According to Guru Granth Sahib our true nature, Spirit, is a state of consciousness

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ATMA

 

ATMA, Sanskrit atman, originally meant `breath`. Later the term came

to connote `soul` or `principle of life`. The different systems of

Indian philosophy gave it further semantic shades. Nyaya Visesaka

considered atma a substance and endowed it with qualities of

cognition, pleasure, pain, desire, aversion and effort. Sarikhya

recognized it as an object of inference. Bhatta Mimansa held it as the

object of internal perception (manaspratyaksa). Prabhakara Mimansa

considered it to be the knowing ego revealed in the very act of

knowledge and held it to be the subject and not the object of

perception. The Upanisads regarded it as the object of higher

intuition and equated it with Brahman, the Impersonal Absolute.

Sarikara`s advaita Vedanta held it to be pure consciousness above the

distinction of subject and object, knowable by an immediate intuitive

consciousness. Ramanuja, however, rejected Sarikara`s concept of atma

as pure consciousness and considered it to be nothing but the knower

or ego.

 

The SIKH concept is nearest to the Upanisadic Advaitic viewpoint. In

Sikh lore, atma is considered to be of the nature of pure resplendent

consciousness:

 

Man turi joti sarupu hai apna mulu pachhanu 0 my Self ! you are of

the nature of light; do recognize your origin (GG, 441). [`Light` here

signifies consciousness.]

 

The Self (atma) is conscious while the nonself is the object of

consciousness. Though itself not an object of consciousness, atma is

apprehended by unmediated intuition:

 

" As the Self realizes, enlightenment grows without effort " (GG, 87).

 

In fact, consciousness is directed outwards to objects, inwards to

atma. Atma is pure consciousness without any content. Thus the

contentless consciousness within is atma. Atma is not different from

Paramatma, the Cosmic Consciousness, but is only a fraction thereof.

Kabir designated it as Ram ki ans (a fraction of Ram). It is the subtlest,

purest essence of life:

 

nirmal joti nirantari jati: purest light constantly seen inside (GG, 1039).

 

It remains unperturbed atma (GG, 87) through life`s vicissitudes,

pleasures and pains. Uninterrupted tranquillity is its hallmark. In

its corporeal attire, it passes through cycles of transmigration.

 

Through Divine Grace, it can merge back into the Cosmic Soul

(Paramatma) and escape the throes of birth and death again and again.

It is equated with Brahman:

 

atam mahi parbrahmu lahante: they discover Parbrahma in atma (GG,

276).

 

The individual soul and the Cosmic Soul are indistinguishable one

from the other:

 

atma paratma eko karai: (he) reckons the personal soul and Cosmic Soul

as one (GG, 661).

The atma is Divine, the Divine is atma: atam deu deu hai atamu (GG,

1325).

 

Atma is also equated with the Creator:

 

atam pasara karanhara prabh bina nahi janiai. The Self is the creator

of the entire universe, beyond it reckon naught (GG, 846).

 

It is also equated with the immanent God:

 

atam Ramu ravia sabh antari: the immanent Self pervades everything

(GG, 916).

 

The experiential realization of this identification is the summum

bonum of Sikh mysticism. Atam dhian (self-absorption) is the

operational mode for such an attainment and atam gian (self-knowledge)

is its apprehension.

 

The empirical ego (Aaumai) is only an object of consciousness. There

must be a witness of the empirical ego, otherwise there can be no

unity of perception in our knowl edge of the external objects and

that of the empirical ego. Atma, in fact, is such witness. However,

atma itself is not an object of knowledge; it is the presupposition

of all knowledge - the knowledge of objects as well as that of the

empirical ego. Atma is thus the transcendental Self as distinguished

from the empirical ego. Intuitive apprehension of this is atam gian

and its actual experience is atam claras, vision of the Self. Such

experiential absorption in the Self is attended with the highest

aesthetic pleasure, atam ras or atam rangaesthetic, because it is

based on an experience of ultimate beauty.

 

www.thesikhencyclopedia.com

 

1. Sher SINGH, The Philosophy ofSikhism. LAHORE, 1944

2. Avtar Singh, Et/iics of the SIKHS. PATIALA, 1970

3. Jodh Singh, Bhii, Gurmati Nirnaya. Lahore, 1932

4. Nripinder Singh, The Sikh Moral Tradition. Delhi, 1990

 

 

 

The Creator, Soul and Body Relationship

by Rawel Singh

 

" The Master is at once One and many, enjoying His creation being in

every body; He is nearer than our hands and feet, making things to

happen effortlessly (SGGS 658).

 

This verse of Bhagat Ravidas shows the close relationship of the

Creator with His creation; every where, in every one, fully in

control, purposefully.

 

The Creator has a purpose in creating every life form. All births

represent continuation of the phenomenon of creation to serve the

purpose of the Creator. For the living creatures the parents are

instruments for its execution. Like all others the human body has a

role and has been designed by the Creator to perform it. The role is

made known to the soul before birth of the body. In Sri Guru Granth

Sahib (SGGS) also called Gurbani, it is called Hukam or Divine

Commands.

