SOME THOUGHTS ON ATMA-86

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Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Loving SAI RAMs. We are in the midst of a brief recap of what we have said so far on the topic . Atma is unattached. Although it enables the body to perceive and act, it remains unaffected by the actions and perceptions of the body. It is a detached witness of the mind and its emotions and the intellect and its thoughts. It is motionless. Atma is subtler than space. And it is vast and immense, unlimited, indestructable and ever pure. It is the core of human personality. It causes the five layers to function but ever remains immaculate and uncontaminated. It is always liberated and free. Atma alone is unconditioned and free. It is the ONE behind the many, the One without a second. It is the inner Self of every being and the overseer of all activity of the equipment of beings. Atma is unbroken Bliss. It is Satchitananda---Existence-Knowledge-Bliss. The bliss of Atma is realized by one in whom there is no craving and who is absolutely free from sin. As long as our mind is attached to this world, experience of the Atma is not possible. We should negate the terrestrial world in order to reach the infinite bliss of Atma. Atma is also referred to as Satyam gnanam anantam or Truth-Knowledge-Infinity. Atma is the Truth of all Truths. Truth is the same as Sat ie., Existence or Reality. The timelessness of Atma is Sat or Eternity. Atma is ever -existent, as it does not undergo any change in all periods of time.

 

 

Atma is said to be unlimited or endless(Ananatham). We experience Atma once we transcend our equipmentsviz., the body, mind and intellect. Unless we lift up our mind from the lower values in life, the intellect can not pursue the Higher. Atma is the 'within' and 'without' of things. Atma is the very Self of all. Atma is the very subject. It can never be an object. Atma can not be described by words. Even realized souls find difficulty in expressing in words their experience and vision of Atma. The shining Atma is said to be in the midst of the intellect, which in turn is said to be in the cave of the heart(not the blood-pumping organ). Heart means " pure Love " and other noble emotions.

 

 

Atma is the also called the unconditioned soul or supersoul within the body. The conditioned soul is called jiva or individual who has identified himself with the body , mind and intellect. The supersoul rests beside the individual souls as a witness and has no affection for the body,unlike the the individual soul which engages itself in the happiness and sorrow of the particular body. The Supersoul is Consciouness itself whereas the individual soul possesses consciouness which is limited. The Supersoul or Atma is conscious of the totality of all individual bodies, whereas the individual soul is conscious of the individual body only.

 

(to be continued)

G.Balasubramanian