a b Stevenson, Jay (2000). The Complete Idiot's Guide to Eastern Philosophy. Indianapolis: Alpha Books. pp.9, 47–51, 85–87. ISBN 9780028638201. Jan Gonda states that the diverse reference of Brahman in the Vedic literature, starting with Rigveda Samhitas, convey "different senses or different shades of meaning". [33] There is no one single word in modern Western languages that can render the various shades of meaning of the word Brahman in the Vedic literature, according to Jan Gonda. [33] In verses considered as the most ancient, the Vedic idea of Brahman is the "power immanent in the sound, words, verses and formulas of Vedas". However, states Gonda, the verses suggest that this ancient meaning was never the only meaning, and the concept evolved and expanded in ancient India. [34] Hamza Tzortzis’s work is a much needed and welcome addition to the field of modern Islamic thought. It engages with the rising tide of atheism from an Islamic paradigm, and responds, in an erudite yet easily comprehensible manner, to the primary arguments espoused by the leading figures of New Age Atheism. It is clear that Hamza has spent much time in reading the works of many intellectuals, past and present, and compiling these arguments and counter-arguments. I found the book highly useful, and have no doubt that it will be well received by contemporary Muslims. {Dr Yasir Qadhi, Dean of Al-Maghrib Institute and professor at Rhodes College, Department of Religious Studies} Review by Dr Mohamed Ghilan Klaus K. Klostermaier (2007), A Survey of Hinduism, Third Edition, State University of New York Press, ISBN 978-0791470824, Chapter 12: Atman and Brahman – Self and All

The Divine Reality takes you through the world of Islamic theism in a systematic and coherent fashion. It is a pioneering effort which will hopefully guide the reader, and other writers, on how to answer the questions related to God’s existence and worship from the perspective of Islamic thought. {Shaykh Omar Suleiman, President of the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research and Professor of Islamic Studies at Southern Methodist University.} Review by Shaykh Muhammad Nizami Doniger, Wendy (1999). Merriam-Webster's encyclopedia of world religions. Springfield, Massachusetts, US: Merriam-Webster. p. 186. ISBN 978-0-87779-044-0. Br ahm an a (ब्रह्मन) (nominative singular, never plural), from stems brh a (to make firm, strong, expand) + Sanskrit -man- which denotes some manifest form of "definite power, inherent firmness, supporting or fundamental principle". [27] And the sun runs on its fixed course for a term (appointed). That is the Decree of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing.This verse has the Sun going around the Earth and then changing direction and is wrong. The Koran also has the Sun Moving 36:37.

Nirguna and Saguna Brahman concepts of the Bhakti movement has been a baffling one to scholars, particularly the Nirguni tradition because it offers, states David Lorenzen, "heart-felt devotion to a God without attributes, without even any definable personality". [117] Yet given the "mountains of Nirguni bhakti literature", adds Lorenzen, bhakti for Nirguna Brahman has been a part of the reality of the Hindu tradition along with the bhakti for Saguna Brahman. [117] These were two alternate ways of imagining God during the bhakti movement. [113] Buddhist understanding of Brahman [ edit ] I started reading this book since I decided to delve deeper into the question of god's existence and hear the arguments from both sides. I'm a conservative Muslim nonetheless. My faith was based on inner "faith" if you know what that means. I stumbled upon this book after watching Hamza's debate with Laurance Krauss. Hamza's arguments were quite structured and left Krauss dumbfounded with no hope to retaliate. I got intrigued especially after finishing "There is a god" by Anthony Flew and feeling odd since he was defending a god I don't believe in.Brahma is distinct from Brahman. [153] Brahma is a male deity, in the post-Vedic Puranic literature, [154] who creates but neither preserves nor destroys anything. He is envisioned in some Hindu texts to have emerged from the metaphysical Brahman along with Vishnu (preserver), Shiva (destroyer), all other gods, goddesses, matter and other beings. [155] [154] [156] Ishvara, (lit., Supreme Lord), in Advaita, is identified as a partial worldly manifestation (with limited attributes) of the ultimate reality, the attributeless Brahman. In Visishtadvaita and Dvaita, however, Ishvara (the Supreme Controller) has infinite attributes and the source of the impersonal Brahman. Brahman is the key metaphysical concept in various schools of Hindu philosophy. It is the theme in its diverse discussions to the two central questions of metaphysics: what is ultimately real, and are there principles applying to everything that is real? [65] Brahman is the ultimate "eternally, constant" reality, while the observed universe is a different kind of reality but one which is "temporary, changing" Maya in various orthodox Hindu schools. Maya pre-exists and co-exists with Brahman—the Ultimate Reality, The Highest Universal, the Cosmic Principles. [66] Atman: the ultimate reality [ edit ] Sinari, Ramakant (2000), Advaita and Contemporary Indian Philosophy. In: Chattopadhyana (gen.ed.), "History of Science, Philosophy and Culture in Indian Civilization. Volume II Part 2: Advaita Vedanta", Delhi: Centre for Studies in Civilizations

In Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 3.9.26 it mentions that the atman 'neither trembles in fear nor suffers injury' and the Isha Upanishad 6-7 too talks about suffering as non-existent when one becomes the Brahman as they see the self in all beings and all beings in the self. The famous Advaita Vedanta commentator Shankara noted that Sabda Pramana (scriptural epistemology) & anubhava (personal experience) is the ultimate & only source of knowing/learning the Brahman, and that its purpose or existence cannot be verified independently because it is not an object of perception/inference (unless one is spiritually advanced, thereby it's truth becomes self-evident/intuitive) & is beyond conceptualizations. But he does note the Upanishads themselves are ultimately derived from use of the various pramanas to derive at ultimate truths (as seen in Yalnavalkya's philosophical inquires). All Vedanta schools agree on this. These teleological discussions inspired some refutations from competing philosophies about the origin/purpose of Brahman & avidya (ignorance) and the relationship between the two, leading to variant schools like Kashmiri Shaivism& others.

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For us to be in the true One indicates that we not only have the knowledge of God outwardly, but that we also are in an organic union with Him inwardly. It is crucial for us to realize that we not only have the knowledge of God by are experience and enjoyment of Him, but that we are in Him in way of an organic union. a b R. M. Matthijs Cornelissen (2011). Foundations of Indian Psychology Volume 2: Practical Applications. Pearson. p.40. ISBN 978-81-317-3085-0. The concept of Brahman, its nature and its relationship with Atman and the observed universe, is a major point of difference between the various sub-schools of the Vedanta school of Hinduism. Jeaneane Fowler states that the concepts of Nirguna and Saguna Brahman, at the root of Bhakti movement theosophy, underwent more profound development with the ideas of Vedanta school of Hinduism, particularly those of Adi Shankara's Advaita Vedanta, Ramanuja's Vishishtadvaita Vedanta, and Madhvacharya's Dvaita Vedanta. [114] Two 12th-century influential treatises on bhakti were Sandilya Bhakti Sutra—a treatise resonating with Nirguna-bhakti, and Narada Bhakti Sutra—a treatise that leans towards Saguna-bhakti. [116]