Jiva

 
 
The best way to understand this question is from the Gita.

You know that Atman is eternal, always was there, is currently present and will be in the future. Atman is thus timeless and also spaceless. Upanishadic verses like this one describe this
अणोर्-अणीयान् महतो महीयान् आत्मा गुहायां निहितोस्य जन्तोः Katha 1.2.20
Smaller than the atom, and yet larger than the largest, the Atman is hidden within beings.
On the other hand, Shri Krishna says this about Jiva.
अपरेयमितस्त्वन्यां प्रकृतिं विद्धि मे पराम्
जीवभूतां महाबाहो ययेदं धार्यते जगत्। 7.5
O mighty armed, this is aparaa prakriti, but besides that know My paraa prakriti, which is jiva-bhutaa (jiva-fied) , and by whom this creation is held.
Paraa prakriti is Divine Mother. Aparaa prakriti is nature in the eight-fold primeval forms. Prakriti is nature as we see her. Since Divine Mother holds the creation (यया इदं धार्यते जगत्), she is called jagat-dhaatri, and this is one of the forms of Divine Mother we worship. The real reason I cited this verse is the word Jiva-bhutaa, which means that Divine Mother is manifested as Jivas.
Sri Aurobindo made some remarks on that word. He pointed out that Shri Krishna did not say Jivaatmakaa, He said Jivabhutaa. What is the difference?
This is the difference. Divine Mother is, of course, eternal. But if She manifests something, that is creation. If She simply designates (a part of) Her spirit as Jiva, it will not be manifestation, and if that was how it is, Shri Krishna would have said Jivatmakaa. But She is Jiva-bhutaa, that is, She manifests as Jiva, that means, Jiva is a creation, it has a beginning. Therefore, Jiva is not Atman.
This verse has also been interpreted in some other ways, but this interpretation is most consistent with the Gita and other scriptures. I should elaborate this point from the Gita.
ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभुतः सनातनः
मनः षष्ठानीन्द्रियानि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति। 15.7
Verily in the world of beings, My eternal portion is Jiva-fied. There, mind and the other five senses (thus totaling six) cultivate (the Jiva) by working with nature.
This is a lot of information. We will go slowly, so you understand. The first issue is, Shri Krishna is non-different from Divine Mother, so when He says jivafied, He says in masculine (जीवभुत), and when He says Divine Mother is jivafied, He says that in feminine (जीवभूता). This means, Jiva itself is neither masculine nor feminine.
Second, what is the meaning of cultivating nature by the mind and the other five senses for Jiva? Well, that is how we grow up with the many experiences of the world. We learn not to touch a very hot surface and the like.
Third, why did Shri Krishna say My eternal portion? He is, of course, not saying that Divine Mother is His eternal portion. That would be so wrong for us to assume. Actually Shri Krishna gives us a big clue in the very next verse, in which He describes Jiva as Ishvara, that is, the Lord (15.8). Jiva is Ishvara in its essential quality, and when the Jiva is free, it realizes that Ishvara quality. Jiva does not have that realization when it is bound by the gunas of Prakriti.
सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणाः प्रकृतिसम्भवाः
निबध्नन्ति महाबाहो देहे देहिनमव्ययम्। 14.5
O mighty armed! sattva. rajas and tamas - these gunas born of prakriti bind the eternal embodied one to the body.
So, why does Shri Krishna describe the embodied one eternal? When Jiva is just a bound Jiva, it is not eternal, because it has no understanding of being Ishvara. On the other hand, Ishavara is eternal. When Jiva becomes free, it merges in consciousness with the eternal Atman.
This merging in consciousness is called the decay of the Jiva. Jiva decays in the Atman. This is described in an Upanishad. I am sorry, I forgot the reference. Which is why Shri Krishna describes the Jiva as kshara purusha (decaying entrant) in beings.
द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च
क्षरः सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते। 15.16
In the creation, there are only two entrants (purushas), called kshara (decaying) and akshara (undecaying). Kshara is in all beings and akshara is hidden.
Shri Krishna describes one kshara purusha in all beings. Why so? He says
अविभक्तं च भूतेषु विभक्तमिव च स्थितम् 13.16/17
Even though undivided, it is present as if divided among beings.
That explains why it is singular. So, we learned a lot of information about the Jiva, so what is the Atman?
Atman is the akshara purusha. There is a lot of information about the Atman in the Gita. One of them is that it is in the creation (15.16). I will just cite another verse.
अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तमाहुः परमां गतिम्
यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम। 8.21
That which is called the unmanifest undecaying is the Supreme goal, attaining that, beings do not return (to samsara), that realm is My Supreme abode.
