Closer To Truth Eastern Traditions: What is the Human Person?
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May 29, 2024 
Spiritual leaders and philosophers discuss Eastern traditions' views on the human person, exploring concepts like consciousness, self, qi, and dualism. They delve into Hinduism's idea of the human person, Buddhist perspective on the self, and Chinese ontology of qi. The podcast contrasts beliefs in individual and cosmic selves, highlights universal salvation and multiple paths to salvation, and examines the illusion of a continuous self in Buddhism.
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Vedanta's Three Bodies and Self
- Hindu Vedanta says the human person consists of physical, subtle, and causal bodies plus the true Self (Atman).
- The Self is pure consciousness and continues through lifetimes beyond physical death, seeking liberation.
Vedanta's Many-Roomed Mansion
- Vedanta embraces universal salvation in many forms, letting souls choose eternal personal communion or non-dual pure consciousness.
- The metaphor of "eating sugar" vs. "becoming sugar" captures this spiritual flexibility.
Buddhist No-Self Doctrine
- Buddhism rejects the notion of an enduring self, viewing it as an illusion causing suffering.
- Consciousness is relational and empty of intrinsic identity, unlike Hindu cosmic self ideas.