What is atman in Indian philosophy. What is Atman? The meaning and interpretation of the word atman, the definition of the term. Definitions, meanings of the word in other dictionaries

- reflexive pronoun "himself", "himself"; "body"; "essence"; "soul", "spirit", "world spirit"), in Indian philosophy, beginningless and imperishable, the “substantial” spiritual principle of the individual, identified in many texts with the beginning of being.

pre-Buddhist period.

With the first evidence of the Atman as the spiritual and essential principle of man, we meet in Atharva Veda and in another hymn from the same collection, where he who has attained perfection in abstinence knows that Atman, which is wise, immortal, "forever young." Indian thought is also beginning to master the idea of ​​the unity of the essence of micro- and macrocosm: in Shatapatha Brahmin It is directly stated that the Atman is the ruler and king of all beings. The same text contains the inspired instruction of the sage Shandilya, which anticipates the teaching of the Upanishads: Brahman, which is the whole world, is at the same time the Atman in the “inner heart”, smaller than a grain of rice, mustard or millet or even the core of a grain of rice and at the same time greater than earth, atmosphere, sky and all worlds; and this all-active, all-willing, all-smelling, all-perceiving, all-encompassing, “silent” and unconditioned beginning is “my Atman”, the innermost, and it is also Brahman, into which the knower will “enter” after death. Another noteworthy reference to the Atman before the Upanishads is its characterization in Taittiriya Aranyache: he lives in people and "rules" them and at the same time appears in many forms, in which one hundred heavenly lights, Vedas and priests are united; it is also called the "thinking Atman" (manasina atman) in man.

The Upanishads can be called, without exaggeration, esoteric instructions about the Atman.

AT Brihadaranyake the idea of ​​the unity of Atman and Brahman finds expression in several contexts. In the triad "name - image - deed" Brahman corresponds to the essence of each of these components, but the whole triad as such is Atman. The winner of the competition of connoisseurs of sacred wisdom, Yajnavalkya, calls the “Atman within everything” that which is present in all human life, but itself cannot be known. The unknowability of the Atman as the source of all cognition and the possibility of giving it only negative characteristics (convincing that we are talking about the absolute beginning of being) is expressed by Yajnavalkya in his famous recommendation to cognize the Atman as "Not that, and not that, and not that ..." : it is incomprehensible, because it is not comprehended, indestructible, because it is not destroyed, “not attached”, because it is not “attached”, is not bound, does not waver and does not suffer evil. In a conversation with his intelligent wife, Yajnavalkya states that all worldly goods are dear not for their own sake, but only for the sake of the Atman, which is the source of everything; therefore, after death, a person loses consciousness, because he “flows” into his source, and in this merging, any semblance of duality disappears. Any duality in cognition can be only when there is “one” and “the other”, but when everything has become the Atman, no one can smell, see, hear, talk to anyone, think about anyone, because it is impossible to “know knowing." AT Brihadaranyake two famous “great sayings” (mahavakya) have been preserved: “I am Brahman” and “That Atman is, verily, Brahman”, expressing “great identity”.

AT Chandogya Upanishad the above teaching of Shandilya is reproduced. King Ashvapati instructs six brahmins about the Atman Vaishvanara (“all-human”), which cannot be identified with any natural phenomenon, but is a whole, manifested in parts and identical to itself. In the dialogue between Narada and Sanatkumara, the Atman is declared "infinite" (bhuman), the source of natural as well as psychic phenomena, the knowledge of which frees one from the bonds of death. In the legend about how the god Indra and the demon Virochana come to Prajapati, the lord of the world, for instruction about Atman, the demon is satisfied with a false interpretation of Atman as a reflection of the body in water, while Indra achieves the correct interpretation of Atman - as an immortal, incorporeal and cognizing principle. AT Chandogye the “great saying” is repeatedly reproduced, which has always been considered as a normative expression of the identity of Atman and Brahman: “That is you” or “You are that”. In addition to Brahman, Atman is identified with another spiritual principle - Purusha.

AT Aitareya Upanishad Atman is a personified divine principle that creates the worlds, Purusha, vital organs, etc. AT Kaushitaki Atman - the cognizing principle and vital breath associated with the organs of life and their objects, "bliss, devoid of old age" and immortal. AT Taittiriye Atman acts as the source of the world (space arises from it, from that - wind, from that - fire, etc.), and at the same time its stratification is proposed: Atmans of food (body), breath (prana), mind, recognition and bliss.

Age of Buddha.

