Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.28.39
Mukti· LiberationYou Are Different From Your Body
“Because of great affection for family and wealth, one accepts a son and some money as his own, and due to affection for the material body, one thinks that it is his. But actually, as one can understand that his family and wealth are different from him, the liberated soul can understand that he and his body are not the same.”
What the purport teaches
- Affection leads us to call family, wealth and the body “mine.” Yet we can understand that family and wealth are separate from us.
- The same understanding applies to the body: “I am separate from my body.” This proper understanding is called pratibuddha.
- By obtaining knowledge in devotional service, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one can become a liberated soul.
Try this today
Say “my hand” and “my body,” then take a moment to reflect that you are distinct from what you call yours.
Ask yourself
What can the phrase “my body” teach me about the difference between myself and my body?
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.