20
Aatma
Atma simply means one's true Self. This is the root or fundamental entity of anything or any being that is eternal, unchangeable, unmodifiable and so on. Atma can mean different things depending upon the context it is used. For living beings like us, atma means the soul about which Shri Krishna explains in the Gita using the following verses:
For ...
12
The same question was asked by Nityanand Swami and answered by Bhagwan Swaminarayan. These spiritual discourses are recorded and complied into the Vachanamrut.
In one of the discourses in the section Gadhadã I-13 titled as
Planting the Branch of a Banyan or
Pipal Tree Elsewhere, Bhagwan Swaminarayan explains how God gives body to the jivas and following ...
9
It is explained in the Chhandogya Upanishad - Aadhyaya-6, Khanda-8.
What is the Sushupti actually and why do we experience it?:
उद्दालको हारुणिः श्वेतकेतुं पुत्रमुवाच स्वप्नान्तं मे सोम्य
विजानीहीति यत्रैतत्पुरुषः स्वपिति नाम सता सोम्य तदा
सम्पन्नो भवति स्वमपीतो भवति तस्मादेनꣳ
स्वपितीत्याचक्षते स्वꣳह्यपीतो भवति ॥ ६.८.१॥
Uddalaka the son of ...
8
Atmas (souls) were never created. Atma is eternal, ever existing and unborn:
na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato ’yaṁ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [BG - 2.20]
Meaning
For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not ...
7
Ativhakas are mentioned in Adhyaya 4 -Pada 3 of Vedanta-Sutras.
अतिवहिकास्तल्लिंगात् || BS 4.3.4||
( These are ) deities conducting the soul ( on the path of gods) , on
the account of indicatory marks to the effect. This sutra gives us
hints about who are they its said that these ativahakas are are more
or less human. - Hindi And here is ...
6
"Above observations don't mean that Bhagavad Gita is the final authority." Let me preface this by saying that the Bhagavad Gita is definitely an infallible authority, and if you're interpreting it in a way that it would contradict the doctrines of the Vedanta school, you're probably misinterpreting it.
Now since you referred to Nirguna Brahman in ...
answered Mar 18 '16 at 4:47
6
Non-Vedantic Astika schools think the soul is omnipresent, whereas most Vedantins think it's atomic in size.. Let me address each of the six Astika schools:
Samkhya: The Samkhya school believed that the soul is omnipresent. Here is what Kapila says in Adhyaya 1 Sutra 50 of the Samkhya Sutras:
mūrttatvādghaṭādivat samānadharmāpattāvapāsiddhāntaḥ
If ...
answered Nov 12 '17 at 5:11
6
There isn't any difference between the two. One who has enjoyed Nirvikalpa Samadhi has attained the Brahmananda (eternal bliss-the state of Moksha). Now, one who can repeatedly reach the same state again and again is called liberated.
Chapter 4 of Hatha Yoga Pradipika is specifically dedicated on the topic of Samadhi. The 2nd verse itself says:
Now I ...
5
Almost no one believes that the soul originates from Brahman. First of all, the six main Astika or orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy don't believe it:
Samkhya: As I discuss in this answer, the Samkhya school didn't even believe in Brahman; they thought there were only two kinds of entities in the Universe, Purushas or souls and Prakriti or matter. And ...
answered Dec 19 '17 at 13:31
5
There are three ways to answer this question. First, from the standpoint of the Atman, we are all the Atman and we exist eternally.
Second, from the standpoint of the eternal Brahman, there is no time - time exists inside Maya alone. As such, every moment of time exists eternally within Brahman. As such you exist eternally. You are not aware of your ...
5
Yes, human life is considered to be of higher value because of the possibility of a human attaining moksha.
The swan [Brahman] said, "I disclose unto you a great mystery. There is no status that is superior to that of humanity. Freed from sin like the Moon from the murky clouds, the man of wisdom, shining in resplendence, attains to success by patiently ...
4
An advice from Bhagavad-gītā: param drištvā nivartatē (2.59). By getting a higher experience, one gives up the previous interest. So one can gradually change his faith by hearing about the advantages of spiritual practice and the defects of sensual urges.
This is again corroborated in Bhagavad-gītā 9.2:
rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyam pavitram idam uttamam
...
4
Adi Shankaracharya says that dreams are created by the Jiva, as described in this section of his Brahma Sutra Bhashya:
The statement made above that in the Kâthaka the highest Self is spoken of as the shaper of dreams is untrue; for another scriptural passage ascribes that activity to the individual soul, 'He himself destroying, he himself shaping dreams ...
answered Aug 24 '16 at 17:54
4
Jaya Nitaai!
In Gaudiya Vaishnav philosophy, Tulsi Maharani is not a Jivatma at all. She is a manifestation of Krsna's Swarupa Shakti (because she is an amsa of Radharani). This is because, Tulsi is an expansion of Vrndadevi who is one of the gopis of Vrndavana. Being a manifestation of Swarupa Shakti, She therefore possesses the powers of Parabrahman Sri ...
4
In Pratibimba VAda, the Jiva is the reflection of the Brahman Consciousness (Brahma Chaitanya) in attributes (Upadhi) like Buddhi (intellect).
