Developing Pure Love (Srimad Bhagavatam #39)

Lord Kapila describes the process of meditation on the form of the Lord. The same applies both to the yogi seeing Paramatma and to the devotee seeing the Lord in the temple.

Dec 12, 2024

The ultimate goal of the process of bhakti-yoga is to develop pure love of Godhead. As Krishna explains in the Bhagavad-Gita: "One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state, he attains pure devotional service unto Me."

Pure devotional service comes after the stage of liberation, and this indicates that it is the ultimate goal of life. One who attains liberation but does not serve the Lord may reach the impersonal Brahmajoti, but without reaching his eternal position of service, one has to come back to the material world.

In this part, Lord Kapila describes the practical process of meditation on the form of the Lord. This same process applies to the yogi seeing the Lord inside the heart and to the devotee seeing the Lord in the temple. Understanding how these two processes come together is essential for relating the teachings of Lord Kapila to our spiritual practice. Without this understanding, we tend to think that Kapila describes a process that is not applicable to us, and fail to realize the purpose of His instructions.

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Developing Pure Love

The ultimate goal of the process of bhakti-yoga is to develop pure love of Godhead. As Krishna explains in the Bhagavad-Gita:

"One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state, he attains pure devotional service unto Me."

The lotus feet of the Lord

Now Lord Kapila describes the practical process of meditation on the form of the Lord. This same process applies to the yogi seeing the Lord inside the heart and to the devotee seeing the Lord in the temple:

"In fixing his mind on the eternal form of the Lord, the yogī should not take a collective view of all His limbs, but should fix the mind on each individual limb of the Lord. The devotee should first concentrate his mind on the Lord’s lotus feet, which are adorned with the marks of a thunderbolt, a goad, a banner and a lotus. The splendor of their beautiful ruby nails resembles the orb of the moon and dispels the thick gloom of one’s heart. The blessed Lord Śiva becomes all the more blessed by bearing on his head the holy waters of the Ganges, which has its source in the water that washed the Lord’s lotus feet. The Lord’s feet act like thunderbolts hurled to shatter the mountain of sin stored in the mind of the meditating devotee. One should therefore meditate on the lotus feet of the Lord for a long time. The yogī should fix in his heart the activities of Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune, who is worshiped by all demigods and is the mother of the supreme person, Brahmā. She can always be found massaging the legs and thighs of the transcendental Lord, very carefully serving Him in this way." (SB 3.28.20-23)

This process of meditating on each part of the transcendental body of the Lord separately counters the tendency we have to see the Lord just like we would see some touristic attraction, and not exactly as a person. When we go to the temple, do we notice the clothes the Lord is wearing? Did we see the same articles before, or is something new? What about the ornaments the Lord is using? How do they increase the natural beauty of the limbs of the Lord? Or maybe it's the opposite, is it the Lord who increases the beauty of the ornaments? What about his garlands? Do we notice the delicate lines in the feet of the Lord, or His beautiful fingers and nails? Can we remember some of the pastimes connected with each limb of the Lord, like when He cracked the coverings of the universe with His lotus feet or used his lotus hand to wipe away the drops of sweat in the foreheads of the Gopis after the rasa dance? What is the expression on the face of the Lord today? Does He look satisfied with the arrangements made by His devotees? Is there any service we can offer to improve His worship?

Lord Kapila especially recommends meditating on the lotus feet of the Lord. This is the process of approaching the Lord respectfully we learn from the Srimad Bhagavatam. We should not be sahajiyas, taking the association of the Lord as something cheap. First, we should approach the Lord very respectfully, contemplating His transcendental form starting from His lotus feet, and then gradually progressing to His lotus face. In this way, we can see all the details of his transcendental form and ornaments, and remember His pastimes and associates on the way.

Prabhupada explains this point on his purport to SB 1.8.22: "One should begin to see the Lord from His lotus feet, gradually rising to the thighs, waist, chest and face. One should not try to look at the face of the Lord without being accustomed to seeing the lotus feet of the Lord."

The process of meditating on the form of the Lord is recommended for all types of devotees, from the first day all the way to perfection. However, as Prabhupada explains, to render some practical service is also important. At first one may just visit the temple and see the deity, but the idea is that as he progresses he will gradually become inclined to offer some service to the Lord, and this offering of service is the basis of the process of Bhakti-yoga. To just see the Lord without ever performing any service is similar to the process practiced by munis, who just try to understand the Lord using their minds, without developing a propensity of service.

