Anatman and Atman Concepts in Buddhism and Hinduism

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Introduction

Different faiths have diverse ideas about incarnation. Even though Buddhism and Hinduism hold many of the same concepts, they appear to diverge significantly when it comes to “the self” or “the soul.” Religions like Islam and Christianity believe there is a hereafter where people’s souls will be reunited with their creators (Rösch, 2019). Thus, these faiths affirm the reality of the soul. But “the soul,” often identified as “the self,” is understood in a different way by Buddhists and Hindus. Hinduism’s primary philosophical foundation is the Trinity, and as a result, its teachings place a great value on the Braham or Atman. Besides, the Buddhist faith is based mainly on the Buddha’s education, and adherents do not believe in Atman.

In all religions, the awareness of the soul is generally described by Atman and Anatman. The atman notion is used to describe how individuals have a soul that is separate from their physiques and is not bodily. Contrarily, the idea of Anatman is employed to designate the conviction that there is no self within individual bodies (Fisher & Rinehart, 2016). Atman elucidates that people engage in behaviors not swayed by “the self,” whereas Anatman asserts that human behaviors are controlled by effect and cause in place of the self (Rösch, 2019). The essay is going to analyze metaphysical and practical distinctions between anatman and atman.

Explanation of the Metaphysical and Practical Distinctions between Atman and Anatman

Hinduism holds that each creature has an exclusive soul inside of them that determines how they respond to numerous circumstances. Atman is the name for the unseen soul that exists as a physical form in beings. However, Atman is separate from and unseen to the individual physique; it has supremacy over how individuals convey themselves. Rendering to the Atman notion, Atman is eventually in the custody of people’s reactions to what happens in the outside world (Rösch, 2019). Atman reveals how populaces claim ownership of particular bodily objects, which causes them to experience anguish when anything goes erroneous with them. For instance, when a car driver is hurt in an accident with another vehicle, they hurt car user often blame the driver of the other car. The owner may not have been wounded during the collision, but they are now in anguish since their automobile was damaged. There are repercussions for breaking the law; thus, the person behind the wheel must adhere to driving regulations such as speed limits and structural integrity. Similarly, to have a good rebirth, people must refrain from polluting “the self” with sins committed on this planet, as Atman dictates.

According to Atman, since “the soul” is separate from the physical flesh, it endures even after people pass away (Rösch, 2019). Hindus hold that Atman exists, and the Brahmin doctrines include this belief. Because of a lack of awareness about Brahmin, people have varying viewpoints about Atman. Therefore, to comprehend the notion of Atman correctly, people should first get familiar with Brahmin concepts. According to the Hindu faith, Atman is crucial to rebirth. To realize the true self, people must overcome their egos.

Anatman

In distinction, the impression of Anatman contends that there is no such thing as “the self,” making it the antithesis of Atman. The Buddhist viewpoint on the non-presence of “the self,” as the Hindus assert, is explained using the concept of Anatman. According to Anatman, neither the physical world nor the interiors of living things contain anything resembling a self (Shin & Ariarajah, 2017). Contrary to Atman, which maintains that “the self” dictates how people respond to various conditions, Anatman opposes that first choice and logic have a role in how individuals reply to various conditions. Additionally, Anatman challenges the idea of “the self” by asserting that creatures do not have a “self” and that human characteristics like emotions, personality, awareness, and reasoning govern their behavior.

By arguing that factors and consequences instead of “the self” determine all that occurs in the cosmos, Buddhists hire the Anatman notion to reject the existence of the self in mortals, after being interviewed about his views on Atman, the Buddha allegedly indicated that no aspect of life is everlasting since everything that exists is vicissitudes. This assertion shows that Buddha disagreed with the idea that creatures have a timeless “self” that endures long after their owners have passed away (Shin & Ariarajah, 2017). Therefore, the Buddhist religion does not support the presence of “the self” in the cosmos. Buddhists assert that people should be aware of a change to be ready for pain (dukkha) since they believe in Atman. Buddhism holds that the ego impacts the self and that people utilize it to accomplish meaningful goals in life, contrary to Hinduism, which holds that people should labor on lessening their ego to comprehend the genuine self.

According to Buddhism, the ego impacts one’s sense of self by encouraging people to have wants, which trigger attachments. Those connections drive individuals to correlate with the things they acquire out of personality (Shin & Ariarajah, 2017). However, because this conduct of trying to connect oneself with wants results in dukkha, Buddhism and Anatman hold that to escape dukkha, individuals should work toward nirvana (a state of no-self). A definite illustration of Anatman is when someone’s ego drives them to effort hard to save up for pricey stuff like a high-end sports auto. After buying the automobile, the person will start attaching to it and associating with it. Even if the individual grows attached to the expensive automobile, it may be stolen or damaged, sending the person into a condition of nirvana. Buddhism, therefore, promotes a life devoid of the ego since the self is transient and only serves to heighten suffering (Shin & Ariarajah, 2017). Buddhism, therefore, promotes a life devoid of the ego since the self is transient and only serves to heighten misery.

