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Eastern philosophies of religion and postmodern and 20th century philosophies
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SECTION BEASTERN PHILOSOPHIES OF RELIGION
Question 7:
Write an essay in which you compare the concepts of self in Hinduism and Buddhism.
In Hinduism, the self is known as the Atman, which also refers to the soul, the universal self
and is known to the one who the self chooses. After death, this soul goes through a rebirth
into a new life or will gain a release from the chains of existence, thereby attaining Moksha
(liberation). The Atman is the essence of who we are, it is deeper than all our personalities,
the real nature of ourselves. In Hinduism and Buddhism, the self, identified with a small ‘s’
(Unisa, 2020:13) is were ignorance is stored, this ignorance is exactly what prevents a
person from finding Moksha (liberation). In Hinduism, identified with a big ‘S (Unisa, 2020:
13), is known as the Atman or the individual soul. Brahman cannot co-exist with ignorance.
Maya is what entangles one’s consciousness and tries to create a world of separation.
When Atman recognises its true meaning and essence, it will recognise itself with world soul
or what is referred to as Brahman.
Hindu’s believe that it is this Atman that enables us to function in life, it is pure
consciousness. Atman does this for us while Brahman (a principle that enables Hindus to
live a fruitful, fulfilling and pure life does this for the universe). We must live and realise our
connectedness with all living beings, and this we do by our love for the divine, the way we
interact lovingly and kindly to others as well as the morals and values we live with. As the
self, we must remember always that there is something bigger than us, something that is
even beyond death, the ultimate reality, which could be God, something that has no
suffering, something that is immortal (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2020). It is this immortal
reality that is the self. When we live according to this ultimate reality, we will go beyond
death. At death, the body remains, but the self/the soul is what still lives on. In Hinduism,
the belief is that the self/the soul is eternal and ever present. According to Vedanta, the
subtle body is the one that continues, it is the pure being. Atman is a part of Brahman and
they need to work together (Sarvapriyananda, 2018).
In Hinduism, Atman refers to the non-material self, a self that does not change. The idea of
the self in Hinduism begins in the Vedic scriptures, known as Shruti. They are made up of
the Rig Veda, Atharva Veda, Yajur Veda and Sama Veda. Their power lies in chanting. To
live one’s true self, one should have a clear conscious, have respect for life, live with good
values, have tolerance, patience, show empathy and compassion for others and be
, unselfish. The real self goes beyond the material body and a self that is not attached to any
kind of material possessions. Life can be a vicious circle, one with a conscious will make
certain they do good in life in order to reach Moksha, having no room to allow any Karma or
Samsara to take over. To quiet one’s mind against Maya or any type of agitations or
thoughts that could distract the peaceful journey of the Atman, one should meditate which
enables them to withdraw form such thoughts and distractions. Freeing oneself from Maya
is the core of the spiritual journey. In order to free oneself, one should remain still and
concentrate, this level can be reached by prayer, meditating or chanting the mantra AUM,
have no attachment, be totally devoted and stay disciplined. In doing so, this will only work
when one offers their entire heart and mind to their Atman, as this is the biggest sacrifice,
and this does not need any ritual.
Buddhism does not believe in an eternal soul, as they believe that there it is no permanent
self, an unchanging self or soul. Buddhists often talk about energy being reborn rather than
a soul. Buddha taught his followers that they should be able to depend on themselves and
not seek any external refuge. He also said that in order to do this people should be able to
depend on themselves and seek refuge within themselves with Dhamma (Pali word for
Dharma – when one finds their true purpose in life and the virtuous way they choose to live
it). A person should make Dharma their island and their refuge, they should be able to strive
within their own lives, rely on themselves and through their efforts and experiences reach a
stage of enlightenment. A person can test their own experiences only to that of the Buddhas
teachings. In relation to the self, the Buddha’s teachings spoke about:
Annica – the aspect of impermanence, nothing lasts forever. One should live with the
truth of Dharma.
Anatta – since the self is always changing, one should not think about an essential self
or soul.
Dukkha – the self, experiences life that is filled with suffering and disappointments.
Tanha – the reason to one’s suffering is due to them wanting to feel permanent in an
impermanent world.
Sangha – The Buddha says that the world is unreliable, hence people should seek
refuge within a Buddhist community.
Pratityasamupada – the self, arises due to its very specific conditions. Meaning all
Dharmas arise in dependence upon other Dharmas. So, it is like saying, if this exists
then that exists, if this does not exist then that does not exist.
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