Understanding Individual and Supreme Living Beings

0:00: ... vāsudeve **When the living entity is covered by the mode of ignorance, he does not understand the individual living being and the supreme living being, and his mind is subjugated by fruitive activity.

Ignorance and love for God

1:56Therefore, until one has love for Lord Vāsudeva, who is none other than Myself, he is certainly not delivered from having to accept a material body again and again.**

3:39SB 5.5.7यदा न पश्यत्ययथा गुणेहांस्वार्थे प्रमत्तः सहसा विपश्चित् ।गतस्मृतिर्विन्दति तत्र तापानासाद्य मैथुन्यमगारमज्ञः ॥७॥yadā na paśyaty ayathā guṇehāṁsvārthe pramattaḥ sahasā vipaścitgata-smṛtir vindati tatra tāpānāsādya maithunyam agāram ajñaḥEven though one may be very learned and wise, he is mad if he does not understand that the endeavor for sense gratification is a useless waste of time. Being forgetful of his own interest, he tries to be happy in the material world, centering his interests around his home, which is based on sexual intercourse and which brings him all kinds of material miseries. In this way one is no better than a foolish animal.

3:46**Even though one may be very learned and wise, he is mad if he does not understand that the endeavor for sense gratification is a useless waste of time.

3:52Being forgetful of his own interest, he tries to be happy in the material world, centering his interests around his home, which is based on sexual intercourse and which brings him all kinds of material miseries.

4:00In this way one is no better than a foolish animal.**

Material attachment and false ego

4:02SB 5.5.8पुंसः स्त्रिया मिथुनीभावमेतंतयोर्मिथो हृदयग्रन्थिमाहुः ।अतो गृहक्षेत्रसुताप्तवित्तैर्जनस्य मोहोऽयमहं ममेति ॥८॥puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etaṁtayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥato gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittairjanasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mametiThe attraction between male and female is the basic principle of material existence. On the basis of this misconception, which ties together the hearts of the male and female, one becomes attracted to his body, home, property, children, relatives and wealth. In this way one increases life’s illusions and thinks in terms of “I and mine.”

4:19**The attraction between male and female is the basic principle of material existence.

4:22On the basis of this misconception, which ties together the hearts of the male and female, one becomes attracted to his body, home, property, children, relatives and wealth.

4:28In this way one increases life's illusions and thinks in terms of "I and mine."** SB 5.5.9यदा मनोहृदयग्रन्थिरस्यकर्मानुबद्धो दृढ आश्लथेत ।तदा जनः सम्परिवर्ततेऽस्मादमुक्तः परं यात्यतिहाय हेतुम् ॥९॥yadā mano-hṛdaya-granthir asyakarmānubaddho dṛḍha āślathetatadā janaḥ samparivartate 'smādmuktaḥ paraṁ yāty atihāya hetumWhen the strong knot in the heart of a person implicated in material life due to the results of past action is slackened, one turns away from his attachment to home, wife and children. In this way, one gives up the basic principle of illusion [I and mine] and becomes liberated. Thus one goes to the transcendental world.

4:48**When the strong knot in the heart of a person implicated in material life due to the results of past action is slackened, one turns away from his attachment to home, wife and children.

4:56In this way, one gives up the basic principle of illusion [I and mine] and becomes liberated. Thus one goes to the transcendental world.**

Practices for spiritual advancement

5:01haṁse gurau mayi bhaktyānuvṛttyāvitṛṣṇayā dvandva-titikṣayā casarvatra jantor vyasanāvagatyājijñāsayā tapasehā-nivṛttyāmat-karmabhir mat-kathayā ca nityaṁmad-deva-saṅgād guṇa-kīrtanān menirvaira-sāmyopaśamena putrājihāsayā deha-gehātma-buddheḥadhyātma-yogena vivikta-sevayāprāṇendriyātmābhijayena sadhryaksac-chraddhayā brahmacaryeṇa śaśvadasampramādena yamena vācāmsarvatra mad-bhāva-vicakṣaṇenajñānena vijñāna-virājitenayogena dhṛty-udyama-sattva-yuktoliṅgaṁ vyapohet kuśalo 'ham-ākhyam

5:09**O My sons, you should accept a highly elevated paramahaṁsa, a spiritually advanced spiritual master. In this way, you should place your faith and love in Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

5:10You should detest sense gratification and tolerate the duality of pleasure and pain, which are like the seasonal changes of summer and winter.

5:11Try to realize the miserable condition of living entities, who are miserable even in the higher planetary systems. Philosophically inquire about the truth.

5:12Then undergo all kinds of austerities and penances for the sake of devotional service. Give up the endeavor for sense enjoyment and engage in the service of the Lord.

5:14Listen to discussions about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and always associate with devotees. Chant about and glorify the Supreme Lord, and look upon everyone equally on the spiritual platform.

