Divine and Material Influence - A Philosophical Analysis
In his teachings, Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that influence is not merely a social or psychological phenomenon but a fundamental law of material and spiritual reality. While the Lord is the supreme influencer, the living entity is the one being influenced by external forces.
The Supreme Influence of the Personality of Godhead
Śrīla Prabhupāda highlights that the Supreme Lord is never subject to the influence of the three modes. His influence is unlimited and transcendental, unlike the limited power of the conditioned soul who is easily subjugated by the material energy.
- A common living being cannot extend his influence over another common living being by his all-pervasiveness, but the Supreme Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is unlimitedly able to exert His influence over all places and all times and over all living beings.
- A conditioned soul is enwrapped in his fruitive activities by the force of eternal time. But the Supreme Lord, when He incarnates on the earth, is not influenced by kala, or the material conception of past, present and future.
- Acyuta refers to one who does not fall because He (Krsna) is never influenced by the modes of material nature.
- An ordinary human being is prone to be subjugated by the material energy, whereas the Supreme Personality of Godhead - Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Lord Krsna or Lord Jagannatha - is always the master of the material energy and is never subject to its influence.
The Subjugation of the Conditioned Soul
The minute living entity is described by Śrīla Prabhupāda as being prone to the influence of ignorance due to its limited power. This nescience covers the soul's constitutional position, leading to a life of anxiety and misidentification with the body.
- A living entity is, by superior nature, full of knowledge. Nevertheless, he is prone to be influenced by ignorance due to his limited power. The Lord is omnipotent, but the living entity is not.
- All living beings in the material world are influenced by the three modes of material nature. Even Lord Brahma is in the mode of goodness.
- Although the living entities are constitutionally spiritual, they come under the influence of the potency of nescience.
- As long as one is in conditional life, in the material body, it is natural that he will suffer from anxieties and agonies. One cannot avoid the influence of material energy, even when one is on the transcendental plane.
Influence of the Three Modes of Nature
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that activities in the material world are governed by the modes of goodness, passion, and ignorance. These modes influence everyone, including demigods like Lord Brahma, affecting their intelligence and actions.
- A person influenced by the external energy is called bahirmukha jana, a mundane person, because despite his perception, he cannot understand the real substance. Hearing Gopinatha Acarya say this, Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya smiled, began to speak as follows.
- A man in goodness is sometimes driven by the influence of ignorance.
- All culture of knowledge, austerities, sacrifice and activities should be aimed at changing the quality of the influence that is acting upon us.
- As soon as one is freed from the influence of the three modes of material nature, he is situated on the Brahman platform. Vivid examples of personalities thus situated are the four Kumaras and Narada.
The Factual Influence of Time and Astrology
The influence of the stars and eternal time is not mythological but factual. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that the constellations at birth and the movement of time are representatives of the Lord that dictate the results of fruitive activities.
- According to astronomical calculations. Therefore we, we follow the astrology according to the constellation. The child born, everything has connection, the constellation of the star has influence on the child.
- Astronomical calculations of stellar influences upon a living being are not suppositions, but are factual, as confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam.
- Bali Maharaja was very sensible. He knew that the fighting was arranged by eternal time and that under time's influence one must accept the results of one's own activities.
- By the influence of eternal time, which is a representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the father begets a son, and the father dies by the influence of cruel death. But by time's influence, even the lord of cruel death is killed.
Illusory Influence and Material Misidentification
Under the influence of the illusory energy, the living entity fails to understand its miserable condition. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that even in animal life, the soul thinks it is enjoying due to the covering influence of māyā, which encourages enmity.
- A dog or hog cannot understand what kind of miserable life he is passing. He actually thinks that he is enjoying life, and this is called the covering or illusive influence of material energy.
- A person influenced like this (misunderstanding this material body to be his self) engages in enmity only due to the material body. Being engaged in such activities, we forget our eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- A person under the influence of the material energy cannot understand the nature and form of the Personality of the Absolute Truth.
- As long as the body is there it is subjected to the influence of climatic changes, disease and natural disturbances, the threefold miseries of material existence. We cannot avoid them.
Transcendence via Devotional Influence
The ultimate goal of human life is to change the quality of influence acting upon us. Śrīla Prabhupāda confirms that by the influence of the spiritual master and the association of devotees, one's material desire is removed.
- A first-class person is one who is not influenced by karma (fruitive activity) or yoga (mystic power). He simply depends on Krsna and is satisfied in his devotional service.
- A sincere devotee who engages in the service of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu by preaching His cult all over the world will never be affected by visaya-taranga, material influences.
- As soon as I (Narada) heard them with great attention, the influence of the modes of material ignorance and passion disappeared, and I became firmly fixed in devotional service to the Lord.
- By the influence of the spiritual master, one's material desire to dominate is removed, and one becomes firmly situated in the Lord's transcendental loving service.
Conclusion
The soul is perpetually under some form of influence, whether material or spiritual. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that while we cannot avoid influence entirely, we can choose to come under the divine influence of the spiritual master and the Lord's internal potency. By doing so, we transcend the factual but temporary influences of time, astrology, and the modes of nature, eventually attaining the platform of pure goodness and eternal service.
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 Influence. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.