The problem with you is that you are trying to understand Atman using words, but you dont have to understand or know it, rather realize it. Even if a person understand every concept of Quantum-Nano Physics, Mathematical equations of modern scientists like Einstein etc., he is still in the realm of Prakriti i.e. worldly Maya and a bound jiva, to know Brahman one has to go above the material realm and divisions of even finite mind, ego and intellect where the knower and known are one i.e. Samadhi.
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
3.8.11. This Immutable, O Gārgī, is never seen but is the Witness; It is never heard, but is the Hearer; It is never thought, but is the
Thinker; It is never known, but is the Knower. There is no other
witness but This, no other hearer but This, no other thinker but This,
no other knower but This. By this Immutable, O Gārgī, is the
(unmanifested) ether pervaded.
Futility of even knowledge for a Brahmgyani was explained by Ramkrishna Paramhansa
Suppose a thorn has pierced a man's foot. He picks another thorn to
pull out the first one. After extracting the first thorn with the help
of the second, he throws both away. One should use the thorn of
knowledge to pull out the thorn of ignorance. Then one throws away
both the thorns, knowledge and ignorance, and attains vijnāna. What is
vijnāna? It is to know God distinctly by realizing His existence
through an intuitive experience and to speak to Him intimately. That
is why Sri Krishna said to Arjuna, 'Go beyond the three gunas.'
First of all you must discriminate, following the method of 'Neti,
neti': 'He is not the five elements, nor the sense-organs, nor the
mind, nor the intelligence, nor the ego. He is beyond all these cosmic
principles.' You want to climb to the roof; then you must eliminate
and leave behind all the steps, one by one. The steps are by no means
the roof. But after reaching the roof you find that the steps are made
of the same materials — brick, lime, and brick-dust — as the roof. It
is the Supreme Brahman that has become the universe and its living
beings and the twenty-four cosmic principles. That which is Atman has
become the five elements. You may ask why the earth is so hard, if it
has come out of Atman? All is possible through the will of God. Don't
you see that bone and flesh are made from blood and semen?
One who knows the Atman, for him scriptures i.e. Vedas etc., are useless, rather what a true Brahmgyani speaks from experiences become the scriptures. Thats why there had been so many saints like Kabirdas, Nanak, Meera, Chaitnaya etc., explaining the same truth in different words. But unfortunately, unenlightened followers of saints end up in clashes and killing each other in the name of religion, sect-bashing specially in Kaliyuga and western nations where Tamas and ignorance dominates. These people have more hatred and affinity towards violence and showing others inferior in ego rather than comprehending their scripture completely and be free as they choose inferior animal instincts not the divine characters of Satva Atman. A Brahmgyani read scriptures, realize truth and becomes immortal living image of Atman Vidya/wisdom/understanding, which is confused as word Vedas or scriptures, while tamsik fools read scriptures entire life and fight each other based on their limited understanding and religion just like animals fight for some worthless region and perish in ignorance and without peace.
That which is infinite and one and pure love is Atman, but a jiva in Maya that is finite and full of hatred for others and their practices without understanding them in reality is Tamas and bondage of Maya. God who is Atman is sustainer of all regardless of their actions,, than how can a true Atman gyani ever hate of scared of anyone, thats why Buddha was not scared of Angulimala or mad elephant, Jadabharata was ready to give his life for tribal people, Prahalada was not scared of evil Hiranyakashyapa, Krishna instructed Arjuna in Atman Gyan to make Arjuna fearless via Gita during Mahabharata war.
Explanation of Atman by Krishna to Arjuna in Uttara Geeta
Uttara Gita
- The syllable Aum with which the Vedas begin, which appears in the middle of the Vedas and with which the Vedas end, unites prakriti with
its own Self, but that which is beyond this prakriti united to pranava
is Maheshvara.
- A boat is needed until one gets to the other side of the river, but when a man once crosses the stream, the boat is no longer needed
for his purpose.