 

The latter is just another name for Laws of nature and indicates that

one must productively contribute to the environment in which one is

placed and thus serve the Creator's purpose. The soul gives life to

the body and uses the body organs to carry out the Hukam. In the

discussion that follows the terms `soul', 'one' and `man' have

therefore been used as synonyms. Gurbani teaches:

 

Every organ of the body is meant to carry out the duties laid down by

the Creator who puts His spirit in the body. In it are hidden the

jewels of Divine knowledge. One, who follows the Guru's instructions,

digs them out, understands God's commands, and is able to carry them

out (SGGS 309).

 

The Creator has made provision for the wherewithal for the body to

exist and given the organs to work:

 

The Creator designed the body, put the soul in it and it came into

being. It has been provided eyes to see, the tongue to speak, ears to

hear, feet to walk, hands to work, as also clothing and food (SGGS

138).

 

The body therefore has both the Spirit or Supreme Soul (God) and

soul - Parmatma and atma - in it. Man can perceive the soul as it

gives life to the body; he however wants to physically see the

Creator. This is because he has seen the Hindu epics depicting Rama

and Krishna as divine incarnations. He has also seen how the Semitic

scriptures show God talking in person to Adam, Moses and Prophet

Mohammad. These give an impression as if God has a physical form or

is a person. Man therefore seeks guidance on how to find Him or looks

at what other people are doing. He indulges in idol worship and

rituals. He sets out on pilgrimages or even renounces the

householder's life and goes to the mountains in search of God.

However God does not have a physical form but is Spirit, the Supreme

Soul - Parmatma - so he does not succeed. Success comes by

enlightenment of the inner self through the Guru's teachings:

 

The Supreme Soul (Creator Himself) is present in the body in a subtle

way and hence is not seen. Out of ignorance the self oriented man

seeks Him elsewhere. If he follows the true guru he can understand

the Creator within the body and be at peace (SGGS 754).

 

When one is able to experience Parmatma within the self, there is

nothing left to ask; all wishes are then fulfilled and the mind

remains at peace:

 

When with the grace of the Guru, Naam abides in my mind, I get

whatever I desire. The mind is satiated with the love of Naam and I

do not have to run to anywhere else any more (SGGS 404).

 

The Creator, the soul and the body are thus inter-related. The

Creator gives soul, a part of Himself to the body. The soul gives

life to the body and it breathes. The body dies when the soul leaves

and has no value. This is explained by a metaphor:

 

Presence of sandalwood is known by its fragrance. Similarly life in a

body is known by its breathing; when breathing stops, the body is

reduced to dust and has no value (SGGS 1256).

 

The soul represents the power of the Divine Spirit, the Supreme Soul.

The two are therefore not different just as a tree and its fruit bear

the same name:

 

One, who understands the atma, knows him as the Parmatma; the Nectar

tree bears the nectar fruit (SGGS 421).

 

The atma in its pristine form is as pure as the Parmatma but being in

the company of the sensory organs of the body, he is affected by the

experience of the body organs. The body is comprised of five elements

namely air, water, fire (heat), earth and ether. The soul in the body

has therefore been called Panch Bhoo Atma, the soul of the five

elements or body-soul. He is also called Jivatma or simply Jio both

meaning the life of the body. If he resists succumbing to temptations

experienced by the body organs, he remains pure and nothing separates

him from the Supreme Soul. Succumbing to the temptations results in

indulgence in evil thoughts and deeds. If he goes astray, a gulf

develops between the two. The temptations in life are strong and

difficult to resist. Overcoming them has been compared to crossing a

turbulent waterway. This gulf has thus been called the Bhavsaagar or

Bhauja, both meaning the terrifying ocean. It has also been called a

wall indicating separation. To be able to cross it one needs to

overcome evil. This is possible by following the Divine commands

under the Guru's directions:

 

This world is a terrifying ocean; to get across, the Gursikhs follow

the Guru's directions; the Guru imparts Naam i.e.remembering and

understanding God's commands; Naam acting as a ship takes them

across; (SGGS 1424).

 

If you remember God, your sins will be washed; control your body-soul

and you will get to the sacred abode (p 491).

 

Remembering God or Naam mentioned above is the principal theme in

Gurbani and has two aspects. Firstly to recall the Hukam the soul

received, so that he can act according to them. This is also called

serving the Creator or Seva. Secondly to praise God so that one

becomes conscious of God's virtues and tries to emulate them to the

extent humanly possible. This is called remembrance or Simran. Simran

and Seva are the two fundamental aspects of a Sikh's life. As may be

seen they are interconnected; Naam and Hukam are therefore

synonymous.

 

The relationship between the atma and Parmatma has been decribed as

one between two spouses. As discussed above, the gulf between them

occurs when the former goes his own way forgetting Hukam. This is

duality caused by ego of the body-soul. The situation is similar to a

husband and wife living together but separated by ego, so near and

still so far. The Guru if approached can help demolish the obstacle

by enabling giving up ego:

 

The soul- wife and Creator-husband live together but a strong wall of

ego separates them; The Guru breaks this wall of ego, and the soul

meets the Lord (SGGS 1263).

