Ātman (Hinduism)

''Ātman'' (; ) in Hinduism is the true, innermost essence or self of a living being, conceived as eternal and unchanging. Atman is conceptually closely related to the individual self, Jīvātman, which persists across multiple bodies and lifetimes, but different from the self-image or ego (''Ahankara''), the emotional aspect of the mind (''Citta''), and the bodily or natural aspects (''prakṛti''). The term is often translated as soul, but is better translated as "Self" or essence. To attain moksha (liberation), a human being must acquire self-knowledge (''Atma Gyaan or Brahmajnana'').

The six orthodox schools of Indian philosophy have different views on what this self is. In Samkhya and Yoga, which call the essence ''purusha'', and in Advaita Vedanta, the essence is pure consciousness or witness-consciousness (sakshi), beyond identification with phenomena. In Samkhya and Yoga there are innumerable selves, while in Advaita Vedanta there is only one Self. Prominent views in Vedanta on the relation between ''(Jīv)Atman'' and the supreme Self (''Paramātmā'') or Ultimate Reality (Vishnu, Shiva, ''Brahman'') are that atman and Brahman are simultaneously different and non-different (Bhedabheda), non-different (Advaita, 'not-two'), different with dependence (Dvaita, 'dualist'), or non-different but with dependence (Vishishtadvaita, qualified non-dualism).

The six orthodox schools of Hinduism believe that there is ''Ātman'' in every living being (''jiva''), which is distinct from the body-mind complex. This may be seen as a major point of difference with the Buddhist doctrine of ''Anatta'', which holds that in essence there is no unchanging essence or Self to be found in the empirical constituents of a living being, staying silent on ''what'' it is that is liberated, yet essentialist positions are also found in Buddhism, while Madhyamika (''sunyata'') and Yogachara ('mere representation') resembling views can also be found the Hindu-traditions. Provided by Wikipedia