Texts of the Pali Canon, primarily a collection Digha nikaya, testify to the emergence of many groups of "shramanas and brahmins", most of which discussed the properties of the Atman. Among these thinkers, who were among the first real philosophers of India, Buddhists distinguish between those who based their doctrines on personal spiritual experience, the practice of asceticism and contemplation, but substantiated them by discursive means, and "pure discursists", relying only on reason. Some of them defended the thesis of eternity, more precisely, the beginninglessness of the Atman and the world. At the same time, the ascetics relied on their alleged ability to know their innumerable previous births, while other philosophers, expressing judgments “polished by [their] discourse, based on research and [as if having signs of] self-evidence,” came to the conclusion that the Atman , like the world, is beginningless, "barren", like the top of a mountain (does not generate anything), and strong (unchanging), like a column. Others distinguished two Atmans - transient and eternal - identifying the first with the five senses and the body, the second with the beginning of thought, mind and "distinction". The question posed by the sage Yajnavalkya - about the existence and consciousness of the individual after death - received, judging by Brahmajala Sutta, at least 30 answers, and even if elements of later schematization are seen in their presentation, the very evidence of disagreements seems realistic. Here the "sramanas and brahmins" are divided into four groups. The first defended the posthumous “painless” existence of the Atman and its consciousness, but differ in particulars: whether it is then endowed with a form or not, and whether it is then “final” or “infinite”, whether it is aware of the unity of things or their multiplicity, and what is the emotional side of it. "painless". The latter, on the contrary, like Yajnavalkya, believed that the Atman exists unconsciously after the death of the body - again with differences regarding its "formation" and "finiteness". Still others sought a compromise solution: the Atman after death is neither conscious nor unconscious, again with the indicated discrepancies in particulars. Finally, the fourth generally denied the existence of the Atman after death, defending the doctrine of the death of a living being after the disintegration of the body.

Some philosophers have addressed the problem identified in Taittiriya Upanishad developed a stratification of Atman levels. One of the pilgrims (parivrajakas) of the Brahmanic orientation, Potthapada, asked the Buddha the question - is consciousness identical to Atman? When the Buddha asked him what he, in turn, understood by Atman, he expounded to him the doctrine of the three levels of Atman. The first is a subtle material formation (olarika), composed of four elements (earth, water, wind, fire) and eating food, i.e. body. The second is a mental formation (manomaya), also endowed with certain "organs" and abilities. The third is formless and "consisting of consciousness alone" (sannamaya).

The Buddha's criticism of the doctrine of the Atman took into account the degree of readiness of the interlocutor to deny the Atman. So, Potthapada, he showed that on none of the levels he outlined Atman can coincide with consciousness (since the fact of consciousness is self-evident for everyone, it follows from this that the idea of ​​Atman can be abandoned). In a dialogue with another wanderer, Sachchaka, the Buddha forces him to admit that none of the five logically possible levels of the Atman, corresponding to sections of corporeality, sensations, ideas, volitional attitudes and consciousness classification of dharmas - instantaneous, point elements of being) cannot correspond to the concept of Atman, because, firstly, the individual does not have the opportunity to influence them (therefore, they do not belong to his Self , for which, therefore, there is no room) and, secondly, each of them can be characterized as that which is impermanent and unhappy, and all such is not the Atman. According to legend, the first teacher of the Buddha was the Sankhyaik and yogi Arada Kalama, who taught about the meditative “separation” of the Atman from all elements of the body-mental composition of the individual and the dispositions of his consciousness, to which he is “outside”. According to Ashvaghosha (1st-2nd centuries), the Buddha left him, substantiating his decision by the fact that the Atman, "purified" from sensations, will and consciousness, is a fiction, and also because belief in the Atman determines a person's attachment to everything " one's own", does not allow one to get rid of egocentrism and is, therefore, the main obstacle to "liberation".

After Buddha.

Attempts to defend the idea of ​​the Atman were reflected in the epic Mokshadharma. In response to the Buddhist argument that it is unnecessary to introduce it to explain reincarnation in the presence of established empirical factors such as ignorance, action, and "craving" objects and becoming (trishna), the Sankhyaik Panchasikha objects that without the assumption of the Atman, the labors of one being would have to be used another, which will be forced to pay for other people's misdeeds. But there was another answer to the denial of the Atman: Katha Upanishad, Atman is not comprehended by rational means and even by study, and is revealed to the one whom he chooses.

in the same Katha Upanishad, where Atman is compared with the owner of the chariot (body), the concept of “great atman” (atma mahan) is introduced, meaning a mysterious, but in its “status” very high beginning, located between the intellect-buddhi and “unmanifested”. AT Maitri Upanishad the “atman of a living being” (bhutatman) appears, which, on the one hand, is practically identified with the body, on the other hand, is subject to the results of good and evil deeds, acquires a good or bad bosom in reincarnation and, being dependent on the primordial matter of Prakriti, falls into “self-conceit ". It is obvious that we are talking about the understanding of that intermediate, "soulful" Atman, about which the parivrajaka Potthapada spoke. AT Mokshadharma the embodied Atman (dehin) and the “subtle” Atman are distinguished: the second wanders where it pleases while the first is in deep sleep. “Atman of life” (jivatman) is another derivative of Atman, which does not have its dignity, but is closest to the animating principle. The status of the “inner Atman” (antaratman) is much higher, which is almost indistinguishable from the “ordinary” Atman, but is sometimes opposed to it as universal – individual. Sometimes he is directly identified with the higher principle. Finally, epic texts testify to the “Higher Atman” (paramatman): followers of the path of knowledge, freed from the bonds of samsara and ascending to the heavenly worlds, reach the abode of Narayana (Vishnu), which “determines” them to this Atman, with which they merge, gaining immortality and never returning to this world. Another Higher Atman receives a special place in some lists of the beginnings of Sankhya, where it is designated as the 26th and opposes the "ordinary" Atman as the 25th (opposing the primal matter of Prakriti and its 23 emanations). The contexts of the corresponding passages allow us to see in it both the Atman, which has reached the "awakening" of true self-knowledge (buddha), - the "ordinary" Atman is the same, but still only "awakening" (budhyamana), - and the Universal Atman, or Brahman, which alone knows both the spiritual principles and the primary matter.

