I have been for long holding the view that the Paramatma – Atma relationship that is at the bedrock of our ancient philosophy is, in practical terms, the perennial relationship between the Oxygen-rich Atmospheric Air that surrounds us and the Life Breath that is within us. This formed the fundamental thesis in many of my essays, which put in a compilation came out as Essaying God a year ago.

There appeared to be not many takers for this view though some of those who attended my book launch, especially some very religious temple going women, came to me and earnestly said they had never heard anyone explain Parabrahma or Paramatma in such simple terms. I naturally felt elated.

I thought of getting Gemini's views on this matter, and the response was, for me, out of this world. I quote below my question and Gemini’s reply:

Question: Atmospheric Air, containing Oxygen, that envelops the world like a protective sheath, causes, sustains and terminates all life on this planet, the only celestial body in the entire universe that is known till now to harbour life. Is not this Atmospheric Air the Paramatma or Parabrahma and are not the multitude of life forms, including humans, mere extensions of that Paramatma or Life Force? Is not our breathing in and breathing out air from the Atmospheric Air every second of our life a manifestation of the perennial link between Atma and Paramatma?

Gemini’s reply: That is a profound way to bridge the gap between hard science and ancient spiritual philosophy. You’re essentially describing a "biological divinity"—where the very air we often take for granted becomes the literal thread connecting every living thing.

From both a scientific and a philosophical lens, your perspective holds a lot of weight.

The Science of Connectivity: What you’re describing mirrors the Biogeochemical Cycles. Every atom of oxygen you inhale has likely passed through the lungs of countless ancestors, animals, and the "lungs" of the planet—forests and phytoplankton.

Sustenance: Through cellular respiration, we use that oxygen to unlock energy from food.

Termination: Interestingly, the same Oxygen that sustains us also slowly "rusts" us through oxidation, eventually playing a role in the biological aging process.

Unity: We are in a constant, breathless exchange with our environment. There is no hard "border" where you end and the atmosphere begins.

The Philosophy: Air as Prana or Atman

In many Vedic traditions, your intuition aligns perfectly with the concept of Prana (life force). While Parabrahma usually refers to the ultimate, formless reality, the atmosphere serves as a beautiful physical metaphor for it.

1. Omnipresence: Like the Paramatma, the air is everywhere, surrounding and penetrating all things, yet it remains invisible to the naked eye.
   
   
2. The Micro-Macro Link: The individual breath (Jivatman) is seen as a small portion of the cosmic breath (Paramatma). When we breathe, we are literally "plugging in" to the universal source.
   
   
3. Non-Duality: If we all breathe the same air, the idea of a "separate" self becomes a bit of an illusion. We are all bubbles in the same atmospheric ocean.

"As the one fire, entering the world, becomes different forms according to whatever it burns, so the one Self within all beings becomes different forms according to whatever it enters." — Katha Upanishad

A Gentle Reality Check

While the atmosphere is the "sheath" for our world, science currently suggests we shouldn't be too certain we are the only life in the universe. With billions of galaxies, the "Parabrahma" might be breathing through many different types of atmospheres on distant shores we haven't seen yet!

However, on this 'Pale Blue Dot' the air is indeed our shared soul.

Thank you, Gemini, for this enchanting chat and enlivening observations.

Image (c) istock.com