Atman Vs Soul – A Hindu Perspective

In contemporary times, the terms “Atman” and “Soul” are considered to be synonymous, and many people also agree with that. But the fact is fully opposite to that. “Soul”, a Christian concept, was introduced in India during colonial rule. It is not to be considered to mean the same as the concept of Atman elaborated in Hinduism.

Atman and Soul are not exactly the same
Though Soul and Atman seem similar at first look, several scholars opine that trying to give the same definition to Soul and Atman will only lead to misinterpretations of both faiths. Thus, it is essential to understand how the two concepts vary from each other.

In Hinduism, “Atman” is the real self of an individual that cannot be destroyed; it survives physical death. Also, the Sanatana dharma strongly states that Atman is a part of Paramatma (God). On the other hand, there is the “Soul” of Christianity. Although, just like Atman, even the Soul is immortal, this concept is quite a bit different than Atman.

Unlike Atman, the Soul is not completely indestructible; if required, God possesses the power to destroy the Soul. However according to Hinduism, Atman is imperishable, and even Paramatma cannot cause its destruction. Similarly, the Christian faith teaches that it is God who brings Souls into existence. Sanatana Dharma conveys that the Soul is beyond time- it has no beginning or end; it only takes on different forms at various births.

Reincarnation is among the most pivotal concepts in Hinduism. This concept says that after physical death, the Atman gets into another body for the next birth. The exact body that an individual will get is dependent on the karma of their present life.

Here again, there is a major difference when taking into account the Soul of the Christian faith. As soon as the physical body dies, the Soul waits for Judgment Day. On judgment day, one of these two things happens. It is either granted an eternal life with the same physical body that it left behind, or is condemned to go to hell for eternity. There is no reincarnation for the Soul in Christianity.

Christianity argues that it is only human beings who have Souls. All other life forms are devoid of Souls. Likewise, this faith holds on to the view that, because of the sin committed by Adam and Eve, sinfulness is the basic nature of every Soul.

The corresponding teachings of Sanatana dharma are grossly different. Hinduism says that all forms of life on this planet have Atman, and it is not something exclusive to humans. In the same way, Hindu Dharma emphasizes that every Soul is essentially divine, and is free from sin.

During the colonial period when the British East India Company and later the British Crown gained control over India, there were attempts to explain the Hindu concepts in terminology familiar to the British rulers. However, this confuses the new generation of Bharatiyas seeking to understand the Sanathana concepts.

Additional points can be included on the topic “Differences between the Atman of Hinduism and the Soul of Christianity.” However such attempts will increase the length of the write-up and take too much time for the reader. This article’s goal is to explain the most salient points of the Atman vs the Soul.