is through the virtue of knowledge to the state of Aloneness, as it reflects the state of pure universal Being where all is the manifestation of one Atman alone.
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The Natyashastra and other ancient Hindu texts such as the Yajnavalkya Smriti assert that arts and music are spiritual, with the power to guide one to moksha, through empowering the concentration of mind for the liberation of the Self (soul, Atman). These arts are offered as alternate paths (marga or yoga), in strength similar to the knowledge of the Srutis (Vedas and Upanishads). Various medieval scholars, such as the 12th- century Mitaksara and Apararka, cite Natyashastra and Bharata in linking arts to spirituality, while the text itself asserts that beautiful songs are sacred and performance arts are holy. The goal of performance arts, states Natyashastra is ultimately to let the spectator experience his own consciousness, then evaluate and feel the spiritual values innate in him, and rise to a higher level of consciousness.
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In these sutras, the perfection of the wisdom of not-self is stated to be the true self; the ultimate goal of the path is then characterized using a range of positive language that had been used previously in Indian philosophy by essentialist philosophers, but which was now transmuted into a new Buddhist vocabulary to describe a being who has successfully completed the Buddhist path.Sallie B. King (1997), The Doctrine of Buddha Nature is Impeccably Buddhist. In: Jamie Hubbard (ed.), Pruning the Bodhi Tree: The Storm Over Critical Buddhism, Univ of Hawaii Press 1997, pp. 174–192. . The word "self" (atman) is used in a way idiosyncratic to these sutras; the "true self" is described as the perfection of the wisdom of not- self in the Buddha-Nature Treatise, for example.
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The most important difference between Pratyabhijna and Buddhism is related to the ontological ultimate: while Buddhism rejects the concepts of soul (atman) and god (īśvara), the Kashmiri Shaivites put them at the top of their world model. In his philosophical treatise Īśvara-pratyabhijñā-kārikā, Utpaladeva also rejects the vasana theory (the dream model of the world) of the Sautrāntika school of Buddhist philosophy; he suggests another model for idealism: Śiva, who is pure consciousness, manifests all objects internally, by virtue of his free will, svatantrya, and the objects appear as real and external to limited beings. He appeals to the analogy of the famed materialization of objects by advanced yogins, purely by using their psychic powers.The Dreamer and the Yogin, On the relationship between Buddhist and Saiva idealisms – Isabelle Ratie, p.
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For example, the Calcutta version differs from Poona edition by replacing Dhriti with Dhruva, and Mauni for Nari. The text suggests that a yogin should contemplate and be absorbed in the Om with these Kalas, as it leads one to knowledge of Atman or Self, helps him overcome three types of Karma. The text refers to the Vedanta theory of Ajnana (ignorance) as the cause of bondage, suggesting that a yogin should listen to his inner voice in Siddhasana. A yogin, at the start of his practice, concentrates in the inner side of right ear from inside and, hears many sounds proceeding from those like an ocean and clouds( It is said that this starts from sounds of crickets and other familiar sounds and at higher levels it is Sounds of flute, cymbals and Cloud thunder).
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Community celebrations include festivals, some of which include processions and idol immersion into sea or other water bodies.History: Hans Koester (1929), The Indian Religion of the Goddess Shakti, Journal of the Siam Society, Vol 23, Part 1, pages 1–18; Modern practices: June McDaniel (2010), Goddesses in World Culture, Volume 1 (Editor: Patricia Monaghan), , Chapter 2 Smartism centers its worship simultaneously on all the major Hindu deities: Shiva, Vishnu, Shakti, Ganesha, Surya and Skanda. The Smarta tradition developed during the (early) Classical Period of Hinduism around the beginning of the Common Era, when Hinduism emerged from the interaction between Brahmanism and local traditions. The Smarta tradition is aligned with Advaita Vedanta, and regards Adi Shankara as its founder or reformer, who considered worship of God-with-attributes (Saguna Brahman) as a journey towards ultimately realizing God-without-attributes (nirguna Brahman, Atman, Self-knowledge).
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The revived Smarta tradition attempted to integrate varied and conflicting devotional practices, with its ideas of nondual experience of Atman (self, soul) as Brahman. The rapprochement included the practice of pancayatana-puja (five shrine worship), wherein a Hindu could focus on any saguna deity of choice (istadevata) such as Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti, Surya or Ganesha, as an interim step towards realizing the nirguna Brahman. The growth of this Smarta Tradition began in the Gupta period (4th–5th century CE), and likely was dominated by Dvija classes, in particular the Brahmins,Smarta sect, Encyclopædia Britannica (2012): "Smarta sect, orthodox Hindu sect composed of members of the 'twice-born', or initiated upper classes (Brahmin, Kshatriya, and Vaishya), whose primarily Brahmin followers ..." of the early medieval Indian society. This Smarta tradition competed with other major traditions of Hinduism such as Shaivism, Vaishnavism, and Shaktism.
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Brahman is the key metaphysical concept in various schools of Hindu philosophy. It is the theme in its diverse discussions to the two central questions of metaphysics: what is ultimately real, and are there principles applying to everything that is real?Edward Craig (1998), Metaphysics, Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, , Accessed (13 June 2015) Brahman is the ultimate "eternally, constant" reality, while the observed universe is a different kind of reality but one which is "temporary, changing" Maya in various orthodox Hindu schools. Maya pre-exists and co-exists with Brahman—the Ultimate Reality, The Highest Universal, the Cosmic Principles.Archibald Edward Gough (2001), The Philosophy of the Upanishads and Ancient Indian Metaphysics, Routledge, , pages 47–48 In addition to the concept of Brahman, Hindu metaphysics includes the concept of Atman—or soul, self—which is also considered ultimately real.
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" The concepts of Brahman, the Ultimate Reality from which everything arises, and Ātman, the essence of the individual, are central ideas in the Upanishads,PT Raju (1985), Structural Depths of Indian Thought, State University of New York Press, , pp. 35–36 and knowing the correspondence between Ātman and Brahman as "the fundamental principle which shapes the world" permits the creation of an integrative vision of the whole. The Upanishads are the foundation of Hindu philosophical thought and its diverse traditions,Wiman Dissanayake (1993), Self as Body in Asian Theory and Practice (Editors: Thomas P. Kasulis et al), State University of New York Press, , p. 39; Quote: "The Upanishads form the foundations of Hindu philosophical thought and the central theme of the Upanishads is the identity of Atman and Brahman, or the inner self and the cosmic self.
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Vasubandhu's Verses on the Treasury of the Abhidharma contains a description of all 75 dharmas (phenomenal events), and then outlines the entire Sarvastivada doctrine including "meditation practices, cosmology, theories of perception, causal theories, the causes and elimination of moral problems, the theory of rebirth, and the qualities of a Buddha."Lusthaus, Vasubandhu The Treasury and its commentary also expound all kinds of arguments relating to the Sarvastivada Abhidharma and critique those arguments from a Sautantrika perspective in the commentary. Major arguments include an extensive critique of the Self (Atman and Pudgala) and a critique of the Sarvastivada theory of "the existence of the dharmas of the three time periods [past, present and future]". In the Treasury, Vasubadhu also argued against a Creator God (Ishvara) and against the Sarvastivada theory of avijñaptirūpa ("unperceived physicality" or "invisible physicality").
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Avadhūta (IAST ') is a Sanskrit term from the root 'to shake' (see V. S. Apte and Monier-Williams) that, among its many uses, in some Indian religions indicates a type of mystic or saint who is beyond egoic-consciousness, duality and common worldly concerns and acts without consideration for standard social etiquette. Avadhuta is a Jivanmukta who gives his insight to others and teach them about his realisation of the true nature of the ultimate reality (Brahman) and self (Atman) and takes the role of a guru to show the path of moksha to others.Roaming: Webster's Quotations, Facts and Phrases (accessed: Sunday May 9, 2010) Some Avadhuta also achieve the title of Paramahamsa. Similar figures (colloquially called 'mad/crazy monks') are also known in Buddhist traditions, such as the medieval Zen monk Ikkyū, and the 20th century Tibetan tulku Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
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Elize Ryd making a heart sign at a concert in 2018 As one of the vital organs, the heart was long identified as the center of the entire body, the seat of life, or emotion, or reason, will, intellect, purpose or the mind. The heart is an emblematic symbol in many religions, signifying "truth, conscience or moral courage in many religions—the temple or throne of God in Islamic and Judeo- Christian thought; the divine centre, or atman, and the third eye of transcendent wisdom in Hinduism; the diamond of purity and essence of the Buddha; the Taoist centre of understanding." In the Hebrew Bible, the word for heart, lev, is used in these meanings, as the seat of emotion, the mind, and referring to the anatomical organ. It is also connected in function and symbolism to the stomach.
