Do you believe we all have souls? (exodus, Buddhism, eternal)

[eudaimonia]

If by "soul" you mean that which makes us alive rather than dead, or consciously aware rather than unaware then, sure, we all have souls.

I don't believe that our life or awareness survives death, however. I don't think that one can separate these from the functioning of the human body because they are the functioning of the human body, and so when the body loses its functionability, we lose those functions.

I think that the only semi-plausible argument for life-after-death belongs to the Buddhist idea of rebirth (not reincarnation), but it is still just short of being persuasive to me. So far, anyway -- I'm still considering this view.


eudaimonia,

Mark

[michel]

Originally Posted by Willamena

No; I believe we are souls.

An interesting distinction. I like that!

[robtex]

Just to broaden this debate out a bit, what are souls made of, and if they are inorganic in life form why do you percieve inorganic life to exist?

[Hema]

It is the other way around. We ARE souls with a temporary body. One day the body will be left behind to return to the elements. The soul is eternal. Since the body is temporary, it is the soul that is real. The soul is our true nature. We are part of God. God is like the ocean and we are drops of water taken from the ocean. When our time on earth is up (after all reincarnations), we become one with God.

[Hema]

Originally Posted by robtex

Just to broaden this debate out a bit, what are souls made of, and if they are inorganic in life form why do you percieve inorganic life to exist?

Souls are made of the absolute reality or Brahman. Souls are part of God. Even the Bible says that God created us in his image and likeness. We are Jeeva Atman or individual souls and God is Param Atman or the Super Soul. When we break free from the cycle of birth and death, we merge with the Param Atman. As for the "inorganic" topic, I perceive it to exist because I can feel God's prescence. I can feel the Param Atman because I am Jeeva Atman. The Atman cannot be seen with the eye, it is that which causes the eye to see (Upanishads).

[YmirGF]

Originally Posted by Willamena

No; I believe we are souls.

Agreed. That is exactly my thinking. The soul is not a possession or a lollipop for good behavior. It is what you are. You see, you have to try to grasp one small thing. To me, this is not a belief, per se. It is my experience. The soul is much easier to grasp than many expect and frankly most of you haven't a clue what you are missing out on.

Oh... btw... souls do not just merge into a cosmic god. That isn't the way the game works. We are the microcosm in the process of becoming the macrocosm. It's best if you just buckle down and get used to the idea, as you are going to be around for a very, VERY, long time.

Originally Posted by robtex

Just to broaden this debate out a bit, what are souls made of, and if they are inorganic in life form why do you percieve inorganic life to exist?

The soul is energy although due to the scientific connotations perhaps a new word should be coined. In the ultimate sense everything is organic in a sense. Everything at a sub-sub-atomic level is this energy... even rocks ... even air... It is the glue that binds atomic structure. I am thinking of weak forces and strong forces here, but there is a possiblity that it is even more refined than that.

Originally Posted by Hema

Souls are made of the absolute reality or Brahman. Souls are part of God. Even the Bible says that God created us in his image and likeness. We are Jeeva Atman or individual souls and God is Param Atman or the Super Soul. When we break free from the cycle of birth and death, we merge with the Param Atman. As for the "inorganic" topic, I perceive it to exist because I can feel God's prescence. I can feel the Param Atman because I am Jeeva Atman. The Atman cannot be seen with the eye, it is that which causes the eye to see (Upanishads).

I understand this point of view completely Hema, as I did once subscribe to this thinking. What one has to do is experience atma. Upon repeated experience of atma, one detects and then encompasses paramatma. I can't really desribe it any other way. As THAT experience deepens one experiences reality beyond the paramatma. Then, in time, one goes beyond that beyond. Frankly, I see no end in sight and fully expect experience to both grow and deepen with more experience. I do not see this process ever ending.

[megzy-boo]

I think we do but it is not something that can be detached from our bodies. It is the electricity in our brains - our personality. When our brains stop our souls stop.

[Kungfuzed]

A soul is the characteristics that make up a human's consiousness and individuality. Physically it is the electrical and chemical reactions in my brain that give rise to me. To put it simply, my brain is my soul. Of course, one could be brain dead and not have a soul, so what I mean is, the soul can't exist without a brain. The soul is what the brain does, more specifically the higher functions of the brain, like thinking, remembering, emotions, communication and interaction with others, art, etc. It could also be defined as the image one has of oneself or desire for life. When someone has a degrading or demoralizing job, or something very traumatic happens to them they sometimes use the expression that it has robbed them of their soul.

[Hacker]

Physics can prove that the brain cannot generate consciousness,therefore existance implies the presence in man of a non physical element.(which I believe the consciousness has a connection with the soul).

[Kungfuzed]

Originally Posted by tlcmel

Physics can prove that the brain cannot generate consciousness,therefore existance implies the presence in man of a non physical element.(which I believe the consciousness has a connection with the soul).

I've never heard this before. How did they prove this? I'd be very interested to read about it.