Advaita vedanta starts with akshara purusha, and dvaita vedanta starts with Jiva. That is the biggest difference between the two vedantic traditions. Advaita deals with our essential reality, whereas Dvaita begins with our present reality
This is a very large subject. The best way to understand this question is from the Gita.
You know that Atman is eternal, always was there, is currently present and will be in the future. Atman is thus timeless and also spaceless. Upanishadic verses like this one describe this
अणोर्-अणीयान् महतो महीयान् आत्मा गुहायां निहितोस्य जन्तोः Katha 1.2.20
Smaller than the atom, and yet larger than the largest, the Atman is hidden within beings.
On the other hand, Shri Krishna says this about Jiva.
अपरेयमितस्त्वन्यां प्रकृतिं विद्धि मे पराम्
जीवभूतां महाबाहो ययेदं धार्यते जगत्। 7.5
O mighty armed, this is aparaa prakriti, but besides that know My paraa prakriti, which is jiva-bhutaa (jiva-fied) , and by whom this creation is held.
Paraa prakriti is Divine Mother. Aparaa prakriti is nature in the eight-fold primeval forms. Prakriti is nature as we see her. Since Divine Mother holds the creation (यया इदं धार्यते जगत्), she is called jagat-dhaatri, and this is one of the forms of Divine Mother we worship. The real reason I cited this verse is the word Jiva-bhutaa, which means that Divine Mother is manifested as Jivas.
Sri Aurobindo made some remarks on that word. He pointed out that Shri Krishna did not say Jivaatmakaa, He said Jivabhutaa. What is the difference?
This is the difference. Divine Mother is, of course, eternal. But if She manifests something, that is creation. If She simply designates (a part of) Her spirit as Jiva, it will not be manifestation, and if that was how it is, Shri Krishna would have said Jivatmakaa. But She is Jiva-bhutaa, that is, She manifests as Jiva, that means, Jiva is a creation, it has a beginning. Therefore, Jiva is not Atman.
This verse has also been interpreted in some other ways, but this interpretation is most consistent with the Gita and other scriptures. I should elaborate this point from the Gita.
ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभुतः सनातनः
मनः षष्ठानीन्द्रियानि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति। 15.7
Verily in the world of beings, My eternal portion is Jiva-fied. There, mind and the other five senses (thus totaling six) cultivate (the Jiva) by working with nature.
This is a lot of information. We will go slowly, so you understand. The first issue is, Shri Krishna is non-different from Divine Mother, so when He says jivafied, He says in masculine (जीवभुत), and when He says Divine Mother is jivafied, He says that in feminine (जीवभूता). This means, Jiva itself is neither masculine nor feminine.
Second, what is the meaning of cultivating nature by the mind and the other five senses for Jiva? Well, that is how we grow up with the many experiences of the world. We learn not to touch a very hot surface and the like.
Third, why did Shri Krishna say My eternal portion? He is, of course, not saying that Divine Mother is His eternal portion. That would be so wrong for us to assume. Actually Shri Krishna gives us a big clue in the very next verse, in which He describes Jiva as Ishvara, that is, the Lord (15.8). Jiva is Ishvara in its essential quality, and when the Jiva is free, it realizes that Ishvara quality. Jiva does not have that realization when it is bound by the gunas of Prakriti.
सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणाः प्रकृतिसम्भवाः
निबध्नन्ति महाबाहो देहे देहिनमव्ययम्। 14.5
O mighty armed! sattva. rajas and tamas - these gunas born of prakriti bind the eternal embodied one to the body.
So, why does Shri Krishna describe the embodied one eternal? When Jiva is just a bound Jiva, it is not eternal, because it has no understanding of being Ishvara. On the other hand, Ishavara is eternal. When Jiva becomes free, it merges in consciousness with the eternal Atman.
This merging in consciousness is called the decay of the Jiva. Jiva decays in the Atman. This is described in an Upanishad. I am sorry, I forgot the reference. Which is why Shri Krishna describes the Jiva as kshara purusha (decaying entrant) in beings.
द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च
क्षरः सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते। 15.16
In the creation, there are only two entrants (purushas), called kshara (decaying) and akshara (undecaying). Kshara is in all beings and akshara is hidden.
Shri Krishna describes one kshara purusha in all beings. Why so? He says
अविभक्तं च भूतेषु विभक्तमिव च स्थितम् 13.16/17
Even though undivided, it is present as if divided among beings.
That explains why it is singular. So, we learned a lot of information about the Jiva, so what is the Atman?
