Vedas 14 - The Atman Comments

And another thought so much related to the idea of the Self revealed in or by the Self, St. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians says, The things of the Spirit are spiritually discerned; one cannot know or recognize the Spirit except by that Spirit. So those of us who do know can only come to this knowledge by grace. It’s all by and from God—may He be praised in your life, Geeta, and mine, this God who is Love. -Glen

Hi, Geeta! In response—how different the meanings and experiences of self-consciousness and Self-consciousness. The one to awkwardness or strutting or projecting a mask or persona. The other to a forgetting of the small self or ego because it’s lost in, enthralled by, the Self which is God—the I Am that I Am or I will be who I will be—which are alternate renderings of the Hebrew as God spoke to Moses as recorded in the book of Exodus. -Glen

I will have to read it a couple of times more to understand the finer details. I agree with you when you say that through austerity and discipline, the invisible becomes visible to a true seeker. Without intense effort, invisible shall for ever, remain invisible. This part about Atman- It's so profound. Thanks, Geeta ji.

Hi, Such is the knowledge contained in Vedas and Upanishads. The knowledge attained by the holy souls through life long penance and search. Thank you for acquainting us with this knowledge. And, knowledge is power, the power to know oneself, through which, to understand the world and the Supreme Being. Wonderful poem. You have contained the meaning of the concept elaborated in the scripts, including Bhagawat Gita in just a few simple word. Brilliant write.

Part 3 Brihadaranyaka Upanishad describes Atman as Brahman (universal absolute; supreme soul) , and associates it with everything one is, everything one can be, one's free will, one's desire, what one does, what one doesn't do, the good in oneself, the bad in oneself.

Part 2 Brihadaranyaka Upanishad states that Atman (self, soul) is indeed Brahman. It is also identified with the intellect, the Manas (mind) , and the vital breath, with the eyes and ears, with earth, water, air, and ākāśa (sky) , with fire and with what is other than fire, with desire and the absence of desire, with anger and the absence of anger, with righteousness and unrighteousness, with everything.

Hi Geeta, The Katha Upanishad explains Atman as immanent and transcendent innermost essence of each human being and living creature, that this is one, even though the external forms of living creatures manifest in different forms. As the one fire, after it has entered the world, though one, takes different forms according to whatever it burns, so does the internal Ātman of all living beings, though one, takes a form according to whatever He enters and is outside all forms.

A very good write Geeta. So interesting.++10