Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.3.32
Mukti· LiberationSpiritual Existence Beyond Body and Mind
“Beyond this gross conception of form is another, subtle conception of form which is without formal shape and is unseen, unheard and unmanifest. The living being has his form beyond this subtlety, otherwise he could not have repeated births.”
What the purport teaches
- The living being has a spiritual form beyond both the gross material body and subtle psychic existence. Neither bodily appearance nor mental activity is the full reality of the self.
- When the living being leaves the body, being unseen and unheard does not mean that the soul no longer exists. The soul continues to exist and takes birth again.
- The Lord exists eternally in His transcendental form, which must never be compared to a living being’s gross or subtle bodies. The living being also has an eternal spiritual form, conditioned by material contamination.
Try this today
Spend one minute reflecting on the teaching that your spiritual existence is beyond both body and mind.
Ask yourself
Do I assume that something ceases to exist simply because I cannot see or hear it?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.