Parabrahma and Paramatma are integrated

Param Brahma and Param Aatma are synonyms of Supreme Consciousness/Absolute Reality/God. Therefore, the question should have been, “How are Param Aatma and Jeevaatma inegrated?” Jeevaatma is the Individual Consciousness bound in a name and form. The question of integration arises when they are considered different. Focus on the following Vedic Axioms.

1] “Aham Brahmaasmi.” [I am verily the Brahman.]

2] “Tat twam asi.” It means, “Thou Art That.”

3]Ayam Aatmaa Brahma.[This Individual Soul is Brahma/Absolute Reality.]

4]Prajnaanam Brahma.[Brahman is Intelligence/Knowledge. Knowledge is another name for God.]

Aatma/Soul is the substratum. The Soul which is the substratum in an individual is Jeevaatma and the soul which is the substratum of the universe is Paramaatma. Now the question is whether individual soul[micro] and universal soul[macro] are same or are different.

“Anoraneeyaan mahato maheeyaan

Aatmaa asya jantoho nihito guhaayaam

Tamakratuh pashyati veetashoko

Dhaatuh prasaadaat mahimaanam aatmanaha.”[Kathopanishad II valli verse 20] Minuter than the minutest and greater than the greatest,the Soul resides in the cave/heart of all creatures. A creature who has conquered desire, sees Aatmaa through the placidity of organs.

That which can not be expressed through words, but because of which words find their expression; that which can not be seen, heard, smelled through eyes, ears and nose; but because of which sense organs perceive, hears and inhales, is Aatmaa. In a nutshell Aatmaa is transcendental. It is the substratum for physical/gross body; subtle body[mind,intelligence, ego and Chitta, the seat of intelligence]; and the causal body[body made up of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas qualities.]

It is the eternal, unchanging, imperishable, impregnable, formless unmanifest[Soul] which supports the impermanent, changing, perishable, manifest form[body]. Formless potency is the substratum for a name and form. This formless potency, the individual consciousness bound in a name and form is called the Jeevaatma. This potency which is the substratum is above three qualities[Sattva, Rajas and Tamas] and hence not affected by the activites of Jeevaatma. Like Sun, it acts as a mute witness. It is also called Antaryaamin, Adhiyajna, Kshetrajna etc.

Hinduism identifies fourteen worlds; Viz. seven upper worlds such as Bhu, Bhuvaha,Suvaha, Mahaha, Janaha, Tapaha,Satyam and seven lower worlds such as Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Talatala, Mahatala, Rasatala and Patala. The eternal, inscrutable, omnipotent,omniscient and omnipresent Consciousness which holds these worlds in a fraction of its potency, is called Para Brahma or Supreme Consciousness.

“Kshetrajnam chaapi maam vidhdhi sarvakshetreshu Bharata.”[Ch.XIII. verse 2] Here, the identification of Soul with Over Soul is established.

“Bahoonaam janmanaam ante jnaanavaan maam prapadhyatae

Vaasudevah sarvam iti sa mahaatmaa sudurlabhaha.”[Vii. verse19 of Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta]. Vaasudeva is considered as the innercontroller, or Antaryaamin. The whole creation is the manifestation of God and there is nothing apart from God. “ Narayanaya Vidhmahe, Vaasudevaaya dheemahi. Tanno Vishnu prachodayaat. Let’s understand Narayana. Let’s meditate on Vasudeva. Let Vishnu bestow wisdom on us.” Narayana is considered as the Absolute Reality. Vishnu is the all pervading all permeating potency of Absolute Reality. Let this potency help us to understand Absolute Reality and Inner Controller. It is this pevading, permeating potency which becomes inner controller when bound in a Kshetra. Thus, the Soul and Over Soul are identical.

Both the Supreme Lord and the living entity are known as atma. The Supreme Lord is called Paramatma, and the living entity is called the atma, the brahma or the the jiva. Both the Paramatma and the Jivatma, being transcendental to the material energy, are called atma. Generally people have many wrong conceptions about both of them. The wrong conception of the Jivatma is to identify the material body with the pure soul, and the wrong conception of Paramatma is to think Him on an equal level with the living entity.

In the Upanishads it is explained that there are two types of souls which are technically known as jiva-atma and param-atma. Jiva-atma, or the individual soul, is the living entity and param-atma refers to the Supreme Lord who expands Himself as the Super soul, who enters into the hearts of all living entities as well as all atoms. This is also confirmed in Shrimad Bhagwad-Gita [13.23] where it is stated that besides the living entity, who tries to enjoy in his physical body, there is another, a transcendental enjoyer who is the Lord, the supreme proprietor, who exists as the overseer and guide, and who is known as the Super soul.

He is not an ordinary living entity, but the plenary expansion of the Supreme Lord. Because monist philosophers and impersonalists take the soul and super soul to be one, they think that there is no difference between the Super soul and the individual soul. To clarify this the Lord says that He is the representation of Param-atma in every body. He is different from the individual soul; He is para form (transcendental). The individual soul, deluded by material energy, tries to enjoy the activities of particular types of bodies offered by material nature, but the Super soul is present not as finite enjoyer nor as one taking part in bodily activities, but as the witness and permission giver. He is present within to sanction the individual soul's desires for material enjoyment. Om Namo Narayana