Questions tagged [atma]
Atma or Atman means our soul (Jivatma) or the supreme soul (Paramatma)
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Earliest scriptural reference to atma
The question is more or less in the title - what is the oldest scripture to reference the term atma? I know some of the Upanishads expound on the concept; are there even earlier references?
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Besides memory and recognition,what are the best arguments against a momentary consciousness?
Shri Shankaracharya pointed out that memory and recognition prove consciousness is not momentary,but some Nastikas will say that memory is stored in the alaya vijnana storehouse,and that Consciousness ...
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What is the difference between Brahman,ParaBrahman,Bhagvan,Ishvara and ParamAtma?
What are the differences between the various terms. I assume Ishvara might be Sagun Rupa of Brahman but so is Isvara? Are they all same?
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Are our actions outcome of mind & body or of soul?
I would like to understand this thing from our scriptures point of view:
Are our actions outcome of our mind & body or of soul (atma)?
Please cite authentic references with your answers.
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Do gods like Brahma, Vishnu, Indra and Yama, in their Lokas, have bodies or are they just Atmans?
Life after death is found in Hinduism, the Atmans are taken by Yama then they are judged and go either to heaven (abode of Indra) or to hell (abode of Yama), however this residence is temporarily and ...
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Is paraatma microBrahman living beside atma or it is Brahman himself present metaphysically beside atma?
All of us know that para-atma present beside atma as a witness, the question is: are para-atmas microtheoi present beside atmas or all para-atmas are one entity, i.e: Brahman, present metaphysically ...
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79 views
Who owns a soul?
I understand the cycles of Janam, Aatma, soul visits the Material Loka to finish the cycles of Karma.
I was explaining one person that we do not own soul, soul keeps changing the body.
He asked me ...
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582 views
Why, when and how did the Atman acquire body consciousness?
I know Atman is self aware but I don't know why that Atman lost his self awareness that he is unlimited and beginning-less and instead acquiring limited body awareness.
Even though I am a Muslim, ...
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Is Atma affected by karma?
Ok first I am a Muslim and I don't get why God creates poor people and rich people, and why that kind of inequality needs to exist.
That is why I am here, I know that I am not the body "I am I".
I ...
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1answer
137 views
Atma ( Soul ) in Hindu Scriptures
I am very emotional, attached to my family and I am not able to socialize with people. I am a devoted Hindu. And I often feel proud and boast about my Lineage (Caste) .
My question is did my Atma in ...
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Where is it stated in scripture that individual jivathma is not the doer?
I wanted to know where all is it written in the scriptures that individual is not the doer.
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Why can't you go outside after midnight?
My pundit has told me several times that I cannot go outside after midnight because of bad spirits. What does he mean by this? Is this mentioned in the scriptures or is it just superstition? And what ...
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What is recommended meditation to know everything about self and surrounding?
What is recommended meditation to know everything about self and surrounding? Where self mean me, my mind, my soul, of course my body too (which contans many other living beings like cells, virus, ...
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Do scriptures say anything about dead spirits or ghosts changing into beasts?
I am wondering if scriptures say anything about dead human spirits or ghosts changing into something else after death, or after being dead awhile?
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What is Advaita?
(Using the "body" and "hand" instead of "Brahman" and "Atman")
Ramanuja says, "the hand is the same as the body but the hand is not the body itself".
Madhu says, "the hand is not the body and the ...
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2answers
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Why do some souls remain on earth after leaving the body after death?
When death happens, the soul should leave the body and it should go back to it's original realm (whatever or wherever that place is).
But we encounter stories of ghosts or spirits on earth. Why do ...
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Can atma enter into other living jivas?
There are few things confuse me about what happen to atma after death, even after reading this thread.
There are some slokas which are used in narayan bali puja, I think those slokas are from vedas ...
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Who or what attains moksha?
When we talk about liberation among the living i.e the jeevanmukts, is it their aatman which has achieved realization? If not the aatman, that what/who? For those who have done good karma in this ...
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Where do souls stay until they reincarnate?
I'm certain that they do not reincarnate as soon as they die.
So where do they stay until they reincarnate?
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1answer
148 views
How does one know that how many births he/she is yet to take? And is his/her present level of conciousness?
As per the book Immortal talks, every soul has a level like T12 or T13; T14 being the highest. How do we know which level soul are we?
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Are “antarAtmA” (inner self) and “antaryAmI” (inner controller) the same in vedAnta?
Answer might depend on the school of vedAnta. That is fine. I want to know the position of different schools.
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137 views
Can complete pure souls exist in Kali Yuga?
According to the scriptures, is there any mention of whether complete pure souls can exist in Kali Yuga?
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Who is actually learning? Is it Atman or me?
If I am learning something like learning physics or chemistry or maths means who is learning? Is it Atman or my brain?
If Atman means why can't it (Atman) realize after death that I belong to this ...
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What happens to the soul when someone commit suicide?
What happens to the soul when one commits suicide?
Does the rebirth takes instantly?
Do the suicide soul try to make contact with family and friends?
Is it true that the suicide soul has to stay ...
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Do clones have souls?
Do animal and plant clones have souls? (Such as https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolly_(sheep))
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How can there be two individual selves in advaita?
If the Absolute reality is termed as Brahman from an universal POV and the same is termed as Atman from an individual POV, then what about Jiva. Doesn't that makes two individual selves, namely Atman ...
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How does Brahman or Atman witness?
When Krishna says in Gita that Atman, the universal consciousness only witnesses but performs no action, what exactly did he mean by it?