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The two oldest Upanishadic scriptures of Hinduism, the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad in section 4.2 and Chandogya Upanishad in section 8.6, refer to nadis (hati) in presenting their theory on how the Atman (soul) and the body are connected and interdependent through energy carrying arteries when one is awake or sleeping, but they do not mention anything related to Tantric practices. The Shvetashvatara Upanishad describes breath control that became a standard part of Yoga, but Tantric practices do not appear in it.Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 301-304, 310-311 Likewise, the Taittiriya Upanishad discusses a central channel running through the body and various Vedic texts mention the bodily pranas (vital breaths) that move around in the body and animate it. However, the idea of consciously moving the bodily pranas through yoga is not found in these sources.
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He then finds his way out of the forest, then finds knowledgeable ones for directions to Gandharas.Dominic Goodall (1996), Hindu Scriptures, University of California Press, , pages 139-141 He receives the directions, and continues his journey on his own, one day arriving home and to happiness. The commentators to this section of Chandogya Upanishad explain that in this metaphor, the home is Sat (Truth, Reality, Brahman, Atman), the forest is the empirical world of existence, the "taking away from his home" is symbolism for man's impulsive living and his good and evil deeds in the empirical world, eye cover represent his impulsive desires, removal of eye cover and attempt to get out of the forest represent the seekings about meaning of life and introspective turn to within, the knowledgeable ones giving directions is symbolism for spiritual teachers and guides.
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The Upanishad in section 8.5 and 8.6 states that the life of student (Brahmacharin, see Brahmacharya) guided by a teacher is the means to knowledge, and the process of meditation and search the means of realizing Atman.Chandogya Upanishads S Radhakrishnan (Translator), pages 498-499 The verse 8.5.1 asserts that such life of a student is same as the yajna (fire ritual), the istam (oblations offered during the fire ritual), the sattrayanam (community fire ritual festival), the maunam (ritual of ascetic silence), the anasakayanam (fasting ritual), and the aranyayanam (a hermit life of solitude in the forest).Robert Hume, Chandogya Upanishad 8.5-8.6, The Thirteen Principal Upanishads, Oxford University Press, pages 266-267 The section thus states all external forms of rituals are equivalently achievable internally when someone becomes a student of sacred knowledge and seeks to know the Brahman-Atman.
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The sections 8.7 through 8.12 of the Chandogya Upanishad return to the question, "what is true Self, and what is not"?Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 196-198 The opening passage declares Self as the one that is eternally free of grief, suffering and death; it is happy, serene being that desires, feels and thinks what it ought to.Chandogya Upanishad with Shankara Bhashya Ganganath Jha (Translator), pages 447-484 Thereafter, the text structures its analysis of true and false Atman as four answers. The three Self, which are false Self, asserts the text are the material body, corporeal self in dreams, individual self in deep sleep, while the fourth is the true Self – the self in beyond deep sleep state that is one with others and the entire universe.
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The early Upanishads are, however, generally silent about women and men, and focus predominantly about gender-less Brahman and its relation to Atman (Soul, Self). There are occasional exceptions. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, composed about 800 BCE, for example, in the last chapter detailing the education of a student, include lessons for his Grihastha stage of life.Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 534-539 There, the student is taught, that as a husband, he should cook rice for the wife, and they together eat the food in certain way depending on whether they wish for the birth of a daughter or a son, as follows, Women are mentioned and are participants in the philosophical debates of the Upanishads, as well as scholars, teachers and priestesses during the Vedic and early Buddhist age.
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Viśvanātha Kavirāja in his Sahitya- Darpana or Mirror of Composition, explains that Vibodha i.e. awaking is the return of consciousness or reviewing of one’s own limbs by the Vedantin who believes that his limbs cease to exist when he ceases to think of them, in other words, return to reality through realization of truth. He also clarifies that the word, Vibodha, refers to the seeking after end, in other words, to the consummation of the ultimate object. A sādhaka, the seeker after truth, takes into cognisance the three obstacles that come in his way and prays and works for their removal; he practices Sravanam which is listening to the teachings of the Vedanta through a guru, listening involves faith in the teacher and the Scriptures, and understanding and retaining the essence of the teachings; he also practices contemplation (nididhyasana) for a thorough understanding of the Atman and the Anatman.
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Madhu-vidya occupies a unique place in the Upanishadic scheme of upasana , due to its supremely hidden significance and peculiarly mystic presentation. Chandogya Upanishad takes the Sun as the main symbol and works out the vidya thereon; Brihadaranyaka Upanishad depicts a long series of cause and effect, showing their mutual interdependence and finally leads to the Atman which is shown to be the supreme source of everything else. Sankara takes madhu to mean effect, and he also accepts the primary sense of delight. The effects that flow are not mere imaginary things but are actualities that become visualised; every effect takes shape in a particular form or colour which signifies its concretisation and completion but the essence or the honey has no particular form or colour because it happens to be beyond all manifestations; it is recognized by the heaving at the centre of the Sun.
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Questioning The "Saguna- Nirguna" Distinction in Advaita Vedanta, Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies, Vol. 14, No. 7, pages 1-6 The nirguna Brahman is the unchanging Reality, however, the saguna Brahman is posited as a means to realizing this nirguna Brahman. The concept of the saguna Brahman is considered in this tradition to be a useful symbolism and means for those who are still on their spiritual journey, but the saguna concept is abandoned by the fully enlightened once he or she realizes the identity of their own soul with that of the nirguna Brahman.William Wainwright (2012), Concepts of God, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University A Smarta may choose any saguna deity (istadevata) such as Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti, Surya, Ganesha or any other, and this is viewed in Smarta Tradition as an interim step towards realizing the nirguna Brahman and its equivalence to one's own Atman.
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God is described as the Father of each individual, and through the direct gift of a fragment of his eternal spirit, called a Thought Adjuster, is said to be able to guide the individual toward an increased understanding of him. The Thought Adjuster is a central teaching of the book and is also referred to as a "Mystery Monitor" and "indwelling presence," as well as a "divine spark." The idea is compared within the book to the Hindu atman and the ancient Egyptian ka. In relation to biblical traditions, the Thought Adjuster is said to be the meaning behind the phrases "being made in God's image" and the "kingdom of God is within you": Each person is said to receive one such fragment at the time of his or her first independent moral decision, on average around the age of five years and 10 months.
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The "A" is the source of Brahma who became Jambavat, from "U" came Vishnu who became Surgriva, from "M" of AUM mantra came Shiva who manifested as Hanuman, states the text. The bindu of Om became Shatrughna (third brother of Rama), the nada became Bharata (elder brother of Rama), kala resonance became Lakshmana (younger brother of Rama), the kalatita became Lakshmi who manifested as goddess Sita (a Shakti, wife of Rama), and beyond all this is the last subtle part of Om which is Supreme Self manifesting as Rama. The text next presents eight mantras, asserting them to be a means to realize the Atman. These repeat the mapping of elements of Om mantra to the characters of the Ramayana, calling Rama as Paramatman, Narayana and supreme Purusha (cosmic man), the ancient Purushottama, the eternal, the liberated, the true, the highest bliss, the one without a second.
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In Bijak, Kabir mocks the practice of praying to avatars such as Buddha of Buddhism, by asserting "don't call the master Buddha, he didn't put down devils". Kabir urged people to look within and consider all human beings as manifestation of God's living forms: Charlotte Vaudeville states that the philosophy of Kabir and other sants of the Bhakti movement is the seeking of the Absolute. The notion of this Absolute is nirguna which, writes Vaudeville, is same as "the Upanishadic concept of the Brahman-Atman and the monistic Advaita interpretation of the Vedantic tradition, which denies any distinction between the soul [within a human being] and God, and urges man to recognize within himself his true divine nature". Vaudeville notes that this philosophy of Kabir and other Bhakti sants is self-contradictory, because if God is within, then that would be a call to abolish all external bhakti.
