Hey people,

When I was reading Black's The Character of the Self in Ancient India, I found the relationship between atman and prana to be very interesting.  And as we have not yet discussed this interdependent relationship in class... why not now?

Many other posts have talked about atman and how one's atman represents one's immortal self, but it is prana, that is necessary, in order to keep the atman of a living organism present.  Prana, by definition, means "life-breathe" or "exhalation," but the plural "pranas" refers to the five vital functions--breathe, sight, hearing, speech, and mind.  This exemplifies the importance of the prana-atman correlation because self can only be discovered through studying the Vedas, but one can only be fully enveloped in the Hindu practices by utilizing the five vital functions.  Rituals must be seen.  Mantras must be heard.  Philosophical thought must be understood.  Without the pranas, one would never truly conceptualize their individual atman.

Sleep and death are also used as metaphors to characterize the nature of prana and atman.  In deep sleep, the "pranas take possession of the atman and descend into the cavity of the heart."  The "disappearance" of the pranas explains why in a deep state of sleep, one loses all consciousness of the outside world.  This is due to the pranas no longer circulating through the body, therefore not being able to perceive the outside world.  Perception is key when grasping a sense of self.

Feel free to comment... or maybe not.