Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.87.22
Ūti· What drives us to actMake the Human Body Your Spiritual Friend
“When this human body is used for Your devotional service, it acts as one’s self, friend and beloved. But unfortunately, although You always show mercy to the conditioned souls and affectionately help them in every way, and although You are their true Self, people in general fail to delight in You. Instead they commit spiritual suicide by worshiping illusion. Alas, because they persistently hope for success in their devotion to the unreal, they continue to wander about this greatly fearful world, assuming various degraded bodies.”
What the purport teaches
- The human body is an ideal facility for reviving spiritual consciousness. Its ears, tongue and eyes can be used to hear about the Lord, chant His glories and worship Him.
- Although the body lasts only a short time, it can become one’s best friend when used in devotional service. In material consciousness, it becomes a false friend that distracts one from true self-interest.
- The Supreme Lord is our greatest well-wisher, yet attachment to the impermanent keeps us wandering in material existence. Hearing the merciful instructions of His devotees offers hope of deliverance and a return to loving service.
Try this today
Use your tongue today to speak one sentence glorifying the Supreme Lord, remembering that this is a proper use of the human body.
Ask yourself
When does caring for my body support devotional service, and when does bodily attachment distract me from it?
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.