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26 it mentions that the atman 'neither trembles in fear nor suffers injury' and in the Isha Upanishad 6-7 it too talks about suffering as non existent when one becomes the Brahman as they see the self in all beings and all beings in the self. Therefore, the apparent purpose of Brahman is in discussion in the Upanishads but the Brahman itself is the only self-contained purpose and true goal according to the Upanishads, so posing the question is redundant. The Upanishads consider the Brahman the only actual worthwhile goal in life and ultimately one should aim to become it as it is the means and an end in and of itself to ultimate knowledge, immortality, etc. So the question of what is the ultimate purpose of everything including the Brahman is answered by realizing or attaining the Brahman as the Brahman itself is ultimate knowledge.
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Thirty-three divinities are mentioned in other ancient texts, such as the Yajurveda,See White Yajurveda verses 20.11 and 20.36, for example: Ralph Griffith, The texts of the white Yajurveda EJ Lazarus, pages 187, also 190, 132-135, 241 however, there is fixed "number of deities" in Hinduism there are only 33 gods a standard representation of "deity". Most, by far, are goddesses, state Foulston and Abbott, suggesting "how important and popular goddesses are" in Hindu culture. No one has a list of the 33 category goddesses and gods, but scholars state all deities are typically viewed in Hinduism as "emanations or manifestation of genderless principle called Brahman, representing the many facets of Ultimate Reality". This concept of God in Hinduism "God, the universe, human beings and all else is essentially one thing" and everything is connected oneness, the same god is in every human being as Atman, the eternal Self.
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Shankara explained that all deities were but different forms of the one Brahman, the invisible Supreme Being.Klaus Klostermaier (2007), A Survey of Hinduism, Third Edition, State University of New York Press, , page40 Benedict Ashley credits Adi Shankara for unifying two seemingly disparate philosophical doctrines in Hinduism, namely Atman and Brahman. Isaeva states that Shankara's influence extended to reforming Hinduism, founding monasteries, edifying disciples, disputing opponents, and engaging in philosophic activity that, in the eyes of Indian tradition, helped revive "the orthodox idea of the unity of all beings" and Vedānta thought. Some scholars doubt Shankara's early influence in India.Paul Hacker, Philology and Confrontation: Paul Hacker on Traditional and Modern Vedanta (Editor: Wilhelm Halbfass), State University of New York Press, , pages29–30 According to King and Roodurmun, until the 10th century Shankara was overshadowed by his older contemporary Mandana-Misra, who was considered to be the major representative of Advaita.
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Sakayanya answers the king's question, in verse 2.2 of Maitri Upanishad, by asserting that Atman (soul, self) exists in every individual, and it is that inmost being which "moves about without moving" (exists everywhere), which dispels darkness of ignorance and error, which is serene, immortal, fearless and soaring for the highest light.Max Muller, The Upanishads, Part 2, Maitrayana-Brahmana Upanishad, Oxford University Press, pages 290-291 The Maitri Upanishad states that this is the message of all Upanishads, Sage Sakayanya thereafter narrates an ancient dialogue between s and Kratu, which is sourced from Rig Veda. The dialogue states that "man was created in the image of its creator, innately has all its powers, and is driven by it". The dialogue raises a series of metaphysical objections and inconsistencies with this premise, and then offers theories to resolve the what, how and why this is so.
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The third Prapathaka of Maitri Upanishad presents a theory of Soul that is different than the Vedanta school of Hinduism, rather it resonates with its Samkhya school. It enumerates different types of Atman, the three Gunas and how these "qualities of personality" overwhelm him from his essential nature into egoistic life of cravings, the source of evil and sorrow in a man's life, and other terminology from the Samkhya philosophy.Paul Deussen (Translator), Sixty Upanisads of the Veda, Vol 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 338-340 The third Prapathaka opens with the question, "if soul is inherently great, then who is this soul that suffers from the 'bright and dark fruits' of karma, rebirth and is overcome by Dvandva (pairs of opposite such as heat and cold, health and disease, etc)?" As answer, the Maitrayaniya Upanishad states that there is another, different soul, calling it Bhutatman (the elemental soul), which transmigrates.
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Sections 6.9 through 6.17 of the Maitri Upanishad is motley collection of three parts, all relating to the metaphysical interpretation of food.Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 350-358 with introductory and footnotes This is connected with the much older metaphorical discussion of "food" in chapter 5 of the Chandogya Upanishad. Everything is food to everything else, and taking of food is described by the Upanishad as a form of worship, a sacrifice offered by the Self to the Self.Max Muller, The Upanishads, Part 2, Maitrayana-Brahmana Upanishad, Oxford University Press, page 312 with footnote 2 In the first part of discussing food, the section discusses the feeding of one's own body as a form of religious ritual, and includes a hymn that is "food prayer" and that urges Atman to gratify the reciter as well as gratify all creatures in the universe.
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The sixth Prapathaka enumerates six limbs, a shorter list than the eight limbs of Patanjali's Yogasutra. The identified Yoga steps for Self-knowledge in Maitrayaniya Upanishad are: Pranayama (regulation of breath), Pratyahara (withdrawal of senses inwards), Dhyana (meditation), Dharana (concentration of mind on one idea), Tarka (creative, contemplation of idea), Samadhi (absorption with the idea, a state of being one with the idea). The sixth Prapathaka of Maitri Upanishad is one of the several ancient Indian texts that describe the theory of Yoga. After enumerating the sixfold yoga, the Upanishad states that the path to Self- knowledge is yogic meditating on Self and Brahman.Max Muller, The Upanishads, Part 2, Maitrayana-Brahmana Upanishad, Oxford University Press, page 318-320 with footnotesPaul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 363-364 This meditation leads to the state that "unites everything in the eternal, highest Atman".
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Scholars have also expressed varying views whether Shvetashvatara Upanishad is a monotheistic, pantheistic or monistic text.A Kunst, Some notes on the interpretation of the Ṥvetāṥvatara Upaniṣad, Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, Vol. 31, Issue 02, June 1968, pages 309-314; Doris SrinivasanD Srinivasan (1997), Many Heads, Arms, and Eyes, Brill, , pages 96-97 and Chapter 9 states that the Upanishad is a treatise on theism, but it creatively embeds a variety of divine images, an inclusive language that allows "three Vedic definitions for personal deity". The Upanishad includes verses wherein God can be identified with the Supreme (Brahman-Atman, Self, Soul) in Vedanta monistic theosophy, verses that support dualistic view of Samkhya doctrines, as well as the synthetic novelty of triple Brahman where a triune exists as the divine soul (Deva, theistic God), individual soul (self) and nature (Prakrti, matter).
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The Vaiśeṣika Sūtra is written in aphoristic sutras style, and presents its theories on the creation and existence of the universe using naturalistic atomism,Analytic Philosophy in Early Modern India J Ganeri, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2014); Naturalism in Classical Indian Philosophy, A Chatterjee, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2012) applying logic and realism, and is one of the earliest known systematic realist ontology in human history. The text discusses motions of different kind and laws that govern it, the meaning of dharma, a theory of epistemology, the basis of Atman (self, soul), and the nature of yoga and moksha.Translation of critical edition of Vaiśeṣika Sūtra: John Wells (2009), The Vaisheshika Darshana, Darshana Press; Discussion: On yoga and moksha in Vaisesika Sutras: The explicit mention of motion as the cause of all phenomena in the world and several propositions about it make it one of the earliest texts on physics.
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He writes, Michael Comans states Gaudapada, an early Vedantin, utilised some arguments and reasoning from Madhyamaka Buddhist texts by quoting them almost verbatim. However, Comans adds there is a fundamental difference between Buddhist thought and that of Gaudapada, in that Buddhism has as its philosophical basis the doctrine of Dependent Origination according to which "everything is without an essential nature (nissvabhava), and everything is empty of essential nature (svabhava-sunya)", while Gaudapada does not rely on this principle at all. Gaudapada's Ajativada is an outcome of reasoning applied to an unchanging nondual reality according to which "there exists a Reality (sat) that is unborn (aja)" that has essential nature (svabhava) and this is the "eternal, fearless, undecaying Self (Atman) and Brahman". Thus, Gaudapada differs from Buddhist scholars such as Nagarjuna, states Comans, by accepting the premises and relying on the fundamental teaching of the Upanishads.