One of the later esoteric texts devoted to Atman, identifying Atman and Purusha, distinguishes three Atmans - external, internal and higher. The third is to be venerated as the most sacred syllable Om, which is attained through special meditation and yoga; his features- immutability, perfect "simplicity" and indescribability, as well as the lack of connection with past existences. Of course, these new derivatives of Atman must be distinguished from his identifications with the highest Hindu deities, which are also attested in numerous places in the middle and later Upanishads, as well as in epic texts. An example is the assertion that the Highest Atman has the nature of Narayana - autocratic, rising above the primary matter and free from good and evil.

philosophical systems.

Although all Indian philosophical systems-darshans, except for materialists and Buddhists, recognized an ontologically independent spiritual principle (among the Sankhyaiks, Atman is replaced by the “pure subject” purusha, among the Jains, to a large extent by the jiva), Nyaya and Advaita Vedanta made a decisive contribution to the theoretical analysis of the concept of Atman. .

In a comment to Nyaya Sutram(“Desire, aversion, effort, pleasure, suffering and cognition are the signs [by which] the [existence] of the Atman is inferred”) Vatsyayana (4th-5th centuries) substantiates the thesis that all these indisputable phenomena of consciousness would be inexplicable if one accepts this is the replacement of the permanent spiritual principle with point “fractions” of consciousness, which the Buddhists insist on, because they are all based on various aspects of memory, correlation of present experience with the past and planning the future based on it, which cannot be provided by these, by definition, instantaneous phenomena. Atman as the subject of knowledge (jnatri) is both the subject and the "substratum" of feeling, will and action because it is he who knows joy and suffering, the means of achieving the first and avoiding the second, and it is he who makes the appropriate efforts in this regard.

According to Shankara (7th-8th centuries), who interpreted the "great sayings" of the Upanishads, the differences between objects, between subjects, and between subjects and objects are consequences of Ignorance, because they are based on the main delusion - the idea of ​​a difference between an individual subject and the Absolute. The body is a product of Maya, the idea of ​​one's own individual desires and unwillingnesses, likes and dislikes, interests and means of their realization is the action of deep ignorance. According to the definitions of the Atman by the disciple of Shankara Sureshvara in Brihadaranyakopanishadbhashya-varttike, the word "atman" means "penetration", "piercing", because it "penetrates" everything that is not the Atman, just like a rope - a snake, and also because it contemplates all the transformations of consciousness in which it is reflected due to its luminosity. The example of Sureshvara is very significant: according to the allegory of the Vedantins, the world is like a snake, which a person in the dark sees by mistake in a coiled rope, and is a temporary illusion (although not a phantom, like the son of a barren woman), which is believed until "enlightenment".

Vladimir Shokhin

Atman – the word that in the teachings of Advaita designate the higher "I". Atman is not some kind of mystical chimera, but quite accessible and even obvious experience of one's own presence at the present moment of time. This is a psychic reality, a feeling of being, which in its purest form is experienced as unlimited freedom. Atman is what we are experiencing right now. This is the psychological time - the very moment in which life happens - our true essence. The clearer the connection with the higher "I", the stronger the feeling of the reality that is happening, the feeling that all this is really happening right now. It may seem strange to someone why this is even being discussed, because the fact that reality exists is something that is understandable and self-evident by default. To better clarify the paramount importance that I attach to this "mental aspect" of life, let's try to consider it in a comparative analysis.

During the day, we are awake, performing routine activities, being in a relatively conscious state. However, more often than not, if we are asked to retell what happened to us during the day, including all mental activity, feelings, movements, everything that our five senses sensed, we will not be able to recall even a fraction of a percent. A person remembers only the key moments that are important for his further activity, connected with the projections of the small "I" -. All other memory is forced into the unconscious.

That is, our everyday life is very relative. And when a person goes to sleep, the level of awareness drops several times more, and after sleep, he can remember very little - only the most vivid dreams, and often, nothing at all. During sleep, the "feeling" of reality is reduced so much that it is almost not fixed in any way.

And so, as if in opposition to night sleep, there is another - a superconscious state, in comparison with which even daytime wakefulness will seem like a dream and the absence of life.

The inhabitant is practically not aware of his “existence”, and perceives these aspects through some indirect experiences - he fixes objects with his mind and concludes that he exists, because otherwise there would be no one to perceive this world of forms. If we accept this simply as a logical fact, thoughts may arise: “well, there is me, and then what? Additional money in your pocket does not appear from this ... What is the practical value of realizing your own existence?

Such questions, rightly arising from the surface mind, only indicate that a person is firmly hooked to this mind, and his attention at the moment is not able to break away from the surface and go to the depth, to the cause and essence of the ongoing processes - at the present moment.

