Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.29.8
Ūti· What drives us to actSense Enjoyment Can Obscure Spiritual Awareness
“The eyes, nostrils and ears are pairs of gates situated in one place. The mouth, genitals and rectum are also different gates. Being placed into a body having these nine gates, the living entity acts externally in the material world and enjoys sense objects like form and taste.”
What the purport teaches
- The body has nine gates: two eyes, two nostrils, two ears, the mouth, genitals and rectum. Through these gates, the living entity acts in the material world.
- Unaware of his spiritual position, the living entity is directed by the mind toward material objects. Long association with these objects makes him forget his real spiritual activities.
- Leaders who lack knowledge of the spirit soul mislead the conditioned soul. Following such guidance brings further entanglement.
Try this today
Pause during one sensory distraction today and reread this verse’s warning about forgetting spiritual activities.
Ask yourself
Which daily distractions make me forget my spiritual position?
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.