Vedanta: Literally "end of the Vedas"; one of Hinduism's formal schools of emancipation (darsanas) which draws heavily on the Upanishads and the Brahma Sutras and the doctrine of the Atman Brahman; its two main sub-schools are Sankara's Advaita Vedanta (monistic Vedanta) and Ramanuja's Visista-advaita Vedanta (qualified monistic Vedanta).

 (See also: Vedanta, Eastern Philosophy, Body Mind and Soul)

advaita: (Sanskrit) "Non dual; not twofold." Nonduality or monism. The philosophical doctrine that Ultimate Reality consists of a one principal substance, or God. Opposite of dvaita, dualism. Advaita is the primary philosophical stance of the Vedic Upanishads, and of Hinduism, interpreted differently by the many rishis, gurus, panditas and philosophers. See: dvaita-advaita, Vedanta.

(See also: Advaita, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

advaita: (Sanskrit) "Non dual; not twofold." Nonduality or monism. The philosophical doctrine that Ultimate Reality consists of a one principal substance, or God. Opposite of dvaita, dualism. Advaita is the primary philosophical stance of the Vedic Upanishads, and of Hinduism, interpreted differently by the many rishis, gurus, panditas and philosophers. See: dvaita-advaita, Vedanta.

(See also: Advaita, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

nondual (nondualism):

See: dvaita-advaita, monistic theism, Vedanta.

(See also: Nondual (nondualism:, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

While Brahman lies behind the sum total of the objective universe, some human minds boggle at any attempt to explain it with only the tools provided by reason. Brahman is beyond the senses, beyond the mind, beyond intelligence, beyond imagination. Indeed, the highest idea is that Brahman is beyond both existence and non-existence, transcending and including time, causation and space, and thus can never be known in the same material sense as one t ...

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Brahman, Brahman - Etymology, Brahman - Semantics and pronunciation, Brahman - Brahman and Atman, Brahman - Enlightenment and Brahman, Brahman - Advaita concept, Brahman - Dvaita Vaishnava concept, Brahman - External links, Brahman - Notes

Read more here: » Brahman: Encyclopedia II - Brahman - Enlightenment and Brahman

Advaita:

Advaita ("nonduality"): the truth and teaching that there is only One Reality (Atman, Brahman), especially as found in the Upanishads; see also Vedanta

(See also: Advaita, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Brahma Sutra Bhashya: (Sanskrit) A lengthy 13thcentury commentary on the Brahma Sutras by Srikantha to establish a Vedic base for the Saivite qualified nondualism called Siva Advaita. See: Siva Advaita, Vedanta.

(See also: Brahma Sutra Bhashya, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Yogatattva Upanishad: (Sanskrit) Scripture of 142 verses based on Advaita Vedanta and yoga practices, ca 1400.

(See also: Yogatattva Upanishad, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Maya: Hindu term coined by Advaita Vedanta to refer to the illusory or deceptive nature of the world which prompts us to make distinctions.

 (See also: Maya, Eastern Philosophy, Body Mind and Soul)

Sankara (788-820 CE): Hindu founder of Advaita Vedanta, a monistic (or nondual) interpretation of Vedanta philosophy; Sankara emphasizes the unity of the individual self and the larger world; the deceptive (maya) nature of the world prompts us to erroneously distinguish the two.

 (See also: Sankara, Eastern Philosophy, Body Mind and Soul)

Ramanuja: 11th century CE Hindu founder of Visista-advaita Vedanta (qualified monistic Vedanta) who maintains that God himself is composed of parts; individual souls and the physical world comprise the body of God.

 (See also: Ramanuja, Eastern Philosophy, Body Mind and Soul)

A Theosophical definition of Vedanta :

Vedanta

(Sanskrit) From the Upanishads and from other parts of the wonderful cycle of Vedic literature, the ancient sages of India produced what is called today the Vedanta  - a compound word meaning "the end (or completion) of the Veda"  - that is to say, instruction in the final and most perfect exposition of the meaning of the Vedic tenets.

The Vedanta is the highest form that the Brahmanical teachings have taken, and under the name of the Uttara-Mimamsa attributed to Vyasa, the compiler of the Vedas, the Vedanta is perhaps the noblest of the six Indian schools of philosophy. The Avatara Sankaracharya has been the main popularizer of the Vedantic system of philosophical thought, and the type of Vedantic doctrine taught by him is what is technically called the Advaita-Vedanta or nondualistic.

The Vedanta may briefly be described as a system of mystical philosophy derived from the efforts of sages through many generations to interpret the sacred or esoteric meaning of the Upanishads. In its Advaita form the Vedanta is in many, if not all, respects exceedingly close to, if not identical with, some of the mystical forms of Buddhism in central Asia. The Hindus call the Vedanta Brahma-jnana.

See also: Vedanta, Mysticism, Body Mind and Soul)

Philosopher mystics of the Upanishads identify Brahman, the world soul, with atman, the inner essence of the human being, or the human soul. The Ultimate Truth is expressed as Nirguna Brahman, or Godhead. While Advaita philosophy considers Brahman to be without any form, qualities, or attributes, Dvaita philosophy understands nir-guna as without material form or without bad qualities. In Dvaita, Vishnu is Brahman since the followers stress a personal God. Advaita, on the other hand, considers all personal forms of God including Vishnu and Shiva as different aspects of God in personal ...

