God Is The Superself - The Ultimate Friend and Guide
Śrīla Prabhupāda often addresses the profound relationship between our own consciousness and the supreme consciousness that accompanies us everywhere. While we are individually conscious of our own bodies, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, existing as the Superself, is conscious of everything. Understanding the distinction and the eternal connection between the minute self and the supreme Superself is the foundation of all true spiritual knowledge.
The Self and the Superself
Vedic philosophy clearly differentiates between the tiny individual soul and the supreme, all-pervading soul. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that while both are spiritual in nature, confusing the individual self with the supreme Superself is a symptom of ignorance.
- The Superself and the individual self are both spirit, and the Superself and the individual self are both qualitatively one and distinct from matter.
- Since the individual self is part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the self and the Superself are qualitatively nondifferent.
- Knowledge of the qualitative oneness of the self and Superself is partial knowledge and ignorance also because there is no knowledge of quantitative difference.
- Although individual souls are all different, the Superself, or Supersoul, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The Internal Guide and Friend
We are never truly alone in the material world. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that the Superself resides within the heart of every living being, acting as the ultimate authority, the supreme friend, and the director of all our faculties.
- The higher authority, who is present and residing within every individual living being, is the Superself.
- The individual is completely dependent on the direction of the Superself because in every step the individual self follows the direction of the Superself in the matter of seeing, hearing, thinking, feeling, willing, etc.
- We can easily attain to the true, spiritual conception by recognizing the Superself (Paramatma) to be our friend and guide and by dovetailing our intelligence with the superior intelligence of Paramatma.
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead, in His second feature, is the Supersoul of all living entities. As one's self is extremely dear, the Superself of the self is still more dear. No one can be the enemy of the friendly Superself, who is equal to everyone.
The Goal of Yoga and Realization
The various practices of mystic yoga are not meant for acquiring mundane powers or improving physical health. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that the true objective of all yoga systems is to control the turbulent mind and senses in order to focus entirely on the Superself within.
- The yoga system is especially difficult for this age. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam we understand that yoga means to concentrate one's attention on the Superself, Visnu. He is situated in your heart.
- Yogena means "by controlling the senses and mind." Yoga indriya-samyamah. Yogena implies that one is seriously absorbed in the self and is able, by development of knowledge, to understand his constitutional position in relationship with the Superself.
- One becomes situated in trance (after practicing yoga), or samadhi which means that the yogi realizes the Supersoul through transcendental mind and intelligence, without any of the misgivings of identifying the self with the Superself.
- His (Patanjali's) proposal is that when one is freed from material desires and fixed in spiritual realization of the self and the Superself, that is called cit-sakti.
Perfect Knowledge and Devotion
True spiritual education consists of understanding the dynamic relationship between the individual soul and the Supreme Lord. Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that this perfect knowledge burns all material reactions to ashes and awakens pure devotional service.
- The whole process is to understand the real position of the self in relation to the Superself.
- One who does not understand the truth of self-realization is called ignorant, but one who understands the self, the Superself, their interrelation, and activities in self-realization is called viditatma-tattva.
- Perfect knowledge of self and Superself and of their relationship is compared herein to fire. This fire not only burns up all reactions to impious activities, but also all reactions to pious activities, turning them to ashes.
- The materialist tries to satisfy himself in relation to his body by constructing a skyscraper, but the devotee tries to satisfy the Superself, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by constructing the temple.
Conclusion
A person who mistakenly equates their own tiny existence with the supreme existence of God remains trapped in spiritual ignorance. Śrīla Prabhupāda clearly establishes that while the individual self and the Superself share the same spiritual quality, they are eternally distinct in their capacity. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, residing in the heart as the Superself (Paramātmā), is the infinite master, friend, and director, whereas the individual soul is the subordinate, dependent entity. The ultimate perfection of human life and the true goal of all yoga systems is to fully realize this relationship. By abandoning the false desire to become the master and instead dovetailing one's intelligence with the superior direction of the friendly Superself, the conditioned soul is immediately freed from material entanglement and elevated to the joyous platform of unalloyed devotional service.
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