In Search of the Ultimate: Brahman and Hinduism

Image: Wikipedia

What are the ideas of the Ultimate in three major world religions? The models of the Ultimate are examined in ideas of God in the Abrahamic religions, Brahman in Hinduism and the Dao in the Chinese tradition. The previous post introduced Jeanine Diller’s article “God and Other Ultimates” in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. We are using this article as a basis for drawing forth ideas about God or the Ultimate from non-Christian traditions to further enrich our understanding of God.

Here is a quick summary of Diller’s explanation of Brahman:

• Hinduism was a name introduced by the British in India and refers to forms of religion dating to the Indus River valley to 2000 BCE or earlier.
• The idea of Brahman was included in the Rig Veda dating to 1000 to 1500 BCE, and was refined in the Upanishads (500 BCE) and most significantly in the Bhagavad-Gita, ca 200 BCE.
• Adi Shankara (788–820 BCE) and others following developed the Vedanta system (Veda means knowledge and Vedanta means end of the Vedas.) This system has been dominant among the six Hindu system for the past 500 years.
• The Vedanta system includes these core beliefs:
• “The metaphysical rock bottom of reality is…a blissful consciousness.”