See also:

Brahman, Brahman - Etymology, Brahman - Semantics and pronunciation, Brahman - Brahman and Atman, Brahman - Enlightenment and Brahman, Brahman - Advaita concept, Brahman - Dvaita Vaishnava concept, Brahman - External links, Brahman - Notes

Read more here: » Brahman: Encyclopedia II - Brahman - Brahman and Atman

Ramanuja: (Sanskrit) Philosopher (1017-1137), saint, great bhakta, founder of one of five major Vaishnava schools, and considered the greatest critic of advaita. In his famous Sri Bhashya on the Brahma Sutras, he countered Shankara's absolute monism point-by-point with his qualified monism, called Vishishtadvaita Vedanta.

See: shad darshana, Vedanta.

(See also: Ramanuja, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

The pantheistic doctrine which forms the foundation of the Brahmanical system of belief found its most complete exposition in one of the six orthodox dersanas, or philosophical systems, the Vedanta philosophy. These systems are considered as orthodox inasmuch as they recognise the Veda as the revealed source of knowledge about the Universe, and never fail to claim the authority of the ancient seers for their own teachings, even though as in the case of Kapila, the founder of the materialistic Sankhya system, they involve the denial of so essential a dogmatic point as the exist ...

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Brahmanism, Brahmanism - Theology, Brahmanism - Pantheism, Brahmanism - Caste, Brahmanism - Sub castes, Brahmanism - Maharashtrian sub-castes:, Brahmanism - South Indian brahmin sub-castes:, Brahmanism - The four stages of life, Brahmanism - Sacramental rites, Brahmanism - Vegetarianism, Brahmanism - Moksha, Brahmanism - Evolution of Brahminism, Brahmanism - Brahmin Supremacy, Brahmanism - Trimurti, Brahmanism - Challenge To Brahmin Supremacy and Caste System, Brahmanism - Buddhism, Brahmanism - Charvaka, Brahmanism - B.R. Ambedkar, Brahmanism - Famous Brahmins

Read more here: » Brahmanism: Encyclopedia II - Brahmanism - Pantheism

Advaita Siddhanta: (Sanskrit) "Nondual perfect conclusions." Saivite philosophy codified in the Agamas which has at its core the nondual (advaitic) identity of God, soul and world. This monistic-theistic philosophy, unlike the Shankara, or Smarta view, holds that maya (the principle of manifestation) is not an obstacle to God Realization, but God's own power and presence guiding the soul's evolution to perfection. While Advaita Vedanta stresses Upanishadic philosophy, Advaita Siddhanta adds to this a strong emphasis on internal and external worship, yoga sadhanas and tapas. Advaita Siddhanta is a term used in South India to distinguish Tirumular's school from the pluralistic Siddhanta of Meykandar and Aghorasiva. This unified Vedic-Agamic doctrine is also known as Shuddha Saiva Siddhanta. It is the philosophy of this contemporary Hindu catechism. See: Advaita Ishvaravada, dvaitaadvaita, monistic theism, Saiva Siddhanta.

(See also: Advaita Siddhanta, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

The three first castes, however unequal to each other in privilege and social standing, are yet united by a common bond of sacramental rites (samskaras), traditionally connected from ancient times with certain incidents and stages in the life of the Hindu, as conception, birth, name-giving, the first taking out of the child to see the sun, the first feeding with boiled rice, the rites of tonsure and hair-cutting, the youths investiture with the sacrificial thread, and his return home on ...

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Brahmanism, Brahmanism - Theology, Brahmanism - Pantheism, Brahmanism - Caste, Brahmanism - Sub castes, Brahmanism - Maharashtrian sub-castes:, Brahmanism - South Indian brahmin sub-castes:, Brahmanism - The four stages of life, Brahmanism - Sacramental rites, Brahmanism - Vegetarianism, Brahmanism - Moksha, Brahmanism - Evolution of Brahminism, Brahmanism - Brahmin Supremacy, Brahmanism - Trimurti, Brahmanism - Challenge To Brahmin Supremacy and Caste System, Brahmanism - Buddhism, Brahmanism - Charvaka, Brahmanism - B.R. Ambedkar, Brahmanism - Famous Brahmins

Read more here: » Brahmanism: Encyclopedia II - Brahmanism - Sacramental rites

Brahman or brahma, and similar words, have various meanings, mostly related to Hinduism. These words come from a Sanskrit root bŗh = " to swell, grow, enlargen", cognate with English "bulge". Some, including Georges Dumézil, say that the Latin word flāmen (= "priest") may be cognate to brahman. The Latin verb flāre = "to blow" may come from the same root. There is a possible connection with the Semitic root br' ברא "create, opening", but refuted by most linguists. In the correct Indian pronunciation, the first a is long or short as indicated, and the h ...

