Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.29.34
Mukti· LiberationRespect Every Body as the Lord's Temple
“Such a perfect devotee offers respects to every living entity because he is under the firm conviction that the Supreme Personality of Godhead has entered the body of every living entity as the Supersoul, or controller.”
What the purport teaches
- A perfect devotee respects every living entity because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is present within as the Supersoul.
- The Lord's presence within a body does not make that body or its individual soul the Supreme Lord. A person entering a room does not become the room.
- A pure devotee accepts each body as a temple of the Lord. Respect is offered to every living entity in full knowledge of its relationship with Him.
Try this today
Silently offer respect to one living entity you might otherwise overlook, remembering the Lord's presence within.
Ask yourself
How would seeing each body as the Lord's temple change the way I treat others?
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.