What is Soul?

According to the Upanishads, the soul (Atman) is the eternal, imperishable, and immortal essence of an individual, which is identical to the supreme cosmic reality, Brahman. It is distinct from the body and mind, acting as the silent witness and pure consciousness within. The core, non-dualistic teaching is that the individual Self is fundamentally one with the ultimate Divine, often described as Tat Tvam Asi (“Thou art That”)- Chandogya Upanishads.

Maitri Upanishad on Soul/Spirit

The glorious Valakhilyas were pure and good, and once they asked Kratu Prajapati:

“Since this body is like a chariot without consciousness, who is the Spirit who has the power to make it conscious? Who is the driver of the chariot?”

Prajapati Answered:

“There is a Spirit who is among the things of this world and yet he is above the things of this world. He is clear and pure, in the peace of a void of vastness. He is beyond the life of the body and the mind, never-born, never-dying, everlasting, ever ONE in his own greatness. He is the Spirit whose power gives consciousness to the body: he is the driver of the chariot.”

Valakhilyas said: 

“Master, how does this pure Being give consciousness to the unconscious body? How is he the driver of the chariot?”

Prajapati Answered:

“Even as a man who is asleep awakes, but when he is asleep does not know that he is going to awake, so a part of the subtle invisible Spirit comes as a messenger to the body without the body being conscious of his arrival. 

A part of Infinite Consciousness becomes our own finite consciousness with powers of discrimination and definition, and with false conceptions. He is in truth Prajapati and Visva, the Source of creation and the Universal in us all.  

This Spirit is consciousness and gives consciousness to the body: he is the driver of the chariot.”

The poets say that this is the Spirit who wanders on this earth from body to body, free from the light and darkness which follow our works. He is free because he is free from selfishness, and he is invisible, incomprehensible, hidden in darkness. He seems to work and not be; but in truth he works not, and he is. He is in his own Being, pure, never-changing, never-moving, unpollutable; and in peace beyond desires he watches the drama of the universe. He is hidden behind the veil of the three conditions and constituents of the universe; but in the joy of his law of righteousness he is ever ONE, he is ever ONE.