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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
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www.kobatirth.org
Atman and Mokṣa
Ramakṛṣṇa further holds that the individula soul (jiva) is not different from God in essence. Their difference is apparent and it is caused by Maya the power of illusion. As a current of water seems to be divided into two when a plank of wood is placed against it edgewise, so the Indivisible appears divided into two, the Jivätman and the Paramātman, due to the limitation of Māyā. The Jivatman is the same as the Paramātman just as a bubble of water floating on it is the same as the water, the difference between the two being that the former is limited, temporary, and dependent and the latter infinite and independent.' God Himself plays in the form of man. He is the great juggler and this phantasmagoria of Jīva and Jagat is His great jugglery. He compares the Jiva sometimes with a doll of sugar or salt which tries to understand the depth of an ocean, which is compared with God. Thus, his position is somewhat like the Advaita Vedanta regarding the Jiva or the individual soul. The finitude is due to the egotism which is caused by many upadhis or limited adjuncts. The Jiva falsely identifies itself with these external upadhis like the body, manas, senses, etc.., and suffers from finitude and its consequent worldly miseries by forgetting its real nature. In fact, the Jiva is the Paramatman Himself, the Supreme Self and it is separate from the body it occupies just as the snake is separate from its slough which it occasionally casts off without being affected in the least.3
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1 Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna, 21, 22. 2 Ibid. 26.
3 Ibid. 28, 30.
Acharya Shri Kailashsagarsuri Gyanmandir
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