WHAT IS SOUL(ATHMA) ?

--IT IS ALSO CALLED AS 'SELF'

--AS PER SHANKARACHARYA ATHMA IS GOD
   (PARAMATHMA) ONLY

--SOUL(ATHMA) IS FORMLESS

-- THERE IS ONLY ONE ATHMA
    DUE TO MAYA - ILLUSION IT LOOKS AS IF THERE
    ARE MANY. ONLY ONE ATHMA HAS ASSUMED
    MANY FORMS THROUGH MAYA.

--SOUL(ATHMA) IS PRESENT THROUGHOUT THE BODY,
   HOWEVER SPIRITUAL HEART (HRIDAYA) IS THE
   LOCATION OF SOUL(ATHMA) WHICH IS ON THE
   RIGHT SIDE OF CHEST. SOME BELIEVE TOP OF
   BRAIN(SAHASRARA) AS THE LOCATION.
 
--WE SHOULD KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
   'ATMA' & 'JIVA'

BHAGWAN RAMANA MAHARSHI

--IF LIBERATION(MOKSHA) IS NOT ACHIEVED WITHIN
   A  LIFE TIME 'JIVA' LEAVES THE BODY ON BODY'S
   DEATH TO GET EMBODIED(PUNARJANMA) AGAIN !

--IF LIBERATION IS ACHIEVED ie,MINDLESS STATE
   (MANO NASHA) OR 'JEEVANMUKTHA'(LIBERATED 
   WHILE LIVING), THEN 'JIVA' MERGES IN 'ATHMA' & 
   DOES NOT LEAVE THE BODY ON DEATH OF BODY.
   SUCH A PERSON SHOULD NOT OPEN HIS EYES AT 
   THE TIME OF DEATH !

                 SHRI SHANKARACHARYA BHAGAVATHPADA
 

TO UNDERSTAND THE ABOVE WE SHOULD KNOW 

                       THE SPIRITUAL  ANATOMY OF THE BODY.

WHAT IS SOUL(ATHMA) ? 

That which is other than GROSS(STHULA),SUBTLE 

(SUKSHMA) and CAUSAL (KARANA) bodies(shariras),

which is beyond the FIVE SHEATHS, which is witness

(sakshi) of the three states of awareness(waking,dream,

deep-sleep states), which has the nature of 
EXISTENCE(SATH)--CONSCIOUSNESS(CHITH)--
BLISS(ANANDA) is SOUL(ATHMA).

                ----- TATTVA BODHA OF SHANKARACHARYA

" Every Soul is a circle whose circumference is nowhere,

  but whose center is located in the body and Death means

  change of this center from body to body."

                

                 ---- SWAMI VIVEKANANDA       

THREE SHARIRAS-- FIVE SHEATHS--

1)GROSS BODY---------------1)FOOD SHEATH (ANNAMAYA 
   (STHULA SHARIRA)             KOSHA)
                                                                            
2)SUBTLE BODY--------------2)AIR SHEATH(PRANAMAYA 
    (SUKSHMA SHARIRA)        KOSHA)                                       
                                       ---3)MIND SHEATH(MANOMAYA
                                                 KOSHA)            
                                       ---4)INTELLECT SHEATH                
                                               (VIJNANAMAYA  KOSHA)   
                       
3)CAUSAL BODY-------------5)BLISS SHEATH 
                                            (ANANDAMAYA  KOSHA)
   (KARANA SHARIRA)    
                                                                             
SOUL(ATHMA) is other than above three SHARIRAS, above 
five SHEATHS


THREE SATES OF AWARENESS--

1)WAKING STATE(JAGRATH AVASTHA)
2)DREAM STATE(SWAPNA AVASTHA)
3)DEEP SLEEP STATE(SUSHUPTHI AVASTHA)

SOUL(ATHMA) IS WITNESS(SAKSHI) to the above three states.


NATURE OF SOUL(ATHMA)--

EXISTANCE(SATH)--

SOUL(ATHMA) has no beginning,middle or end.It has no time 
frame. It has no death.Remains unchanged at all times.