Atman is the akshara purusha. There is a lot of information about the Atman in the Gita. One of them is that it is in the creation (15.16). I will just cite another verse.
अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तमाहुः परमां गतिम्
यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम। 8.21
That which is called the unmanifest undecaying is the Supreme goal, attaining that, beings do not return (to samsara), that realm is My Supreme abode.
Advaita vedanta starts with akshara purusha, and dvaita vedanta starts with Jiva. That is the biggest difference between the two vedantic traditions. Advaita deals with our essential reality, whereas Dvaita begins with our present realityaraa prakriti is nature in the eight-fold primeval forms. Prakriti is nature as we see her. Since Divine Mother holds the creation (यया इदं धार्यते जगत्), she is called jagat-dhaatri, and this is one of the forms of Divine Mother we worship. The real reason I cited this verse is the word Jiva-bhutaa, which means that Divine Mother is manifested as Jivas.
Sri Aurobindo made some remarks on that word. He pointed out that Shri Krishna did not say Jivaatmakaa, He said Jivabhutaa. What is the difference?
This is the difference. Divine Mother is, of course, eternal. But if She manifests something, that is creation. If She simply designates (a part of) Her spirit as Jiva, it will not be manifestation, and if that was how it is, Shri Krishna would have said Jivatmakaa. But She is Jiva-bhutaa, that is, She manifests as Jiva, that means, Jiva is a creation, it has a beginning. Therefore, Jiva is not Atman.
This verse has also been interpreted in some other ways, but this interpretation is most consistent with the Gita and other scriptures. I should elaborate this point from the Gita.
ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभुतः सनातनः
मनः षष्ठानीन्द्रियानि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति। 15.7
Verily in the world of beings, My eternal portion is Jiva-fied. There, mind and the other five senses (thus totaling six) cultivate (the Jiva) by working with nature.
This is a lot of information. We will go slowly, so you understand. The first issue is, Shri Krishna is non-different from Divine Mother, so when He says jivafied, He says in masculine (जीवभुत), and when He says Divine Mother is jivafied, He says that in feminine (जीवभूता). This means, Jiva itself is neither masculine nor feminine.
Second, what is the meaning of cultivating nature by the mind and the other five senses for Jiva? Well, that is how we grow up with the many experiences of the world. We learn not to touch a very hot surface and the like.
Third, why did Shri Krishna say My eternal portion? He is, of course, not saying that Divine Mother is His eternal portion. That would be so wrong for us to assume. Actually Shri Krishna gives us a big clue in the very next verse, in which He describes Jiva as Ishvara, that is, the Lord (15.8). Jiva is Ishvara in its essential quality, and when the Jiva is free, it realizes that Ishvara quality. Jiva does not have that realization when it is bound by the gunas of Prakriti.
सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणाः प्रकृतिसम्भवाः
निबध्नन्ति महाबाहो देहे देहिनमव्ययम्। 14.5
O mighty armed! sattva. rajas and tamas - these gunas born of prakriti bind the eternal embodied one to the body.
So, why does Shri Krishna describe the embodied one eternal? When Jiva is just a bound Jiva, it is not eternal, because it has no understanding of being Ishvara. On the other hand, Ishavara is eternal. When Jiva becomes free, it merges in consciousness with the eternal Atman.
This merging in consciousness is called the decay of the Jiva. Jiva decays in the Atman. This is described in an Upanishad. I am sorry, I forgot the reference. Which is why Shri Krishna describes the Jiva as kshara purusha (decaying entrant) in beings.
द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च
क्षरः सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते। 15.16
In the creation, there are only two entrants (purushas), called kshara (decaying) and akshara (undecaying). Kshara is in all beings and akshara is hidden.
Shri Krishna describes one kshara purusha in all beings. Why so? He says
अविभक्तं च भूतेषु विभक्तमिव च स्थितम् 13.16/17
Even though undivided, it is present as if divided among beings.
That explains why it is singular. So, we learned a lot of information about the Jiva, so what is the Atman?
Atman is the akshara purusha. There is a lot of information about the Atman in the Gita. One of them is that it is in the creation (15.16). I will just cite another verse.
अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तमाहुः परमां गतिम्
यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम। 8.21
That which is called the unmanifest undecaying is the Supreme goal, attaining that, beings do not return (to samsara), that realm is My Supreme abode.
Advaita vedanta starts with akshara purusha, and dvaita vedanta starts with Jiva. That is the biggest difference between the two vedantic traditions. Advaita deals with our essential reality, whereas Dvaita begins with our present reality