Sikh Beliefs about the Universe and Human Beings » Body, Man and Atman: Human Nature in Sikhism

A Sikh view of what a person is

In Do Humans Have a Soul? Human Nature and Physicalism you met dualism (a person is body and soul) and physicalism (the real world is nothing more than the physical world). In Karta Purakh: God the Creator in Sikhism you saw that Sikhs believe God made everything and that human life is precious. Now we look at what Sikhs believe a human being is made of.

Sikh teaching, found in the Guru Granth Sahib, gives three parts of a person to think about: the body, the man and the atman.

Key terms:

• Man: (said like 'mun') the mind or heart, where thoughts, wishes, feelings and choices happen. It can be turned towards God or towards the self.
• Atman: the soul. Sikhs believe it is a spark of God's divine light and that it never dies.
• Jot: the divine light of God, which Sikhs believe is within every living person.
• Seva: selfless service to others, done without wanting a reward.

The body

Sikhs believe the body is a gift from God, but a temporary one. It is born, grows old and dies. The Gurus teach that the body will not last, so it is foolish to be proud of it or to treat it as the most important thing about us.

Because it is a gift, it must be looked after. Sikhs are taught to keep the body healthy and clean, and to avoid tobacco, alcohol and other intoxicants (drugs and drink that change how the mind works) that damage the body. The body is also the tool for doing good. With hands, feet and voice a person can do seva: helping in the kitchen of the gurdwara (the Sikh place of worship), serving langar, giving to people in need and working honestly for a living.

The man: the mind or heart

The man is the part of us that wants, worries, hopes and decides. It is not the physical brain, but the inner self that sets the direction of a person's life. Sikhs teach that the man is very powerful and very restless. It can be turned towards God, remembering God's name, living honestly and serving others. Or it can be turned towards the self, chasing pleasure, showing off and putting 'me' first.

So Sikhs see the struggle between good and bad as taking place inside the man. A person who trains their mind to remember God grows calm and kind. A person who lets it run wild is pulled around by greed and anger. Why the man goes the wrong way is the subject of Maya, Manmukh and Haumai.

The atman: the soul

The atman is the deepest part of a person. Sikhs believe it is a spark of the divine light (jot) of God. Guru Amar Das taught that the mind is made of God's light and should recognise where it came from. This is why Sikhs say that every human being, whatever their wealth or background, carries the same light of God.

Sikhs believe the atman never dies. The body ends at death, but the atman carries on. Sikhs believe it goes through rebirth until it reaches mukti, which you met in Karta Purakh: God the Creator in Sikhism. The cycle of rebirth is studied in Samsara: Death and Rebirth in Sikhism.

Why is human birth special?

Sikhs believe a soul can be born in many forms of life. But the Gurus teach that the human body is the best chance a soul gets, because only humans can choose to know God. Guru Arjan taught that being given a human body is the opportunity to meet God. Humans can think about right and wrong, remember God and do seva, and Sikhs believe other creatures cannot do this in the same way. So wasting a human life is seen as a very great loss.

Why do Sikhs believe in a soul?

• Teaching of the Gurus: The Guru Granth Sahib teaches that we are more than a body. Sikhs accept this as the word of God given through the Gurus.
• Experience of the inner self: Because the atman is a spark of God, Sikhs believe every person has a pull towards goodness and God within them.
• The purpose of life: If life is a chance to know God and reach mukti, then something must carry on beyond the body to benefit from that effort.
• Equality: If everyone has the same jot, then everyone is equal in worth, which Sikhs see as a central teaching.

Sikh responses to physicalism

Physicalists say the mind is just the brain, so nothing survives death. Sikhs would give these replies:

• The body is real and important, but it is not the whole person. The Gurus teach that it dies while the atman does not.
• Science can study the brain, and many Sikhs welcome medicine and research. But a Sikh might argue that studying the brain does not show why people long for God or feel a duty to serve others.
• The Guru Granth Sahib is for Sikhs the highest authority, and it teaches the atman. Physicalists would reply that there is no evidence to test, so Sikhs rely on faith in the Gurus.

Exam-style question

(a) Identify three parts of a human being according to Sikh teaching. [3 marks]

(b) Choose one religion. Outline two teachings about the nature of human beings in this religion. [4 marks]

(c) Choose one religion. Explain why people in this religion believe that human beings have a soul. [6 marks]

(d) 'The real world is nothing more than the physical world.' Evaluate this statement, showing you have considered different points of view. In your answer you should refer to at least one religion. [12 marks]