Jīvātma: Difference between revisions

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'''Jīvātma''' is a Sanskrit term for the immortal essence of a living organism (human, animal, fish or plant etc.) which survives physical death. It has a similar usage to [[Atman]], but whereas ''ātman'' refers to "the cosmic self", ''jīva'' is used to denote an individual 'living entity' or 'living being' specifically. The terms ''[[Paramātma]]'' and ''jīvātma'' are used to avoid confusion.
#redirect [[Jīva#Jivatman]]
 
== In Theosophical literature ==
 
[[Helena Petrovna Blavatsky|H. P. Blavatsky]] defined ''jīvātma'' as follows:
 
<blockquote>Esoteric Buddhists or Arhats, recognizing but one life, ubiquitous and omnipresent, call by the name of “Jiv,” the manifested life, the second principle; and by Atman or Jivatman, the seventh principle or unmanifested life.<ref>Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, ''Collected Writings'' vol. IV (Wheaton, IL: Theosophical Publishing House, 1991), 547.</ref></blockquote>
 
However, in the [[The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett (book)|Mahatma Letters]] ''jīvātma'' is sometimes used as a synonym of [[prāṇa]].<ref>Vicente Hao Chin, Jr., ''The Mahatma Letters to A.P. Sinnett in chronological sequence'' LBS-Appendix II (Quezon City: Theosophical Publishing House, 1993), 510.</ref> Mme. Blavatsky, in a note published in the August 1883 issue of ''The Theosophist'' (Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 282) explains the reason for this use:
 
<blockquote>Jiva or Prana (Life principle). The word “Jivatma,” used only by the Buddhists, who make no difference between manifested and unmanifested Life outside of Esotericism, was through oversight erroneously used in Fragment No. I, and since then rectified. Jivatma is the 7th principle with the Vedantees and the Theosophists have agreed to use it but in the latter sense.<ref>Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, ''Collected Writings'' vol. V (Los Angeles, CA: Philosophical Research Society, 1950), 409-410.</ref></blockquote>
 
[[T. Subba Row]], an early [[Theosophist]] and [[Occultism|occultist]] belonging to the [[Advaita Vedanta]] philosophy says:
 
<blockquote>The term Jîvâtma is generally applied by our philosophers to the seventh principle when it is distinguished from Paramâtma or Parabrahman.<ref>Helen Petrovna Blavatsky, ''Collected Writings'' vol. III (Wheaton, IL: Theosophical Publishing House, 1968), 409-410.</ref></blockquote>
 
== Notes ==
 
 
<references/>
 
[[Category:Sanskrit terms]]
[[Category:Theosophical concepts]]
[[Category:Concepts in The Secret Doctrine]]
[[Category:Hindu concepts]]

Revision as of 20:54, 14 November 2013

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