Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.22.46
Mukti· LiberationLoving Service Breaks the Cycle of Karma
“A person does not actually take birth out of the seed of past activities, nor, being immortal, does he die. By illusion the living being appears to be born and to die, just as fire in connection with firewood appears to begin and then cease to exist.”
What the purport teaches
- Fire appears to begin and end in connection with a particular piece of wood. Similarly, the eternal living entity appears to take birth and die in connection with a particular body.
- The reactions of karma impose illusory suffering and enjoyment, but do not change the living entity’s eternal nature.
- Karma forms a cycle in which one illusory activity produces another. Kṛṣṇa consciousness stops this cycle by engaging the living being in spiritual activities in loving service to the Lord.
Try this today
Set aside a few minutes today for loving service to the Lord rather than pursuing a personal material reward.
Ask yourself
Am I seeking another material result, or an opportunity to serve the Lord?
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.