KNOWLEDGE(CHITH)--

SOUL(ATHMA) has the nature of absolute knowledge.
It is AWARENESS which is present in all the three states

BLISS(ANANDA)--

SOUL(ATHMA) has the nature of absolute happiness.Mind
creates both sorrow & happiness.Where as in mindless state
when we experience ATHMA,it is pure BLISS only


WHAT IS JIVA ?
The SOUL(ATHMA) conditioned by ignorance(avidya) is called 
JIVA. It identifies itself with the gross body due to ignorance &
thinks ISHWARA(Awareness conditioned by MAYA) to be 
different from itself.For liberation, notion that JIVA is different
from ISHWARA should not be accepted.


WHAT LEAVES THE BODY AT DEATH
(when liberation is not achieved)
SOUL(ATHMA) along with SUBTLE BODY(SUKSHMA 
SHARIRA) which has PRANAMAYA ,MANOMAYA,
VIJNANAMAYA KOSHAS and CAUSAL BODY
(KARANA SHARIRA) which has ANANDAMAYA KOSHA
 leaves the body.

This means MIND(MANAS), INTELLECT(BUDDHI), AVIDYA
(CAUSE FOR CREATION OF BODY) moves out of body
along with SOUL(ATHMA)


JIVA ENTERING THE BODY--
Whatever left the body at death mentioned above enters the 
new body.
As per MUNDAKA UPANISHATH JIVA enters the body at
 the time mother conceives.
Another JNANI says in a growing body SOUL(ATHMA) should
be there.
SRIRANGA MAHAGURU said JIVA enters the body in
seventh month. 

SOUL(ATHMA) IS GOD ONLY
(REFER POSTING IN THIS BLOG--ATHMA IN REALITY IS PARAMATHMA)
See GOD inside you instead of seeing in statues in temples.
(Refer Kabir's Doha posted on 13th,November,2011)


FOUR MAHA VAKYAS of FOUR VEDAS--

1)PRAGYANAM BRAHMAHA (CONSCIOUSNESS IS 
   BRAHMAN)--Aitareya Upanishath of RIG VEDA

2)AYAM ATHMA BRAHMAHA(THE SELF WITHIN IS 
   BRAHMAN)--Mandukya Upanishad of Atharva Veda.

      

3)AHAM BRAHMASMI(I AM BRAHMAN)--Brahadaranyka 

   Upanishad of Yajur Veda.

4)TAT-TWAM-ASI (THAT  THOU ART )--Chandogya 
   Upanishad of Sama Veda.
     

All the above indicates that ATHMA IS BRAHMAN WHICH IS 

NOT DIFFERENT FROM PARAMATHMAN.

All the characteristics mentioned in the posting "WHAT IS
GOD ?" in this blog is applicable to SOUL(ATHMA).


After knowing the REALITY,one sees the universe as the 
non-duel BRAHMAN(GOD),ie, Existence(Sath)-Knowledge
(Chith)-Bliss(Ananda)-Absolute(PARIPURNA)


The Self-abiding JEEVANMUKTHA-one who is liberated 
while living(who sees GOD everywhere & in everything)
relinquishing all the attachments to the illusory external 
happiness, is satisfied with bliss derived from ATHMA 
(SOUL). This is TURIYA STATE !  SAHAJA FOURTH 
STATE OF MAN.

PERFECT JNANI ATTAINS IMMORTALITY
ATHMA BHODA of SHANKARACHARYA -- 

He who renouncing all activities, who is free of all the 
limitations of time,space & direction, worships his own ATHMA
(SOUL) which is present every where(inside him & outside),
which is the destroyer of difficulties and sorrows,which is 
BLISS-ETERNAL and STAINLESS(NIRANJANAM), becomes
All-knowing and All-pervading and attains IMMORTALITY  


             
PL. READ 'ATHMA PANCHAKAM' OF SHANKARACHARYA

http://athma-spiritualbliss.blogspot.in/2011/11/adi-sankaracharyas-atma-panchakam-3-out.html