Christianity & Hindu Traditions
Atman and the Christian Person
Hinduism teaches the atman, the true, eternal self, unborn and undying (Bhagavad Gita 2.20). In Advaita Vedanta the great saying 'Tat tvam asi', 'That thou art', declares the atman to be identical with Brahman, the ultimate reality: at the deepest level, the self is the divine. Christianity holds that each person is real, eternal, and made in God's image, deeply loved, but a creature distinct from the Creator, not God. (Note: the Hindu eternal self is the very opposite of the Buddhist teaching of no-self.)
What Hindu traditions say
The atman is the true self, beyond the body and mind, eternal and imperishable:
In Advaita Vedanta, the Upanishadic saying Tat tvam asi (‘That thou art,’ Chandogya Upanishad) means the atman is ultimately identical with Brahman: to be liberated is to realize that the self is the divine. Other schools read the same saying differently: Vishishtadvaita sees the self as a part of God, and Dvaita insists the self is distinct from God. (This is worth noting carefully: the Hindu eternal atman is the opposite of the Buddhist doctrine of anatta, no-self.)
What Christianity says
Christianity teaches that the person is real and enduring, made in the image of God, and infinitely loved, but a creature, not the Creator.
Where they meet
Both hold that the human being is far more than the body, that the self has eternal significance, and that our deepest identity is bound up with the divine, in Christianity, as beloved image-bearers.
Where they differ
Advaita says, at the deepest level, the self is God; Christianity says the self is God’s beloved creature, made to know and love him, but never to be him. The Dvaita (dualist) school of Hinduism, which keeps God and the self distinct, stands closest to the Christian view here.
Hindu sources: the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads; renderings are faithful to the Sanskrit (translations vary, compare public-domain translations such as Telang or Arnold). Hinduism is vast and diverse (Advaita, Vishishtadvaita, Dvaita, and many devotional traditions); we note where schools differ. Bible: King James Version. Every reference on this page was checked against its source.
The word itself
ātman (Sanskrit) → the true self / soul
Atman is the eternal, true self. In Advaita it is ultimately identical with Brahman; in dualist and devotional schools it is distinct from God. Note the contrast: this eternal self is the opposite of the Buddhist anatta (non-self).
Frequently asked questions
- What is the atman in Hinduism?
- The atman is the true, eternal self, distinct from the body and mind. The Bhagavad Gita (2.20) calls it unborn and undying. Schools differ on whether it is identical with God (Advaita), part of God (Vishishtadvaita), or distinct from God (Dvaita).
- Does 'That thou art' mean I am God?
- In Advaita Vedanta, 'Tat tvam asi' means the self is ultimately identical with Brahman, the divine. Other Hindu schools read it as the self being part of, or distinct from, God. Christianity holds that you are made in God's image and deeply loved, but a creature, not God.
- Is the Hindu self the same as Buddhist no-self?
- No, they are opposites. Hinduism affirms an eternal self (atman); Buddhism denies any permanent self (anatta). This is a key difference between the two traditions.
Come and see
The Gita speaks of surrendering to God in loving devotion; the Gospel tells of a God who first gave himself in love. The most direct way to know Jesus is to read his words for yourself. There is no pressure here.
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