Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.54.46
Mukti· LiberationSpirit Does Not Become Matter
“O intelligent lady, the soul never undergoes contact with or separation from insubstantial, material objects, because the soul is their very origin and illuminator. Thus the soul resembles the sun, which neither comes in contact with nor separates from the sense of sight and what is seen.”
What the purport teaches
- The conditioned soul mistakenly identifies with the body and undergoes birth and death. Matter and spirit are both energies of the Supreme Lord, the original source of everything.
- The living beings’ desire to exploit matter sustains material existence. Their desire to enjoy without the Lord’s loving cooperation is compared to criminal conduct that makes a prison necessary.
- The soul causes matter to assemble into a body and makes the body perceptible. Kṛṣṇa manifests the material universe through His potency, yet eternally remains spiritual and never becomes material.
Try this today
Before pursuing one enjoyment today, pause and consider whether it expresses cooperation with the Lord or a wish to enjoy independently.
Ask yourself
Where am I trying to enjoy independently of the Lord’s loving cooperation?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.