Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.27.9
Mukti· LiberationDistinguish Spirit From Matter
“One’s seeing power should be increased through knowledge of spirit and matter, and one should not unnecessarily identify himself with the body and thus become attracted by bodily relationships.”
What the purport teaches
- The conditioned soul considers the body to be “myself” and its relationships and possessions to be “mine.” This aham-mamatā is the root cause of conditioned life.
- One should see things as a combination of matter and spirit. Knowledge helps one distinguish the nature of matter from the nature of spirit.
- Our real identification should be with spirit, not matter. Through this understanding, we should avoid the false bodily conception of life.
Try this today
When a thought of “my body” or “my possessions” arises today, pause and remember that your real identity is spirit, not matter.
Ask yourself
Where do I most strongly identify the body or its possessions as “myself” or “mine”?
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.