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Philosophy and Religion
Art & Science of Meditation
thinking, understanding, reasoning and self-image (ego), all of which are considered to be part of prakriti (nature).
The three major schools of Hindu philosophy agree that the atman (individual self) is related to Brahman or the Paramatman, the Absolute Atman or Supreme Self, but they differ in the nature of this relationship. In Advaita Vedanta the individual self and the Supreme Self are one and the same. Dvaita rejects this concept of identity, instead identifying the self as a separate but similar part of Supreme Self (God), that never loses its individual identity. Visisht advaita takes a middle path and accepts the atman as a "mode" (prakara) or attribute of the Brahman for an alternative atheistic and dualistic view of the atman in ancient Hindu philosophy.
The atman becomes involved in the process of becoming and transmigrating through cycles of birth and death because of ignorance of its own true nature. The spiritual path consists of self-realization - a process in which one acquires the knowledge of the self (brahmajñanam) and through this knowledge applied through meditation and realization one then returns to the Source which is Brahman.
The qualities which are common to both Brahman and atman are being (sat), consciousness (chit), and bliss/love
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