Hinduism: The Difference Between Brahman and Brahma

Today we talked the Hindu concept of Brahman. Brahman is frequently described as the "universal soul" or an all-encompassing force in which we all live.

It can be difficult for people not raised within the Hindu tradition to understand the idea of Brahman, because many non-Hindus are more familiar with the idea of "God" or "gods." Brahman is not the equivalent of God.

Here are some helpful descriptions of Brahman that were written by your classmates:

Priya: Brahman is everywhere. Brahman is invisible. Brahman is in everyone.

Lilly: Brahman is not a person but an invisible force that is everywhere. Brahman is something everyone wants to be part of. Not a God, but a force.

Mary Holland: Brahman is the universal soul. It is neither a person or a god. Hindus believe that if a person is reincarnated enough times, the person's individual soul will become one with Brahman, the universal soul and the unchanging reality beneath the illusion of life.

------------

Hindus do, however, believe that there are many (thousands!) of gods and goddesses within Brahman.


Three of the primary Hindu gods are Brahma the Creator (try not to get confused between Brahman and Brahma; it can be tricky, since the two words are so similar to each other), Vishnu the Preserver, and Shiva the Destroyer.

Tomorrow we will talk about pilgrimages within Hinduism, and here's a wonderful sketch by Hudson to get us thinking...


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Renaissance and Reformation Tweets

Image
Thank you,  Evan , for the wonderful new word that you coined during Core 4 today: Fishstory = the study of the past  ... of fish! And congratulations to the Renaissance and Reformation Tweet winners,  as selected by you... Restoring my soul is my goal I'll destroy the priests' role And bring back the religion they stole #Rhyme_time ( Martin Luther , as interpreted by Priya, Lilly, Gracie, Charlotte   and   Gracie Lou ) The story of my soul, the Pope's not dope. I pray all night, to keep God on my side; and Catholicism is closing. #One_Direction_to_God ( Martin Luther , as  interpreted  by  Jack C., Vaya, Hunter,   and   Nia ) Martin Luther?! More like Martin Loser. Luther is a liar and his theses are on fire. #Roasted ( Pope Leo X , as interpreted by Maxwell, Maya G., Bowen   and   William ) 1 Macha, 2 Macha, 3 Machiavell #machi-are ña ( Machiavelli , as interpreted by  Sarah, Darrah, Phineas...
Read more

Islam: Muhammad and the Spider Web

Image
Here are some of the great questions from today: Darrah : Why did Muhammad want to share the messages he received, instead of keeping them a secret? Jacob : Why did Islam spread so quickly? Why did so many people begin to follow Muhammad's message? Celia Belle : Are there any drawings or paintings of Muhammad? Mary Holland ,  Brehanu  and  Kate : What happens to a Muslim if he or she never goes on the hajj? Maxwell : Why do you think Allah protected Muhammad's cave with a spider web? Why not weapons? Or a trap? Or lions ? Bowen : Do you think the Bible, the Torah, and the Quran are similar to each other?
Read more

#Sofia_Gets_Deep

Image
Today we talked about Crispin. We focused on the theme of Christianity and its central role in medieval life. We compared the role of religion in society then (during the Middle Ages) and now. I've been pointing out to students that many historians argue that medieval society was more religious -- on the whole -- than today's society. Building on that point,  Sofia  posed an excellent question: " Should our society nowadays be more focused on religion? " Next, reviewing the text of Crispin closely, the students found references to many saints, including: St. Crispin St. Paul St. Remigius St. Anthony St. Sixtus St. John St. Margaret We also discussed a fascinating passage from the book, in which Bear says, "When I think on the perfections of our Savior, I choose to think most often upon His most perfect laughter . It must have been the kind that makes us laugh, too." The students offered different perspectives about whether or not they believe Jesus ever l...
Read more