A most priceless of knowledge: Difficulties in Understanding Brahman

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>

> III. Difficulties in Understanding Brahman : Any attempt to

> explain Brahman to the satisfaction of a mind that is driven by

> reason and familiar with the concretization of thought is fraught

> with enormous difficulties, because that which is inexplicable

> cannot be explained by any amount of reasoning and logic. Brahman

> is beyond the senses, beyond the mind, beyond our intelligence and

> dreams... Know from this article why it is so difficult for the

> human mind to conceptualize the idea and the grandeur of Brahman.

>

> http://www.hinduwebsite.com/inexplicable.asp

>

>

 

 

Any attempt to explain Brahman to the satisfaction of a mind that is

driven by reason and familiar with the concretization thought is

fraught with enormous difficulties, because that which is

inexplicable cannot be explained by any amount of reasoning and

logic. Brahman is beyond the senses, beyond the mind, beyond our

intelligence and dreams. Then how can It be explained to the

satisfaction of an intellectual and curious mind? The Rigvedic seers

themselves had this problem in their mind when they called Him

vaguely as " IT " or " This " or " That "

 

The difficulty in understanding and knowing Brahman is well

explained in the Kena Upanishad. Even gods are not free from their

ignorance of Brahman (II.2.1). All that we can understand about

Brahman is that we cannot understand It. Even after prolonged

spiritual practice and meditation, one cannot even conclude whether

one knows it or not. If a person thinks that he knows It, he does

not know that he does not know. To whomsoever It is not known, It is

known to him. But to whomsoever it is known, is not known to him. It

is not understood by those who understand it and understood by those

who do not understand it. It can be known only when one experiences

directly at all levels of consciousness. (II. 2. 2-4).

 

Trying to worship Brahman incorrectly and ignorantly without knowing

the right approach can also result in great difficulties for a

person who is on the path to salvation. The Isa Upanishad warns the

students of Brahman not to take sides while approaching Brahman.

Those who worship the unmanifest (asambhutim) enter blinding

darkness and those who worship the manifest only (sambhutim) enter

into greater darkness. The right approach is to worship both and

realize one through the other.

 

Even an enlightened seer like Yagnavalkya had difficulties in

explaining the nature of Brahman and his creation. While speaking to

Sakalya in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, he declares, " That Self is not

this, not this. It is incomprehensible for it is not comprehended. "

When Gargi Vacaknavi asks him too many questions, in the same

Upanishad he expresses his irritation saying, " Gargi, do not

question too much. Otherwise your head may fall off. You are asking

so many questions about a divinity about whom we are not expected to

ask many questions. "

 

Else where in the same Upanishad he resorts to negative terminology

to explain the inexplicable using such words as aksaram

(imperishable), asthulam (not gross), ananu (not subtle), ahrasvam

(nor short), adirgham (not long), achchayam (not shadow), atamah

(not tamasic) and so on (Brihadaranyaka III.8.8).

 

What is the original state of Brahman? Even the seers do not seem to

have an answer. Uddalaka Aruni tells Svetaketu in Chandogya

Upanishad, that in the beginning the Being was alone, one only, one

without a second and in the next moment changes his statement

stating that according to some in the beginning the non-Being was

alone, without a second and that from that non-Being being was

produced. (VI.2.1)

 

Difficulties in Understanding Brahman

http://www.hinduwebsite.com/inexplicable.asp

 

 

 

http://www.hinduwebsite.com/inexplicable.asp