When we ask similar questions, one should pay attention to the fundamental paradox that while the question arises, the questioner himself is absent. What is the point of being interested in consequences if there is no understanding of the original cause of what is happening? What is the point in the secondary manifestations of "I" if a person is completely unaware of his "I".

We are not aware of our own presence. There are some vague sensations of hard, soft, tasty, bitter, important, boring, some pictures, feelings, hundreds of superficial thoughts ... But where among all this "I"? What is "I"? If you try to comfort yourself with this kind of concept, such as "I am the totality of everything," then where is our self missing? Where is the line that divides reality into "I" and its absence? Is the hair on our head our "I"? Our body? Mind? If you feel your “I”, it turns out that there are two “I”, one of which is watching the other? Or are they watching each other at the same time? Then a certain third “I” appears, capable of being an outside witness for the two previous ones, and so on. These are mind games, concepts. Our fragmented ego is woven from these mental clots.

Any object that we experience in any way, including all our false selves, is external to us, observable along with other aspects of the world of forms. At a deep level, all forms, as a whole, are also Atman - the highest "I".

All forms exist because you exist, the light of your consciousness gives them life. The existence of life itself is the radiance of your consciousness.

For a person, Atman is God and the highest transcendent reality. Even a fleeting awareness of the fact of this connection gives joy, a glimpse of the amazing, independent of anything. After all, no one can ever take it away. Atman is life itself, in its absolute aspect, existence itself, an invisible background for everything - the true essence of man. This simple, pure and boundless, always fresh, life-filling beginning is the source, meaning and essence of reality itself.

Esoteric teachings call the realization of one's higher "I" enlightenment. Advaita speaks of the higher Self as the Atman, who truly is. Yoga speaks of the higher "I" as the Purusha, which is endowed with the following properties: beginningless, subtle, omnipresent, conscious, transcendent, eternal, contemplating, knowing, tasting, inactive, spotless, nothing generating. contribute to the manifestation of these qualities, promote self-knowledge, bring us closer to the truth, to relaxation in the present and reveal the Atman - the higher "I".

In order for the Atman to open, you do not need to do anything, somehow strain, or strive for something. In the beginning it comes as - as if everything is going to sleep, letting go, but wakefulness, as some final destination, always remains. Then the individual reality swings open, opens to what is, has always been and will be. And then you realize that nothing else has ever existed and could not exist. This is naturalness itself, life, which nothing can interfere with. It just is, it contains moments, and at the same time nothing can touch it.

At the level of consciousness, something in us understands that energy has no beginning or limitation, reality can neither increase nor decrease. There can be no attachment to anything, or rejection of anything, because everything that happens is a spontaneous river of life, in the contemplation of which we accept everything as it is, without interference, without any distortion of the Truth, or even its interpretation. We only enjoy the voice of this river, listen to its song, give ourselves to it. Her movement picks up, penetrates every action, every moment. The only thing that is required of us is trust in life. Everything happens by itself in the only possible way.

If everything is existence, what doubt can there be? God, the Absolute, the Supreme, the higher Self - the words have no meaning, because the life within us does not depend on these symbols.

Doubt is an illusion, concepts are always illusory. Doubts chain to mental activity, to private limited knowledge. Doubts make you worry, fear, give rise to instability, dissatisfaction. Trust in life makes the consciousness penetrating, tasting, bestows intuitive illuminating thinking. This is a manifestation of the connection between the relative world and the paradoxical, timeless, a manifestation of the connection between a person and a higher authority, a personality and a higher “I”.

Individuality - what you thought you were all this time - happens in you, but it is not you. For you, your name and identity is the character, the hero of the game, that takes place in this reality along with myriad other forms. Sometimes this character talks about something, acts, represents something, reads texts, practices. All reality is only what happens against the background of the higher "I", pure being. All the people around you are different parts of your consciousness. Reality just is. This is your original essence - your home, your true abode. This is an amazing, blissful peace, the eternal background of everything.

It is possible to give as an allegory the example of a seeker who spent years looking for a magical talisman that hung around his neck all this time. A man, torn by desires, is engaged in paradoxical activity - in search of happiness, integrity and satisfaction, he turned the whole world upside down and even rushed to the stars, while the greatest secret containing the full scope of the realization of life itself was all this time in his own heart.

Selecting some objects, completely giving them your attention, is the same as choosing for yourself a separate point in infinity, and dedicating yourself to this point, which has no meaning against the background of absolute existence. Reality will tear it away from it to infinite distances, and we will again be in fear of losing a non-existent support, we will rush towards it. This is exactly how a person acts when he gives himself up to identification with transient forms - he misses something immeasurably more majestic, important, all-encompassing than the myriads of vain transient phenomena - he misses life itself.

The existence of any form, or even existence itself, is an inexplicable miracle. Why should there be reality at all? Not human, social, but reality as such, all-encompassing, containing infinity and extended in eternity. Life itself... why does it exist? Could she not exist? This is a very important question! Think with your whole being, try to feel this question, because in itself it already contains the answer in its essence. Why does reality exist? At first, the answer will flicker like something impossible, elusive, and only after awakening will this answer reveal its deep essence.

