Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Ādi 2.17
Strict Austerity Leads to Impersonal Brahman
“Naked saints and sannyāsīs who undergo severe physical penances, who can raise the semen to the brain, and who are completely equipoised in Brahman can live in the realm known as Brahmaloka.”
What the purport teaches
- These mendicants do not care about material things, including clothing. They depend wholly on nature and live by begging.
- They practice strict celibacy and endure bodily suffering. Their minds remain fixed on the Absolute Truth, without desire for material enjoyment.
- Through austerities under strict discipline, they attain a neutral state beyond the modes of nature. They merge into the impersonal Brahman.
Try this today
Set aside one optional material distraction today and spend a quiet minute contemplating the Absolute Truth.
Ask yourself
How does the desire for material enjoyment distract me from contemplating the Absolute Truth?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport; the practice and question are plain words for trying the verse today.