Source: “The Fifth Dimension: An Exploration Of The Spiritual Realm”, By John Hick*,* Danforth Professor of the Philosophy of Religion, 2013.
11. The Ineffable Absolute - One Reality, Many Names.mp4
11. Ultimate Reality - How Eastern Wisdom Bridged the Absolute and Pluralism.m4a
This topic explores how both Hinduism and Buddhism conceptualize the ultimate reality as having two distinct, yet interconnected, aspects. In Hinduism, this is articulated through the nirguna and saguna Brahman; nirguna represents the formless, ineffable absolute beyond human comprehension, while saguna is that same reality as it is humanly experienced and conceptualized, such as through personal deities like Vishnu or Shiva. Similarly, Mahayana Buddhism's Trikaya doctrine features the Dharmakaya as the ultimate, formless truth, which manifests in forms like the Sambhogakaya (celestial Buddhas) and Nirmanakaya (human Buddhas). The text emphasizes that these distinctions highlight a pervasive understanding in Eastern thought: the absolute truth exists independently, yet is encountered and interpreted through diverse human experiences and religious expressions, fostering a pluralistic outlook that transcends denominational boundaries.
Topic 1: Hinduism's foundational identity is characterized by its wide variety of religious expressions and philosophical schools, all sharing a common reverence for the ancient Vedic scriptures. Among these, the non-theistic Advaita (non-dualist) Vedanta philosophy, prominently represented by the medieval thinker Shankara, holds a central place. This school focuses on Brahman as the ultimate reality, offering a sophisticated framework for understanding the divine.
Topic 2: Brahman is the central concept in Advaita Vedanta, defined as that which is alone ultimately real. It is the eternal, unchanging, ultimate ground and being of everything that exists. Brahman is understood as the singular, absolute reality from which all else originates and to which it ultimately returns, serving as the fundamental substratum of the universe.
Topic 3: Shankara introduced a crucial distinction between two aspects of Brahman: Nirguna Brahman. This aspect refers to Brahman without attributes, formless, ineffable, and transcategorial. It represents ultimate reality as it is in itself, entirely beyond the scope of human conceptualization and language. It exists independently of human thought, being an unknowable 'what it is' in its purest essence.
Topic 4: The other aspect of Brahman, according to Shankara, is Saguna Brahman. This refers to the same ultimate reality, but as it is conceived and experienced by human beings. In this form, Brahman is understood as Ishwara, a personal deity, and is manifested in various forms such as Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and countless others, often varying by region. Saguna Brahman exists in relation to human consciousness and imagination.
Topic 5: It is critical to understand that Nirguna Brahman and Saguna Brahman are not two separate realities or "things." Instead, they represent the same ultimate reality viewed from different perspectives: one as it is in itself (Nirguna), and the other as it is given concrete form within the realm of human thought and imagination (Saguna). The Saguna aspect is dependent on human consciousness, while the Nirguna aspect is eternal and independent.
Topic 6: The distinction between Nirguna and Saguna Brahman in Hindu thought is analogous to the Kantian distinction between noumenon and phenomenon when applied to religion. Just as the noumenon is the 'thing-in-itself' beyond human perception, and the phenomenon is how that thing appears to our senses and minds, Nirguna Brahman is the ultimate reality beyond human grasp, while Saguna Brahman is how that reality is conceptualized and experienced by humans.
Topic 7: A perennial challenge for those who speak of the ineffable or transcategorial aspect of the Real, such as Nirguna Brahman, is the inherent tendency to attribute positive qualities to it. Despite being described as formless and beyond human concepts, Hindu Vedantic thought commonly refers to Brahman as satchitananda (being, reality, consciousness, and bliss). This practice, while common across religious traditions, inadvertently undermines the core principle that Brahman is entirely formless and transcategorial.
Topic 8: To navigate the tension between the ineffable nature of ultimate reality and its description in religious language, it is necessary to distinguish between God as ultimate reality—which lies beyond the range of human conceptualities—and God as experienced and conceptualized by humans in their own terms. It is the latter aspect that is articulated in human theologies, worshipped in temples and churches, and described through positive attributes.
Topic 9: Hindu religious thought embraces a dual perspective: affirming the transcategorial nature of ultimate reality while simultaneously acknowledging the validity of different, limited forms of human awareness of that reality. This recognition allows for a diverse range of expressions and understandings of the divine, fostering a pluralistic approach to religious truth.