The Advaitist

parAsaMvit is the transcendental aspect of Nature or Pure Consciousness, also known as Paramshiva. Since something cannot come out of nothing, the Ultimate Reality must contain all things in their fullness. Therefore it must be: a. chit or Universal Consciousness to account for feeling b. Ananda or Universal Bliss to account for joy c. ichChA or Universal Desire to account for desire d. GYAna or Universal Intelligence to account for knowledge e. kriyA or Universal Action to account for action The eternal substance in which all things inhere is called Chaitanya or Universal Spirit. It is eternal and unmanifest and can be recognized only by spiritual illumination.

Brahman is the Ultimate Principle: "He, from whom proceeds the creation, preservation, and reconstruction of the universe". Brahman is the instrument and material cause of all manifest phenomena. It is the Uncaused Cause and eternal. In its transcendental aspect, which is beyond the comprehension of human mind, it has two states - one in which it is at rest, and one in which it is active. Its passive condition  is called Asat (non-being) or  that subtle condition of nature when the infinite varieties of forms are submerged in in the eternal source. This is Pralaya, the condition of universal dissolution. Its active condition is called sat (being) when it has three attributes - sat (being), chit (consciousness), Ananda (bliss). The immanent aspect of Brahman has two inseparable form: Nirguna - without qualities existing as pure spirit (Atman) Sagua - with qualities existing as pure matter (prakriti)