See also:

Brahman, Brahman - Etymology, Brahman - Semantics and pronunciation, Brahman - Brahman and Atman, Brahman - Enlightenment and Brahman, Brahman - Advaita concept, Brahman - Dvaita Vaishnava concept, Brahman - External links, Brahman - Notes

Read more here: » Brahman: Encyclopedia II - Brahman - Etymology

Advaita Siddhanta: (Sanskrit) "Nondual perfect conclusions." Saivite philosophy codified in the Agamas which has at its core the nondual (advaitic) identity of God, soul and world. This monistic-theistic philosophy, unlike the Shankara, or Smarta view, holds that maya (the principle of manifestation) is not an obstacle to God Realization, but God's own power and presence guiding the soul's evolution to perfection. While Advaita Vedanta stresses Upanishadic philosophy, Advaita Siddhanta adds to this a strong emphasis on internal and external worship, yoga sadhanas and tapas. Advaita Siddhanta is a term used in South India to distinguish Tirumular's school from the pluralistic Siddhanta of Meykandar and Aghorasiva. This unified Vedic-Agamic doctrine is also known as Shuddha Saiva Siddhanta. It is the philosophy of this contemporary Hindu catechism. See: Advaita Ishvaravada, dvaitaadvaita, monistic theism, Saiva Siddhanta.

(See also: Advaita Siddhanta, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

The tendency towards a comprehension of the unity of the divine essence had resulted in some minds, as has been remarked before, in a kind of speculation of the origin of the universe. In the Brahminical literature we meet with this conception as a common element of speculation; and so far from its being considered incompatible with the existence of a universal spirit, Prajapati, the personal creator of the world, is generally allowed a prominent place in the pantheistic theories. Yet the state of theological speculation, reflected i ...

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Brahmanism, Brahmanism - Theology, Brahmanism - Pantheism, Brahmanism - Caste, Brahmanism - Sub castes, Brahmanism - Maharashtrian sub-castes:, Brahmanism - South Indian brahmin sub-castes:, Brahmanism - The four stages of life, Brahmanism - Sacramental rites, Brahmanism - Vegetarianism, Brahmanism - Moksha, Brahmanism - Evolution of Brahminism, Brahmanism - Brahmin Supremacy, Brahmanism - Trimurti, Brahmanism - Challenge To Brahmin Supremacy and Caste System, Brahmanism - Buddhism, Brahmanism - Charvaka, Brahmanism - B.R. Ambedkar, Brahmanism - Famous Brahmins

Read more here: » Brahmanism: Encyclopedia II - Brahmanism - Theology

The pious Brahmin, longing to attain the summum bonum on the dissolution of his material body, was enjoined to pass through a succession of four Ashramas ("phases" or "stages"). They are Brahmacharya, Grihasthya, Vanaprastha and Sanyasa. The first quarter of one's life, brahmacharya (literally "grazing in Brahma") is spent in celibate, sober and pure contemplation of the divine under a Guru, building up body and mind for the responsibilities of life. Grihastya is the householder's stage, alternatively known as samsara, in which ...

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Brahmanism, Brahmanism - Theology, Brahmanism - Pantheism, Brahmanism - Caste, Brahmanism - Sub castes, Brahmanism - Maharashtrian sub-castes:, Brahmanism - South Indian brahmin sub-castes:, Brahmanism - The four stages of life, Brahmanism - Sacramental rites, Brahmanism - Vegetarianism, Brahmanism - Moksha, Brahmanism - Evolution of Brahminism, Brahmanism - Brahmin Supremacy, Brahmanism - Trimurti, Brahmanism - Challenge To Brahmin Supremacy and Caste System, Brahmanism - Buddhism, Brahmanism - Charvaka, Brahmanism - B.R. Ambedkar, Brahmanism - Famous Brahmins

Read more here: » Brahmanism: Encyclopedia II - Brahmanism - The four stages of life

In India and Nepal, Brahmins, being members of the highest caste, historically enjoyed high social status as being traditionally learned and many for their religious knowledge. The Vaishya were artisans and craftsmen and later connected with trade, the cultivation of the land and the breeding of cattle; while those of a Kshatriya consist in ruling and defending the people, administering justice, and the duties, of the military profession generally. Both share with the Brahman the privilege of reading the Veda, but only so far a ...

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Brahmanism, Brahmanism - Theology, Brahmanism - Pantheism, Brahmanism - Caste, Brahmanism - Sub castes, Brahmanism - Maharashtrian sub-castes:, Brahmanism - South Indian brahmin sub-castes:, Brahmanism - The four stages of life, Brahmanism - Sacramental rites, Brahmanism - Vegetarianism, Brahmanism - Moksha, Brahmanism - Evolution of Brahminism, Brahmanism - Brahmin Supremacy, Brahmanism - Trimurti, Brahmanism - Challenge To Brahmin Supremacy and Caste System, Brahmanism - Buddhism, Brahmanism - Charvaka, Brahmanism - B.R. Ambedkar, Brahmanism - Famous Brahmins

Read more here: » Brahmanism: Encyclopedia II - Brahmanism - Caste