Atman Vs Soul – A Hindu Perspective

1
Atman Vs Soul A Hindu Perspective
Chaitanya Kumari Writes informational articles on
common ethics, Sanathana dharma, hindu dharma,
duties common to all along with others on
finance, health and cultivating wisdom.
2
In contemporary times, the terms Atman and
Soul are considered to be synonymous, and many
people also agree with that. But the fact is
fully opposite to that. Soul, a Christian
concept, was introduced in India during colonial
rule. It is not to be considered to mean the same
as the concept of Atman elaborated in
Hinduism. Atman and Soul are not exactly the
same Though Soul and Atman seem similar at first
look, several scholars opine that trying to give
the same definition to Soul and Atman will only
lead to misinterpretations of both faiths. Thus,
it is essential to understand how the two
concepts vary from each other. In Hinduism,
Atman is the real self of an individual that
cannot be destroyed it survives physical death.
Also, the Sanatana dharma strongly states that
Atman is a part of Paramatma (God). On the other
hand, there is the Soul of Christianity.
Although, just like Atman, even the Soul is
immortal, this concept is quite a bit different
than Atman.
3
Unlike Atman, the Soul is not completely
indestructible if required, God possesses the
power to destroy the Soul. However according to
Hinduism, Atman is imperishable, and even
Paramatma cannot cause its destruction.
Similarly, the Christian faith teaches that it is
God who brings Souls into existence. Sanatana
Dharma conveys that the Soul is beyond time- it
has no beginning or end it only takes on
different forms at various births. Reincarnation
is among the most pivotal concepts in Hinduism.
This concept says that after physical death, the
Atman gets into another body for the next birth.
The exact body that an individual will get is
dependent on the karma of their present
life. Here again, there is a major difference
when taking into account the Soul of the
Christian faith. As soon as the physical body
dies, the Soul waits for Judgment Day. On
judgment day, one of these two things happens. It
is either granted an eternal life with the same
physical body that it left behind, or is
condemned to go to hell for eternity. There is no
reincarnation for the Soul in Christianity.
4
Christianity argues that it is only human beings
who have Souls. All other life forms are devoid
of Souls. Likewise, this faith holds on to the
view that, because of the sin committed by Adam
and Eve, sinfulness is the basic nature of every
Soul. The corresponding teachings of Sanatana
dharma are grossly different. Hinduism says that
all forms of life on this planet have Atman, and
it is not something exclusive to humans. In the
same way, Hindu Dharma emphasizes that every Soul
is essentially divine, and is free from
sin. During the colonial period when the British
East India Company and later the British Crown
gained control over India, there were attempts to
explain the Hindu concepts in terminology
familiar to the British rulers. However, this
confuses the new generation of Bharatiyas seeking
to understand the Sanathana concepts. Additional
points can be included on the topic Differences
between the Atman of Hinduism and the Soul of
Christianity. However such attempts will
increase the length of the write-up and take too
much time for the reader. This articles goal is
to explain the most salient points of the Atman
vs the Soul.
5
Thank you for spending your precious time
in reading this article!
About Living Smartly
Living-smartly.com is a website that publishes
information specifically focused on helping
people to make right choices in their every day
challenges. Living Smartly provides smart tips
insights that covers all aspects of daily living
such as general health dental health,
philosophy, social skills, technology, wellness,
gifts etc.