Introduction to the concept of the soul from a Vedic POV
Jun 9, 2017 9:13:53 GMT -8
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Post by dattaseva on Jun 9, 2017 9:13:53 GMT -8
The human body consists of three parts:
- The causal body is the pure awareness, which indicates the chittam without the memories. The memories are stored in the pure awareness called chit or Atman. This chit along with the memories is called as chittam or Jiva.
- The subtle body (Jiva) that is associated with three qualities called as Satvam, Jnanam or Buddhi (Intelligence), Rajas, work or Manas (mind) and Tamas, ignorance or Ahankara (egoism).
- The gross body, which is made of five elements.
The two inner bodies are the subtle body (Jiva) and causal body (Atman). The second chapter of the Gita, which is the beginning of the Lord’s message in the Gita, starts with the explanation of these two bodies, which are put together and called as Jivatma or roughly as Atman or Jiva.
Jiva is made of qualities. The qualities are made of pure awareness, which is called as Atman. The Jiva in which Atman is inherently present, leaves the gross body in death.
Atman is the pure awareness, which in a disturbed state [qualities superimposed on pure awareness] is called as the subtle body or Jiva.
Jiva is like a bundle of water waves and Atman is like the standstill water without waves. These waves are the qualities or the feelings. They are called as samskaras or vaasanas. When these waves cease, Atman, the waveless water, results. To think that Atman is one’s Self, is Yoga. This is the state of the Sthitaprajna.
Even if you cannot make these waves subside, let them exist like the external gross body. Making these waves subside is very difficult because they have been with you for several births.
Therefore, the easiest way is to fix yourself in the causal body without bothering about the gross body and the subtle body. As Atman, one can be a spectator of all the functions of the gross body and all the dances of the qualities of the subtle body. In that case, you are not at all bothered by any activities of the gross body and the internal qualities (subtle body), which govern those activities (Iti Mattva Nasajjate).
Lord Krishna preached this Atma Yoga to Arjuna to remove his powerful attachments, which cause misery. Lord Krishna gave this Atma Yoga as the first emergency medicine. Shankara stressed on this Atma Yoga.
This Atman, being the greatest item of creation is also called as Brahman by the Gita as well as Shankara. According to the verbal meaning, it is justified to call Atman as Brahman. Therefore when you have attained Atman, you have become Brahman.
Shankara called Jiva as Brahman because in the water-waves (qualities), water (pure awareness) alone is present. Therefore Jiva and Atman are not distinguished in the second chapter. Thus Jivatma (causal body along with subtle body) is often called as simply Jiva or simply Atman (soul). It is called as Jiva because Atman is not isolated [but is always associated with the qualities]. It is also called as Atman because the water-waves are water after all.
Of course in the case of realised souls, it should be called as Atman. Thus when the word Jiva is used, it refers to ordinary human beings. When the word Atman is used, realised souls are indicated. Thus by using these two words [together as Jivatma], all human beings are embraced under one category. Jivatma is eternal with reference to the destructible gross body.
The words ‘Eternal’ and ‘Brahman’ misled all the scholars into thinking that the soul in the body is eternal and is Brahman. The scholars mistook the word Brahman for Parabrahman, which is the ultimate Lord. Therefore by fixing yourself to the Atman you have definitely reached a higher state but not the highest state.
Source - docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://www.universal-spirituality.org/downloads/DivineDiscourses-2.pdf
- The causal body is the pure awareness, which indicates the chittam without the memories. The memories are stored in the pure awareness called chit or Atman. This chit along with the memories is called as chittam or Jiva.
- The subtle body (Jiva) that is associated with three qualities called as Satvam, Jnanam or Buddhi (Intelligence), Rajas, work or Manas (mind) and Tamas, ignorance or Ahankara (egoism).
- The gross body, which is made of five elements.
The two inner bodies are the subtle body (Jiva) and causal body (Atman). The second chapter of the Gita, which is the beginning of the Lord’s message in the Gita, starts with the explanation of these two bodies, which are put together and called as Jivatma or roughly as Atman or Jiva.
Jiva is made of qualities. The qualities are made of pure awareness, which is called as Atman. The Jiva in which Atman is inherently present, leaves the gross body in death.
Atman is the pure awareness, which in a disturbed state [qualities superimposed on pure awareness] is called as the subtle body or Jiva.
Jiva is like a bundle of water waves and Atman is like the standstill water without waves. These waves are the qualities or the feelings. They are called as samskaras or vaasanas. When these waves cease, Atman, the waveless water, results. To think that Atman is one’s Self, is Yoga. This is the state of the Sthitaprajna.
Even if you cannot make these waves subside, let them exist like the external gross body. Making these waves subside is very difficult because they have been with you for several births.
Therefore, the easiest way is to fix yourself in the causal body without bothering about the gross body and the subtle body. As Atman, one can be a spectator of all the functions of the gross body and all the dances of the qualities of the subtle body. In that case, you are not at all bothered by any activities of the gross body and the internal qualities (subtle body), which govern those activities (Iti Mattva Nasajjate).
Lord Krishna preached this Atma Yoga to Arjuna to remove his powerful attachments, which cause misery. Lord Krishna gave this Atma Yoga as the first emergency medicine. Shankara stressed on this Atma Yoga.
This Atman, being the greatest item of creation is also called as Brahman by the Gita as well as Shankara. According to the verbal meaning, it is justified to call Atman as Brahman. Therefore when you have attained Atman, you have become Brahman.
Shankara called Jiva as Brahman because in the water-waves (qualities), water (pure awareness) alone is present. Therefore Jiva and Atman are not distinguished in the second chapter. Thus Jivatma (causal body along with subtle body) is often called as simply Jiva or simply Atman (soul). It is called as Jiva because Atman is not isolated [but is always associated with the qualities]. It is also called as Atman because the water-waves are water after all.
Of course in the case of realised souls, it should be called as Atman. Thus when the word Jiva is used, it refers to ordinary human beings. When the word Atman is used, realised souls are indicated. Thus by using these two words [together as Jivatma], all human beings are embraced under one category. Jivatma is eternal with reference to the destructible gross body.
The words ‘Eternal’ and ‘Brahman’ misled all the scholars into thinking that the soul in the body is eternal and is Brahman. The scholars mistook the word Brahman for Parabrahman, which is the ultimate Lord. Therefore by fixing yourself to the Atman you have definitely reached a higher state but not the highest state.
Source - docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://www.universal-spirituality.org/downloads/DivineDiscourses-2.pdf
This was a great read, and the sourced link has even more information which is awesome. 
