Is it possible to really, actually, know yourself? Descartes said the self was the only thing we can know — I think therefore I am — but other philosophical traditions say the self doesn’t even exist.

Indian religion and philosophy has explored these questions from all angles for thousands of years, and new ideas continue to develop even today. From the ancient teachings of Vasubandhu, to the relatively modern tradition of the Brahma Kumaris: What, if anything, is the soul?

Sister Jayanti is Director of the Brahma Kumaris in Europe and the Middle East, and since 1982, the Brahma Kumaris’ main representative to the UN.

Associate Professor Monima Chadha is Associate Professor of Philosophy, and a member of the Centre for Consciousness and Contemplative Studies, at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. Her latest book is Selfless Minds: A Contemporary Perspective on Vasubandhu's Metaphysics (Oxford University Press, 2023)

For more on the soul, body and the self, explore Flesh Week by ABC Religion and Ethics.