Paramātman

Paramatman (Sanskrit: परमात्मन्, IAST: Paramātman) or Paramātmā is the Absolute Atman, or supreme Self, in various philosophies such as the Vedanta and Yoga schools in Hindu theology, as well as other Indian religions like Sikhism. Paramatman is the "Primordial Self" or the "Self Beyond" who is spiritually identical with the absolute and ultimate reality. Selflessness is the attribute of Paramatman, where all personality/individuality vanishes. The word stem paramātman (परमात्मन्, pronounced pɐɽɐmaːtmɐn, its nominative singular being paramātmā — परमात्मा, pronounced pɐɽɐmaːtmaː) is formed from two words, parama, meaning "supreme" or "highest", and ātma, which means individual self. The word Ātman generally denotes the Individual Self, but by the word Paramatman which word also expresses Boundless Life, Boundless Consciousness, Boundless Substance in Boundless Space, is meant the Atman of all atmans or the Supreme Self or the Universal Self. The word Atman, which literally means non-darkness or light , is Brahman the subtlest indestructible Divine existence. The word Paramatman refers to the Creator of all. Jīva (Jainism) In Jainism, each atman or individual self is a potential Paramatman or God, both are essentially the same. It remains as atman only because of its binding karmic limitations, until such time as those limitations are removed. As Paramatman, the atman represents the ultimate point of spiritual evolution. Even though Jain mysticism centers around Atman and Paramatman because it believes in the existence of soul, in Jainism, which accepts neither Vedic authority nor Monism, all enlightened souls are referred to as Paramatman and regarded as gods. Jainism honours the soul of each man as its own eternally distinct savior. Since the Paramatman of Jainism is unable to create and govern the world, there is no place of God as a creator and bestower of fortune. Hindus believe in one God, who is known variously as Paramatman, Parameshwar, Parabrahman, Purushottam and so on.