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Tanumānasī (Sanskrit: ) is the third stage or bhumika of wisdom in the waking state, at which stage the mind, through development of profound indifference towards objects, is stated to become as thin as a thread - Tanu means 'thread' and manas means the 'mind'. During this stage of awakening the aspirant gives up all hankering after sensual objects. The seven stages of wisdom that characterize a Jivanmukta were mentioned by Ribhu to his son, Nidāgha, in the Varahu Upanishad, which stages are – a) Shubhecha ('good desire or intention'), b) Vicharana ('enquiry and contemplation'), c) Tanumanasi ('the mind rid of hankering after objects'), d) Sattvapatti ('the purified Chit resting on the Atman'), e) Asamsakti ('perfect non-attachment to objects'), f) Padartha-bhavana ('analysis of objects or love for objects'), g) Turiyattita ('superconsciouness' or moksha). With the first three stages working amidst differences and non-differences in the waking state the aspirant i.e.
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The bliss sheath normally has its fullest play during deep sleep: while in the dreaming and wakeful states, it has only a partial manifestation. The blissful sheath (anandamaya kosha) is a reflection of the Atman which is truth, beauty, bliss absolute. The following entry is for the utility of Hindu aspirants who are familiar with Panchakosha: Just as each of the five elements (earth, water, fire, air, and ether) appear in corresponding subtlety among each of the five senses so too the intellect cognizes ever subtler causes and effects at play through each of the five sheaths. For example, the annamayakosha, the coarsest sheath, is based in the earth element, which is guarded by Ganesha, while the very subtlest sheath Anandamaya is based in the quanta/ether element, and is guarded by a black disc of utter darkness over the sun, which can be removed only by Ganesha.
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The philosophical portions of the Vedas were summarized in Upanishads, which are commonly referred to as Vedānta, variously interpreted to mean either the "last chapters, parts of the Veda" or "the object, the highest purpose of the Veda".Max Muller, The Upanishads, Part 1, Oxford University Press, page LXXXVI footnote 1 The early Upanishads all predate the Common Era, five of the eleven principal Upanishads were composed in all likelihood before 6th century BCE,Patrick Olivelle (2014), The Early Upanishads, Oxford University Press, , pages 12–14 and contain the earliest mentions of Yoga and Moksha. The Shramanic Period between 800 and 200 BCE marks a "turning point between the Vedic Hinduism and Puranic Hinduism". The Shramana movement, an ancient Indian religious movement parallel to but separate from Vedic tradition, often defied many of the Vedic and Upanishadic concepts of soul (Atman) and the ultimate reality (Brahman).
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Crangle and other scholars state that sabija-asamprajnata samadhi resembles the four formless jhanas, with the fourth arupa jhana of Buddhism being analogous to Patanjali's "objectless dhyana and samadhi".Stuart Ray Sarbacker (2006), Samadhi, SUNY Press, , pages 104-106 According to Sarbacker and other scholars, while there are parallels between Dhyana in Hinduism and in Buddhism, the phenomenological states and the emancipation experiences are described differently. Dhyana in Buddhism is aiming towards cessation and realization of shunya (state of null), while Dhyana Hinduism is aiming towards realization of Atman (soul) and consequent union with Brahman. Nirvana (or Nibbana), the desired end through Dhyana in Buddhism, is the realization that there is no permanent self nor permanent consciousness; while Moksha, the desired end through Dhyana in Hinduism, is acceptance of Self, realization of liberating knowledge, the consciousness of Oneness with all existence and understanding the whole universe as the Self.
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This classification of four Dhyana types may have roots, suggests Paul Dundas, in the earlier Hindu texts related to Kashmir Shaivism. Dundas states that Jaina tradition emphasized Dhyana, but its meditation-related literature likely went through two stages of formulation, the early stage independent of other Indian traditions, one which concerned itself with "cessation of mind and physical activities" rather than their transformation as in other Indian traditions; followed by a later stage, likely post- Yogasutras, where Jaina scholars of different sects restructured the contemplative model to assimilate elements of Hindu and Buddhist techniques on Dhyana. The terminology used in some Jainism texts however, states John Cort, are different.John Cort (1998), Open Boundaries: Jain Communities and Cultures in Indian History, State University of New York Press, , pages 17-20 The premise of Atman (soul) exists, that is found in Hinduism, is also present in Jainism.
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Adi Shankara explains that nothing can induce one to act who has no desire of his own to satisfy. The supreme limit of vairagya ("detachment"), is the non-springing of vasanas in respect of enjoyable objects; the non-springing of the sense of the "I" (in things which are the ānatman) is the extreme limit of bodha ("awakening"), and the non-springing again of the modifications which have ceased is the extreme limit of Uparati ("abstinence"). The Jivanmukta gains divine and infinite knowledge and has complete self-knowledge and Self-realization, a Jivanmukta by reason of his ever being Brahman, is freed from awareness of external objects and no longer aware of any difference between the inner atman and Brahman and between Brahman and the world, he knows the he is same as Brahman and has an ever experiencing infinite consciousness. "Vijnatabrahmatattvasya yathapurvam na samsrtih" – "there is no saṃsāra as before for one who has known Brahman".
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Psychological studies show that thinking and speaking of oneself in the third person increases wisdom and has a positive effect on one's mental state because an individual who does so is more intellectually humble, more capable of empathy and understanding the perspectives of others, and is able to distance emotionally from one's own problems. Accordingly, in certain Eastern religions, like Hinduism, illeism is sometimes seen as a sign of enlightenment, since through it, an individual detaches his eternal self (atman) from his bodily form; in particular, Jnana yoga encourages its practitioners to refer to themselves in the third person. Known illeists of that sort include Swami Ramdas, Ma Yoga Laxmi, Anandamayi Ma, and Mata Amritanandamayi. A number of celebrities, including Marilyn Monroe, Alice Cooper, and Deanna DurbinPrivate letter to film historian/critic William K. Everson in the late 1970s, referred to themselves in the third person to distance their public persona from their actual self.
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The Upanishad gives details about how the conception takes place in the womb and how it develops over a period of nine months. After the union takes place in a particular (Ritu) season, the growth of the body in the embryo on the first day is a "nodule". It becomes a "bubble" by the seventh night; in 15 nights it becomes a "lump"; in a month's time the embryo is hard; by the end of two months, head is formed; parts of the feet appear by three months; stomach, the hips and ankle appear by the fourth month; the vertebral column shapes up by the fifth month; the face, nose and ears appear by the sixth month; the seventh month is when fetus is imbibed with Jiva or soul (Atman), in the eighth month has all body parts, and fully developed in the ninth month. The fetus grows and is nourished by what the mother eats and drinks, through a vein, states the text.
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For example, the Brihadaranyaka interprets the practice of horse-sacrifice or ashvamedha allegorically. It states that the over-lordship of the earth may be acquired by sacrificing a horse. It then goes on to say that spiritual autonomy can only be achieved by renouncing the universe which is conceived in the image of a horse. In similar fashion, Vedic gods such as the Agni, Aditya, Indra, Rudra, Visnu, Brahma, and others become equated in the Upanishads to the supreme, immortal, and incorporeal Brahman-Atman of the Upanishads, god becomes synonymous with self, and is declared to be everywhere, inmost being of each human being and within every living creature.Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 350-351Paul Deussen, , University of Kiel, T&T; Clark, pages 342-355, 396-412 The one reality or ekam sat of the Vedas becomes the ekam eva advitiyam or "the one and only and sans a second" in the Upanishads.
