Atma

The nearest translation of atma or jiva is self or soul. The ancient rishis or India turned their thoughts inward to discover their inner self. They had a unique experience of a metaphysical entity that was beyond the external, physical world they were living in. They found it to be eternal(sat), having consciousness (chit) and infinitely blissful (Anand). The atma in luminous, pure and bodies; beyond sorrow and decay. They discovered that it was their true self and the very essence of their life. They called it jiva or atma, which is pure, immortal and untouced by evil. They are countless jivas and all animate things have jiva or atmas. The Upanishads teach that the ultimate goal of life is to realize one's self as atma and attain God-realization. They teach that the atma and body are separate. They atma is the life-force of the perishable body. As long as one believes that one is the body one experiences misery and bondage and thus goes through the cycles of birth and death. To realize one's atma the Katha Upanishad instructs that it cannot be done so by merely delivering spiritual discourses, listening to discourses or through one's intellect, but only though God who reveals himself out of abundant grace to the seeker. Hari Om.