UNDERSTANDING TERMS IN VEDAANT

Aurangabad Study Circle:

Q) “Could you please help us understand the difference between the terms ‘Brahman’, ‘Atman’, ‘Consciousness’, ‘Awareness’, ‘Spirit’, ‘Energy’?”

Manish ji's reply:

[As understood by us]

A) “In Vedaant, (Advait philosophy), the Supreme ultimate Reality, which is immutable one without the second, is termed as BRAHMAN.

In Dvait philosophy, we come across the terms PARAMATMA & ATMA.

In Spiritual studies, one has to understand the terms with reference to context, for proper comprehension.

AWARENESS is what ‘You Are’, CONSCIOUSNESS is what ‘You Become’. For e.g. - Electricity (Brahman) as it is, passing through the equipment, is expressed differently (Consciousness) as cool air through a cooler, or warm air through a heater. Hence, we can say, Awareness functioning through the equipment is Consciousness. We can be conscious, because of the presence of Awareness but we cannot be aware of Awareness.

Matter and Energy are the two sides of the same coin. Matter is Energy vibrating at a different frequency. Secular/Objective science deals with Matter and ENERGY, whereas Subjective science deals with Matter and SPIRIT.”

[Ref. Adi Shankaracharya’s Atma Bodh. Discourses by H H Maa Purnananda in USB drive audio / video available]