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A temple's main entrance and the sanctum space should typically open east facing the sunrise, states the text, while the human body was the template of the temple, with Atman and Brahman (Purusha) as the resider in the heart, respectively. The relative ratios, of various levels and various spaces, which the text asserts are naturally pleasing, such as those of entrance height, lengths and heights, placement of carvings are specified in chapters 253-269, as well as other sections such as chapters 58-65. For example, the text suggests that the pillar inside the temple (stambha) be considered as of nine parts, with terms such as Padma, Kumbha, Antara and others, wherein the width of the pillar and each of these parts have certain ratios, and the structural features or carvings be laid out on these nine parts. The text, though named after an avatar of Vishnu, has numerous sections on the installation of Shiva Linga, while other chapters mention Vishnu murti, goddesses and other deities.
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The concept of Maya appears in numerous Upanishads. The verses 4.9 to 4.10 of Svetasvatara Upanishad, is the oldest explicit occurrence of the idea that Brahman (Supreme Soul) is the hidden reality, nature is magic, Brahman is the magician, human beings are infatuated with the magic and thus they create bondage to illusions and delusions, and for freedom and liberation one must seek true insights and correct knowledge of the principles behind the hidden magic.Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 316-317 Gaudapada in his Karika on Mandukya Upanishad explains the interplay of Atman and Maya as follows,Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 2, Motilal Banarsidass, , page 618 Sarvasara Upanishad refers to two concepts: Mithya and Maya. It defines Mithya as illusion and calls it one of three kinds of substances, along with Sat (Be- ness, True) and Asat (not-Be-ness, False).
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1 Oxford University Press, page 78 with footnote 2 Edelmann and other modern era scholars also state that the Devas versus Asuras discussion in Upanishads is a form of symbolism.Jonathan Edelmann (2013), Hindu Theology as Churning the Latent, Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Volume 81, Issue 2, pages 427-466Doris Srinivasan (1997), Many Heads, Arms and Eyes: Origin, Meaning, and Form of Multiplicity in Indian Art, Brill Academic, , pages 130-131 In the later primary Upanishadic texts, Devas and Asuras discuss and act to seek knowledge, for different purposes. In one case, for example, they go to Prajāpati, their father, to understand what is Self (Atman, soul) and how to realize it. The first answer that Prajāpati gives is simplistic, which the Asuras accept and leave with, but the Devas led by Indra do not accept and question because Indra finds that he hasn't grasped its full significance and the given answer has inconsistencies.
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The verses 1.65 to 1.76 describe the process of progress and experience, with the text stating that the Chakra with sixteen petals called Anahata is awakened, linking vital fluids of the human body symbolically to moon and sun, that is arousing the awareness of cold and hot essence within respectively. The text lists six chakras as the Ajna is in the head (between the two eyebrows), Vishuddhi (root of the neck), Anahata (heart), Manipuraka (navel), Svadhishthana (near genital organ) and Muladhara (base of spinal cord). These, states the text, are centers of Shakti (power, energy, subtle force).KN Aiyar (1914), Thirty Minor Upanishads, University of Toronto Archives, , page 260-272John George Woodroffe (1974, pen name: Arthur Avalon), The Serpent Power, Courier, , page 115 ;Goal The Yogakundali Upanishad, in verses 1.77 to 1.87, outlines the destination for the journey of Kundali-yoga practice to be the knowledge of Brahman (eternal, changeless reality), Atman (soul, self), and inner liberation.
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He finds materialists would only accept the existence of matter or force and deny anything else, & would in their argument find anything which is not knowable (that which would escape once thought and speech) as inert or a passive, silent Atman, an illusion or a hallucination, this affirmation by the materialists is based on the association of the real with the materially perceptible, and becomes the basis of his assumption on all his arguments. For which Sri Aurobindo finds that the notion cannot give an impartial reasoning. Due to the above notion the materialists would refuse any further inquiry, thus never would have a satisfied understanding. He recommends that the only way to reconcile the materialistic mind with the other truth would be to cross over the layers of inner consciousness either by objective analysis of life & mind as to matter or by subjective synthesis and illumination, arrive at a state of the ultimate unity without denying the energy of the expressing multiplicity of the universe.
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It asserts that "Atman (Soul, Self) exists", teaches the precept "seek Self-knowledge which is Highest Bliss", and expounds on this premise like the other primary Upanishads of Hinduism. The detailed teachings of Katha Upanishad have been variously interpreted, as Dvaita (dualistic)Ariel Glucklich (2008), The Strides of Vishnu: Hindu Culture in Historical Perspective, Oxford University Press, , page 70 and as Advaita (non-dualistic).SH Nasr (1989), Knowledge and the Sacred: Revisioning Academic Accountability, State University of New York Press, , page 99, Quote: "Emerson was especially inebriated by the message of the Upanishads, whose nondualistic doctrine contained so lucidly in the Katha Upanishad, is reflected in his well known poem Brahma".Kathopanishad, in The Katha and Prasna Upanishads with Sri Shankara's Commentary, Translated by SS Sastri, Harvard College Archives, pages 1-3Patrick Olivelle (1996), The Early Upanishads: Annotated Text & Translation, Oxford University Press, , Introduction Chapter The Katha Upanishad found in the Yajurveda is among the most widely studied Upanishads.
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The text presents the theme of renunciation as well as a description of the life of someone who has chosen the monastic path of life as a sannyasi in Hindu Ashrama culture. The Upanishad opens by stating that the renouncer, after following the prescribed order, and performing prescribed rites becomes a renunciant, should obtain the cheerful approval of his mother, father, wife, other family members and relatives, then distribute his property in any way he wishes, cut off his topknot hair and discard all possessions, before leaving them forever. As he is leaving, the sannyasi thinks of himself, "you are the Brahman (ultimate reality), you are the sacrifice, you are the universe". The sannyasi should, states the text, contemplate on Atman (soul, self), pursue knowledge, lead a simple life without any possession, be chaste and compassionate to all living beings, neither rejoice when someone praises him, nor curse when someone abuses him.
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Neither the author nor the composition date of Bahvricha Upanishad is known. The text was likely composed, in the same period as other Shakta Upanishads, between the 12th- and 15th-century CE. The text existed before the 14th-century, states Max Muller, as it was referenced by the 13th/14th-century Dvaita Vedanta scholar Madhvacharya. In 19th-century compilations of the Upanishads, a part of the Aitareya Aranyakas from the Rigveda was sometimes called Aitareya Upanishad, Atmasatka Upanishad and also Bahvricha Upanishad.Karl Potter (2008), Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies, Motilal Banarsidass, , page 270 The Devi-related medieval era Bahvricha Upanishad is different from the ancient BCE era Aitareya Upanishad, but both discuss the nature of Atman (soul, Self).Paul Deussen (1997), Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 7–20Patrick Olivelle (1998), The Early Upanisads, Oxford University Press, , pages 314–323 Manuscripts of this text are also found titled as Bahvrcopanisad.
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In Hindu philosophy, the antaḥkaraṇa (Sanskrit: अन्तःकरण, meaning "the inner cause") refers to the totality of two levels of mind, namely the buddhi, the intellect or higher mind, and the manas, the middle levels of mind which (according to theosophy) exist as or include the mental body. Antaḥkaraṇa has also been called the link between the middle and higher mind, the reincarnating part of the mind.Bailey, Alice A. A Treatise on Cosmic Fire. Lucis Press, 2005 Antahkarana In Vedāntic literature, this (internal organ) is organised into four parts: # Ahaṃkāra (ego) – identifies the Atman (self) with the body as 'I' # Buddhi (intellect) – controls decision making # Manas (mind) – controls sankalpa (will or resolution) # Citta (memory) – deals with remembering and forgetting Another description says that "antaḥkaraṇa" refers to the entire psychological process, including mind and emotions, are composing the mind levels, as described above, which are mentioned as a unit that functions with all parts working together as a whole.
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The sage of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad IV.4.2, although not using the word Paramatman, explains that at the time of release the portion (aspect) of the Paramatman and the portion (aspect) of the Jiva presiding in the right eye become unified with the Paramatman and the Jiva presiding in the heart, then the Jiva does not see, smell, taste, speak, hear, feel, touch and know; when Paramatman goes out, the Chief Prana goes out after him, followed by the Lower Prana. Paramatman goes out riding on the Jiva following consciousness and work, knowledge of former life or natural capacity. In the Prashna Upanishad IV.11 the word Atman cannot refer to Jiva because the Jiva cannot of its own accord throw off its body or understand avidya, therefore, it refers to Paramatman. The Jiva attains Moksha when he actually knows the Paramatman, the Asarira Prajnatman, to be thousand-headed, to be the governor of all and to be superior to all.
