Soul (Aathma) - The Hindu Ideology

Nothing is permanent in this universe.
                             Everything including the universe itself is changing all the time. Neither our body nor our mind is forever. Our body is made up of atoms/cells and all are regenerating as we have learned from biology. We are able to feel this change. Why? Similarly, all of us used to have dreams. After a good nights sleep with a beautiful dream in it, you'll wake up the next morning with little memories of last nights dream. But how?

Have you ever wondered how this is all possible?
                              If your body and mind are constantly changing, what are you made of? If you can remember your dreams while you are asleep, who is the one watching you while you are asleep? Or what makes you say that you had a good sleep yesterday? What gives you that knowledge? Don't misunderstand that it is your mind.
                          You are not "YOUR MIND".    'Your mind' - So who is YOU!!?

We are able to feel this change happening only because there is something non-changing within us. That is our Aathma(Soul). It has no form nor it is our mind. It may take different bodies/forms(Reincarnation). But in the end that is the only thing which you have which can fill the definition of YOU. We can say it is the consciousness.

It is not sleeping while we sleep, it won't feel sorrow/happiness/pain while we do nor it will Die with us. Instead, it will remain as a witness all the time.  In fact, we are this never-ending, omnipresent 'Aathma'. It is our mind which deviates us from reaching such state. But it is not something unachievable. Such states have been achieved by many Rishis(sages) long back. Budha calls it the 'Enlightenment'. You can also fell this presence if you can differentiate yourself from what you see. Because the reality is not what you see. What you see is just Krishna's Maya (Illusions).

"Weapons cannot cut Atman, fire cannot burn it, water can not wet it, and wind cannot dry it."

<Ohm Namah Shivayah>

The concept of Tri-Moorthis in Hinduism

Brahma, Vishnu, and  Shiva are the three forms which we consider to be the Tri-Moorthis of Hinduism. Brahma the four-faced creator, Vishnu with four arms, and Shiva with the snake around his neck. Yes, their forms are quite odd from human forms. But in reality, Brahma, Vishnu, and  Shiva are analogous to Mind, Intelligence, and Consciousness in the same order.
    At first, let us look into Brahma (The Creator - he who has four faces and rests on a Lotus flower as seen in the image.).

                 Brahma is considered as the creator. Just like our own Mind,  All creations happens blossoms inside our Mind. For eg: If you want to construct a house, It is your mind which tells you how it should be. It is your mind who forms the image. Creations are born inside your mind. Whatever it is that you see around or you have created, it is either the thought created by your mind or something which you have created using your mind. There is nothing else that really exists.
Lord Brahma is imagined to have four faces, which tells us that Creations has no borders nor directions, it happens everywhere.


Now for your creations to exist, you need a key substance with you which can help you to differentiate between right and wrong, that is basically your intelligence. Yes, Vishnu is the intelligence. Brahma exists as Vishnu.

  "If you are asked to do a ton of work at once, you'll mostly think .. whether you've got four arms to do all this??" Existence depends on your actions(karmas). The four arms of Lord Vishnu points to the actions which define your existence.

Now, Let's try to understand the third one among the "Tri-Moorthis" Lord Shiva.
Ancient 'Rishis'(sages) have described the body traits of shiva considering the 5 key elements of the existence of life(Air, Water, Fire, Earth, Sky).

        The Ganga river which comes from the head for 'Water', the moon over the head for 'Sky', the third eye for 'Fire', Snake around the neck for 'Earth',  and the clustered hair as 'Air'. The five elements which make life possible on Earth.
Known as the lord of destruction and creation, Shiva is the ultimate consciousness which you can attain once you completely detach yourself from all worldly pleasures (your mind - included).  It is this completeness which you attain that makes you omnipresent, that makes you - 'your universe'.

                                                   <Ohm Namah Shivayah>