Let us understand the basics of atma and soul. Both are different. This difference has already been dealt with in my earlier postings. Since, understanding these two is the basic requirement for self-realization, there is nothing wrong in going deeper into this. Atman is universal and present everywhere without exception. Soul is the life giving force of every living being with their karmas embedded in it. The soul is called ‘I’. The attitude of every living being differs on the basis of karmas. The deciding factor of one’s sufferings and miseries is their karmic account. Understanding karma also becomes imperative to proceed further. Karma has nothing to do with atma. Atma is always a spectator of one’s activities. It does not get involved either directly or indirectly in one’s activities. Nor does it induce you to perform this karma or that. But, between atma and soul, atma is all powerful and soul derives its power only from atma, about which we have discussed in great detail already. Then what is this gross or physical body? Does this belong to atman or soul? Physical body is nothing but a covering of soul. Physical body cannot be a part of atma, as atma has no beginning or end. The gross body is perishable therefore it cannot be part of atma.

We have already discussed about the composition of the gross body in kundalini series. The nature of the soul purely depends upon the karmic account, which in turn influences the gross body. The soul leaves the gross body after death and will become a life force of some other gross body. Such gross bodies could be a tree, an animal, a human, or it could be any living being. Therefore, the gross body has relationship with the soul and not with atma. In simple terms all that is not perishable is atma. Where is that thing which is not subject to modification, which is not subject to attributes? Is that a subject or an object? What is the relevance of subject and object here? Subject is a thing that is talked about. Knowledge is required to understand the subject. Subject is invisible. Object is a visible entity to understand the subject which is invisible. We are trying to understand this invisible subject. This concept is very simple. Atman exists everywhere so also within us.

Making a simple statement like this is not self realization. It is much more complicated than we think and requires a comprehensive and thorough study. Atma or atman is a static force, but exists everywhere. Without atman there will be only void. That is why it is called Supreme. Atma does not act and only witnesses the action that is taking place all over. I would not like to say that atman witnesses the action that is taking place around it. If the word around is used, it is an indication that there exists a place without atman. Therefore, atman is the Supreme Creator as he creates everything. If he creates everything, how can we say that he is only witnessing? When he is the cause for creation, why he is called as a witness to every action? As we have seen earlier that he is a static energy and his act of creation is being done by the kinetic energy. This kinetic energy is equally powerful like the static energy. As a matter of fact this kinetic energy is part and parcel of the static energy.