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In the '60s, during the height of the hippie era, the fictive College of the Surf (located in equally fictive Trasero County, said to be located between Orange County and San Diego County in Southern California) seceded from the United States and became its own nation of hippies and dope smokers, called the People's Republic of Rock and Roll (PR³). Brock Vond, a federal prosecutor, intends to bring down PR³, and finds a willing accomplice in Frenesi. She is a member of 24fps, a militant film collective (other members of which are the people telling Prairie their story in the present), that seeks to document the "fascists'" transgressions against freedom and hippie ideals. Frenesi is uncontrollably attracted to Brock and the sex he provides, and ends up working as a double agent to bring about the killing of the de facto leader of PR³, Weed Atman (a mathematics professor who accidentally became the subject of a cult of personality).
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Edelmann and other scholars state that the dualistic concept of Asura and Deva in Hinduism is a form of symbolism found throughout its ancient and medieval literature.Jonathan Edelmann (2013), Hindu Theology as Churning the Latent, Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Volume 81, Issue 2, pages 427-466Doris Srinivasan (1997), Many Heads, Arms and Eyes: Origin, Meaning, and Form of Multiplicity in Indian Art, Brill Academic, , pages 130-131 In the Upanishads, for example, Devas and Asuras go to Prajāpati to understand what is Self (Atman, soul) and how to realize it. The first answer that Prajāpati gives is simplistic, which the Asuras accept and leave with, but the Devas led by Indra do not accept and question because Indra finds that he hasn't grasped its full significance and the given answer has inconsistencies. Edelmann states that this symbolism embedded in the Upanishads is a reminder that one must struggle with presented ideas, learning is a process, and Deva nature emerges with effort.
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GJ Larson, RS Bhattacharya and K Potter (2014), The Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies, Volume 4, Princeton University Press, , pages 5, 295-296Ram Nidumolu (2013), Two Birds in a Tree, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, , page 189 The two birds in this hymn have been interpreted to mean various forms of dualism: "the sun and the moon", the "two seekers of different kinds of knowledge", and "the body and the atman".Stephanie Jamison and Joel Brereton (2014), The Rigveda, Oxford University Press, , page 352Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka (2005), Logos of Phenomenology and Phenomenology of The Logos, Springer, , pages 186-193 with footnote 7 The emphasis of duality between existence (sat) and non-existence (asat) in the Nasadiya Sukta of the Rigveda is similar to the vyakta–avyakta (manifest–unmanifest) polarity in Samkhya. The hymns about Puruṣa may also have influenced Samkhya. The Samkhya notion of buddhi or mahat is similar to the notion of hiranyagarbha, which appears in both the Rigveda and the Shvetashvatara Upanishad.
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The distinction between the jiva (i.e. individual) and Aksharbrahman is not lost in this higher state. While an individual can persevere for this state, only through God’s grace can it be attained. In Sarangpur 11, Swaminarayan defines ekantik dharma (ekāntik dharma), the four- fold practice requisite to receive this grace. Ekantik dharma consists of dharma (dharma; adherence to codes of conduct), gnan (jñāna; knowledge of the atman), vairagya (vairāgya; detachment from worldly pleasure), and bhakti (bhakti; devotion coupled with the understanding of God’s greatness). Ekantik dharma is perfected through associating with the Aksharbrahman Guru, which Swaminarayan explains as following the guru’s commands (in Gadhada I-78 and Gadhada II-51),, reflecting upon his virtues (in Gadhada I-58), and offering worship to him (in Vartal 5 and Sarangpur 3). In summary, Swaminarayan’s philosophy, as described in the Vachanamrut, states the jiva needs the guidance of the Aksharbrahman Guru to transcend maya and become brahmarup to reside in the service of Parabrahman.
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The text opens by acknowledging Itihasa (Epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata) and other post-Vedic era texts, thus implying that it was composed in the common era. The text incorporates terminology such as Yogi Siddhi, suggesting that, like other Yoga Upanishads, it was composed after Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and other major Yoga texts. The text also incorporates sections on tantra terminology such as Chakra and Nāḍi in its discussion of Laya, Mantra, and Hatha yoga.Srinivasa Ayyangar (Translator), The Yoga Upanishads, pages 435–437, Aidyar Library, (Editor: SS Sastri) The minor Yoga Upanishads, according to Antonio Rigopoulos, a professor of Indology at the University Ca 'Foscari of Venice, were recorded in the medieval period of India's Advaita and Yoga-rooted traditions, possibly in the middle of the 2nd millennium CE, but may well represent already established ideas and practices before the epic and medieval period, given that they use concepts and terminology rooted in the 1st millennium BCE Vedic era text, such as pranava, Atman, and Brahman.
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Julius Lipner (2004), The Hindu World (Editors: S. Mittal and G. Thursby), Routledge, , pages 22–23Laurie Patton (2004), The Hindu World (Editors: S. Mittal and G. Thursby), Routledge, , pages 45–50J. D. Fowler (1996), Hinduism: Beliefs and Practices, Sussex University Press, , pages 135–137 In schools that equate Brahman with Atman, Brahman is the sole, ultimate reality. The predominant teaching in the Upanishads is the spiritual identity of soul within each human being, with the soul of every other human being and living being, as well as with the supreme, ultimate reality Brahman.William Indich (2000), Consciousness in Advaita Vedanta, Motilal Banarsidass, , page 5Paul Hacker (1978), Eigentumlichkeiten dr Lehre und Terminologie Sankara: Avidya, Namarupa, Maya, Isvara, in Kleine Schriften (Editor: L. Schmithausen), Franz Steiner Verlag, Weisbaden, pages 101–109 (in German), also pages 69–99; Advaita Vedanta - A Bird's Eye View, Topic III: Philosophy of Advaita Vedanta, D. Krishna Ayyar (2011) In the metaphysics of the major schools of Hinduism, Maya is perceived reality, one that does not reveal the hidden principles, the true reality—the Brahman.
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Satya, states the Upanishad, is Sat (Be-ness), what is not Asat (not-Be-ness), that which the Vedas aim at, that neither changes with time nor is affected by time, that which existed in past and exists now and will exist in future without change, that which is the fountainhead of all ideas and all causes. The explanation of Maya in the Sarvasara Upanishad has been referenced in modern scholarship.Ramampada Chattopadhyay (1992), A Vaiṣṇava Interpretation of the Brahmasūtras, BRILL Academic, , pages 60–61J Sinha (2007), Indian Psychology, Motilal Banarsidass, , page 2 with footnotes 13 and 14 According to Chattopadhyay, the Sarvasara definition is of the Shruti (Hindu scripture). Maya, states Sarvasara, means that "which is neither unreal (non-existent), nor real (existent), and nor is it simultaneously existent and non-existent; it is that which has no beginning but has an end; it is that which exists in the empirical plane in so far as one does not imagine it, it is that which is ever changing and non-Atman".
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The Charaka Samhita, in addition to initial recitations, uses the foundational assumptions and values embedded in various layers of the Vedas. These assumptions include the Vedic doctrine that a human being is a microcosmic replica of the universe, and the ancient Hindu theory of six elements (five Prakriti and one Brahman), three humors (Vata, Pitta, Kapha), three Guṇas (Sattva, Rajas and Tamas) as constituent forces innate in a human body,Wendy Doniger (2014), On Hinduism, Oxford University Press, , page 79 and others. The Charaka Samhita is premised on the Hindu assumption that Atman (soul) exists, it is immutable, and thereafter the text defines physical and mental diseases as caused by a lack of correlation and imbalance in body, or mind, or both, because of external factors (Prakriti, objects of senses), age or a want of correlation (appropriate harmony, equilibrium) between the three humors or the three Gunas. The Sushruta Samhita and Caraka Samhita have religious ideas throughout, states Steven Engler, who then concludes "Vedic elements are too central to be discounted as marginal".
