brahman

(noun)

The nature of ultimate reality, as described in the Upanishads.

Related Terms

Examples of brahman in the following topics:

  • Jain Architecture

    • The earliest Jain monuments were temples based on the Brahmanical Hindu temple plan and monasteries for Jain monks.

  • Iconic Buddhist Sculpture and Painting

    • The Pali and Sanskrit languages and the Indian script, together with Mahayana Buddhism, Theravada Buddhism, Brahmanism, and Hinduism, were transmitted from direct contact, through sacred texts, and through Indian literature such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

  • Vedic and Upanishadic Periods

    • Also known as Vedanta, they are considered by orthodox Hindus to contain revealed truths (Sruti) concerning the nature of ultimate reality (brahman) and describing the character and form of human salvation (moksha).

  • Ashoka's Conversion

    • In his edicts, Ashoka expresses support for all the major religions of his time: Buddhism, Brahmanism, Jainism, and Ajivikaism, and his edicts addressed to the population at large (there are some addressed specifically to Buddhists; this is not the case for the other religions) generally focus on moral themes members of all the religions would accept.

  • The Rise of Hinduism

    • Also known as Vedanta, "the end of the Veda," the collection is one of the sacred texts of Hinduism thought to contain revealed truths concerning the nature of ultimate reality, or brahman, and describing the character and form of human salvation, called moksha.