Ahamkara (Sanskrit: अहंकार; Romanized: Ahaṁkāra), "I-making," is a Sanskrit term in Hindu philosophy referring to the construction of a self-concept, or the false identification of the self (Purusha, atman) with impermanent entities such as the body, mind, or material objects. It evolves from Mahat-tattva, and is one of the four Antaḥkaraṇa (functions of the mind).
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Ātman (/ˈɑːtmən/; Sanskrit: आत्मन्) in Hinduism is the true, innermost essence or self of a living being, conceived as eternal and unchanging. Atman is conceptually closely related to the individual self, Jīvātman, which persists across multiple bodies and lifetimes, but different from the self-image or ego (Ahamkara), the emotional aspect of the mind (Citta), and the bodily or natural aspects (prakṛti). The term is often translated as soul, but is better translated as "Self" or essence. To attain moksha (liberation), a human being must acquire self-knowledge (Atma Gyaan or Brahmajnana).
The six orthodox schools of Indian philosophy have different views on what this self is. In Samkhya and Yoga, which call the essence purusha, and in Advaita Vedanta, the essence is pure consciousness or witness-consciousness (sakshi), beyond identification with phenomena. In Samkhya and Yoga there are innumerable selves, while in Advaita Vedanta there is only one Self. Prominent views in Vedanta on the relation between (Jīv)Atman and the supreme Self (Paramātmā) or Ultimate Reality (Vishnu, Shiva, Brahman) are that atman and Brahman are simultaneously different and non-different (Bhedabheda), non-different (Advaita, 'not-two'), different with dependence (Dvaita, 'dualist'), or non-different but with dependence (Vishishtadvaita, qualified non-dualism).
Mysticism encompasses religious traditions of human transformation aided by various practices and religious experiences. Popularly, mysticism is used synonymously with mystical experience, a neologism which refers to an ecstatic unitive experience of becoming one with God, the Absolute, or all that exists.
Scholarly research since the 1970s had questioned this understanding, noting that what appears to be mysticism may also refer to the attainment of insight into ultimate or hidden truths, as in Buddhist awakening and Hindu prajna, in nondualism, and in the realisation of emptiness and ego-lessness, and also to altered states of consciousness such as samadhi.
Ātman (/ˈɑːtmən/; Sanskrit: आत्मन्) in Hinduism is the true, innermost essence or self of a living being, conceived as eternal and unchanging. Atman is conceptually closely related to the individual self, Jīvātman, which persists across multiple bodies and lifetimes, but different from the self-idea or ego (Ahamkara), the emotional aspect of the mind (Citta), and the bodily or natural aspects (prakṛti). The term is often translated as soul, but is better translated as "Self" or essence. To attain moksha (liberation), a human being must acquire self-knowledge (Atmajnana or Brahmajnana).
The six orthodox schools of Indian philosophy have different views on what this self is. In Samkhya and Yoga, which call the essence purusha, and in Advaita Vedanta, the essence is pure consciousness or witness-consciousness (sakshi), beyond identification with phenomena. In Samkhya and Yoga there are innumerable selves, while in Advaita Vedanta there is only one Self. Prominent views in Vedanta on the relation between (Jīv)Atman and the supreme Self (Paramātmā) or Ultimate Reality (Brahman) are that atman and Brahman are simultaneously different and non-different (Bhedabheda), non-different (Advaita, 'not-two'), different with dependence (Dvaita, 'dualist'), or non-different but with dependence (Vishishtadvaita, qualified non-dualism).
The Mahāvākyas (sing.: mahāvākyam, महावाक्यम्; plural: mahāvākyāni, महावाक्यानि) are "The Great Sayings" of the Upanishads, with mahā meaning great and vākya, a sentence. The Mahāvākyas are traditionally considered to be four in number, though actually five are prominent in the post-Vedic literature:
Mahāvākyas are instrumental in Advaita Vedanta, as they are regarded as valid scriptural statements that reveal the self (ātmán), which appears as a separate individual existence (jīva), is, in essence, non-different (not two-ness) from Brahman, which, according to Advaita, is nirguna. In contrast, these statements are less prominent in most other Hindu traditions, which emphasize a qualified or dualistic relationship between the self and Brahman, whom they regard as saguna, often identified with Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti, etc.
Mahat-tattva (Sanskrit: महत्तत्त्व, romanized: Mahattattva) or mahat is a concept in the Samkhya philosophy of Hinduism. It is the first evolute of Prakriti, the causeless cause of the world, that is generated after Prakriti begins to evolve when its equilibrium is disturbed, which causes expansion of material energy and matter. In the process of evolution, after mahat emanates, egoity (ahamkara), mind (manas), the five sense capacities, the five action capacities, the five subtle elements, and the five gross elements evolve. These are the 22 other elements that constitute the basic metaphysics of Samkhya.