This point about meditating on the lotus feet of the Lord is also emphasized by Srila Prabhupada in his purport to text 22: "Another significant point of this verse is that the mind of the conditioned soul, on account of its association with the material energy from time immemorial, contains heaps of dirt in the form of desires to lord it over material nature. This dirt is like a mountain, but a mountain can be shattered when hit by a thunderbolt. Meditating on the lotus feet of the Lord acts like a thunderbolt on the mountain of dirt in the mind of the yogī. If a yogī wants to shatter the mountain of dirt in his mind, he should concentrate on the lotus feet of the Lord and not imagine something void or impersonal. Because the dirt has accumulated like a solid mountain, one must meditate on the lotus feet of the Lord for quite a long time. For one who is accustomed to thinking of the lotus feet of the Lord constantly, however, it is a different matter. The devotees are so fixed on the lotus feet of the Lord that they do not think of anything else. Those who practice the yoga system must meditate on the lotus feet of the Lord for a long time after following the regulative principles and thereby controlling the senses."

Meditating on the form of the Lord

Lord Kapila describes then the process of meditating on the different parts of the transcendental body of the Lord, all the way to His lotus face, and Prabhupada gives additional details in his purports. Impersonalists have great difficulty in accepting the idea that the Lord can have a personal form because they see form as a limitation. They thus conclude that what is unlimited must be formless. Because I have a physical body, I can only be in one place at a time, my hands can reach only up to a certain length, I can eat only using my mouth, and so on. To an impersonalist, this contradicts the idea that Brahman is unlimited, is everywhere, and so on. What they fail to realize is that these limitations affect only material bodies. The Lord doesn't have a material body like us, He has a pure, transcendental, omnipotent spiritual body that is above physical laws. Although Ksirodakasayi Vishnu is present in the island of Svetadwipa, He is present everywhere in the universe. When Mother Yashoda looked inside of the mouth of Krishna, she could see all the universes, including our planet and herself inside. Everything that exists, both in the material and spiritual worlds is part of the transcendental body of the Lord, but at the same time, He is present in His own abode in Goloka Vrindavana. Because the form of the Lord is transcendental, He can reconcile all these apparent contradictions.

The form of the deity we see in the temple is not different from the original form of the Lord. The Lord manifests His full spiritual form and potency in the form of the deity, and how much we can see and experience depends only on our sincerity and purity. As Krishna explains in the Gita, "As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly." By this process of meditation described by Lord Kapila, we can gradually see the Lord.

"Next, the yogi should fix his mind in meditation on the Personality of Godhead’s thighs, the storehouse of all energy. The Lord’s thighs are whitish blue, like the luster of the linseed flower, and appear most graceful when the Lord is carried on the shoulders of Garuḍa. Also, the yogī should contemplate His rounded hips, which are encircled by a girdle that rests on the exquisite yellow silk cloth that extends down to His ankles. The yogī should then meditate on His moonlike navel in the center of His abdomen. From His navel, which is the foundation of the entire universe, sprang the lotus stem containing all the different planetary systems. The lotus is the residence of Brahmā, the first created being. In the same way, the yogī should concentrate his mind on the Lord’s nipples, which resemble a pair of most exquisite emeralds and which appear whitish because of the rays of the milk-white pearl necklaces adorning His chest. The yogī should then meditate on the chest of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the abode of goddess Mahā-Lakṣmī. The Lord’s chest is the source of all transcendental pleasure for the mind and full satisfaction for the eyes. The yogī should then imprint on his mind the neck of the Personality of Godhead, who is adored by the entire universe. The neck of the Lord serves to enhance the beauty of the Kaustubha gem, which hangs on His chest." (SB 3.28.24-26)

The legs of the Lord are the reservoir of all strength. They are dressed in yellow silk that goes all the way down to His ankles, are ornamented with a golden girdle, and they rest on the shoulders of Garuda. We often think of Garuda as the carrier of Lord Vishnu, but Krishna also travels on Garuda, like when He went to fight with Narakasura to deliver the kings and the princesses held captive, accompanied by Satyabhama.

His navel is the foundation of the whole universe, the source of the lotus flower from wich Lord Brahma appears. This gigantic lotus flower contains all the material elements, as well as all the souls who desire to participate in the material creation. The navel of the Lord is not only the source of the lotus for this universe but simultaneously the source for all universes. This is another inconceivable aspect of the opulence of the Lord.

The chest of the Lord is the resting place of Mahā-Lakṣmī, who is the reservoir of all the energies responsible for creating, destroying, and maintaining the material universes. Yogis can attain all kinds of mystical powers by just meditating on this part of the transcendental body of the Lord. As they advance, devotees can also attain these powers, but because they are fixed in their service to the Lord, they are not interested in it.