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In Part 2, the Upanishad asserts that while one is offering purifying water as oblation to self, one must, states Deussen, meditate on Atman (one's soul) and think, "I make him a fire-sacrifice, because he is a foster-child of all" and "may all sacrificial offerings fuse into you (soul)", equating it to be the "immortal Brahman (universal soul, God)", and asserting it to be present in everyone. The text remarks in verses 16–17 that eating and circulation of food within the temple of body is yajna, a homa sacrifice in circulation. In verses 18 to 20, the Pranagnihotra Upanishad maps the five external fires into internal fires, asserting them to be sun fire in the Ekarsi of head, optic fire or the Ahavaniya-fire of mouth, gastric fire overseen by heart, intestinal fire that cooks and digests in the navel, and all atonement fire in the body below the navel that is threefold – two of which remove waste and one which procreates by means of moon-light.
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The Maitreyi- Yajnavalkya dialogue includes a discussion of love and the essence of whom one loves, suggesting that love is a connection of the soul and the universal self (related to an individual): According to theological author and editor Robert Van De Weyer, this asserts that all love is a reflection of one's own soul: parents' love of their children, a love of religion or of the entire world. German Indologist and Oxford University professor Max Müller says that the love described in the Maitreyi-Yajnavalkya dialogue of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad extends to all aspects of one's life and beyond; in verse 2.4.5, "The Devas (gods) are not dear to one out of love for gods, but because one may love the Self (Atman) that the gods are dear".Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Max Muller (Translator), Oxford University Press, page 110 In the dialogue "the Brahman-class, the Kshatra-class, these worlds, these gods, these beings, everything that is what this Soul is", and when "we see, hear, perceive and know the Self, then all is known".
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Dvaita scholars assert that God is the ultimate, complete, perfect, but distinct soul, one that is separate from incomplete, imperfect jivas (individual souls).R Prasad (2009), A Historical-developmental Study of Classical Indian Philosophy of Morals, Concept Publishing, , pages 345-347 The Advaita sub-school believes that self-knowledge leads to liberation in this life, while the Dvaita sub-school believes that liberation is only possible in after-life as communion with God, and only through the grace of God (if not, then one's Atman is reborn).James Lewis and William Travis (1999), Religious Traditions of the World, , pages 279-280 God created individual souls, state Dvaita Vedantins, but the individual soul never was and never will become one with God; the best it can do is to experience bliss by getting infinitely close to God.Thomas Padiyath (2014), The Metaphysics of Becoming, De Gruyter, , pages 155-157 The Dvaita school, therefore, in contrast to monistic position of Advaita, advocates a version of monotheism wherein Brahman is made synonymous with Vishnu (or Narayana), distinct from numerous individual Atmans.
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The followers of Avacchedavada, the theory of limitation credited to Vacaspati Misra, the founder of the Bhamati school, are of the view that Pratibimbavada fails to explain how absolute consciousness, which has no sensible qualities, can be reflected; the followers of Pratibimbavada are of the view that limitation, implying ignorance, actually separates the Universal Self from the individual self which cannot be the locus of Avidya, that the modified consciousness cannot be the ground or support for the limiting adjunct which produces it. But, both the Avacchedavada and the Pratibimbavada do not escape the dualism incipient in them, from which drawback Sankara’s concept of anirvacaniya maya does not suffer; anirvacaniya means – something, although positive, is neither determinable as real, nor again as real. The former lays emphasis on the aspect of abheda ('non-difference') and the latter emphazises more on the aspect of bheda ('difference'). Sankara sees no connection whatsoever between the Self (Atman) and the mind-body complex except through avidya that gives no real connection but only an imagined connection.
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34, No. 1, pages 460–468, Quote: "The Svetasvatara-Upanisad occupies a highly unique position among Vedic Upanisads as a testimony of the meditative and monistic Rudra-cult combined with Samkhya-Yoga doctrines."Max Muller, Shvetashvatara Upanishad, The Upanishads, Part II, Oxford University Press, pages 238-241 Shvetashvatara is neither considered a Shaiva nor a minor Upanishad.Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 301–304, 317Robert Hume (1921), Shvetashvatara Upanishad, The Thirteen Principal Upanishads, Oxford University Press, pages 400–402 with footnotesM Chakravarti (1995), The Concept of Rudra-Śiva Through the Ages, Motilal Banarsidas, , pages 20–23 and Chapter 1 The Nilarudra Upanishad is an important Shiva- focussed Upanishad, remarks Deussen, from the group of five minor Upanishads which assert god Shiva as a symbolism for Atman (soul). These are ancient Hindu texts, with Nilarudra likely the oldest (composed closer to Shvetashvatara Upanishad), but Nilaruda is not included in the anthology of 108 Upanishads by Muktika like the other four of the five.
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The meditation technique discussed in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is thus, states Mircea Eliade, a means to knowledge and siddhi (yogic power).Stephen Phillips (2009), Yoga, Karma, and Rebirth: A Brief History and Philosophy, Columbia University Press, , pages 141-142 Vācaspati Miśra, a scholar of the Vedanta school of Hinduism, in his bhasya on the Yogasutra's 3.30 wrote, "Whatever the yogin desires to know, he should perform samyama in respect to that object".Mircea Eliade, Willard Ropes Trask and David Gordon White (2009), Yoga: Immortality and Freedom, Princeton University Press, , page 88 with footnote 119 Moksha (freedom, liberation) is one such practice, where the object of samyama is Sattva (pure existence), Atman (soul) and Purusha (Universal principle) or Bhagavan (God).TS Rukmani (1993), Researches in Indian and Buddhist Philosophy (Editor: Rāma Karaṇa Śarmā), Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 218-220, also 217-224 Adi Shankara, another scholar of the Vedanta school of Hinduism, extensively commented on samyama as a means for Jnana-yoga (path of knowledge) to achieve the state of Jivanmukta (living liberation).
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The root of the Sanskrit word Upasana is up and asana (from as), which means "to sit close to someone, waiting on someone with reverence".Klaus Witz (1998), The Supreme Wisdom of the Upaniṣads: An Introduction, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 196-197 Oldenberg explained Upasana from its root Upās-, in German as Verehren, or "to worship, adore, revere", with the clarification that in Vedic texts this adoration and reverence is at formless things, such as Absolute Self, the Holy, the Atman (Soul) Principle.H Oldenberg (1919), Vorwissenschaftliche Wissenschaft, die Weltanschauung der Brahmana-Texte, Göttingen, pages 4-6 These texts offer the concept of Upasana to distinguish meditative reverence for an internalized and intellectual concept from earlier forms of physical worship, actual sacrifices and offerings to Vedic deities.Klaus Witz (1998), The Supreme Wisdom of the Upaniṣads: An Introduction, Motilal Banarsidass, , page 197M Hara (1980), Hindu Concepts of Teacher Sanskrit Guru and Ācārya, In Sanskrit and Indian Studies, Springer, , pages 93-11 Schayer offered a different perspective, stating Upasana in Vedic context is more closer to the German word Umwerben or Bedrängen, or courting and pressing on metaphysical Soul, the Absolute Self (the Brahman) with hopes and petitions.
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Adrishta, literally meaning unseen, in the Mimamsa context refers to the invisible result of a ritual that accrues to a person, and in the Vaisheshika context, synonymous with Adharma, to the equally invisible negative karmic accrual, as the unknown quality of things and of the soul, and brings about the cosmic order and arranges for soul according to their merits or demerits. Adrishta is all the elements which are not known and verified with the help of the five senses, and which can be realized through mind, intelligence and soul. Each successive birth or incarnation and its possibilities are determined by the Adrishta and Samskara acquired in the previous incarnations – Adrishta and Samskara, without which the Atman has never been, because its series of incarnations never began. Adrishta is Potential worth which must have been acquired in a human state to relate to a human state; it gives unity to the multiplicity and infinite variety of beings, and of the things under their control, it binds them into a single system and an organic whole. Prashasta hints that the existence of the Universe itself though not due to Brahma’s Adrishta is not free from Adrishta (Moral merit).