Does Atman needs to have a mind/body to witness everything or ...
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176 views
How do Vishishtadvaitins interpret this passage from the Vishnu Purana?
Having thus spoken to Nidāgha, the
Brāhmaṇa Ṛbhu went away, leaving his
disciple profoundly impressed, by his
instructions, with belief in unity. He beheld all
beings thenceforth as the same ...
asked Dec 19 '18 at 17:02
Surya Kanta Bose Chowdhury
15.5k4 gold badges23 silver badges99 bronze badges
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Bondage of jiva according to Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya
In the Vishishtadvaita philosophy followed by the Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya, the conditioned souls trapped in Samsara (the cycle of repeated birth and death) are referred to as Baddhas. How is the ...
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Shankara's Gita Bhasya says that the Self transmigrates. Is this true?
Advaitins mostly believe that the Self doesn't transmigrate and that it's the subtle body (known as jiva/jivatma) that actually does. But then in Shankara's Gita bhasya it is mentioned that the self ...
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4answers
248 views
What exactly is dehi according to advaita and vaishnava school?
People of Advaita sect believe that Atman never remains locked or trapped IN the body. The same thing has been said by many hindoos in quora as well. (They are followers of advaita).
If what the ...
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The two definitions of soul. Which one is true? [closed]
The vaishnavas or dualists claim that souls/jivatmas are separate sparks of light that are distinct from the subtle body and resides within the cave of subtle body/antahkarana/hridaya and upon mukti ...
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What is a broad summary of the differences and similarities between Bhaktic and Vedantic Hinduism? [closed]
Eastern Orthodox theologian, David Bentley Hart mentioned during an interview that he is able to reconcile the Christian Trinity with "certain schools of Bhaktic Hinduism and Vedanta".
This got me ...
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is there any relation between Sperm and Human Soul? [duplicate]
is there any relation between human birth,soul and sperm?
If there is no relation when Soul enters in human body during pregnancy?
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1answer
226 views
Does the fragmental Atman travels?
Shankara in one of his verses gives the definition of jiva -""When the omnipresent Atman is limited or embodied by the mind,ego of subtle body, it is called jiva"".
I think what he means is, once the ...
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On what basis do Hindu philosophies say Atman exist? [duplicate]
Hindu philosophies, especially Vedanta, say there is 'the Self' which is the reason for the existence of our human body. However, science hasn't proven the existence of that. Moreover, according to ...
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3answers
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What is meant by hridaya or heart?
Prabhupada in his Gita commentaries mentions the phrase "cave of the heart", where he says dwells the atomic soul.
Even Ramana Maharshi said, that the godly atom of the Self is to be found in the ...
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1answer
146 views
Does Bhagavad Gita state that “… Atmaa discards old bodies and assumes new bodies”? [duplicate]
While watching a famous hit Hindi movie Kudarat (1981), I came across a place where the protagonist states below in a court:
"In Gita, the blessed lord has told that, how human throws away old ...
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If I born as male in this life can my soul transmigrate and became female in next life? [duplicate]
I have this question in my mind since when I knew about soul, can a person who is male and his soul in next life can be female?
I hope its pretty clear, if not please let me know. My english might ...
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3answers
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In non-dualism does Atman reincarnate or transmigrate?
I've read that a small portion of the infinite spirit Brahman, becomes embodied. This embodied portion is called Atman. So does Atman reincarnate or goes from one body to another?
Again, if Brahman ...
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1answer
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When does a soul lose its memory of its previous birth?
I have studied in our texts that a soul will have the memory of its previous births after death, and before birth. My question is when does the soul lose its memory when entering into a body for a ...
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Is liberation for mind or Atman?
When we see all the practices from vedas, puranas, Yoga, and all scriptures, ithihasa, the theme has been to purify the mind and detach it from world. They never talked about on how to grow your Atman ...
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Is it true that the total number of souls remains constant as per Bhagavad Gita? [duplicate]
According to Gita,is it true that the total number of souls remains constant?
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What is the difference and connection between Atman and Nirguna Brahman [duplicate]
There is a question that asks for the difference between jiva atman, Atman and Paramatman and it does not answer my inquiry. I wish to know about the difference between Atmans Ananda essence and ...
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What scriptures talk of difference in leaving the body consciously and unconsciously which is death?
We have reference on what happens after death and before next birth of the soul. What will be the experience of us,as per ancient texts and how we will be if we leave this body at will, and leave this ...
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How did my existence is in place at first? Why am there as me and not as anyone? [duplicate]
This question could be a tricky one and may look confused but it's not so. Why my own existence is confined to "me" and why I did not exist as God or some other being? Why my existence came as my ...
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1answer
249 views
What is the difference between Nirvikalpa Samadi and Moksha?
When the jivatman unites with Paratman, Ananda of spirit is experienced is this Moksha or Nirvikalpa Samadi what is the difference ?
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Does the individual soul actually feel pleasure or pain?
In Gita ch.13 v23 , the Lord says that the Supreme Purusha in this body is the upadrista (observer) , the anumanta (permitter) , bharta (supporter) and bhokta (the experiencer / the one who ...
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Did Brahman split into multiple souls?
Here's a verse from Chandogya Upanishad , chapter six.
"It (Being or Brahman) thought: ‘May I be many; may I grow forth."
My question is, when Brahman, the supreme cosmic spirit , wished to ...
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Is the goddess Bhumi the Maya of Atman
Bhumi is the coat the dress of Atman so if all sentient beings are born.
How did Atman become a jiva Atman ?
