Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.27.15
Mukti· LiberationYour Eternal Identity Is Never Lost
“The living entity can vividly feel his existence as the seer, but because of the disappearance of the ego during the state of deep sleep, he falsely takes himself to be lost, like a man who has lost his fortune and feels distressed, thinking himself to be lost.”
What the purport teaches
- A person who loses money may feel that he himself is lost, though only his money is gone. Similarly, identification with matter makes the living entity falsely think that his own existence is lost.
- Even when awareness of identity disappears in sleep, the living entity’s identity remains intact. Understanding oneself as the Lord’s eternal servitor revives awareness of one’s real position.
- Thinking oneself equal to the Supreme Lord, or the Supreme Lord Himself, is also false ego. Freedom from this confusion comes through awakening to one’s eternal existence as His servant.
Try this today
Reflect on one possession or circumstance that has changed, and remember that your identity as the Lord’s eternal servant remains.
Ask yourself
When something I identify with changes or disappears, do I mistake that loss for the loss of myself?
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.