The philosophy of India has always been of particular interest. It is considered one of the most ancient on earth. has the largest distribution and counts a huge number of followers. Periodization is based on various sources of thought, most of which have been known to the world since antiquity. Let's take a look at some next.

Stages of development

Indian philosophy has gone through several stages in its development. They are:

1. XV-VI centuries BC e. This stage is called the Vedic period - the stage of orthodox philosophy.
2. VI-II centuries. BC e. This stage is called the epic period. At this stage, the "Mahabharta" was created. They touched on many problems of the era. At this stage, Jainism and Buddhism appear.
3. 2nd century BC e. - VII century. n. e. In this period, short treatises were created - sutras, considering specific problems of the era.

Key Features

They are listed in the work of Dutt and Chatterjee " Advaita Vedanta". The main characteristics are:

Treatises

Initially, thoughts received their canonical, orthodox expression in the form of collections. They numbered more than a thousand hymns, which included approximately 10 thousand verses. The sacred books were based on the traditions of the Aryans and were issued in the middle of the 2nd century BC. BC e. But the first 4 collections were subsequently united under the general name "Vedas". Literally, the name means "knowledge". The Vedas are religious and philosophical treatises. They were created by the Aryan tribes who came to India after the 15th century. before. e. from the Volga region, Iran, Cf. Asia. Typically, treatises consisted of:

1. "Holy Scripture", religious hymns (samhitas).
2. Descriptions of the rituals composed by the priests and used by them in the performance of rituals.
3. Books of forest hermits (Aranyakov).
4. Commentary on the treatises (Upanishad).

There are currently 4 collections:

1. "Rig Veda". This is the fundamental, oldest collection. It was designed around 1200 BC. e.
2. "Samaveda". It contains songs and sacred spells.
3. "Yajurveda". This collection contains sacrificial spell formulas.
4. "Atharvaveda". It contains magical formulas and spells that have been preserved since pre-Aryan times.

Of greatest interest to researchers are comments that contain philosophy. Upanishad Literally translated as "sitting at the teacher's feet". The comments provide an interpretation of the content of the collections.

Brahman

Such as Islam, Christianity, Judaism, the concept of God means a certain creative force. At the same time, they consider the Creator as an inexpressible, to some extent, anthropomorphic entity. He acts as an object for prayer and spiritual communication. In this regard, the thinking of the Hindus is fundamentally different from the worldview of representatives of other faiths. At the public (exoteric) level of consciousness, there are thousands of goddesses and gods. There are 330 million in the classical pantheon. All of them have a certain sphere of influence, geographical affiliation, or patronize a certain type of activity. For example, it is believed that the elephant-headed god - Ganesha - promotes success and brings good luck in scientific research. In this regard, scientists treat him with awe and respect. A special place is given to the triad in the pantheon. It is represented by three gods in functional and ontological unity: the creator of the world is Brahma, the keeper is Vishnu, the destroyer is Shiva. The crown of the triad is the concept of Brahman. It expresses Absolute Reality. By it they mean the whole fullness (emptiness) of the universe with the whole multitude of goddesses and gods. Brahman is seen as the unmanifested reality of all that exists. Minor gods represent only functionally limited and minor aspects of it. The purpose of life is to be one with the universe, because it spiritual essence has all the properties that Brahman also possesses. Thus, the identity of man and the creator of the world is proclaimed.

Atman

In philosophy, this is precisely that internal in a person that has the properties of Brahman. However, it is not some kind of mystical chimera. The Atman is a quite accessible, obvious experience of one's presence at a given moment in time. It is a psychic reality, a feeling of being. In its purest form, it is experienced in the form of boundless freedom. Thinkers use this word to refer to the Higher Self. It is a personal aspect. Atman is what a person is experiencing right now, the moment in which there is life. The clearer the connection with him, the stronger the sense of reality.

Explanations

During the day, a person is awake, performs some kind of routine activity. At the same time, he is relatively conscious. Meanwhile, if a person is asked to retell what happened to him throughout the day, including mental activity, movements, feelings and all sensations of the organs of perception, he will not be able to remember even a fraction of a percent. People remember only the main moments that he needs in the future. They are connected with projections of their small "I". The rest of the memory goes into the unconscious. From this it follows that everyday awareness of a person is a relative phenomenon. During sleep, its level drops even more. After waking up, a person can remember only very little, only the brightest moments of sleep, and most often nothing. In this state, the sense of reality is greatly reduced. As a result, it is practically not fixed in any way. In contrast to sleep, there is a superconscious state. In comparison, even daytime wakefulness can seem like a lack of life and a dream.

Purpose of Perception

Why is the realization of the Higher Self necessary? The layman is almost unaware of his existence. He perceives everything through certain indirect experiences. So, a person fixes certain objects with his mind and draws conclusions that he really is, because otherwise there would be no one to perceive this world. Questions about the practical value of awareness of psychic reality are generated by the essence firmly hooked on the mind. Attention in this case is not able to break away from the mind and go into the depth, the cause, the essence of the processes taking place at the moment. When questions arise about the practical value of awareness, the following paradox needs to be addressed. At the moment of their appearance, the questioner himself is absent. What is the point of asking about the consequences if there is no understanding of the original cause of the phenomenon? What is the essence of the secondary manifestations of the "I" if a person is not aware of it at all?