5:15Give up enmity and subdue anger and lamentation. Abandon identifying the self with the body and the home, and practice reading the revealed scriptures.

5:17Live in a secluded place and practice the process by which you can completely control your life air, mind and senses. Have full faith in the revealed scriptures, the Vedic literatures, and always observe celibacy.

5:18Perform your prescribed duties and avoid unnecessary talks. Always thinking of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, acquire knowledge from the right source.

5:19Thus practicing bhakti-yoga, you will patiently and enthusiastically be elevated in knowledge and will be able to give up the false ego.**

5:21SB 5.5.14कर्माशयं हृदयग्रन्थिबन्धमविद्ययासादितमप्रमत्तः ।अनेन योगेन यथोपदेशंसम्यग्व्यपोह्योपरमेत योगात् ॥१४॥karmāśayaṁ hṛdaya-granthi-bandhamavidyayāsāditam apramattaḥanena yogena yathopadeśaṁsamyag vyapohyoparameta yogātAs I have advised you, My dear sons, you should act accordingly. Be very careful. By these means you will be freed from the ignorance of the desire for fruitive activity, and the knot of bondage in the heart will be completely severed. For further advancement, you should also give up the means. That is, you should not become attached to the process of liberation itself.

5:24**As I have advised you, My dear sons, you should act accordingly. Be very careful.

5:25By these means you will be freed from the ignorance of the desire for fruitive activity, and the knot of bondage in the heart will be completely severed.

Knowledge and freedom from bondage

5:27For further advancement, you should also give up the means. That is, you should not become attached to the process of liberation itself.**

5:28SB 5.5.15पुत्रांश्च शिष्यांश्च नृपो गुरुर्वामल्लोककामो मदनुग्रहार्थः ।इत्थं विमन्युरनुशिष्यादतज्ज्ञान्न योजयेत्कर्मसु कर्ममूढान् ।कं योजयन्मनुजोऽर्थं लभेतनिपातयन्नष्टदृशं हि गर्ते ॥१५॥putrāmś ca śiṣyāmś ca nṛpo gurur vāmal-loka-kāmo mad-anugrahārthaḥitthaṁ vimanyur anuśiṣyād ataj-jñānna yojayet karmasu karma-mūḍhānkaṁ yojayan manujo 'rthaṁ labhetanipātayan naṣṭa-dṛśaṁ hi garteIf one is serious about going back home, back to Godhead, he must consider the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead the summum bonum and chief aim of life. If he is a father instructing his sons, a spiritual master instructing his disciples, or a king instructing his citizens, he must instruct them as I have advised. Without being angry, he should continue giving instructions, even if his disciple, son or citizen is sometimes unable to follow his order. Ignorant people who engage in pious and impious activities should be engaged in devotional service by all means. They should always avoid fruitive activity. If one puts into the bondage of karmic activity his disciple, son or citizen who is bereft of transcendental vision, how will one profit? It is like leading a blind man to a dark well and causing him to fall in.

Responsibilities of leaders and parents

5:36**If one is serious about going back home, back to Godhead, he must consider the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead the summum bonum and chief aim of life.

5:38If he is a father instructing his sons, a spiritual master instructing his disciples, or a king instructing his citizens, he must instruct them as I have advised.

5:39Without being angry, he should continue giving instructions, even if his disciple, son or citizen is sometimes unable to follow his order.

5:40Ignorant people who engage in pious and impious activities should be engaged in devotional service by all means. They should always avoid fruitive activity.

5:42If one puts into the bondage of karmic activity his disciple, son or citizen who is bereft of transcendental vision, how will one profit? It is like leading a blind man to a dark well and causing him to fall in.**

5:44SB 5.5.16लोकः स्वयं श्रेयसि नष्टदृष्टिर्योऽर्थान् समीहेत निकामकामः ।अन्योन्यवैरः सुखलेशहेतोरनन्तदुःखं च न वेद मूढः ॥१६॥lokaḥ svayaṁ śreyasi naṣṭa-dṛṣṭiryo 'rthān samīheta nikāma-kāmaḥanyonya-vairaḥ sukha-leśa-hetorananta-duḥkhaṁ ca na veda mūḍhaḥDue to ignorance, the materialistic person does not know anything about his real self-interest, the auspicious path in life. He is simply bound to material enjoyment by lusty desires, and all his plans are made for this purpose. For temporary sense gratification, such a person creates a society of envy, and due to this mentality, he plunges into the ocean of suffering. Such a foolish person does not even know about this.

5:48**Due to ignorance, the materialistic person does not know anything about his real self-interest, the auspicious path in life.

5:49He is simply bound to material enjoyment by lusty desires, and all his plans are made for this purpose.

5:50For temporary sense gratification, such a person creates a society of envy, and due to this mentality, he plunges into the ocean of suffering. Such a foolish person does not even know about this.**