 

The Guru does that by making the disciple aware of the soul's roots,

namely God. Distractions were responsible for the soul going away

from God. The Guru helps in removing them from the mind and revives

Divine love which is the other name for respecting Divine commands:

O' my mind you are the embodiment of the Divine Light; recognize your

roots. The Lord is ever with you; enjoy His love through the Guru's

teachings (SGGS 441).

 

In this verse the third Guru addresses `mann' or mind. It is the name

given to the soul influenced by the thoughts and deeds in the current

and previous births if any. Guru Nanak explains what different

orientations the mind can take, based on influences and experiences

as part of the body:

 

The mind is born of the five elements (the tattwas of which the body

is comprised); at times he indulges in rituals, sometimes he is

foolish, non-believer and greedy; when he remembers Naam through the

Guru's word he is lovely and pleasant.--- When he is intoxicated by

Naam nectar he receives the essence of all nectars, God. When he is

devoted, he follows the Guru directions, and is servant to those who

serve the Creator (SGGS 415).

 

Japu Ji teaches " One who conquers the Mind can conquer the world

(SGGS 6) " , that is, one who can overcome temptations can conquer

anything. Mann being the soul subject to the influence of the senses

faces the consequences of the body's deeds. Although connected with

the body, and experiencing pains and pleasures, he is not a physical

entity; he is immortal and may reincarnate:

 

The soul does not die, drown or swim (SGGS 151).

 

As may be seen the soul has a dual relationship. On the one hand he

is an off-shoot of the Supreme Soul and on the other life-giver to

the body. The soul also gets involved with the body. In Gurbani both

these close relationships have been described as between husband and

wife. At the higher spiritual level the Supreme Soul is the husband

and the soul the wife . The soul initially came from the Supreme Soul

and in spite of being subject to the influences through the body

organs, yearns to reunite with Him. At the physical-spiritual level

the soul is the husband and the body the wife. The body wants the

soul to stay for ever because otherwise it will be reduced to dust.

The soul however, while being involved with the body and thus

separated from the Supreme Soul, does not display that attachment.

This is beautifully described thus:

 

The body-wife says to the soul-husband, " please stay with me, my

beloved youthful lord; I am nothing without you; promise you will not

leave me " .

The soul-husband replies " I am bound by the command of the sovereign

great Lord; I am to stay with you as long He wills; and have to leave

when He calls " (SGGS 1072).

 

Association between the body and soul is therefore transitory.

The Supreme Soul has been called Parmatma above due to common usage.

However this does not occur in Gurbani in this form. Parmatam as

quoted above occurs once and as Pratma a few times. They represent

the Supreme Soul. Pratma though present in the body does not

associate with it and is beyond the worldly afflictions of the body-

soul indicated above:

 

Pratma has an amazing and unique position; He is the manifestation of

God, He does not grow from childhood to old age, is not subject to

suffering or death, heat or cold, pleasure or sadness and has no

friends or foes. He is His own creation with no mother or father; He

is and has been without any limitations; He is ever present in every

creature (SGGS 868).

 

The Supreme Soul and the soul are present in every creature. There is

however a difference. Whereas the former remains unique, the latter

gets different characters in different bodies. The same Supreme Soul

is therefore not just in the spouse of the soul but also the father,

mother, relatives,brothers and is addressed as such (SGGS 103):

The close bond is exemplified as between beloveds. When separated the

soul starts feeling the pangs of separation, just as in the case of

human spouses, and says:

 

Come and meet me my beloved, I am of no value without you; Being

separated from you I can neither sleep, nor do I like food or water

(SGGS 244).

 

Success or failure of the atma to reunite with Parmatma depends upon

the deeds of the current and earlier births i.e. how much he has

carried out the tasks given for every life. Success ends further

births and he reaches his original abode Nij Ghar that is Pratma,

where he came from. This privilege is available only to human birth

which is achieved after going through many life forms:

 

The soul remains involved in whatever life form he takes; human birth

is obtained by good fortune. Here with guidance from the Guru he

prays to be united with the Creator (SGGS 686).

 

Failure to merge the soul with the Creator results in further

reincarnations and the atma has to try and get human birth to be able

to enter the Nij Ghar. That is because it is only in human birth that

one can understand God's virtues, try to emulate them and thus be

entitled to the reunion:

 

There are 8.4 million life forms, but the Creator has granted glory

to human birth. If the soul loses this opportunity he suffers many

more births and deaths (SGGS 1075).

 

The purpose of human birth is to reunite the atma with Parmatma but

the humans have a characteristic affliction, that of ego, which is

the real cause of the gulf that is sought to be bridged. Reunion is

therefore possible by giving up the ego that caused the separation:

To unite the atma with Pratma, get rid of the duality within (SGGS

661). "

 

Rawel Singh

www.sadhsangat.com