Difficulties

Atman is the clear awareness of presence. People in ordinary life have vague sensations of soft, tasty, hard, boring, important, certain pictures, feelings, a lot of superficial thoughts. But where is the Atman among all this? This is a question that makes you break away from the ordinary things and look into the depths of consciousness. A person can, of course, calm himself down. For example, he may accept as true that I am the totality of everything. In this case, where is the line that separates presence from absence? If a person understands his self, then it turns out that there are two of them. One is watching the other, or they are both watching each other. In this case, a third self arises. It oversees the activities of the other two. And so on. All these concepts are mind games.

Enlightenment

The spirit (soul) for a person is considered an ultimate reality. She is God. Even a momentary awareness of this connection gives joy and awareness of freedom, which does not depend on anything. Atman - this is life in its absolute aspect, the invisible background - the true essence of man. In esoteric teaching, the acceptance of psychic reality is called enlightenment. "Advaita Vedanta" speaks of awareness as one who really, truly is. In yoga, acceptance of one's presence is described as Purush. It is characterized as subtle, beginningless, knowing, conscious, eternal, transcendental, contemplating, tasting, spotless, inactive, not generating anything.

The process of awareness

To open the Atman, there is no need to do something, to strive for something, to strain in some way. At first, this happens in the form of natural relaxation. The state is similar to falling into a dream, but at the same time the person is awake. After that, the individual reality opens up, it opens to what exists, always existed and always will be. At this moment, a person realizes that there was nothing else and could not be. This is life itself, naturalness, an unchanging spiritual essence, which nothing can prevent. It just is, it contains different moments. But at the same time, nothing can affect her. At a conscious level, a person understands that energy has neither beginning nor end. Reality cannot increase or decrease. There is no attachment to something, rejection of anything, because everything that happens is a spontaneous river, in the contemplation of which everything is accepted as it is, without distorting the Truth and even interpreting it. Man only enjoys the voice of the stream, gives himself to it. The only thing you need is to trust life. Everything flows naturally, happens by itself.

Doubts

They are an illusion. Doubts chain a person to mental activity, to limited private knowledge. They make you worry and fear, give rise to dissatisfaction, instability. Trust in life will make the consciousness tasting, penetrating, will give illuminating intuitive thinking. It is a manifestation of the relationship of the relative and paradoxical world, man and the higher "I".

Conclusion

Individuality - what a person considers himself - occurs within him, but it is not himself. Personality and name - this is the hero, the character of the game. It acts in the world along with other forms. Reality is only what exists against the background of the higher "I". Surrounding people are different parts of human consciousness. Reality exists, it just is. It is the true abode of man. Selecting certain objects in order to give them full attention is comparable to choosing one point in infinity in order to devote oneself to it. It has no meaning against the background of real, absolute existence. Reality will tear a person away from it to an infinite distance. But he, afraid of loss, will rush to her. This is what a person does when he has given himself up to identification with the passing forms. He misses something immeasurably more important, majestic, all-encompassing - life itself. The existence of being as such, of any form, is an inexplicable miracle. For the layman, this realization may seem meaningless and complicated. For followers of Hinduism, understanding the existence of being and their presence in the world is natural.

