What is Soul according to Indian Teachings? Well, there are two types of souls: the individual soul or Jivatman and the Supreme Soul or Paramatman. As the Sun is reflected in various water pots, the Supreme Soul is reflected in each one of us.
We are all made in the divine image of the supreme soul.
The soul is a very subtle aspect of a human being. It is invisible, invincible, formless infinite, impermeable, ineffable. This individual soul departs the body after its death and goes to the astral realm, together with the sensations, mind, prana, impressions, desires, and tendencies. It’s endowed with a subtle celestial body when it leaves the gross body.
Through meditation, when the mind is annihilated, the individual soul merges with the supreme soul. The human being then realises that he is not the doer and there is a higher power that operates the universe. To achieve this is essentially the purpose of life.
The individual soul is entangled, enmeshed with impure thoughts, cravings, desires, Egoism, pride, jealousy, lust, dislikes and likes. Hence it is restricted and finite in its knowledge. Once the mind is cleansed of all its limitations, it realises the infinite supreme soul.
When the mind gets annulled from its trap of Maya, it attains knowledge of the imperishable
When ignorance is destroyed, the jivatma is freed from the clutches of suffering.
Chaitanyam – Soul according to Indian Teachings
It is the pure consciousness or the cosmic intelligence, the consciousness that knows itself and knows others. It also means energy or enthusiasm.
A Dead body cannot speak, cannot walk, can’t see. It stays like a log of wood after the spirit has departed from the body. It’s the soul that enlivens, galvanises, moves and directs the body, mind and senses.
The Supreme Soul is self-awareness, self-luminous and illumines everything.
Hence it is all-knowing or Chaitanya.
The Supreme Soul is formless, attributeless, all-pervading, infinite, indivisible, decayless, timeless, spaceless.
The Supreme alone exists. This world which is made up of names and forms, is illusory. It is the ignorance of the human mind to think a rope is a snake. Once the light is reflected, clarity is attained.
Everyone feels they exist as ‘,’I am”, Aham Asmi’. Nobody can say ‘I really do not exist’. This proves the existence of an Immortal Soul or the Supreme Self. In a deep sleep, one does not realise the presence of the body. It is a state of bliss.
Fixing the mind on the Supreme Soul, man should Meditate and realise his fundamental divine nature. To be freed from the cycle of birth and death man must work towards self-realisation and immortality.
Awake and Asleep -Soul according to Indian Teachings
A man lying in a state of stupor cannot be said to be awake because he does not perceive external objects using his perceptions. He is in a state of unconsciousness. The man who returns to understanding from a swooning state will confirm that he was in a period of darkness without any awareness of his surroundings.
He Is not dreaming since he’s completely unconscious. Nor is he dead because there are heartbeat and pulsation.
When a man faints or becomes unconscious, to confirm whether he Is alive or dead, the heartbeat and pulse rate are checked. The nostrils are examined for movement of air and respiration. His body gets limp and heavy, but he is not dead’. However, it does not infer that he is in a state of Brahman or one with god.
In a state of sleep, however, a man is calm and breathes smoothly. He can be woken up with a gentle touch or calling.
The process of death is when there is a cessation of all the faculties. The body becomes stiff and immobile.
The silent witness in all states is the innermost self or Brahman. All the states can be transcended on removing avidya or ignorance to reach self-realisation.
