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I am trying to understand the difference between Jeevatma and paramatma. I have gone through several articles but still not clear.I have read the explanation here - What is difference between Aatma, Jeevatma and Paramatma?. I have listened to the teachings of Ramanamaharshi too. This is what I have understood and here is my question:

Paramata and jivatma both exist inside the physical body. Paramatma is lord Krishna himself. Jivatma is the individual self which undergoes the effects of karma but not the paramatma.

My question is:

Is the Jeevatma eternal just like Paramatma? When did it come to existence? Is Jeevatma a small particle light broken from paramatma?

Is a self realized person able to see Jeevatma and Paramatma during meditation?

Knowing the self means knowing the Jeevatma or knowing the Paramatma ?

Does the Jeevatma merge inside Paramatma at some point?

Please help me understand these and point me to a right source

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Chandan
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    See What is the relation/difference between Brahman(ब्रह्म) & Parabrahm(परब्रह्म)? and What is difference between Aatma, Jeevatma and Paramatma? – The Destroyer Dec 27 '15 at 04:17
  • You should post separate questions for : "Is a self realized person able to see jeevatma and paramatma during meditation ?" and "Knowing the self means knowing the jeevatma or knowing the paramatma ?" – Pandya Dec 27 '15 at 04:33
  • The specific questions I have asked doesnot seem to have the answer in the link http://hinduism.stackexchange.com/questions/6689/what-is-difference-between-aatma-jeevatma-and-paramatma . – Chandan Dec 27 '15 at 22:10
  • I think I see why you are confused by the answers in the questions that your question is marked as a duplicate of. Please edit your question to add 'according to advaita' and I will reopen and offer an answer. – Swami Vishwananda Dec 29 '15 at 05:12
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    Jivatma is an illusory identification of the Self. The True Self is Brahman or Paramatma. Shankara in one shloka says 'Jivo Brahmaiva na apara' (Jiva is Brahman). That is Advaita. In other words, jivahood is illusory. It is unreal. The Ego-consciousness gives us an impression that we are separate entities, however we are not. All are One. That is Brahman. Here is an example to illustrate. – Sai Dec 29 '15 at 11:33
  • Consider a dream. In your dream, I and Swami Vishwanandaji appear. However do we really appear in your dream? No. Your dream is a projection from your Mind. In your dream it appears that you, swamiji and myself are all separate entities. However when you wake up you realize that it was You who was playing all the three roles in the dream. Similarly upon self-realization, which is like waking up, one realizes that there was no individuality i.e. there was no separateness. Everything was You, the actors, the set, the drama, everything was your own Creation. You are the Only Reality. All the best – Sai Dec 29 '15 at 11:35
  • Thank you sir .But who undergoes the laws of karma ? Since Paramatma is unaffected by Maya , there should be someone else who pays for the karma incurred through many lives . BagawatGeetha or other scriptures provide the example of two birds sitting on a tree , one enjoying the fruits of karma and the other bird just observing . Is this analogy of Paramatma and Jeevatma wrong ? – Chandan Dec 29 '15 at 21:30
  • Who undergoes the laws of karma? This is a brilliant question. Keep on analyzing this and you will realize that the Law of Karma is an illusion. The Paramatma Brahman is always unaffected by Maya., for He is Perfect and Absolute. The Jivatma is a mistaken identity. It is not real. In other words, if you think you are the jiva, the Mind, the intellect or the ego or the body, then the law of karma appears to affect you, i.e. the Jiva. However upon realizing your identity with Brahman, You reallize that there is no karma at all for there is nothing here other than God. i.e. God is all. – Sai Dec 30 '15 at 02:49
  • Thank you sir . This is similar to the philosophy explained by Sri Ramana Maharshi and what I barely understood from that is that Jivatma is a sum total of all our thoughts and it has no real existence . Once we silence our mind , we realize that we are Brahman . But here is my dilemma : We have taken birth in this world to enjoy or suffer our karma from our previous lives . Since Brahman is god himself , he is pure and infallible . In the beginning when we took the very first birth in this world we had no accumulation of karma . – Chandan Dec 30 '15 at 03:42
  • But at some point in time we started accumulating the karma due to good and bad actions . These actions were guided by thoughts generated in the mind . But since mind is not independant , there should be someone who controls it to derive all sorts of enjoyment . And since Brahman is pure , I assume the mind is not controlled by brahman . Then who is it that controlls the mind and causes thoughts -> actions -> Karma and who is the resulting karma attached to ? There must be something to which the karma is attached to , since that is why we take rebirth . – Chandan Dec 30 '15 at 03:42
  • My apologies for the lengthy writing . Hope I am able to put my thoughts across to some extent . – Chandan Dec 30 '15 at 03:42
  • @Chandan Very good question! Who is the controller of this Mind? Who is it that is causing karma to accumulate? What was there in the perfect start of all creation!? These are very good questions. However these questions are created by Your Mind! The Mind is trying to confuse you into seeking its origin. Its trying to fool you to think that it is a real entity with a beginning and a controller! Seeking the Mind's origin quickly reveals that the Mind is beginingless, its origin appears to be endless! This is similar to looking for a mirage water in a desert, it will be endless – Sai Jan 04 '16 at 02:29
  • @Chandan Brahman cannot be understood from within the Mind, because the Mind is itself an illusion! In reality there is no Mind. Upon tracing the origin of the mind, you realize it had no origin, for it simply does not exist. The real cause of karma is desires. Upon removal of desires one realizes that there is no Mind. Therefore instead of seeking the origin of a non-existent Mind, the sages proclaim that one should dwell in the Self. – Sai Jan 04 '16 at 02:31

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