Hare Krsna,
Upon taking a “small step” onto the surface of the moon in 1969, Neil Armstrong uttered what would become one of history’s most famous one-liners. “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.“
Similarly, a jiva makes one “small (mis)step” i.e., it misuses its free-will and chooses to lord it over the material nature rather than serve the Supreme Lord – the supreme proprietor of everything. A jiva makes one mistake and thus has to undergo countless lifetimes of sufferings and misery. One small (mis)step for man, one giant suffering for mankind.
As a suffering jiva, I have asked myself several times – Why did I misuse my freewill? What is it about the material nature that attracted me more than the sweet loving exchange with my Lord? Realizing that I have made this mistake, why is it so difficult to rectify my mistake and return to Krsna? Why is it so hard to become completely purified of all material contamination? Why is it so hard to get out of the entanglement of the illusory energy of the Lord? How many more lifetimes do I have to go through these sufferings?
Maitreya Muni reasons that the living entity is in distress regarding his self-identity. He has not factual background, like a man who dreams that he sees his head cut off. As the moon reflected on water appears to the seer to tremble due to being associated with the quality of the water, so the self associated with matter appears to be qualified as matter. (SB 3.7.10-11)
“The pure soul is pure consciousness and is never out of consciousness, either due to circumstances, time, situations, dreams or other causes.” (SB 3.7.5)
Because the living entity decided to serve the illusory energy of the Lord, it appears to be tainted by material qualities like illusion, lamentation and miseries. Factually the living entity is pure consciousness, but it appears to be contaminated because it identifies with the material qualities. As soon as the living entity realizes that it is not this material body but a spirit soul (an eternal servant of Krsna) his misconception of self-identity will gradually diminish.
The most auspicious and perfect process to come to this realization is devotional service to the Lord.
“But that misconception of self-identity can be diminished gradually by the mercy of the Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva, through the process of devotional service to the Lord in the mode of detachment.” (SB 3.7.12)
“The quivering quality of material existence, which comes from identification with matter or from thinking oneself, under the material influence of philosophical speculation, to be God, can be eradicated by devotional service to the Lord, by the mercy of the Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva… Only knowledge in devotional service can elevate one towards the path of liberation… Lord Vāsudeva is pleased by devotional service only, and thus His mercy is realized by association with pure devotees of the Lord. Pure devotees of the Lord are transcendental to all material desires, including the desire for the results of fruitive activities and philosophical speculation. If one wants to acquire the mercy of the Lord, he has to associate with pure devotees. Such association alone can, by degrees, release one from the quivering elements.” (SB 3.7.12 Purport)
The clue in the above purport is “pure devotees…”. We need to be pure devotees to completely vanquish our material miseries. The path from being “a devotee” to “a pure devotee” is the toughest one. Alas…that’s where I seem to be stumbling repeatedly.
“The material miseries of the living entity, which are superfluous to him, can be directly mitigated by the linking process of devotional service. But the mass of people do not know this, and therefore the learned Vyāsadeva compiled this Vedic literature, which is in relation to the Supreme Truth.” (SB 1.7.6)
“Simply by chanting and hearing of the transcendental name, form, etc., of the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, one can achieve the cessation of unlimited miserable conditions. Therefore what to speak of those who have attained attraction for serving the flavor of the dust of the Lord’s lotus feet?” (SB 3.7.14)
The great sage Maitreya now gives the final answer to all the questions of Vidura: devotional service to the Lord is the ultimate means to mitigate all the miserable conditions of material existence. (SB 3.7.14 Purport)
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Krsna Katha 