Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.9.33
Ūti· What drives us to actSee Spirit Souls, Not Enemies
“Dhruva Mahārāja lamented: I was under the influence of the illusory energy; being ignorant of the actual facts, I was sleeping on her lap. Under a vision of duality, I saw my brother as my enemy, and falsely I lamented within my heart, thinking, “They are my enemies.””
What the purport teaches
- By the Lord’s grace, a devotee comes to the right conclusion about life. Dhruva recognized that illusion had led him to see his brother as an enemy.
- Creating friends and enemies in material consciousness is compared to dreaming. These distinctions arise when we lack knowledge of the soul and the Supersoul.
- The truly learned see the person as a spirit soul rather than an external body. All living entities are spiritual sparks, parts and parcels of the Supreme Spirit.
Try this today
Think of one person you resent and remind yourself that this person, too, is a spiritual spark, part and parcel of God.
Ask yourself
How would seeing someone as a spirit soul change my feelings toward them?
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.