Atman
From Wacklepedia - The Free Encyclopedia
In
Hindu and
Jain philosophy,
Atman is the
soul in its natural state. Many believe that individual "personal" souls exist as an
illusion only, and think of
Atman as the all-pervading
soul of the
universe; the universal life-principle and animator of all organisms, and the world-soul.
By contrast, Jiva is the soul in its human state, in which its freedom is limited by the triple bond of anava (ego), karma (action) and maya(illusion).
See also: anatta nirvana samsara reincarnation