How Anatman and Atman Notions Draw into Each Faith’s Exclusive Perspective to the Holy (God/Gods) and the Path to Redemption

Both religions have distinct tactics for their revered God (s). Buddhism holds that there is no divine being, but Hinduism affirms the presence of sanctified divinities. Hinduism holds that a number of gods descend from Atman. Hinduism says that as reincarnation occurs according to the cosmic rule of causation, people must be good to avoid being persecuted by Atman (Ramstedt, 2018). The belief asserts that after death, a person’s self takes control and acts as he did while still on earth. If a person has a good life while on earth, they will be happy in their next life since Karma will accompany them.

Nonetheless, if a person committed sins during their time on earth, they will experience bad Karma after rebirth and will have to pay for their transgressions. Hinduism advises people to act in ways they value, living up to the idea of Atman. Hinduism similarly demands that followers of Brahmin doctrines to learn how to prevent negative Karma by doing righteously. Samsara, in Hinduism, refers to salvation (Ramstedt, 2018). Samsara is essentially the soul’s journey or reincarnation after death. In this instance, it is implied that via the migration of self, an individual’s repercussions in this life would accompany them into the next. Thus, the Hindu faith holds that people’s acts decide their way to redemption.

As an outcome, the religion exhorts followers to perform good things now to stop receiving bad Karma in their next reincarnation. On the other hand, Buddhism grosses a slightly dissimilar tack from Hinduism regarding the subject of redemption and consecrated gods. Buddhism does, however, concur with certain of Hinduism’s doctrines on restoration. Buddhism, for instance, accepts nirvana, the cosmic decree of interconnection and rebirth. The idea of the self in assembly to God is where Hinduism and Buddhism diverge. Contrasting Hinduism, Buddhism does not hold to the concept of holy deities.

Considering that Buddhism rejects the existence of the Atman, the idea of redemption is somewhat enigmatic. The philosophy of Gautama Buddha teaches that although transmigration is irregular and transient, it still happens. As a result, the religion holds that since death is not a permanent state, the soul cannot survive it. Buddhism emphasizes that redemption happens via Karma while we are still on earth. According to the faith, doing good deeds results in good Karma while a person is still on earth (Ramstedt, 2018).

However, people will generate bad Karma when they commit acts viewed as evil. As a result, Buddhism urges followers to uphold moral standards to prevent receiving bad Karma in the future (Ramstedt, 2018). Nirvana is a crucial idea that cannot be avoided when talking about the Atman and Anatman in association to redemption and impending sacred divinities. Even though both faiths incorporate the idea of nirvana in their spiritual beliefs, the connotation of the word differs depending on the religion. While Buddhism views nirvana as the state of devouring no soul or self, Hinduism understands it as lighting. Hence, the two faiths employ the idea to support how they view Atman and Anatman in connection to atonement and the self.

Conclusion

This essay’s findings demonstrate significant differences between Hinduism and Buddhism in how they see Atman and Anatman. Hinduism affirms Atman and, by extension, affirms the presence of “the self” in all living things. Anatman is the result of Buddhism’s rejection of the idea of “the soul.” The two religions’ approaches to the means to redemption and the presence of sacred creatures are likewise influenced by these two ideas. Buddhism disbelieves in the presence of a sanctified God, but Hinduism affirms the concept of numerous Gods descended from Atman. Both faiths have a somewhat differentiated perspective on salvation; Hinduism contends that salvation comes through Atman after reincarnation, while Buddhism asserts that salvation comes through Karma on earth. However, there is an agreement between the two religions regarding the rule of Karma regarding how salvation takes place, even though it follows each religion’s doctrines at a distinct period.

References

Fisher, M. P., & Rinehart, R. (2016). Living religions (10^th ed.). Pearson.

Ramstedt, M. (2018). Hinduism and buddhism. In Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Indonesia (pp. 267–283). Routledge.

Rösch, P. H. (2019). The birth of individual life concepts: The influences of Arthur Schopenhauer’s Buddhism on Eduard von der Heydt’s collection of Buddhist art. Hualin International Journal of Buddhist Studies, 1(1), 159–191.

Shin, K., & Ariarajah, S. W. (2017). The concept of self in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity and its implication for interfaith relations. Pickwick Publications.

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