The neck of the Lord is ornamented with the Kaustubha gem, which is engraved with a calf. However, His neck is so beautiful that it increases the beauty of the gem, instead of the opposite. It is mentioned that the Kaustubha jewel represent all jivas, who are thus kept by the Lord close to his heart. This illustrates the intimate relationship all of us have with Krishna. The neck of the Lord is also ornamented with a pearl necklace, which represents all the pure souls who are always engaged in His service. This is surely something we can meditate upon.

"The yogī should further meditate upon the Lord’s four arms, which are the source of all the powers of the demigods who control the various functions of material nature. Then the yogi should concentrate on the polished ornaments, which were burnished by Mount Mandara as it revolved. He should also duly contemplate the Lord’s discus, the Sudarśana cakra, which contains one thousand spokes and a dazzling luster, as well as the conch, which looks like a swan in His lotus-like palm.

The yogī should meditate upon His club, which is named Kaumodakī and is very dear to Him. This club smashes the demons, who are always inimical soldiers and is smeared with their blood. One should also concentrate on the nice garland on the neck of the Lord, which is always surrounded by bumblebees, with their nice buzzing sound, and one should meditate upon the pearl necklace on the Lord’s neck, which is considered to represent the pure living entities who are always engaged in His service." (SB 3.28.27-28)

People who would follow Vedic culture had a great respect for all demigods, and this remains largely true even in modern India. Demigods are great authorities and they should indeed be respected. At the same time, however, one should understand that the power of all demigods originates from the Lord, more specifically from his four arms, as exhibited in his form as Vishnu. The power, beauty, and greatness of the demigods is thus just a small fragment of the power and qualities of the Lord.

The arms of the Lord are decorated with many beautiful ornaments. To better visualize the beauty and shine of the Lord's ornaments, we can meditate on the pastime of the churning of the milk ocean. On this pastime, the Lord supported the Mandara Hill as Kurma Deva, and as the mountain moved, all His ornaments were polished. We can meditate on the beauty of these spiritual, shining, polished ornaments.

The lotus flower and the conch carried by the Lord are used to give solace to His devotees, just like when the Lord touched His conch on the forehead of Dhruva Maharaja after his strenuous austerities. Conversely, the chakra and the mace are used to punish the demons who are inimical to the Lord and His devotees. Even the most powerful demons are no match for the Lord, just like He demonstrated when fighting Hiranyaksa. Despite him being the most powerful demon to appear in the history of the universe up to that date, the Lord played with him just like a toy, just to dismissively kill him with a slap at the end.

The Sudarśana cakra is the symbol of the power of the Lord and revolves with a thousand spokes. One of its features is the Kala cakra, the well of time, or time element, that is sent by Lord Maha-Vishnu through His look in the direction of the material energy, and revolves continuously, with 360 spokes (symbolizing the days of the year), diminishing the lifespan of all living beings of the universe. This robs all demons and atheists of their life expectancy, keeping them in fear of the results of their sinful activities, but doesn't at all affect the devotees, who live in the transcendental platform of eternal service to the Lord, aloof of the influence of material time. The club of the Lord, named Kaumodakī is used to smash the bodies of such demons. Just as mud is made by mixing earth and water, the blood and flesh of the demons muddies the powerful mace of the Lord.

As Krishna explains in the Bhagavad-Gita, no type of weapon can harm the soul. The demons who are hit by the mace of the Lord have their bodies and all their material contaminations destroyed. This allows them to achieve liberation, just like great yogis. The killing of demons with His mace is thus just another display of the mercy of the Lord.

"The yogī should then meditate on the lotus-like countenance of the Lord, who presents His different forms in this world out of compassion for the anxious devotees. His nose is prominent, and His crystal-clear cheeks are illuminated by the oscillation of His glittering alligator-shaped earrings. The yogi then meditates upon the beautiful face of the Lord, which is adorned with curly hair and decorated by lotus-like eyes and dancing eyebrows. A lotus surrounded by swarming bees and a pair of swimming fish would be put to shame by its elegance. The yogīs should contemplate with full devotion the compassionate glances frequently cast by the Lord’s eyes, for they soothe the most fearful threefold agonies of His devotees. His glances, accompanied by loving smiles, are full of abundant grace. A yogī should similarly meditate on the most benevolent smile of Lord Śrī Hari, a smile which, for all those who bow to Him, dries away the ocean of tears caused by intense grief. The yogī should also meditate on the Lord’s arched eyebrows, which are manifested by His internal potency in order to charm the sex-god for the good of the sages. With devotion steeped in love and affection, the yogī should meditate within the core of his heart upon the laughter of Lord Viṣṇu. The laughter of Viṣṇu is so captivating that it can be easily meditated upon. When the Supreme Lord is laughing, one can see His small teeth, which resemble jasmine buds rendered rosy by the splendor of His lips. Once devoting his mind to this, the yogī should no longer desire to see anything else." (SB 3.28.29-33)

