Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 6.16.53-54
Āśraya· The supreme shelterRemember Kṛṣṇa Through Life’s Changing Conditions
“When a person is in deep sleep, he dreams and sees in himself many other objects, such as great mountains and rivers or perhaps even the entire universe, although they are far away. Sometimes when one awakens from a dream he sees that he is in a human form, lying in his bed in one place. Then he sees himself, in terms of various conditions, as belonging to a particular nationality, family and so on. All the conditions of deep sleep, dreaming and wakefulness are but energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One should always remember the original creator of these conditions, the Supreme Lord, who is unaffected by them.”
What the purport teaches
- Deep sleep, dreaming and wakefulness are different phases of conditioned life. Waking concerns about possessions, position and honor are compared to gross dreams.
- Material nature works under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. He is the original director and remains unaffected by these changing conditions.
- For self-realization, one should always remember Kṛṣṇa and never forget Him. Constant chanting of His holy name helps us remember Him, and realizing Bhagavān is the ultimate realization.
Try this today
Pause during one such concern and chant: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
Ask yourself
Which concern about my position or possessions most distracts me from remembering Kṛṣṇa?
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.