Hare Krsna,
To understand the concept of self-deception, it is important to take a few steps back and understand what caused this self-deception in the first place. The context is that unless a living entity forgets his real identity as the eternal servant of the Lord Krsna, it is impossible for him to live in material conditions of life. The miseries of the pure soul and the disruption of his self-identification are managed by the external energy of the Lord, which controls those mischievous living entities who want to go against the will of the Lord. Life after life the living entity falsely tries to lord it over material nature and become the lord of the material world, but there is no tangible result. At last, when frustrated, he gives up his material activities and tries to become one with the Lord and speculate with much jugglery of words, but without success.
So, Brahma created ignorance around self-identity as a matter of necessity. He created five features of ignorance.
SB 3.12.2: Brahmā first created the nescient engagements like self-deception, the sense of death, anger after frustration, the sense of false ownership, and the illusory bodily conception, or forgetfulness of one’s real identity.
Subsequently in a conversation between Vidura and Maitreya Rsi, Vidura inquired about isvara and jiva. Vidura asked (a) how does the pure soul become engaged in nescience, and (b) why does the living entity suffer in spite of the Lord’s presence in his heart?
In response to these inquiries, Maitreya Rsi explained that the distress of the living entity is due to misidentification alone. There is no factual background to it just as one sees his head cut off in a dream. Just as the moon reflected on water appears to tremble, the self-associated with matter appears to be qualified in matter (SB 3.7.10-11).
The essence of this concept of self-deception is that due to the bodily consciousness, the living entity comes under distress. Srila Prabhupada reminds us repeatedly in all his books that we are not the material body but the spirit soul, and the constitutional position of the spirit soul is to render devotional service to the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna. Arjuna was in distress in Bhagavad Gita because under false bodily consciousness he was lamenting about killing his friends, relatives, and relatives. Lord Krsna, through the message of Bhagavad Gita, explained to Arjuna that he should think beyond the body and work purely for the pleasure of Lord Krsna. Eternally a living entity is an eternal servant of the Supreme Lord. But due to our rebellious nature and desire to enjoy separately from the Lord, we fell to this material world and came under the influence of the three modes of material nature. By nature, an individual spirit soul is part and parcel of Krsna. Therefore, the nature of the individual soul is full of eternity, knowledge, and bliss. However due to forgetfulness of one’s true nature (that he is a spirit soul and servant of Krsna), he falls under distress.
“A living entity is eternally subordinate to the Supreme Lord, and he has this knowledge with him, but, artificially, he thinks that he is God himself and that although he is God he has lost his knowledge due to māyā. This conception has no meaning, just as there is no meaning to seeing one’s head being cut off.” (SB 3.7.10)
Due to association with matter since time immemorial, the living entity thinks himself as a product of matter. As a result, he undergoes the three modes of material miseries. But as soon as he wakes up from the sleep of illusory energy of the Lord and realizes that the material distress, he undergoes under bodily consciousness is just like a dream, all his miseries can go away. An example is that when one is in deep sleep, he does not feel any sufferings related to the material body. Similarly, if one is deeply absorbed in Krsna consciousness, he will not feel the material distress. It is, therefore, important to have a deep understanding of this theoretical understanding. To explain this point, Srila Prabhupada provides several analogies in his purports.
- Just as a person in a dream sees his head cut off, although his head is still intact, the jiva’s apparent loss of self-identity is illusory, for he can never lose his constitutional knowledge and bliss. (3.7.10 P)
- Just as a school-teacher threatens an errant pupil that the pupil would see his head cut off and hanging on the wall, similarly maya controls mischievous jiva going against the will of the Lord, by placing them in a dream-like state where they perceive forgetfulness of their identity, and suffering (loss of bliss). (3.7.10 P)
- Just as the miseries perceived in a dream are vanquished in deep sleep, similarly the dream-like miseries of the material world are vanquished by complete absorption in the Lord, who attracts each of the senses of His devotees. (3.7.13 V)
Solution to get out of self-deception is bhakti yoga – devotional service to Lord Sri Krsna. “The conception of self-identity has no meaning, just as there is no meaning to seeing one’s head being cut off. This is the process by which knowledge is covered. And because this artificial rebellious condition of the living entity gives him all troubles, it is to be understood that he should take to his normal life as a devotee of the Lord and be relieved from the misconception of being God.” (SB 3.7.10 P)
The misconception of self-deception can be diminished by Lord Vasudeva’s mercy, by the process of devotional service in the mode of detachment. When the senses are engaged in serving Lord Hari, all miseries are vanquished. Hearing and chanting the Lord’s qualities vanquishes all material miseries (sadhana-bhakti). What to speak of those who attained attraction for serving the Lord’s lotus feet (bhava-bhakti)? (SB 3.7.12-14)
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Krsna Katha 