Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.10.3
Ūti· What drives us to actFix Your Intelligence on Kṛṣṇa
“One who is sleeping may see many objects of sense gratification in a dream, but such pleasurable things are merely creations of the mind and are thus ultimately useless. Similarly, the living entity who is asleep to his spiritual identity also sees many sense objects, but these innumerable objects of temporary gratification are creations of the Lord’s illusory potency and have no permanent existence. One who meditates upon them, impelled by the senses, uselessly engages his intelligence.”
What the purport teaches
- Temporary sense pleasures are compared to objects seen in a dream. Whether one obtains the fruits of material work or not, they cannot award the highest perfection, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
- Intelligence driven by the senses becomes divided among countless material pursuits. Such intelligence separates us from our real self-interest and cannot understand Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead.
- Devotees fix their intelligence on Kṛṣṇa by meditating on His form, qualities, pastimes and devotees. Hearing from a bona fide spiritual master whose intelligence is pure brings one toward this perfection.
Try this today
Set aside two quiet minutes today to meditate on a quality of Kṛṣṇa you have learned about.
Ask yourself
What most often divides your attention and draws it away from Kṛṣṇa?
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.