See the following verse from YogaVAshitha:
Yena samyak parijyAtam heyopAdeyamujhjhatA | ChittasyAnte stitham
chittam jivitam tasya shobhate ||
The life of one, who being devoid of -- "this is acceptable and ...
4
Nothing happens after death to the atman which is merely a witness. It is the subtle body that is affected by death. Check Gita 2.17-2.22 for the answer to your question. For example, Gita 2.22 says,
'Just as a man gives up old garments and puts on new ones, so the
embodied self abandons decrepit bodies and assumes new ones.'
Gita 2.22
What happens ...
3
All the Astika schools think the existence of the soul can be proven through Anumana or inference. (At least it appears that way, although see my caveat under the Vedanta school.) Let me address each of the six Astika schools:
Samkhya: Here is what Ishwara Krishna says in verse 17 of the Samkhya Karika:
saṃghātaparārthatvāt triguṇādiviparyayād ...
answered Nov 23 '17 at 5:01
3
Simply because you have created Maya and avidya for yourself and dropped down to the plane of dual perception. It is due to this duality that such a question has arisen. Remove it and experience non duality—the supreme reality, the highest sense of perception.
3
Yes, all Vedantic philosophies say the Jiva does not originate from Brahman. In Adhyaya 2 Pada 3 of the Brahma Sutras, the defining text of the Vedanta school, Vyasa says this:
Topic-11: Origin of the Soul
17. The individual soul has no origin; because the Upanishads do not mention this, because its eternality is known from them and (because of other ...
answered Jun 8 '16 at 14:52
3
We will see Visisthadvaita Philosophy in detail and also clear the doubts of Advaita and Dvaita philosophy as well as Abhed,Bhed Sruti (Advaita & Dvaita) and also demonstrate Gatak sruti
Here we also understand this Philosophy from the Basic, I will try my best to demonstrate this Philosophy through the Sruti , Bhagvad-Gita and Ramanuja-Philosophy so, we ...
3
Jivatman is the reflected consciousness.
Consciousness as one with dual aspect is Transcendent and Immanent.
The Transcendental Consciousness is called the Paramatma. The
Consciousness which is embedded in Mind and Matter is the Jivatma. In the first case Consciousness is formless and in the second it is with form.
The Serpent Power the secrets of ...
3
"Followers of advaita like Pradip or Milind would say...."
Yes, they are right.
"But i want to know, whether this jiva is the same as subtle body or not?"
No, Jiva is not same as subtle body. Subtle body consist of Indriya and Antahkarana:
(Quoting from Vivekachudamanai)
96. The five organs of action such as speech, the five organs of knowledge such ...
3
Although not accurate but I wanted to post this:
याक्षक्रक्रमभूमिकावसतयो नाडीषु या: संस्थिता
या: कायोह्गतरोमकूपनिलया या: संस्थिता धातुषु ।
उच्छासोर्मिमरुत्तरड्ननिलया निश्वासवासाश्च या-
स्ता देव्यो रिपुपक्षभक्षणरता नन्दन्तु कौलार्चिता: ॥४ २॥
kulavarna tantra 8th Ulhassa 42nd verse
The sholka specifically describes 'yogis' but it also describes about the ...
3
Shankaracharya said in the 20th verse of Brahmajnanavalimala
ब्रह्म सत्यं जगन्मिथ्या जीवो ब्रह्मैव नापरः ।
अनेन वेद्यं सच्छास्त्रमिति वेदान्तडिण्डिमः ॥ २०॥
Brahma Satyam Jagan Mithya Jivo Brahmaiva Na Aparah
Brahman (the Absolute) is alone real; the world is unreal; Jiva is non-different from Brahman.
The confusion comes from saying Jiva (actually Atman in ...
2
The physical body of a Jiva is manifestly not eternal. All the koshas that form that Jiva complex is also not eternal. So the only thing that is left is the Atma. Jiva when not emancipated thinks of himself as the physical body, subtle body, causal body and the Atman with a clearly identified ego. Jiva after emancipation is simply the Atman with no ego. ...
2
Atma is higher soul, never takes birth.
JeevAtma a portion of Higher soul takes birth. Jeev atma by name itself means the atma that takes birth.
Jeev atma is always conected to the Atma.
Atma is our real self. It is the whole soul that fully does not incarnate.Only a part of the Higher soul called Atma incarnates, this is the JeevAtma,our lower soul that ...
2
From our discussions in the chat room, since we stumbled upon this, I will formalise it as an answer:
Gita Chapter 15, Verse 7
mamaivāḿśo jīva-loke jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ
manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati
Translations:
Gambhirananda: It is verily a part of Mine which, becoming the eternal individual soul in the region of living beings, ...
2
Krishna clearly states in the BG 14.8 that the results of ignorance are: 1. madness, indolence and sleep. He never says that it is rejuvenating and gives energy as is the case when one comes in contact with the mode of goodness which results in illumination as stated BG 14.11. Hence if in deep sleep, which is sheer ignorance, we cannot expect a result of ...
2
Sri Sankara argues that the differences refer to bodies and not to the Self.
Never, at any time, was I not; on the contrary, I certainly ever was.
Though My body originated and pershed in the past, in them all, like
space in pots and the like, I remained an eternal entity. This is the
idea. Similarly you were not non-existent; on the contrary, ...
Only top voted, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible
