Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.28.13
Ūti· What drives us to actThe Desire to Dominate Sustains Illusion
“Actually, the living entity is transcendental to material existence. But because of his mentality of lording it over material nature, his material existential condition does not cease, and, just as in a dream, he is affected by all sorts of disadvantages.”
What the purport teaches
- The living entity is actually transcendental to material existence.
- His material condition continues because he maintains the mentality of lording it over material nature.
- Like someone in a dream, he is affected by many disadvantages. The purport describes this teaching as a complete explanation of the essence of illusion.
Try this today
Notice one wish to control or enjoy material things today, and pause to reflect on how that mentality sustains illusion.
Ask yourself
Where do I notice the desire to lord it over material nature in my own thinking?
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.