Hinduism and the parts of the soul In Hinduism, the closest Sanskrit equivalents for “soul” are jiva, Atman and "purusha", which mean individual self. The term "soul" can be misleading as it implies the possession of an object, whereas the term “self” depicts a subject which perceives all objects. The self is seen as distinct from the various faculties of the human mind such as desire, thought, understanding, reason and self-image (ego), which are considered to be part of prakriti (nature). According to Brahma-Upanishad there are four “places” which are occupied by the purusha (soul): the navel, the heart, the throat, and the head. Each of these places is characterized by a particular state of consciousness: the navel (or the eye) is characterized …show more content…
The main difference between them is the state of their consciousness which can be either contracted or expanded. For instance, animals and humans have in common the desire to live, the fear of death, the desire to procreate and to protect their families and their territory as well as the need for sleep. However, animal consciousness is far more contracted and has less possibility of expansion than human consciousness. The phenomenon of the Aatma becoming embodied is called birth, while the opposite phenomenon of the leaving a body is called …show more content…
There are five Koshas, which are often visually depicted as the layers of an onion. A detailed description of the five sheaths (pancha-kosas) can be found in the Taittiriya Upanishad. From the grossest to the finest they are: Annamaya kosha, "foodstuff" sheath (Anna): This is the sheath of the physical self, which got its name from the fact that it is nourished by food. Living through this layer one identifies oneself with a mass of skin, flesh, fat, bones, and filth, while the one of discrimination knows his own self, the only reality that there is, as distinct from the body. Pranamaya kosha, "energy" sheath (Prana/apana): Pranamaya means composed of prana (the vital principle the force that vitalizes and holds together the body and the mind). It flows through the whole organism, its single physical manifestation being the breath. As long as this vital principle exists in the4 various living organisms, life carries on. Together with the five organs of action it forms the vital sheath. In the Vivekachudamani it is a modification of vayu or air, which goes in and out of the