atman

/aht-muhn/US // ˈɑt mən //UK // (ˈaːtmən) //

阿特曼

Definitions

n.名词 noun

1
Hinduism.
- : the principle of life.
- : the individual self, known after enlightenment to be identical with Brahman.
- : the World Soul, from which all individual souls derive, and to which they return as the supreme goal of existence.

One of the key ingredients of Tantra is the discovery of atman, or true self.
Atman, or Spirit, is held to be an eternal principle, from which the Selves or Souls are differentiated.
Remember Vivekananda's use of the Atman: it is indeed not a scientific use, for we can make no particular deductions from it.
He already knew to feel Atman in the depths of his being, indestructible, one with the universe.
Atman means "breathing;" paramatman "the highest breathing."
This one essence or Self (Atman) permeates the whole Universe.