Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.20.15
Mukti· LiberationLearn Detachment From the Bird
“Without attachment, a bird gives up the tree in which his nest was constructed when that tree is cut down by cruel men who are like death personified, and thus the bird achieves happiness in another place.”
What the purport teaches
- The living entity resides within the body as a bird dwells within a tree. This example teaches detachment from the bodily concept of life.
- When cruel men cut down its tree, the bird gives up the nest without attachment.
- Rather than lamenting its former nest, the bird moves elsewhere and finds happiness. It does not hesitate to leave its threatened home.
Try this today
Reflect for one minute on the distinction between the living entity and the body, using the bird and tree example.
Ask yourself
How does the bird's example challenge my attachment to the body?
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.