Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 8.1.9
Āśraya· The supreme shelterThe Supreme Lord Always Remains Awake
“Lord Manu said: The supreme living being has created this material world of animation; it is not that He was created by this material world. When everything is silent, the Supreme Being stays awake as a witness. The living entity does not know Him, but He knows everything.”
What the purport teaches
- The supreme living being creates the material world; the material world does not create Him. He is the supreme eternal living being.
- When the material world is annihilated, the living entities remain unconscious, but the Supreme Being stays awake as the witness. He knows everything, even though the living entity does not know Him.
- Material waking life, sleep and unconsciousness at annihilation are described as stages of dreaming. In the spiritual world, however, everything is awake.
Try this today
Before sleeping, briefly remember that the Supreme Lord remains awake as the witness even when you sleep.
Ask yourself
What does the Lord's constant awareness teach me about the limits of my own awareness?
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.