Brahman

===Vedanta===
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.

====Advaita Vedanta====
{{Main|Advaita Vedanta}}
{{Advaita}}
[[Advaita Vedanta]] espouses [[Nonduality (spirituality)|nondualism]]. ''Brahman'' is the sole unchanging reality,<ref name=acdas>AC Das (1952), [https://www.jstor.org/stable/1397304 Brahman and Māyā in Advaita Metaphysics], ''Philosophy East and West'', Vol. 2, No. 2, pages 144–154</ref> there is no duality, no limited individual Self nor a separate unlimited cosmic Self, rather all Self, all of existence, across all space and time, is one and the same.<ref name=jeffreybrodd/><ref name=barbarasca/><ref name=rdalal>Rosen Dalal (2014), Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide, Penguin, {{ISBN|978-8184752779}}, see article on Brahman</ref> The universe and the Self inside each being is Brahman, and the universe and the Self outside each being is Brahman. Brahman is the origin and end of all things, material and spiritual. ''Brahman'' is the root source of everything that exists. He states that Brahman can neither be taught nor perceived (as an object of intellectual knowledge), but it can be learned and realized by all human beings.<ref name="Arvind Sharma 2007 pages 19-40"/> The goal of Advaita Vedanta is to realize that one's Self (''[[Atman (Hinduism)|Atman]]'') gets obscured by ignorance and false-identification ("[[Avidya (Hinduism)|Avidya]]"). When Avidya is removed, the Atman (Self inside a person) is realized as identical with Brahman.<ref name="dx.doi.org"/> The Brahman is not an outside, separate, dual entity, the Brahman is within each person, states Advaita Vedanta school of Hinduism. ''Brahman'' is all that is eternal, unchanging and that which truly exists.<ref name=acdas/> This view is stated in this school in many different forms, such as "''Ekam sat''" ("Truth is one"), and all is ''Brahman''.

The universe does not simply come from Brahman, it ''is'' Brahman. According to [[Adi Shankara]], a proponent of [[Advaita Vedanta]], the knowledge of Brahman that [[shruti]] provides cannot be obtained by any other means besides self inquiry.<ref>Anantanand Rambachan (1994), ''The limits of scripture: Vivekananda's reinterpretation of the Vedas.'' University of Hawaii Press, pages 125, 124</ref>

In [[Advaita Vedanta]], nirguna Brahman is held to be the ultimate and sole reality.<ref name=acdas/><ref name=williamw/> Consciousness is not a property of Brahman but rather its very nature. In this respect, Advaita Vedanta differs from other Vedanta schools.<ref>[Sangeetha Menon (2007), ''Advaita Vedānta''], ''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy''</ref>

Example verses from [[Bhagavad-Gita]] include:
{{Blockquote|
<poem>
The [[Yajna|offering]] is Brahman; the oblation is Brahman;
offered by Brahman into the fire of Brahman.
Brahman will be attained by him,
who always sees Brahman in action. – Hymn 4.24<ref>Christopher Key Chapple (Editor) and Winthrop Sargeant (Translator), ''The Bhagavad Gita: Twenty-fifth–Anniversary Edition'', State University of New York Press, {{ISBN|978-1438428420}}, page 224</ref><ref>Jeaneane D. Fowler (2012), ''The Bhagavad Gita'', Sussex Academic Press, {{ISBN|978-1845193461}}, page 83</ref>

He who finds his happiness within,
His delight within,
And his light within,
This yogin attains the bliss of Brahman, becoming Brahman. – Hymn 5.24<ref>Christopher Key Chapple (Editor) and Winthrop Sargeant (Translator), ''The Bhagavad Gita: Twenty-fifth–Anniversary Edition'', State University of New York Press, {{ISBN|978-1438428420}}, page 266</ref>
</poem>
|Bhagavad Gita|}}

====Dvaita Vedanta====
{{Vaishnavism}}
Brahman of [[Dvaita]] is a concept similar to God in major world religions.<ref name=mmyers/> Dvaita holds that the individual Self is dependent on God, but distinct.<ref name=mmyers/> Dvaita philosophy argues against the concept of a shared existence between Brahman and finite beings. It sees any concept of shared existence or non-dualism ([[Advaita Vedanta|Advaita]]) as incompatible with the nature of Brahman's transcendent perfection. Madhva places importance on the unique individuality of each entity (''vishesha'').<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bartley |first=Christopher |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PlupnDEr5iAC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false |title=An Introduction to Indian Philosophy |date=2011-01-20 |publisher=A&C Black |isbn=978-1-84706-449-3 |pages=186 |language=en}}</ref>

Dvaita propounds Tattvavada which means understanding differences between [[Tattva]]s (significant properties) of entities within the universal substrate as follows:{{citation needed|date=June 2015}}

# Jîva-Îshvara-bheda&nbsp;— difference between the Self and the Supreme God
# Jada-Îshvara-bheda&nbsp;— difference between the insentient and the Supreme God
# Mitha-jîva-bheda&nbsp;— difference between any two Selves
# Jada-jîva-bheda&nbsp;— difference between insentient and the Self
# Mitha-jada-bheda&nbsp;— difference between any two insentients

==== Vishishtadvaita ====
In [[Vishishtadvaita]], Ramanuja asserts that Brahman is God, and that this God is Narayana. In his commentary on the [[Brahma Sutras]] 1.1.1, Ramanuja defines Brahman as the "'highest person,' one who by his own nature is free from all imperfections and in possession of host of innumerable auspicious qualities of unsurpassable excellence." Using this definition, Ramanuja argues that Brahman must be God because Brahman's qualities are unsurpassably superior to all, and thus "only the Lord of all can thus be denoted, and 'Brahman' primarily denotes him alone". Ramanuja asserts that the relationship between God and the individual selves must be one of devotion, and moksha or liberation is said by him to be caused by the selves' worship of Brahman: "The cessation of bondage...is to be obtained only through the grace of the highest Person who is pleased by worshipper's meditation, which is devotion".<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://global.oup.com/academic/product/hindu-god-christian-god-9780195138542?cc=us&lang=en& |title=Hindu God, Christian God: How Reason Helps Break Down the Boundaries between Religions |date=2001-09-27 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-513854-2 |location=Oxford, New York |pages=70}}</ref>

====Achintya Bheda Abheda====
The [[Acintya Bheda Abheda]] philosophy is similar to [[Dvaitadvaita]] (differential [[monism]]). In this philosophy, Brahman is not just impersonal, but also personal.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Prabhupada|first=His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami|title=Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14 Verse 27|url=https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/14/27/|access-date=2020-07-25|website=vedabase.io|language=en}}</ref> That Brahman is Supreme Personality of Godhead, though on first stage of realization (by process called [[jnana]]) of Absolute Truth, He is realized as impersonal Brahman, then as personal Brahman having eternal [[Vaikunta|Vaikuntha]] abode (also known as Brahmalokah sanatana), then as [[Paramatma]] (by process of [[yoga]]–[[meditation]] on Superself, Vishnu-God in heart)—Vishnu ([[Narayana]], also in everyone's heart) who has many abodes known as Vishnulokas (Vaikunthalokas), and finally (Absolute Truth is realized by [[bhakti]]) as [[Bhagavan]], Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is source of both Paramatma and Brahman (personal, impersonal, or both).<ref name=":0" />