Atma and Paramatma according to Hindu Dharma – God and Soul

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In Hinduism, God is known by a variety of titles, including Brahman, Isvara, Paramatman, the Supreme Self, Bhagavan, Parabrahman, Shiva, Vishnu, and Yaksha.

On the other hand, the soul is also referred to as the Atman, self, or unique self. Two eternal elements of creation are the supreme self and the self. Both people like. However, one is the supreme ruler of the macrocosm, whereas the other is the Lord of a living thing’s microcosm. According to Hindu dharma, our world, known as samsara, is impermanent and prone to changes, ageing, and death. However, the Brahman universe is indestructible and eternal.

The objective is to finally join the realm of Brahman in order to finally release oneself from this anguish. However, that does not imply that one should end their life. So that the soul might ultimately be free, one should always strive to increase their karma. If not, one starts the rebirth cycle.

There have been many theories and hypotheses on how God and the Self relate, but none of them are universally accepted. Even when fully awake, no one can precisely define the genuine relationship between God and his works. As a result, while we can make a wild guess as to whether they are similar or dissimilar, we cannot draw a firm judgement either way. What can be claimed, however, is that they exist outside the realms of the mind and the body and are incomprehensible to human senses and intellect. However, nothing can be demonstrated empirically until a person has a profoundly intimate spiritual experience.

The three creational theories in Hinduism are superimposition, transformation, and projection.

Similar to how light is emitted from the sun and is emitted in all directions, creation is a manifestation of God’s power.

The modification of God’s material and malleable attributes is known as creation.
Like a dream on a sleeping mind or a movie on a big screen, creation is a superposition.

Each of these theories has an impact on how God and his creation interact.

Advaita

According to the Advaita school of philosophy, there is only one reality and the cosmos as a whole is one. Everything else is Maya, deception, and concealment; the truth is a God. God and ego are only distinguishable in our perceptions. However, God and the soul are the same thing. A soul and God cannot be split apart. In the same way that the sun’s light permeates everything, so does God within the Brahman. The same self, the individual soul, is the Supreme; there is neither division nor change. The Supreme encompasses all space and time.

Vishistadvaita

The opposing school of thought contends that while God and self are one and the same, diversity and different life forms only appear when God interacts with Prakriti, or nature. Then, he is reflected in different Gunas and features of them.

God is simply reflected in everything, just as you can see God’s reflection in water or a mirror. Isvara, the Supreme Lord, is the image of God in sattva. Hiranya Garbha, often known as the Cosmic Egg, is how Rajas depicts God. Viraj, the radiant one, is Tamas’ representation of God.

All three of them represent different facets of Brahman. They may also vanish when God turns his back on the natural world.

Therefore, in this way, God and his creations are the same

Dvaita

According to the third school of thought, there are two diverse and distinct sets of reality.

The fact that God and the universe are two distinct eternal realities means that the freed souls will never merge with God but may instead enter his presence alone. Additionally, according to this theory, God did not create souls. Although they are everlasting, they are reliant on varied degrees of liberation and servitude. Because of their acts driven by want and delusion, they are trapped in Samsara and the cycle of births and deaths. When they are freed, they enter God’s highest heaven and dwell there. however, never blending with him.

The Truth

The words of the Vedas, Brahmasutra, and Bhagavad-gita have been continuously studied and interpreted to produce all of these schools of thought. All of them are incomprehensible to human intelligence. However, despite that, one must continue to adore God. No one has really come to any conclusions on existence just yet. It is a topic that will never have an end to it. To do this, one must discover truth for themselves. And he can do it by going through the transcendental state for himself.

Also Read – why 108 is important in Hinduism?

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