Yes. Atma is a Shakti meaning Energy according to the scriptures and is present in every cell of our body.
Advaita Vedanta has independently asserted that Atma pervades the entire body, is the Life Energy present in every cell and is powering and energising all the organs, systems and functions of the body as well as the mind. Advaita Vedanta salutes and bows to this great Life Energy with utmost love, reverence, devotion, adoration and gratefulness.
Description of Life Energy (Atman) in Advaita Vedanta
Upanishads of Advaita philosophy say there is no place in the body where this energy is not present and it is called Atma Shakti (Svetasvatara Upanishad 1.3), Achintya Shakti (Kaivalya Upanishad 1.21) meaning incomprehensible energy. The exact word Shakti meaning Energy is used in both the Upanishads mentioned above. Thus according to Upanishads “Atma is Energy“ and this is not my personal opinion.
A single electrical energy has the capability to provide light, locomotion, rotation, heat, cold (AC, Refrigerator), receive signals, transmit signals, etc. Similarly, the same single Life Energy, Atma depending on the location of the cell or group of cells provides the capability to see, hear, smell, taste, speech, locomotion, etc. Every cell uses the same process to produce Life Energy. But if the cell is part of the eye then this Life Energy is used to “see”, if the cell is part of the ear then the Life Energy is used to “hear”, etc. Is this not a great wonder?
When the Life Energy, Atma powers the inert and insentient mind (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 3.20, Kena Upanishad 1.5), the mind gains its Sentience, Consciousness and we get the ability to observe and think. Thus the mind borrows its Sentience or Consciousness from the Life Energy, Atma and reflects it. This is called Chidabhasa (Chit-Abhasa). Chit means Consciousness and Abhasa means reflection.
Without the Consciousness of the mind all other functions mentioned above such as seeing, hearing, smelling, speaking, etc. lose meaning. That’s why the Consciousness, Sentience, Chit Shakti of Atma is given paramount importance.
Just like electrical energy is able to power various devices such as mike, camera, loud speaker, cranes, locomotive, etc. the Atma Shakti powers various organs in our body such as ears, eyes, speech, hands, limbs, etc. (It is a deliberate attempt to bring out the similarity between electrical devices and body organs). This is what is mentioned in Aitareya Upanishad (3.1.1 – 3.1.2), Kena Upanishad (1.1 – 1.8) and Brihad Aranyaka Upanishad (3.4.2, 3.7.16-3.7.23, 3.8.11).
Bhagawad Gita (2.21. - 2.25) describes the Atman as indestructible, eternal, unborn, unthinkable, unchangeable. It cannot be cut by a sword, burnt by fire, wetted by water, dried by air. It is beyond thought.
Interestingly, the above definition is applicable to all the energies such as gravitational, heat, light, nuclear, magnetic, etc.
The first law of Thermodynamics in its first statement states that “Energy can neither be created nor destroyed”. Science is saying that the energy is eternal. Vedanta is saying that the Brahman / Atman is eternal. You are not limited by the body. You are unlimited, limitless, infinite Atman / Brahman which is energising every cell in the body.
More Descriptions of Atma / Brahman
In Vedic literature, the Brahman is described as changeless, formless, stainless, beginningless, endless, eternal, without any modifications, beyond time (Kalatita - for any energy, past, present and future are meaningless), beyond space (Deshatita), without any qualities (Gunatita), etc.
If one carefully observes, all the above descriptions of Brahman are applicable to all the energies.
There cannot be two different kinds of electrical energy. "Brahman is also only one without a second" (Chandogya Upanishad 6.2.1).
We cannot see any energy. "Brahman also cannot be seen" (Mundaka Upanishad 3.1.8, Svetashvatara Upanishad 4.20).
Nobody can "think" and "comprehend" Brahman (Kena Upanishad 1.5). We can never “think” and “comprehend” any energy.
Every energy can be experienced (manifested) using appropriate devices and instruments. For example, to experience Gravitational Energy we can use our body as the instrument. Just jump in the air. We fall back to the ground due to Gravitational Energy. To experience Heat Energy, we can use our skin as the instrument. Just go near the heat source and we can experience Heat Energy. To experience Light Energy we can use our eyes as the instrument and all we need to do is just see the light.
To experience Life Energy, Atma the instrument required is Pure Mind (Amrita Bindu Upanishad 1.1). Pure Mind is without thoughts, be it good or bad, just no thoughts. The only way to experience this state is by practicing silent, highly focused contemplation (meditation) that “I am a Concentrating Entity” and successfully attaining Self-Realisation.
Difference between Brahman and other energies
All energies are Jada (insentient). Brahman is Chit (Sentience, Consciousness). Sentience - Aitreya Upanishad 3.1.2. Lord of Knowledge - Svetasvatara Upanishad 3.13. Knower, Knowledge - Kaivalya Upanishad 1.21.
