God Gives Forgetfulness - The Illusion of Material Independence
If the living entity is an eternal, blissful part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, how did we end up in such a miserable, conditioned state of ignorance? The answer lies in the dynamic relationship between the soul's free will and the supreme control of the Lord. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the spiritual amnesia we currently suffer from is not an accident. Rather, it is a deliberate arrangement. When the soul demands to enjoy separately from Kṛṣṇa, God gives forgetfulness, allowing the soul to fully immerse itself in the grand illusion of material independence.
The Origin of Spiritual Amnesia
The descent of the soul into the material world begins with a single, rebellious thought. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that the minute independence of the living entity allows for the possibility of envy. When the soul desires to usurp the position of God, the Lord fulfills this desire by placing the soul into a dreamlike state of existence.
- The first sinful will of the living entity is to become the Lord, and the consequent will of the Lord is that the living entity forget his factual life and thus dream of the land of utopia where he may become one like the Lord.
- To one who wants to be materially satisfied or who wants to lord it over material nature, the Lord gives the opportunity to forget His service and engage in the so-called happiness of material activities.
- When the living entity prefers to misuse his independence and glide down towards nescience, the all-merciful Lord first of all tries to protect him from the trap, but when he persists in gliding down to hell, the Lord helps him to forget his real position.
The Central Operator in the Heart
Our memory, intelligence, and cognitive abilities are not independently generated by our material brains. Śrīla Prabhupāda constantly reminds us of the profound truth established in Bhagavad-gītā (15.15): the Supreme Lord Himself, expanding as the Supersoul (Paramātmā), sits directly within the heart of every living being to direct their awareness.
- The Lord Himself confirms in Bhagavad-gita (Bhagavad-Gita 15.15), I am sitting in everyone's heart and giving directions for remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness.
- In Bhagavad-gita the Lord says, sarvasya caham hrdi sannivistah: (Bhagavad-Gita 15.15) "I am sitting in everyone's heart, and because of Me one's remembrance and forgetfulness occur.
- He (the Lord) is dictating or giving intelligence to the individual soul from within. It is clearly stated in the Gita that the Lord gives intelligence to the individual soul and that both memory and forgetfulness are due to the influence of the Supersoul.
- All recollections, knowledge, etc., as well as all forgetfulness, are engineered by the Lord, who is sitting within the heart of everyone.
The Illusion of the Gross Body
If we retained full memory of our glorious, eternal life in the spiritual world, we could never tolerate the miseries of a temporary material body. Therefore, Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the Lord's covering of forgetfulness is actually a specialized form of facility. It allows the soul to completely misidentify with its physical shell and pursue its illusory dreams of domination.
- When the living being desires to be an enjoyer of material energy (illusory phenomena), the Lord covers the living being in the mystery of forgetfulness, and thus the living being misinterprets the gross body and subtle mind to be his own self.
- The complete central force is generated from the heart by the Lord, who is seated there and who helps the conditioned soul in remembering and forgetting.
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead in His Paramatma feature is always present within the hearts of all living entities and from Him come memory, knowledge and forgetfulness. This is indicated here (in Srimad Bhagavad 8.1.11) by the word suparnam, which means "friend."
Reversing the Process
Although we have been wandering in this material amnesia for countless lifetimes, the situation is not hopeless. Śrīla Prabhupāda offers the ultimate solution: just as the Supersoul provides forgetfulness to those who wish to rebel, He immediately provides transcendental knowledge and divine memory to those who sincerely wish to return to Him.
- Our position is: we have forgotten God. But this forgetfulness can be subdued, and we can revive our original consciousness.
- This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita. Mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca (Bhagavad-Gita 15.15). The Lord says, Through Me one gets real knowledge and memory, and one also forgets through Me.
- As Paramatma, Supersoul, the Lord is living in everyone's heart, and from Him only does one's power of remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness follow. One person can sharply remember past activities by the grace of the Lord while others cannot.
- The word anidram, meaning "always awake and free from ignorance," is very important in this verse (of Srimad Bhagavad 8.5.27). As stated in Bhagavad-Gita 15.15, mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca: it is the Lord who gives intelligence to everyone and who causes everyone to forget.
Conclusion
Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that God is not to blame for our ignorance or our suffering. The Lord acts as the ultimate, impartial friend (suparṇam), granting us exactly what we desire. By practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness and chanting the holy names, Śrīla Prabhupāda assures us that we signal to the Supersoul our desire to wake up from this material dream. In response, the Lord lifts the veil of forgetfulness, allowing us to resume our eternal, blissful life of devotional 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 God Gives Forgetfulness. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience the teachings in their direct, verbatim form.