People in this world are naturally attracted to beautiful things and people. This is actually a natural characteristic of the soul, but it is now being misdirected. All beauty we can see in this material world is nothing more than a small fraction of the beauty of the Lord reflected in the material energy. When we look at the elegant face of the Lord, we can behold this original source of all beauty. When our attention is turned to the real, we lose our attraction to the illusory. As Prabhupada mentions in his purport:

"The entire universe is full of miseries, and therefore the inhabitants of this material universe are always shedding tears out of intense grief. There is a great ocean of water made from such tears, but for one who surrenders unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the ocean of tears is at once dried up. One need only see the charming smile of the Supreme Lord. In other words, the bereavement of material existence immediately subsides when one sees the charming smile of the Lord."

He then continues: "It is stated in this verse that the charming eyebrows of the Lord are so fascinating that they cause one to forget the charms of sense attraction. The conditioned souls are shackled to material existence because they are captivated by the charms of sense gratification, especially sex life. The sex-god is called Makara-dhvaja. The charming brows of the Supreme Personality of Godhead protect the sages and devotees from being charmed by material lust and sex attraction."

After meditating on the smile of the Lord, the last stage is to meditate on his laughter, which brings us closer to Him in a personal relationship. Even if there is still some vestige of impersonal conception in our meditation even after seeing the smile of the Lord it will be finally destroyed when we meditate on his laugh. A photo, a statue, or anything impersonal doesn't laugh. Only a person can laugh, and laughter is normally reserved for friends, lovers, and close associates. By meditating on the laugh of the Lord, we can fully understand that He is a person who has feelings and a sense of humor, someone who is not just a distant deity but a close friend with who we can relate to.

Developing pure love

"By following this course, the yogī gradually develops pure love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari. In the course of his progress in devotional service, the hairs on his body stand erect through excessive joy, and he is constantly bathed in a stream of tears occasioned by intense love. Gradually, even the mind, which he used as a means to attract the Lord, as one attracts a fish to a hook, withdraws from material activity. When the mind is thus completely freed from all material contamination and detached from material objectives, it is just like the flame of a lamp. At that time the mind is actually dovetailed with that of the Supreme Lord and is experienced as one with Him because it is freed from the interactive flow of the material qualities. Thus situated in the highest transcendental stage, the mind ceases from all material reaction and becomes situated in its own glory, transcendental to all material conceptions of happiness and distress. At that time the yogī realizes the truth of his relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He discovers that pleasure and pain as well as their interactions, which he attributed to his own self, are actually due to the false ego, which is a product of ignorance." (SB 3.28.34-36)

In his purport, Srila Prabhupada explains that the process of forcing the mind to meditate in the form of the Lord is just the beginning of devotional practice. In material life, the mind is accustomed to be distracted by so many material desires and objects, therefore the process of using the inteligence to transfer the attention of the mind to the Lord is necessary. We start by receiving some knowledge from the scriptures and acquiring some faith on it and from there we put it into practice. However, in the beginning, the mind is not directly attracted to the process of devotional service, we need to force ourselves to practice it. At this stage, there may be some struggle because we need to constantly use the inteligence to keep the mind engaged in the process, and as a result, we are not very well fixed on it. However, Prabhupada call out attention that this is just temporary. There is a higher stage we can reach later, after our material contaminations are cleared.

Initially, the inteligence is used to control the mind, and the controlled mind is used to engage the senses and thus execute activities that purify us. As he mentions, "the yoga principles of meditation are required as long as one is not situated in pure devotional service. The mind is used to purify the senses, but when the senses are purified by meditation, there is no need to sit in a particular place and try to meditate upon the form of the Lord. One becomes so habituated that he automatically engages in the personal service of the Lord."

As we studied, although Lord Kapila is speaking here about astanga yoga, the process he describes here is also used in the process of Bhakti-yoga when we meditate on the form of the deity, or even when we mentally meditate on the form and pastimes of the Lord. The process is thus an integral part of the process of Bhakti and should not be seen as something separated. In the beginning, we forcefully engage the mind, but as we process, we gradually purify ourselves of material contamination and the natural propensity of the soul awakens. When this happens, we become spontaneously attracted to the service of the Lord, and there is no necessity of some separate process. The very material mind, which is instrumental in the beginning, becomes irrelevant as we advance, since at this point we don't serve the Lord by engaging the mind, but as a result of natural spiritual affection that is awakened. As Prabhupada mentions, "In the beginning the mind is employed in attracting the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but in the higher stages there is no question of using the mind."

