Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.5.16
Ūti· What drives us to actMaterial Piety Is Not Spiritual Perfection
“Those who have not achieved knowledge of the Absolute Truth, yet who are still beyond the darkness of complete ignorance, generally follow the threefold path of pious material life, namely religiosity, economic development and sense gratification. Not having time to reflect on any higher purpose, they become the killers of their own soul.”
What the purport teaches
- Material piety can bring prosperity, beauty and a pleasant family situation. These comforts may create false pride and make a person unwilling to hear from the Lord’s devotees.
- Every living entity is an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Until we surrender to Him, material success does not establish our true spiritual well-being.
- Having no time for eternal self-interest is a sign of misfortune. Like a patient who stops treatment too soon, one who abandons spiritual progress before attaining Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet will fall again.
Try this today
Set aside five minutes today to hear or read about Kṛṣṇa without attending to material tasks.
Ask yourself
Do my comforts help me hear about Kṛṣṇa, or make me feel that I do not need spiritual guidance?
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.