The Supreme Compassion Between God and the Conditioned Souls
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains the profound and merciful dynamic between the Supreme Lord and the rebellious living entities. By studying his instructions, we can understand why the soul falls into material illusion, the true purpose of the cosmic manifestation, and how the Lord acts as a constant companion to reclaim us.
The Entanglement of Material Illusion
When the tiny living entity desires to enjoy independently, they are immediately captured by the Lord's external energy. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that the conditioned soul, blinded by false ego and ignorance, forgets their eternal position as a servant and foolishly attempts to lord it over material nature.
- A conditioned soul is bewildered by the Lord's illusory energy (maya). Maya’s business is to keep the conditioned soul forgetful of his real relationship with Krsna.
- Deluded by material energy, the conditioned soul wants to lord it over material energy, just as a moth wants to enjoy a fire. This illusion is the net result of the conditioned soul's forgetfulness of his eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- By the influence of darkness, the conditioned soul forgets his relationship with the Supreme Lord and is overwhelmed by attachment, hatred, pride, ignorance and false identification, the five kinds of illusion that cause material bondage.
The Purpose of the Cosmic Manifestation
Although the material world is a place of suffering, it is ultimately a manifestation of the Lord's mercy. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that the cosmic creation gives the rebellious, conditioned souls an opportunity to act out their desires, gain mature experience, and utilize the revealed scriptures to return back to Godhead.
- As stated in the Vedas (Isopanisad), the Lord is the proprietor of the entire manifested cosmic creation, which presents a chance for the conditioned souls to revive their eternal relationship with the Lord and thus go back to Godhead, back home.
- During the course of the cosmic manifestation, the conditioned souls are given a chance to revive their original status of life with the help of revealed scriptures, so mercifully compiled by the Lord in His different incarnations.
- False ego is the binding force of material existence. The Lord again and again gives a chance to the bewildered conditioned souls to get free from this false ego, and that is why the material creation takes place at intervals.
The Lord's Relentless Compassion
The Supreme Personality of Godhead never abandons His parts and parcels. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that the Lord's greatest glory is His causeless mercy, as He continuously sends His representatives, provides the scriptures, and personally incarnates to rescue the conditioned souls from the clutches of māyā.
- A conditioned soul is always helped by the Supreme Personality of Godhead in three ways - by the scriptures, the spiritual master and the Supersoul within the heart. The Lord is the deliverer of the conditioned soul and is accepted as the Supreme Lord of all living entities.
- He (God), however, is always anxious to get the fallen souls back home, back to Godhead, and for this He has given so many chances to the conditioned souls via the authoritative scriptures, His representatives, and personal incarnations also.
- Of all His (Visnu's) glories, the most important is His causeless mercy upon the conditioned souls in reclaiming them from the clutches of maya.
The Constant Guide Within
Even while the conditioned soul wanders through various species of life, the Lord accompanies them as their most intimate friend. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that Kṛṣṇa sits in the heart as the Paramātmā (Supersoul) to witness, sanction, and ultimately guide the soul toward liberation.
- It is understood from Vedic literature that the conditioned soul creates his own destiny and is offered a particular body by the laws of nature under the superintendence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who always accompanies him as Paramatma.
- He is described in Bhagavad-gita as mahesvara, or the Supreme Lord. He is Paramatma, not jivatma. Paramatma means the Supersoul, who is sitting by the side of the conditioned soul just to sanction his activities.
- He (the Supreme Godhead) manifests Himself as spiritual master both internally and externally to help the conditioned soul both ways. Therefore He has been mentioned herein (SB 4.21.36) as gurum.
Conclusion
Śrīla Prabhupāda beautifully illustrates the boundless, unrelenting love the Supreme Lord holds for the conditioned souls. By misusing their minute independence, the living entities fall into the grips of māyā, hopelessly tangling themselves in false ego and the miseries of material existence. Yet, the Supreme Lord does not create this cosmic manifestation merely as a prison for punishment; it is a grand, merciful reformatory meant to cure the soul's false desire to lord over nature. Acting as the ultimate well-wisher (kṛpaṇa-vatsala), Śrī Kṛṣṇa never leaves the side of the fallen soul. He accompanies them in every body as the Paramātmā, tirelessly guiding them from within, while simultaneously sending the Vedas, His pure devotees, and His own incarnations from without. The entire arrangement of the material world, therefore, is simply an exhibition of God's supreme compassion, providing endless opportunities for the bewildered souls to revive their pure consciousness and return back home, back to Godhead.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category God and the Conditioned Souls. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.