Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.14.10
Ūti· What drives us to actFrom Repeated Disappointment to Surrender
“The conditioned soul sometimes personally appreciates the futility of sense enjoyment in the material world, and he sometimes considers material enjoyment to be full of miseries. However, due to his strong bodily conception, his memory is destroyed, and again and again he runs after material enjoyment, just as an animal runs after a mirage in the desert.”
What the purport teaches
- The bodily conception is the main disease of material life. Even after recognizing the futility of sense enjoyment, the conditioned soul tries it again, like an animal chasing a mirage.
- Association with devotees can awaken conviction, yet attachment may still prevent surrender. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead situated in everyone's heart, may compassionately remove the possessions of such an attached devotee.
- The purport describes this as a special favor that helps the devotee surrender completely. The Lord then gives directions, and the devotee finds happiness in His service.
Try this today
Write down one repeatedly disappointing pursuit and set aside five minutes from it today for the Lord's service.
Ask yourself
What attachment keeps drawing me back to an enjoyment that has already disappointed me?
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.