ATMAN(Skt. ātman - breath, spirit, self, self) is one of the basic concepts of the Indian religious and philosophical tradition. In the most general sense, Atman is understood as an all-encompassing spiritual principle, pure consciousness, self-consciousness; usually as absolute consciousness correlates with Brahman as an absolute being. The origins of the idea of ​​Atman go back to the Rigveda, where it means breath as a life force embodied in all beings (cf. the idea of ​​pranas - life forces), as well as the spirit that animates the entire universe (in this respect, Atman approaches the concept of the "supreme husband, or Purushas ). In the philosophical hymns of the Atharvaveda, Atman is understood as a personal "I", which is a reflection of Brahman in a person. The doctrine of the Atman was conceptualized in the Upanishads, where the Atman is posited as the spiritual core rooted in all conscious beings. On the one hand, Atman acts as an inner "I", i.e. individual, subjective principle, on the other hand, coincides with being as such, i.e. with the supreme Brahman. The identification of Atman and Brahman, in the most general terms, acting as a coincidence of the subject and object, perceiving consciousness and the entire created world, is usually carried out through a number of intermediate steps. The unity of the microcosm and macrocosm is achieved through the simultaneous combination of opposite attributes, i.e. ultimately due to their mutual withdrawal ("Here is my atman in the heart - less than a grain of rice or barley ... Here is my atman in the heart - more than all the earth ..." - "Chhandogya Upanishad", III. 14.3). The mutual tension of opposite characteristics creates the prerequisites for an apophatic definition of the absolute, which is considered the most adequate approximation to the nature of the highest reality (“He, this atman, [is designated as:] not [that], not [that], it is incomprehensible, because it is not comprehended, not we will destroy, because it is not destroyed ... "-" Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, III. 9.26). Atman, in principle, cannot be adequately grasped by verbal knowledge, because lies outside the sphere of worldly connections and relationships. The unity of the Atman as an eternal and unchanging reality is opposed not only to the heterogeneity of the manifest world, but also to the diversity of the mental properties of the individual (since in the Indian orthodox tradition, the psyche is also an integral part of the natural world). Four successive levels of correspondence of the ontological picture of the world to certain layers, or states, of the human psyche express a gradual rise from diversity to unity, associated with overcoming avidya (ignorance) (see Mandukya Upanishad). At the first stage, the Atman, called Vaishvanara, resides in the body shell and through the sense organs (“mouths”) perceives (“tastes”) the physical elements. Cosmologically, this is Virat, or the “body” of God, formed by the material universe; psychologically, it corresponds to the state of wakefulness. At the second stage, the Atman, called Taijasa, personifies the entire diversity of mental life, acting as a subject that perceives "subtle" elements - various impressions, ideas, etc.; at the level of cosmology, this is Hiranyagarbha (“golden germ”), i.e. the totality of all souls, in the individual consciousness it corresponds to sleep with dreams. At the third stage, the Atman, called Prajna, experiences only a state of bliss (ananda), in cosmological terms it is Ishvara - the omnipotent and omniscient Lord, and psychologically it is associated with a state of deep dreamless sleep. Finally, the fourth state (turiya) restores the original homogeneity of Atman, in which its universal and psychological aspects coincide, and he himself is completely freed from the restrictions of avidya. The distinction of Atman as pure being and consciousness from the transient and changeable states of the body and psyche was also reflected in the doctrine of the "five atmans", as if nested in each other (see "Taittiriya Upanishad"). The first of these is atman annamaya (consisting of food), i.e. physical body. The second is pranamaya (consisting of vital forces), formed by five pranas and five organs of action; it enters the body after conception and ensures the life of the individual being. The third atman - manomaya (consisting of the mind) - is formed manas , "the faculty of doubt" (vimarsha) and the five senses ( indriyas ); it generates desires directed at external objects and thus creates a samsaric connection between the various incarnations of the soul. The fourth, vijnanamaya (consisting of knowledge), is formed by the union buddhi , ability to make decisions and all the same five indriyas. Finally, the fifth Atman - anandamaya (consisting of bliss) - is a set of mental states that occur in deep dreamless sleep and are characterized by deep calmness. The later Vedantic tradition (Vidyaranya and others) more consistently interpreted this concept as the notion of "five veils" (pancha-kosha), which only cover the true Atman, just as five scabbards can sequentially hide a dagger embedded in them.

The conception of the Upanishads about the Atman was further developed by orthodox religious and philosophical schools, primarily Vedanta . It was in it that the epistemological grounds for distinguishing the Atman as pure consciousness and the psychological characteristics of the personality were clearly formulated. The necessary procedure here is "denial", which comes down to the removal of the "imposition" on the Atman of everything that is not it; it leads to the cessation of illusion, just as the trick with the rope ends, which in the hands of a fakir seemed like a snake, and the shell, which from a distance could be considered a piece of silver, reveals its true nature upon closer examination. In the limiting case, in the system advaita vedanta – the aim is to stop the illusory appearance of the universe, which is said to have never unfolded from the Atman, but emerged as a superimposed appearance (vivarta). Atman in advaita is pure consciousness (chaitanya, jnana), which is devoid of parts or any attributes. This consciousness is real, it forms the basis of the idea of ​​one's own "I", for none of the conscious can deny the very fact of his consciousness. Being present in any form of human experience, this consciousness does not depend on the presence of objects of experience, nor on modes of reasoning or perception. Whenever it is required to form some concept or representation of this basis of consciousness, the subject has to use it itself; that is why with t.zr. advaita Atman cannot turn back on itself, become its own object: “After all, a hot fire does not burn itself, and a skillful actor cannot climb on his own shoulder” (Shankara, Komm, on the Brahma Sutras III. 3.54). Atman, different from its "shells", acts as a "witness" shining through them of all acts of cognition, about which nothing can be said except that it exists. AT Mimanse Prabhakara Mishra atman is also associated with the concept of "I", but it appears rather as the result of an act of cognition, just as the light of a lamp reveals both the illuminated object and itself; in this case one has to assume that consciousness can be grasped by another consciousness, then, in turn, by a third one, and so on ad infinitum. An alternative view, according to which the very existence of consciousness does not need to be verified by any other knowledge, is borrowed Shankara mimamsak Kumaril Bhatta; however, in the teaching of the latter, the emphasis is on the fact that each act of comprehension gives its own knowledge, which does not need to be confirmed by the data of others. praman , having their own specific objects and functions.

