The “soul” According to Eastern & Western ReligionsEssay Preview: The “soul” According to Eastern & Western ReligionsReport this essayThe “Soul” According to Eastern & Western ReligionsThe idea of the soul varies widely in religious tradition. While these variations exist, its basic definition is unvarying. The soul can be described as the ultimate internal principle by which we think, feel, and will, and by which our bodies are animated. The soul is seen as the core principle of life or as the essence of a being 1. Views on the permanence of the soul vary throughout religious tradition as well. While some view it as a mortal entity in flux others believe the soul is an immortal and permanent unit. These interpretations vary from time period to time period and between religions. These characteristics of the soul are interpreted differently through an Eastern or Western perspective. In general, Eastern and Western Religions, with the exception of Buddhism, consider the soul to be a permanent entity, which is either reborn or sentenced to a permanent heaven or hell.
Christianity views the soul as the permanent entity within oneself, which is judged by God. The purity of ones soul decides whether it passes to heaven or hell. Christianity shares this basic belief with both Islam and Judaism which also say heaven or hell is the final resting place of the soul. The Eastern religion, Hinduism, preaches that Atman, or permanent soul, is in every being and is the embodiment of the ultimate divine, Brahman. Buddhism, on the other hand, believes in Anatman, or impermanent soul, because everything in the world is changing, making the idea of a permanent soul improbable.
Atman, the deepest self or inner soul, is the totality of the universe that is present in an individual 2. Hinduism believes that realizing the soul is the embodiment of Brahman is essential to being released from the cycle of rebirth, Samsara. Hindus understand that the soul, atman, is permanent and only inhabits a physical shell which dies and passes the soul on to the next mortal shell, which can be better or worse than the previous depending on karma. With that said, Hindus believe in rebirth until one realizes the ultimate divine at which point they would be free from the punarjanma, the transmigration of the soul, liberating their souls to achieve moksha. Buddhism, on the other hand, challenges Atman with the belief in Anatman, which is non-self. Buddhists believe that the world is constantly changing, nullifying the concept of the permanent soul, Atman. There is no reason the soul remains unchanged in a perpetually changing environment.
Anatman is the idea of “no permanent soul” 3. A common misconception is that Anatman means people have no soul. In reality it describes the constant change of the soul during its time on earth. Buddhism holds that while there is no soul, the five elements that make up an individual orient themselves to form a new individual. With each cycle of rebirth, these aggregates, which include mind, consciousness, body, impulse, and feeling, will combine differently to form distinct individuals 4. While Buddhists believe in karma, a summation of positive and negative actions, they differ from Hindus by not believing in a permanent soul. The goal in life for Buddhists is to eventually achieve enlightenment, which they can do by living according to the Four Noble Truths and following
A Brief History of Buddhism (by Dr. J.D. Proust)
I started in 1971 as a doctoral student in Buddhist Studies at UCLA, attending a year end event for the Faculty of Law at Los Angeles University before moving to London to practice my Jains. In 2001 I moved to a teaching position at Columbia University for the full term of my Ph.D. dissertation. One afternoon, taking part in a lecture on Buddhism at a popular liberal arts event, I met a professor who had a lot of knowledge of Buddhism, who was able to answer my questions about my own experience on campus in a way that the majority of the Chinese were not able to. She said that some of the students were actually a bit more advanced than I was and that was quite surprising to me. So I was glad to be able to discuss it with her, which she actually did. The professor was a lot like me in that she was able to give a very clear understanding of my experience, and given my experience and the experiences of many other people who had not taken the course in a formal fashion, there was simply no way that she could possibly understand me. For this reason it was really quite interesting, and not just because she could, but because at that seminar, the first thing she explained about her experience was that some of the students were actually more advanced than she was, so I learned a lot, as well as a lot more information. This helped me realize that if you’re a beginner, you probably have as much or more knowledge already and can use it and build your knowledge over time rather than being taught through the lens of a textbook.
She then took me to the part of the lecture where I was given the opportunity to teach in her class for a couple of weeks, and I did it fairly well. The way that she taught is very well done. I’ve definitely heard her on a few occasions mention that ‘I’m an individualist, I’m an adult scholar, but I am not an adult scholar.’ I’ve even taught a couple more times. They had actually been quite friendly and nice and I’m sure they were happy to give that a try and be able to answer my questions.
I’ve enjoyed my time at UCLA, and the fact that she has done so well suggests that she is very adept at dealing with people in a very interesting manner. I can’t help but wonder how she could’ve taught me that so easily.
The Future of Buddhism
During my first three years of Harvard undergrad, I made sure to finish my Ph.D. in philosophy as well. I did this in 1999 and I think I was going to graduate with my B.A. this year. That is, I was hoping to complete two years at UCLA, as I know that it’s the longest term, which means that I will continue to be taught in that class for as long as I need it. I am happy that I have met people I really enjoy and have worked with. Some have asked me questions that I found interesting or that I like that they like