Tree of Jiva and Atman

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The Tree of Jiva and Atman appears in the Vedic scriptures predating Hinduism, as a metaphysical metaphor concerning the soul.

The Rig Veda samhita 1.164.20-22, Mundaka Upanishad 3.1.1, and Svetasvatara Upanisad 3.20, 4.6-7, speak of two birds, one eating fruit, and one merely watching the source of feelings inside the tree, perched on the branch of a tree which signifies the body.

The first bird represents a Jiva, or individual conciousness distracted by the fruits (signifying diversity of forms) and momentarily forgets her origin and love and tries to enjoy the fruit ignoring his/her nature and is frustrated because cannot get satisfied. This separating forgetfulness is his/her maha-maya, or enthrallment, spiritual death, and constitutes the fall of the jiva into the saha world of material birth, death, disease and old age.

The second bird is Atman, or Paramatman, who attends only his/her needs up to satisfaction then, in peace, Atman can observe his breath that guides his/her conscience beyond himself/herself by love. Atman guided by the breath descends to the foot of the tree and unites with the Creator of all, land of the tree at the foot of the tree (The foot of the tree of Buda) (The lotus feet of the Master). Conscience feels endless happiness united with the One, Who is the support of the tree, Himself/Herself fills the tree with the Life of happiness. So conscience enjoy being the One Self, enjoy being the life filling the tree and enjoy his/her creation, the fruits, from the root.

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In Fundamentalist Christianity, Jiva, Atman, and the tree, have inevitably become connected with Adam and Eve and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. In such connections, Jiva and Eve are identified due the similar translations of their name - both mean roughly alive. Conversely Adam is associated with Atman as the names sound similar. Fundamentalists thus identify the metaphor as a corruption of a biblical account. Paramatman is not fallen although he must react to jiva's actions as a permitter and a witness.