How a Conditioned Soul is Always Covered by Ignorance and Illusion
Trapped tightly within the stringent laws of material nature, the ordinary living entity is subjected to a constant barrage of fear, anxiety, and unfulfilled desires. Analyzing this dreadful situation, Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that a soul divorced from spiritual reality is perpetually absorbed in laying out useless plans for bodily happiness. True freedom and relief from this intense misery can only be achieved by fundamentally shifting one's consciousness toward the Supreme Lord.
The Constant Burden of Ignorance
From the moment of birth, the living entity is heavily enveloped by a false conception of reality, mistaking the biological machine for its true self. Peeling back this layer of deception, Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that without the brilliant light of Vedic knowledge, a person remains perpetually embarrassed by the miseries of life. This profound ignorance causes the soul to completely forget its original, blissful relationship with the Supreme Lord.
- Dear Lord, we conditioned souls are always covered by ignorance in the bodily conception of life. We therefore always prefer the miserable conditions of material existence.
- The conditioned soul, however, is always covered by ignorance and embarrassed by the threefold miseries of life. Thus he is a treasure-house of all kinds of tribulations.
- The purport is that every conditioned soul is always absorbed in thinking of materialistic activities.
- Srimad-Bhagavatam says, "Generally, the conditioned soul is mad because he is always engaged in activities which are the causes of bondage and suffering."
Driven by Bodily Necessities
Because the physical body requires constant maintenance, an ignorant person dedicates practically all their energy to fulfilling its endless demands. Condemning this animalistic lifestyle, Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that human beings often claim they have no time for spiritual cultivation because they are completely distracted by hunger, thirst, and family affairs. This obsessive focus on sense gratification severely prolongs the soul's encagement within the material universe.
- A conditioned soul is always engaged in some type of sense gratification, but when he understands by good association that it is only a repetition of the same thing, and he is awakened to his real Krsna consciousness.
- Conditioned soul has very little time to cultivate attachment to hearing the nectarean words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead because he is always disturbed by the bodily necessities such as hunger and thirst.
- These are the material diseases of the conditioned soul. He completely forgets his real engagement - to become Krsna conscious - and is always serious about planning to maintain his family, although he changes families one after another.
- The conditioned soul is always engaged in laying out plans for happiness within the material world, even up to the end of the universal limit.
Fear and Perturbation in the Material World
It is an absolute impossibility to find permanent peace or stability within a realm governed by the strict, punishing laws of the external energy. Illustrating this harsh reality, Śrīla Prabhupāda describes how the conditioned entity is constantly tossed back and forth by the dualities of attachment and detachment. Plagued by an intense, underlying fear of losing everything, the soul jumps from one miserable situation to another in a desperate search for relief.
- The conditioned soul is always fearful due to being controlled by the external potency; therefore the conditioned soul should always pray to the almighty Lord to conquer the external potency (maya) so that she will no longer manifest her powers.
- The conditioned soul is always perturbed by attachment and detachment, whereas the Supreme Lord is always free from such dualities.
- When one is hot due to the sun, one sometimes jumps into a river to gain relief. However, if the river is almost dried up and the water is too shallow, one may break his bones by jumping in. The conditioned soul is always experiencing miserable conditions.
- Material life is such that due to indulgence in illicit sex, gambling, intoxication and meat-eating, the conditioned soul is always in a dangerous condition.
Divine Assistance and Awakening
Despite the incredibly bleak condition of the fallen soul, the Supreme Lord is excessively merciful and constantly orchestrates opportunities for spiritual awakening. Emphasizing this divine grace, Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that the Lord personally assists the wanderer through the scriptures, the spiritual master, and the Supersoul within the heart. By taking advantage of this sacred association, the formerly morose soul becomes intensely inquisitive to know the Absolute Truth.
- 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.
- In the beginning, a conditioned soul is bereft of Krsna consciousness and is always morose in his material activities. Later, by associating with a pure devotee, one becomes inquisitive to know the Absolute Truth.
- His (Krsna's) Lordship is always in a happy condition of transcendental bliss, whereas the conditioned soul is always unhappy because of his contact with the material energy.
- The form of the Lord and the form of the conditioned soul are different because the Lord is always blissful whereas the conditioned soul is always under the threefold miseries of the material world. The Supreme Lord is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha - Bs. 5.1.
Conclusion
The tragic existence of the conditioned entity serves as a powerful testament to the severe consequences of forgetting the Supreme Lord. As Śrīla Prabhupāda repeatedly warns, dedicating our lives to the temporary maintenance of a dying body guarantees that we will remain in a constant state of fear and agitation. We must intelligently recognize our diseased condition and eagerly grasp the divine assistance offered by the spiritual master to achieve true, everlasting happiness.
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 A Conditioned Soul Is Always. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.