PHIL-201 Lecture 2: Atman and the notion of self
25 Sep 2017
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The ego self is the self whih experiences change in fear, desire, need, ambition etc. If things are going well than the intellect and will are in control and steers the chariot. Singular notion of self (otherwise there would be differences violate principle of oneness); and thus, it does not change the atman does not change between orwithin people. Atman is impersonal: if we move past the changing aspects of the self, atman is universally the same within people. If it were personal it would imply that it is different between people. Realizing atman, according to the upanishads, requires empathy : a oneness of feelings, no longer drawing distinctions between personal feelings and others feelings. While differences may exist in feeling these do not go to the fundamental level. The truest self is not different from the true self of others requires one to emphasize similarity not differences.