- As a husbandman throws away the husks after threshing out the corn, so does also an intelligent person give up the study of books
after he has gained knowledge from them.
- As light is necessary to find a desired object in a dark chamber, but when once the object is found the light is necessarily put aside,
so too when the object of supreme knowledge, kept hidden by the
illusion of maya, is once found by the torch of knowledge, the
knowledge itself is afterwards put aside as redundant.
- As milk is not needed by a person already satiated with the drink of nectar, so also the Vedas are not needed by a man who has already
known the Supreme Deity.
- Thrice fortunate is the yogin who has thus satiated his thirst by the nectar of knowledge; he is henceforth bound to no karma, as he had
become the knower of the tattvas.
- He that has known the unspeakable pranava as the one continuous sound of a big gong or like one unbroken thread of oil without
division and separation, comprehends the real meaning of the Vedas.
- He who uses his own atman as one arani [a piece of wood that produces fire when rubbed] and pranava as the other, and constantly
rubs the two together, he will very soon see the hidden fire thus
produced by the friction of the two, even as he kindles the fire
hidden in the bosom of the arani.
- As long as one does not see within the sublime rupa purer than purity itself, which beams forth like a smokeless light, he should
continue his contemplation with a steady mind, fixing his thoughts
upon that rupa.
- The jivatman, although seemingly distant from the Paramatman, is still very close to it; and though it has a body, it is still without
a body; the jivatman itself is pure, omnipotent and self-evident.
Although it is apparently in the body, it is still not in the body; it is not affected by any change of the body, nor does it take
part in any enjoyment pertaining to the body, nor can it be bound down
or conditioned by anything that binds the body
As long as one does not acquire the knowledge of the tattvas, so long should he attentively perform all good acts, observe purity of
body and mind, perform religious sacrifices, and acquire experience
and knowledge by visiting sacred places
At the time when the body oscillates backward and forward, the Brahmana who hesitates to believe that he is Brahman fails to
understand the great subtle atman even if he be conversant with the
four Vedas.
- Although cows may be of different colors but the color of their milk is one and the same, even so in the case of the jiva, the bodies
may look different but the atman is one and the same in all.
- Food, sleep, fear and sexual desire, man has in common with brutes; it is only the addition of knowledge that makes him a man; if,
therefore, he is devoid of this he is but equal to a brute.
Krishna himself was Atmagyani thats why Yashodra saw galaxies and entire universe in his mouth when she told him to open mouth because he ate dirt. When Brahma, personified Brahman appeared in infinte empty Brahman, he did self-enquiry and Tapas on the same thought for 100 years before getting enlightened and did all the creation. Thats why out of Tamas alone, people are told to do Bhakti of one God's avatars and Brahmgyanis, but hypocrite jivas who like darkness, Maya, oblivion and reincarnation dont practice their religion rightfully rather end up in fighting in the name of Shiva vs Vishnu vs Shakti vs Christ vs Allah arguments and waste their limited time, brain and rare human life, rather than practicing righteousness and attain liberation.
Swami Vivkeananda
Buddha is the only prophet who said, I do not care to know your
various theories about God. What is the use of discussing all the
subtle doctrines about the soul? Do good and be good.
Om Puurnnam-Adah Puurnnam-Idam Puurnnaat-Puurnnam-Udacyate |
Puurnnasya Puurnnam-Aadaaya Puurnnam-Eva-Avashissyate || Om Shaantih
Shaantih Shaantih ||
1: Om, That (Outer World) is Purna (Full with Divine Consciousness);
This (Inner World) is also Purna (Full with Divine Consciousness);
From Purna is manifested Purna (From the Fullness of Divine
Consciousness the World is manifested), 2: Taking Purna from Purna,
Purna indeed remains (Because Divine Consciousness is Non-Dual and
Infinite), 3: Om, Peace, Peace, Peace.
