Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.7.11
Mukti· LiberationMaterial Distress Does Not Define the Soul
“As the moon reflected on water appears to the seer to tremble due to being associated with the quality of the water, so the self associated with matter appears to be qualified as matter.”
What the purport teaches
- The Lord is compared to the moon in the sky, and living entities to its reflection on water. The water trembles, but the original moon remains untouched.
- Through association with matter, living entities appear affected by illusion, lamentation and misery. These qualities are absent from the pure soul.
- Living entities are separated parts and parcels of the Lord, always connected with Him but not identical with Him. Mistaking the reflection for the original leads to misunderstanding.
Try this today
When a troubling feeling arises today, recall the moon reflection and remind yourself that material distress does not define the pure soul.
Ask yourself
How might the image of the reflected moon change my understanding of distress?
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.