In religion, transcendence refers to the aspect of a god's nature and power which is wholly independent of the

material universe, beyond all physical laws. This is contrasted with immanence, where a god is said to be fully
present in the physical world and thus accessible to creatures in various ways. In religious
experience transcendence is a state of being that has overcome the limitations of physical existence and by some
definitions has also become independent of it. This is typically manifested
in prayer, sance, meditation, psychedelics and paranormal "visions".
It is affirmed in various religious traditions' concept of the divine, which contrasts with the notion of a god (or,
the Absolute) that exists exclusively in the physical order (immanentism), or indistinguishable from it (pantheism).
Transcendence can be attributed to the divine not only in its being, but also in its knowledge. Thus, a god may
transcend both the universe and knowledge (is beyond the grasp of the human mind).
Although transcendence is defined as the opposite of immanence, the two are not necessarily mutually exclusive.
Some theologians and metaphysicians of various religious traditions affirm that a god is both within and beyond the
universe (panentheism); in it, but not of it; simultaneously pervading it and surpassing it.

Bah' Faith
Bah's believe in a single, imperishable god, the creator of all things, including all the creatures and forces in the
universe.[1] In the Bah' tradition, god is described as "a personal god, unknowable, inaccessible, the source of all
Revelation, eternal, omniscient, omnipresent and almighty."[2] Though inaccessible directly, God is nevertheless
seen as conscious of his creation, with a mind, will and purpose. Bah's believe that God expresses this will at all
times and in many ways, including through a series of divine messengers referred to as Manifestations of God or
sometimes divine educators.[3] In expressing God's intent, these manifestations are seen to establish religion in the
world. Bah' teachings state that God is too great for humans to fully comprehend, nor to create a complete and
accurate image.[4]

Buddhism
In Buddhism "transcendence", by definition, belongs to the mortal beings of the formless realms of existence.
However, although such beings are at 'the peak' of Samsara, Buddhism considers the development of
transcendence to be both temporary and a spiritual cul-de-sac, which therefore does not eventuate a permanent
cessation of Samsara. This assertion was a primary differentiator from the other Sramana teachers during Gautama
Buddha's own training and development.[5]
Alternatively, in the various forms of BuddhismTheravada, Mahayana (especially Pure Land and Zen) and
Vajrayanathe notion of transcendence sometimes includes a soteriologicalapplication. Except for Pure Land and
Vajrayana, the role played by transcendent beings is minimal and at most a temporary expedient. However some
Buddhists believe that Nirvana is an eternal, transcendental state beyond name and form, so for these Buddhists,
Nirvana is the main concept of transcendence. The more usual interpretation of Nirvana in Buddhism is that it is a
cessationa permanent absence of something (namely suffering), and therefore it is not in any way a state which
could be considered transcendent.
Primordial enlightenment and the dharma are sometimes portrayed as transcendent, since they can surpass all
samsaric obstructions.

Christianity
The Catholic Church, as do other Christian Churches, holds that God transcends all creation.[6] According
to Aquinas, "...concerning God, we cannot grasp what he is, but only what he is not, and how other beings stand in
relation to him."[7] Anthropomorphic depictions of God are largely metaphorical and reflect the challenge of "human
modes of expression" in attempting to describe the infinite.[8] St. Augustine observed "...[I]t is only by the use of such
human expressions that Scripture can make its many kinds of readers whom it wants to help to feel, as it were, at
home."[9] The "sense of transcendence" and therefore, an awareness of the "sacred", is an important component of
the liturgy.[10] God is recognized as both transcendent and immanent.

Hinduism
Transcendence is described and viewed from a number of diverse perspectives in Hinduism. Some traditions, such
as Advaita Vedanta, view transcendence in the form of God as the Nirguna Brahman (God without attributes),
transcendence being absolute. Other traditions, such as Bhakti yoga, view transcendence as God with attributes
(Saguna Brahman), the Absolute being a personal deity (Ishvara), such as Vishnu or Shiva.
In the Bhagavad Gita transcendence is described as a level of spiritual attainment, or state of being which is open to
all spiritual aspirants (the goal of yoga practice), the state at which one is no longer under the control of animalistic,
base desires and is aware of a higher spiritual reality.
When the yog, by practice of yoga, disciplines his mental activities and becomes situated in transcendence
devoid of all material desires he is said to be well established in yoga.[11]
The exact nature of this transcendence is given as being "above the modes of material nature", which are known
as gunas (ropes) which bind the living entity to the world of samsara (repeated rebirth) in Hindu philosophy.

Islam
Tawhid is the act of believing and affirming that God (Arabic: Allah) is one and unique (wid). The Qur'an asserts
the existence of a single and absolute truth that transcends the world; a unique and indivisible being who is
independent of the entire creation.[13] According to the Qur'an:[13]
"Say: He is God, the One and Only; God, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is
none like unto Him." (Sura 112:1-4, Yusuf Ali)
Thy Lord is self-sufficient, full of Mercy: if it were God's will, God could destroy you, and in your place appoint whom
God will as your successors, even as God raised you up from the posterity of other people." (Sura 6:133, Yusuf Ali)
According to Vincent J. Cornell, the Qur'an also provides a monist image of God by describing the reality as a
unified whole, with God being a single concept that would describe or ascribe all existing things:"God is the First and
the Last, the Outward and the Inward; God is the Knower of everything (Sura 57:3)"[13] All Muslims have however
vigorously criticized interpretations that would lead to a monist view of God for what they see as blurring the
distinction between the creator and the creature, and its incompatibility with the radical monotheism of Islam.[14]
In order to explain the complexity of unity of God and of the divine nature, the Qur'an uses 99 terms referred to as
"Most Beautiful Names of Allah" (Sura 77:180)[12]. Aside from the supreme name "Allah" and the neologism al-
Rahman (referring to the divine beneficence that constantly (re)creates, maintains and destroys the universe), other
names may be shared by both God and human beings. According to the Islamic teachings, the latter is meant to
serve as a reminder of God's immanence rather than being a sign of one's divinity or alternatively imposing a
limitation on God's transcendent nature.
Tawhid or Oneness of God constitutes the foremost article of the Muslim profession.[15] To attribute divinity to a
created entity is the only unpardonable sin mentioned in the Qur'an.[16] Muslims believe that the entirety of the
Islamic teaching rests on the principle of Tawhid.