Within the Cosmic Egg, Vishnu, Hari, divides it in fourteen planetary
systems that compose its body. The parts of the body of the Virat Purusha,
the universal Lord, manifest as the various components of nature - the
mouth is the power to speak and the Deva of fire, the nostrils are the sense
of smell and the prana, and so on.
In this way we contemplate God as present in our own body and in the
universe and simultaneously distinct from them. When the living being is in
this position, he is not subject to the influence of the gunas, of the
temporary identifications and of the sense of possession, just like the sun
remains detached from its own reflection in the water.
If, on the other hand, he falls under the illusion of false material
identification, believing himself to be the body, he focuses on material
activities and considers himself as the owner of everything. In this
conditioned state, he transmigrates into different species of life, higher or
lower according to his association with the three influences of nature, and it
forced to suffer the consequences of his actions.
Actually the living being always transcends material energy, but because of
his hunger for power and dominion on nature he is forced to remain in the
material existence and suffer all its disadvantages, just like a sleeping man
remains in his own nightmares and suffers because of them. By practicing
the system of yoga, that is aimed at controlling the mind and the senses,
one can rise to the level of pure devotional service, hearing and speaking
about God.
The liberated soul is aware of the absolute Personality of God, that is
transcendental and manifests as reflection also in false identification. The
presence of the Lord is perceived like the reflection of the sun on the water,
projected on a wall in a room or situated in the sky. Similarly the realized
soul perceives itself as reflected in the ego, in the senses and in the mind,
although it always remains conscious and free from false identification. The
illusion of material identification is like sleep, that confuses the nature and
the identity of the dreamer and creates suffering and anxieties.In spite of its attraction for material nature, the living being can become
liberated by regularly hearing about divine knowledge and performing his
prescribed duties in a spirit of renunciation towards the results of action.
He becomes independent and glorious by renouncing the idea of
dominating matter, and cannot be touched by the influence of matter
because he knows the reality of the Absolute, the nature of Brahman. After
living many years and many lifetimes in this spiritual practice, one loses all
desires to enjoy matter and any attraction for the mystic powers of yoga or
even for the heavenly planets of this world. Thus he finally attains the
transcendental position and never returns again to the material world.
In order to engage in devotional service, one needs to see all living beings
equally, without hostility or intimate relationships with anyone. One must
be sincere in external activities and offer their results to God, be content
with that income that can be obtained without too much difficulty, only eat
what is strictly required and constantly live in a solitary place avoiding
mundane social interactions.
One should be always truthful, attentive, clean, peaceful, friendly, nonviolent,
compassionate and focused on one's spiritual nature. One should
abstain from appropriating what does not belong to him and be satisfied
with what he has. He must cultivate the ability to see and understand things
through the knowledge of matter and spirit, but always avoid identifying
with the body and being attracted to relationships based on the body.
One should abandon conventional religious practices and focus only on
those that lead to liberation, such as studying Vedic scriptures and
worshiping the Deity, observing silence, controlling breathing, detaching
the senses from the sense objects and focusing the mind on the heart.
Fixing the prana and the mind on one of the six chakras of the body, he
must focus the mind on the transcendental activities of God: this is called
samadhi.
When one has learned to control the mind and the body, he must sit
comfortably in a solitary and sanctified place, keeping the body erect, and
practice breathing control. He begins with deep breathing, holding the air
between inhalation and exhalation, and then the other way around. The
purpose of this practice is to stabilize and calm the mind, and to become
free from the identification with the material body.