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Max Muller, The Shvetashvatara Upanishad, Oxford University Press, pages xxxiv and xxxvii Grierson as well as Carus note that the first epilogue verse 6.21 is also notable for its use of the word Deva Prasada (देवप्रसाद, grace or gift of God), but add that Deva in the epilogue of the Shvetashvatara Upanishad refers to "pantheistic Brahman" and the closing credit to sage Shvetashvatara in verse 6.21 can mean "gift or grace of his Soul". Doris SrinivasanD Srinivasan (1997), Many Heads, Arms, and Eyes, Brill, , pages 96-97 and Chapter 9 states that the Upanishad is a treatise on theism, but it creatively embeds a variety of divine images, an inclusive language that allows "three Vedic definitions for personal deity". The Upanishad includes verses wherein God can be identified with the Supreme (Brahman-Atman, Self, Soul) in Vedanta monistic theosophy, verses that support dualistic view of Samkhya doctrines, as well as the synthetic novelty of triple Brahman where a triune exists as the divine soul (Deva, theistic God), individual soul (self) and nature (Prakrti, matter). Tsuchida writes that the Upanishad syncretically combines monistic ideas in Upanishad and self-development ideas in Yoga with personification of Shiva-Rudra deity.
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George Thibaut, Vedanta Sutras Part 1, , Volume 34 (Editor: Max Muller), Oxford University Press, pages lix-lxxvi The third Brahma Sūtras chapter focuses on the nature of spiritual knowledge and epistemic paths to it. The theory of death and rebirth,George Thibaut, Vedanta Sutras Part 2, The Sacred Books of the East, Volume 38 (Editor: Max Muller), Oxford University Press, pages 100-132 karma and importance of conduct and free will,George Thibaut, Vedanta Sutras Part 2, The Sacred Books of the East, Volume 38 (Editor: Max Muller), Oxford University Press, pages 112-121 and the connection between Atman (Self, Soul) and the Brahman are discussed in sections 3.1 and 3.2 of the text.George Thibaut, Vedanta Sutras Part 2, The Sacred Books of the East, Volume 38 (Editor: Max Muller), Oxford University Press, pages 133-183 Sections 3.3 and 3.4 describe the need for self-study, reflection of texts read, meditation, etc.,Klaus Witz (1998), The Supreme Wisdom of the Upaniṣads: An Introduction, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 209-216 as steps while one makes progress and the role of sannyasa (monk, mendicant) in the pursuit of spiritual knowledge.
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Some of the earliest ideas behind Mitahara trace to ancient era Taittiriya Upanishad, which in various hymns discusses the importance of food to healthy living, to the cycle of life,Annamaya Kosa Taittiriya Upanishad, Anuvaka II, pages 397-406 as well as to its role in one's body and its effect on Self (Atman, Spirit).Realization of Brahman Taittiriya Upanishad, Anuvaka II & VII, pages 740-789; This is extensively discussed in these chapters; Illustrative quote - "Life, verily, is food; the body the food-eater" (page 776) The Upanishad, states Stiles,M Stiles (2008), Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy, Lotus Press, , pages 56-57 notes “from food life springs forth, by food it is sustained, and in food it merges when life departs”. Many ancient and medieval Hindu texts debate the rationale for a voluntary stop to cow slaughter and the pursuit of vegetarianism as a part of a general abstention from violence against others and all killing of animals. Some significant debates between pro-non-vegetarianism and pro-vegetarianism, with mention of cattle meat as food, is found in several books of the Hindu epic, the Mahabharata, particularly its Book III, XII, XIII and XIV.
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A drop merging in the Ocean, an analogy for the Atman merging into the Brahman Advaita is a subschool of Vedānta, the latter being one of the six classical Hindu darśanas, an integrated body of textual interpretations and religious practices which aim at the attainment of moksha, release or liberation from transmigratory existence.. Traditional Advaita Vedānta centers on the study and what it believes to be correct understanding of the sruti, revealed texts, especially the Principal Upanishads, along with the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad Gitā, which are collectively called as Prasthantrayi. Correct understanding is believed to provide knowledge of one's true identity as Ātman, the dispassionate and unchanging witness-consciousness, and the identity of Ātman and Brahman, which results in liberation., quote: "According to Advaita, the pure subject is our true self whose knowledge is liberative, (...) If the subject could be realised in its purity then all misery would cease: this is called self-knowledge" This is achieved through what Adi Shankara refers to as anubhava, immediate intuition, a direct awareness which is construction-free, and not construction-filled. It is not an awareness of Brahman, but instead an awareness that is Brahman.
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The Varaha, in the 83 verses of Chapter 2, explains to Ribhu how to achieve the most exalted knowledge of Brahmavidya, and then what it is.Srinivasa Ayyangar (Translator), The Yoga Upanishads, Varahopanishad Verses 2.1–2.83, pages 401–417, Aidyar Library, (Editor: SS Sastri) He tells Ribhu that the four means of this knowledge are to practice conduct of one's Varna (caste) and one's Ashrama (stage in life), from ascetic austerity and with the help of a Guru (spiritual teacher).Srinivasa Ayyangar (Translator), The Yoga Upanishads, Varahopanishad Verses 2.1–2.3, pages 401–402, Aidyar Library, (Editor: SS Sastri) The Varaha then states that the path to Brahmavidya is through the capacity to distinguish between the ephemeral and the eternal, detachment from the material world unto the spiritual world. A sincere longing for spiritual liberation and six virtuous qualities (shama) are essential in order to achieve Brahmavidya, asserts the Upanishad, these being tranquility, self-restraint, doing work without craving for rewards, endurance, faith, and meditation.KN Aiyar, Thirty Minor Upanishads, University of Toronto Archives, , page 222 with footnotes Varaha states in verse 2.4 that the truly blessed are those who know Brahman and Atman and have thus become one with them.
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The eight chapter of the Chandogya Upanishad opens by declaring the body one is born with as the "city of Brahman", and in it is a palace that is special because the entire universe is contained within it. Whatever has been, whatever will be, whatever is, and whatever is not, is all inside that palace asserts the text, and the resident of the palace is the Brahman, as Atman – the Self, the Soul.Dominic Goodall (1996), Hindu Scriptures, University of California Press, , pages 152-153 Those who do not discover that Self within themselves are unfree, states the text, those who do discover that Self-knowledge gain the ultimate freedom in all the worlds.Max Muller, Chandogya Upanishad 8.1, The Upanishads, Part I, Oxford University Press, pages 125-127 with footnotes The Upanishad describes the potential of self-knowledge with the parable of hidden treasure, as follows, Man has many desires of food and drink and song and music and friends and objects, and fulfillment of those desires make him happy states the Chandogya Upanishad in sections 8.2 and 8.3; but those desires are fleeting, and so is the happiness that their fulfillment provides because both are superficial and veiled in untruth.
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This film is the result of a seven years work in Turkey (Tur Abdin, Qotchanes, Hakkâri), Iraq (before and after the arrival of American troops), Syria, USA and Europe. It contains interviews of Pr. Sebastian Brock (Oxford, UK), and Pr. Joseph Yacoub (Lyon, France), and received support from the Aramaic speaking Churches. The documentary was made by Lieurac Productions(Paris, France) and financed by the Centre National de la Cinématographie. It was broadcast on TV channels of European Union, North Africa and Middle East, and selected in several international festivals. Several screeningsAwarded by the Syriac League in Lebanon(Habib Afram) at the IXth Symposium Syriacum in September 2004; and awarded in Enschede (Netherlands, January 2005) by the Center for Information and Documentation Assyria led by Sabri Atman, founder of the Seyfo Center took place in FranceSarcelles 2004; Montfermeil 2005; IMA (Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris)2009, october 2017; Paris 2004, april 2017; Lyon 2004, 2015; Marseille 2005; Valence 2010; Vaureal 2011, Chatenay_Malabry 2015 , LebanonIXth Symposium Syriacum, USEK, Kaslik, Lebanon in September 2004, United KingdomLondon, 2004, Spain, ItalyRovereto 2006; Institut français - Centre Saint-Louis, Roma 2011, Germany, NetherlandEnschede (Netherlands, January 2005), BelgiumBrussels 2004, 2009; Liege 2008, 2012, SwedenStockholm University, AUF, September 2005, SyriaTel Tamer 2007, Costa-RicaUniversidad de CostaRica 2010, ThailandCHIANG MAI December 2012 and the United States.
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