The Gaudiya Vaishnava Concept of Ignorance part2
Sun, 02/10/2008 - 18:31 — admin
TEACHER: Although the living entities are spiritual in nature, when they attempt to exploit or enjoy matter, they forget their real identities. By contacting matter they become forgetful and identify themselves with the material energy rather than the spiritual energy. What I am saying right now should be understood in connection with the fall of the living entity from the spiritual world, which we talked about when we discussed what is known as “the problem of evil” a few days ago. The individual soul is not the Supreme Lord and is thus not the Supreme Enjoyer. When he desires to be the Supreme Enjoyer rather than to serve the Supreme Enjoyer, however, he enters the world of material energy. And under the influence of the material energy, he forgets his spiritual identity.
MICHAEL: Why is this? Why does he have to forget this identity to come to the material world?
TEACHER: One who is in full consciousness of his identity as spirit soul doesn’t identify with the body. Unless one identifies with the body, he cannot involve himself wholeheartedly in trying to enjoy matter. In the Bhagavad-gita it is described that a self-realized person is aloof from his bodily activities, viewing them as a witness, but not identifying with them.31
One has to be in a different consciousness than this to enjoy matter. One must be thinking, “I am the body. I am enjoying.” So since the living being is desirous of seeking happiness away from God, the Supreme Lord arranges for his bewilderment. Then he gets what he desires.
LEARNING FROM HISTORYMICHAEL: I am still at a loss as to how this ignorance affects the living beings.
In this world, people are always fighting over property. They want to stake their claims of ownership on both the living and the nonliving. According to the Sri Ishopanishad, these people are like thieves fighting over stolen loot. If we look at the question from the relatively short-term view, we may find it hard to accept that no one is really an owner of anything. But if we adopt the point of view of the Sri Ishopanishad—which sees the universe not in terms of decades, centuries, or even thousands of years, but in terms of many millions of years—then we can understand this point.
Science of Identity Foundation – Siddhaswarupananda
TEACHER: Although the living entities are spiritual in nature, when they attempt to exploit or enjoy matter, they forget their real identities. By contacting matter they become forgetful and identify themselves with the material energy rather than the spiritual energy. What I am saying right now should be understood in connection with the fall of the living entity from the spiritual world, which we talked about when we discussed what is known as “the problem of evil” a few days ago. The individual soul is not the Supreme Lord and is thus not the Supreme Enjoyer. When he desires to be the Supreme Enjoyer rather than to serve the Supreme Enjoyer, however, he enters the world of material energy. And under the influence of the material energy, he forgets his spiritual identity.
MICHAEL: Why is this? Why does he have to forget this identity to come to the material world?
TEACHER: One who is in full consciousness of his identity as spirit soul doesn’t identify with the body. Unless one identifies with the body, he cannot involve himself wholeheartedly in trying to enjoy matter. In the Bhagavad-gita it is described that a self-realized person is aloof from his bodily activities, viewing them as a witness, but not identifying with them.31
One has to be in a different consciousness than this to enjoy matter. One must be thinking, “I am the body. I am enjoying.” So since the living being is desirous of seeking happiness away from God, the Supreme Lord arranges for his bewilderment. Then he gets what he desires.