Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 2.10.32
Sarga· CreationUse Intelligence to Seek Self-Realization
“The sense organs are attached to the modes of material nature, and the modes of material nature are products of the false ego. The mind is subjected to all kinds of material experiences (happiness and distress), and the intelligence is the feature of the mind’s deliberation.”
What the purport teaches
- False ego makes the living entity identify with the body and bodily relationships, forgetting his identity as spirit soul. Through the modes of material nature, the senses become attached to matter.
- The mind feels material happiness and distress, while intelligence deliberates. Properly used, intelligence can help one inquire about identity, suffering and freedom from illusion.
- Association with great sages and saints brings instructions that loosen attachment to matter. Through such association, one progresses toward the real life of eternity, knowledge and bliss.
Try this today
Write down one sincere question about your identity as spirit soul to discuss with someone following the path of self-realization.
Ask yourself
Am I using my intelligence only to manage material experiences, or also to inquire about my true identity?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.