Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.54.47
Mukti· LiberationThe Body Changes, Not the Self
“Birth and other transformations are undergone by the body but never by the self, just as change occurs for the moon’s phases but never for the moon, though the new-moon day may be called the moon’s “death.””
What the purport teaches
- Birth and other transformations belong to the body, never to the self.
- The moon’s changing phases do not mean that the moon itself is born or dies. Likewise, bodily changes do not transform the soul.
- Thinking of ourselves as young, old, healthy or sick identifies us with the body. Such identification weakens our ability to understand the soul.
Try this today
When you notice your age or health today, remind yourself: “This describes my body, not the soul.”
Ask yourself
Which bodily condition do I most often mistake for my identity?
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.