Tama - The Spirit Soul
The spiritual essence or soul that animates all living beings and connects them to the divine.
Tama is the vital spirit that dwells within all living things, connecting the material and spiritual realms. It can be peaceful (nigi-mitama) or rough (ara-mitama), and its cultivation through proper living leads to spiritual refinement and harmony.
The tama within each being is a spark of the divine, connecting all life to the kami.
Understanding tama reveals the Shinto view that all beings possess inherent spiritual dignity.
Classical Shinto texts