No energy can provide life. Brahman sustains life. It is Life Energy or Sentient Life Energy that is providing life to human beings, animal kingdom and plant kingdom (Kena Upanishad 4.6).
One appearing as Many
Different electrical devices such as bulb, refrigerator, air conditioner, radio , TV etc. differ in their names, forms and functions. Underneath, all of them, the substratum is one single electrical energy.
In the same way, we all differ in our names, forms, functions and capabilities. But in the core, the substratum is the same Sentient Life Energy, Atman which is present in every cell of our body.
If we consider Electrical Energy as a thread, then all the electrical devices in the world are individual beads of pearls strung on the same single thread.
If we consider Sentient Life Energy (Atma) as a thread, then all of us are individual beads of pearls strung on that thread, uniting this entire world into a one single beautiful necklace (Bhagavad Gita 7.7).
Dance of Energy
The glorious, eternal dance of the Life Energy is not only happening in every single cell of our body but is also happening in all human beings, entire animal kingdom and the vast plant kingdom (Kena Upanishad 4.6). Lord Shiva is symbolically reminding us of this sublime dance of Life Energy in his dancing posture as Lord Nataraja.
Is Atma explained completely in this post?
No. Not at all. Though this post is providing factual information it is only a very small subset of what actually the Atma is which is just astounding, unthinkable, incomprehensible, ineffable, etc.
Due to our breathing, the Life Energy is produced in every cell of our body. But due to what our breathing happens? Due to Atma, say Kena Upanishad 1.8, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 3.16. Due to what every cell is able to use the oxygen to break down the sugar and produce the Life Energy?
It is just astounding, jaw-dropping, mind-boggling. Whatever wonder, splendour and grandeur of the Life Energy, Atma could be comprehended by our limited mind let us rejoice that, bask in its glory and constantly delight ourselves by thinking and thanking the Life Energy, Atma.
I do not want the word Atma to mean the Soul as IMO it is not an accurate translation. I also do not want Atma to mean the ubiquitous word “Consciousness”. I deliberately want to bring to everybody’s attention that it is Atma that powers and energizes all our body organs such as eyes, ears, lungs, heart, etc. In addition to these varied capabilities and functionalities provided by the same single Atma, when it energizes the mind, the insentient mind obtains its sentience, Consciousness. No other energy can provide sentience and without sentience or Consciousness all other capabilities such as seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, speaking, etc. become meaningless. Hence in Vedic texts the Atma Shakti is also called as Chit Shakti (Sentient Energy). The word Soul is used to mean this Chit Shakti, Pure Consciousness.
This is an effort to try to know the Unknown using the Known. The usage of the word Energy makes it easy to gain the theoretical knowledge because of our familiarity with the energies such as heat, light, gravity, etc. It makes it uncomplicated to understand the slokas of Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads and all other texts of Advaita Vedanta.
According to Advaita Vedanta, due to Avidya (ignorance) we wrongly identify "I" with Jagat which includes the world, the body, the mind, the ego-self and the thoughts. The Jagat is called Anatma (Not-Self) and the Life Energy is called Atma (Self).
The ultimate goal of Advaita is understanding that we are indeed Life Energy and identify "I" with the eternal, unchanging, Truth, the one and only Reality which is Life Energy, Atma, the True Self.
Advaita is urging us to attain Self-Realisation by gaining the Experiential Knowledge which is the experience of "being" and "existing" as "Life Energy (Atman)" by practicing Meditation daily. As per Advaita, Meditation means deep contemplation, highly focused Single Pointed Concentration.
The “Life Energy” produced in every cell is giving us life every single moment and hence even the science and atheists would not object to being in thanking and grateful mood for few minutes everyday thanking this Life giving Energy which Upanishads call it as Atma.
“Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind”, said Albert Einstein. This is my tenacious effort to make the science understand, acknowledge and appreciate the unchanging, eternal Truth of Vedanta.
Rudyard Kipling had said "East is East, West is West and never the twain shall meet". This is my sincere endeavour to finally make the West meet the East. I strongly believe that the twain shall certainly meet and lovingly embrace in the realm of the philosophical sphere and joyfully resonate and reverberate with a harmonious symphony celebrating the glory of the one and only eternal, unchanging Reality which is the Life Energy called Atma.
Painstakingly I have done my bit to explain the ultimate Truth in simple terms with the backing of Science as well as the Scriptures. I leave it to your discretion to choose whether this Truth should remain buried in an obscure post or you want to rejoice in doing your bit by taking active part in reaching this eternal Truth of Vedanta to the masses by sharing a link to this post in WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, Quora, etc.
To read (Shravana), understand (Manana) and practice meditation (Nididhyasana) and succeed in experiencing the Life Energy, Atma and have Atmanubhava (experience of Atma), along with the information provided in this post, the answers to the following questions also could be helpful.
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