Advita emphasizes that there is no need to resort to a new act of cognition to grasp the well-known perception “I am”: the endless regression of perception and reflection stops due to the fact that it is based on the only true reality - the self-evident and “self-luminous” Atman. Advaita seeks an unchanging ontological basis behind psychic phenomena; in this sense, the Atman is "non-corresponding" knowledge. Such Atman is one and only, and the multitude of individual souls (false), as well as the existence of the personified Creator God Ishvara, are explained by the illusory reflection of Atman in avidya or the false imposition of temporal characteristics on it. Other orthodox systems did not share the extreme views of Advaita; although the distinction between the highest spiritual principle and transient mental characteristics remained important for them, the Atman itself acquired a number of features that bring it closer to the idea of ​​an embodied living soul. Already in visistha-advaite Ramanuja , gravitating towards ideas Samkhya , individual atmans have the properties of consciousness and action, they are atomic in size and different from each other. According to Dvaita Vedante Madhva , diverse souls are originally predestined to salvation, death or eternal bondage samsara . Recognition of the differences of embodied atmans leads in these systems to the need to postulate the existence of a higher Atman standing above individual souls; such Atman, endowed with many good qualities, becomes the object of reverence as a personified God (Vishnu or Krishna). AT nyaya vaisheshike The Atman or individual soul is but one of the nine substances (dravya) along with the material elements, space, time and akasha. Consciousness is considered here as one of the transient properties of atman, which appears when it is combined with manas (reason). Such an Atman, the existence of which is not perceived directly, but is deduced from sensory signs thanks to a system of special proofs, can act as an object for another consciousness. In the epic Samkhya, the Atman is seen as pure and inactive consciousness; nevertheless, he is considered to be a tasting subject who perceives the objects of the external world. In classical Sankhya, the concept of Atman is gradually being replaced by the concept of "Purusha". The opposition of Atman as the highest spiritual reality, coinciding in the extreme case with the absolute existential principle, Brahman, to everything that is not Atman, completely loses its meaning in Buddhism . The human "I", taken in its phenomenal aspect as a stream (santana) of certain mental states, is considered here as one of the elements of existence. With t.sp. in Buddhism, the idea of ​​the Atman only contributes to the consolidation of false attachments and identifications that prevent liberation; getting rid of these false concepts and found expression in the Buddhist doctrine of "anatta" (lack of Atman). However, later Mahayana Buddhist schools (in particular, vijnana vada ) in essence, they made a number of concessions to the orthodox idea of ​​the Atman (the concept of "pure consciousness" - "chitta-matra", a single "receptacle of consciousness" - "alayavijnana", etc.).

Literature:

1. Shankara."Atmabodha", trans. A.Ya.Syrkina. - In the book: Ideological currents of modern India. M., 1965;

2. Narahari H.G. Atman in Pre-Upanisadic Vedic Literature. Madras, 1944;

3. Gnther H. Das Seelen-Problem im dlteren Buddhismus. Konstanz, 1949;

4. Sarasvati H. The Ego and the Self. - "Adyar Library Bulletin" (Madras), 1955, 19;

5. Horsch P. Le principe d "individuation dans la philosophie indienne. - "Asiatische Studien", X, Ζ., 1956;

6. Van Gelder J.M. Der Atman in der Grossen-Wald-Geheimlehre. La Haye, 1957;

7. Troy Wilson Organ. The Self in Indian Philosophy. The Hague, 1964;

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ATMAN - in Indian philosophy denotes the deepest level of human self-consciousness. According to the Upanishads, Atman is Brahman, that is, at the center of man's self-consciousness, there is the Self-Consciousness of the entire universe.

Vasilenko L.I. Brief philosophical and religious dictionary. M., 1996.

ATMAN, in the religious and mythological system of Hinduism, the universal spiritual principle, the universal spirit, present in every living organism, and in a person defining self-consciousness, “I” (or the universal “I”).

Balandin R.K. One Hundred Great Gods. M., 2007.

Atman (NPE, 2010)

ATMAN (Skt. atman - breath, spirit, self, self) is one of the basic concepts of the Indian religious and philosophical tradition. In the most general sense, Atman is understood as an all-encompassing spiritual principle, pure consciousness, self-consciousness; usually as absolute consciousness correlates with Brahman as absolute being. The origins of the idea of ​​Atman go back to the Rig Veda, where it means breath as a life force embodied in all beings (cf. the idea of ​​pranas - life forces), as well as the spirit that animates the entire universe (in this respect, Atman is close to the concept of the "supreme husband", or Purusha). In the philosophical hymns of the Atharvaveda, Atman is understood as a personal "I", which is a reflection of Brahman in a person. Conceptualization of the doctrine of the Atman was given in the Upanishads, where the Atman is supposed to be the spiritual core rooted in all conscious beings...

Atman (Kuznetsov, 2007)

ATMAN (Sanskrit - breath, soul, self) - the concept of the Brahminist-Hindu religious tradition and philosophy, meaning the essence and self of every thing; soul, spirit, absolute subject, I. The doctrine of A. goes back to the Rig Veda (see the Vedas), where A. is called breath, life spirit, the essence of life. The Vupanishads formed the doctrine of A. as the self of every thing, an individual soul, a subjective spiritual principle as opposed to Brahman, the highest objective reality, God. At the same time, the doctrine of the identity of A. and Brahman is declared the core of the secret knowledge of the Upanishads.