Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 8.19.39
Ūti· What drives us to actUse the Temporary Body for Lasting Perfection
“The Vedas enjoin that the factual result of the tree of the body is the good fruits and flowers derived from it. But if the bodily tree does not exist, there is no possibility of factual fruits and flowers. Even if the body is based on untruth, there cannot be factual fruits and flowers without the help of the bodily tree.”
What the purport teaches
- The body is compared to a tree whose flowers and fruits are its good results. Without the body's help, one cannot follow religion or pursue philosophical perfection.
- Vaiṣṇava philosophy recommends yukta-vairāgya: neither devote all attention to bodily maintenance nor neglect it.
- While the body lasts, one can study Vedic instructions and obtain the best service from it. Everything is examined at death, so this temporary body should be used to make life perfect.
Try this today
Give a few minutes of your available time and energy to studying Vedic instructions today.
Ask yourself
Am I caring for my body as a support for spiritual practice, rather than making it my whole concern?
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.