The Ultimate Reality
The Ultimate Reality is "the supreme, final, and fundamental power in all reality". The Ultimate Reality boundlessly overlaps with the concept of the Absolute, towering over Mathematical/Ontological/Jungian philosophies.
The concept of the ultimate reality, also known as the absolute reality or the highest truth, is a fundamental philosophical and metaphysical idea. Different systems offer distinct interpretations of the ultimate reality, but the underlying theme revolves around the most profound, all-encompassing, and unchanging essence of existence. The Ultimate Reality is beyond human comprehension and cannot be limited by concepts such as time, space, or form. The Ultimate Reality is beyond dualities, transcending distinctions like good and evil, light and dark, or creator and creation. At the same time, it is the cause and source of all that exists. The Ultimate Reality is the fundamental and unchanging reality that underlies the ever-changing world of appearances.
In the realm of physics and cosmology, the quest for the ultimate reality is pursued through the search for a unified theory that explains all the fundamental forces and particles of the universe. This endeavor aims to find a single, underlying principle or set of laws that govern the entire cosmos, from the subatomic level to the largest cosmic scales.
The concept of the ultimate reality can also be explored in a more personal and experiential context. Various mystical and spiritual traditions describe moments of profound insight or enlightenment where individuals claim to have directly experienced the ultimate reality. These experiences often transcend ordinary consciousness and provide a sense of unity, oneness, and interconnectedness with all of existence.
In summary, the ultimate reality is an abstract and often ineffable concept that denotes the deepest and most fundamental level of existence. It goes beyond the limitations of our ordinary perceptions and concepts and encompasses the unchanging and all-encompassing essence of reality.
In one philosophy, Nirvana is the ultimate reality. Nirvana is described in negative terms; it is unconstructed and unconditioned. In some strands of its narrative, its nature is seen as the ultimate reality. Other strands of this narrative reject the notion of ultimate reality, regarding any existent as empty of inherent existence.
In another philosophy, Tian connotes the highest principle of creation, monistic in both structure and nature.
- In the earliest canonical narrative, Tian was a transcendent Omnniversal creator and ruler.
- Later, Tian became the will and embodiment of the "natural order" of things, the Omniversal principle guiding the cosmos.
In the Hellenistic philosophy, there are ideas of an impersonal supreme force or ultimate reality whose metaphysics pantheistically identified the Omniverse with God, rationally creating the cosmos with his pneuma, ordering the cosmos with his logos, and destroying the cosmos in ekpyrosis, only to start the process in rebirth all over again.
- Among the Platonists of all generations, it is the highest reality, an ineffable and transcendent first principle that is both the origin and end of all things.
Within the philosophy of Hinduism, Brahman represents the utmost Omniversal principle, embodying the ultimate reality that pervades the entire Omniverse. As such, Brahman serves as the material, efficient, formal, and final cause for the existence of all things. This concept depicts Brahman as an all-encompassing, genderless, boundless, and timeless truth of infinite bliss, which remains unchanging while simultaneously serving as the catalyst for all transformations and variations. By considering Brahman as a metaphysical notion, one recognizes it as the singular unifying force that underpins the diverse manifestations present throughout the entirety of existence.
According to another philosophy, the concept of "ultimate reality" is difficult to express in words, poetry, mythology, and art. Paradox or contradiction is often used as a medium of expression because of the "contradictory aspect of the ultimate reality".
According to another philosophy, the ultimate reality can be mediated or revealed through symbols.
- Common symbols of ultimate reality include world trees, the tree of life, microcosm, fire, and children.