Nature Of Aatman According To Advaita Vedanta


Advaita vedanta describes Aatman in detail and Its true nature . According to Advaita Vedanta we are Aatman and not  the body and mind ,but not realized or attained to this truth .                                                                  The sole purpose of Advaita vedanta is to make us realize the True nature of our existence which is Brahman . On surface level we can think that Aatman and Brahman are two different realities ,but when we dive deep in spirituality we understand that the appearance of duality  is just a illusion.

Now let's talk about the Nature of Aatman .  Aatman has three qualities which are : knowledge , bliss and existence . Aatman is true nature of individual ,Aatman is pure Consciousness, it is inwardly Sculpted , introspective, inclined for transfiguration and holds spiritual discrimination  (viveka). Aatman has no form ,no shape,( nirakara)  ,no physical features and  has no odor. It is satvaguni ( pure),egoless(absence of "I"ness)  and beyond the rerach of  veil of ignorance. Aatman is beyond Universal laws such as time , space and causation .     Atman seeks pure knowledge , bliss and true unconditional love but at the Same time holds detachment from worldly affairs and possessions that is "Vairagya ". By realizing Atman one can liberate oneself and can dissolve his past accumulated " Karmas". 

According to Adi Guru Shankaracharya " Intellect is not "I "but an instrument of knowledge .According to Adi-guru ,body is like pen , the mind is like nib , intellect is like the tip of the nib But Aatman is like the ink in the pen ,without ink one can not write."                                                                                      So just like ink in the which resides in the pen , aatman also resides in our body But metaphysically. One can not perceive the nature of Aatman through objective studies of material objects.  

so in the end I would like to quote swami Vivekananda on the nature of Aatman, which says :                  

"Always discriminate between the real and unreal ,and devote yourself hear and soul to the attempt to realize the Aatman. There is nothing higher than this knowledge of Aatman".    

Aatman is the essence of one's individual soul ,it is untouched by evil deeds and good deeds because both deeds lies on the plane of causality . Aatman is a immortal reality as it's beyond the realm of time. Aatman is infinite and hence it does not occupy certain amount of space but envelops everything inside it irrespective of material or non-material .

Swami Vivekananda said "Aatman is satchidananda" which means the true nature of Aatman is same that of Brahman . "Satchidananda" this word consists of three words which are Sat(Absolute Truth),chit(Consciousness)and Ananda( Blissfulness).

so , realizing the Aatman  as Brahman is  the only purpose of Advaita vedanta  And also in the practice of Kriya yoga especially in Kundalini yoga.           















         

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