In the beginning, this concept may sound dificult to understand, but it becomes easier when we remember that we are not the mind. As we studied, the mind is a separate entity that covers the soul. The material mind works mechanically, much like a computer. In the beginning, the spiritual consciousness of the soul is covered by heaps of material contamination and we can't clearly see ourselves or operate in our original spiritual platform. At this stage, the only tool we have to feel and will is the material mind, and the process is to engage it in the service of the Lord. By doing that, we become gradually purified, and our spiritual nature awakens. At this stage, we start to see ourselves as souls, and our original propensity to love and serve Krishna awakens. At this stage, we don't depend on the material mind, we just use this natural propensity. As Prabhupada explains, the stage where we serve by engaging the mind is called nirbīja-yoga, or lifeless yoga, because it is still practiced in the material platform, while the stage here our spontaneous devotions is awakened is called sabīja-yoga, or living yoga, because it is practiced in a truly transcendental platform.

While we are still in the material platform, the idea of being engaged 24 hours in Krishna's service may sound unrealistic, but this becomes possible when we reach the transcendental platform. As Prabhupada explains, "One should engage in the service of the Lord twenty-four hours a day, as confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā. The stage of premāñjana-cchurita can be attained by developing complete love. When one's love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead in devotional service is fully developed, one always sees the Lord, even without artificially meditating on His form. His vision is divine because he has no other engagement. At this stage of spiritual realization, it is not necessary to engage the mind artificially. Since the meditation recommended in the lower stages is a means to come to the platform of devotional service, those already engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord are above such meditation. This stage of perfection is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

One symptom of this transcendental stage is that our desires become dovetailed with the desires of the Lord. At this stage, the mind becomes completely purified, and in this purified stage, it becomes directly connected with the desires of the Lord. Material desires are thus replaced with the desire to fulfill the desires of the Lord. Later, when Lord Kapila explains the different categories of devotional service, he makes the distinction between this stage where we are still in the material platform and our desires are disconnected from the desires of the Lord, and the transcendental platform, where we become connected. As Prabhupada mentions, "When the mind is completely purified in love of Godhead, the mind becomes the mind of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The mind at that time does not act separately, nor does it act without inspiration to fulfill the desire of the Lord. The individual liberated soul has no other activity."

The yogi and his body

"Because he has achieved his real identity, the perfectly realized soul has no conception of how the material body is moving or acting, just as an intoxicated person cannot understand whether or not he has clothing on his body. The body of such a liberated yogī, along with the senses, is taken charge of by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and it functions until its destined activities are finished. The liberated devotee, being awake to his constitutional position and thus situated in samādhi, the highest perfectional stage of yoga, does not accept the by-products of the material body as his own. Thus he considers his bodily activities to be like the activities of a body in a dream. Because of great affection for family and wealth, one accepts a son and some money as his own, and due to affection for the material body, one thinks that it is his. But actually, as one can understand that his family and wealth are different from him, the liberated soul can understand that he and his body are not the same." (SB 3.28.37-39)

How does someone who reaches this position in complete Krishna Consciousness relate to his material body? It's clear that eventually, he goes back to Godhead, but how does he act as long as he is still living in his material body?

Krishna explains in the Bhagavad-Gita that a self-realized soul sees equally a very learned brahmana, a sudra, a hog, a dog, and a cow. This is possible because he does not see the body, but the soul inside the body. Similarly, one does not see himself as the body, but as the eternal soul which is different and independent from the body. When we say "body", this includes the senses, the mind, and even the intelligence. All of these are coverings connected to the soul through the false ego. In the conditioned stage we identify with these coverings, but one in the perfect stage can see himself as the pure soul.

While inside a dream, whatever we see in the dream feels quite real, but as soon as we wake up we understand it was just a dream. Imagine however that we could experience the illusory reality of the dream while awakening, side by side with reality. In this case, we would still see the images of the dream, but we would be able to understand the situation and differentiate these dreamy images from reality. A pure devotee lives in a similar condition, being awakened for his original spiritual consciousness as a soul, but at the same time living in a material body and seeing the dream of material reality.

Sometimes, a liberated soul may continue executing his material duties, and thus appear to be acting just like an ordinary man, and sometimes he may become completely absorbed in the spiritual platform and forget completely about even the most basic bodily demands, such as eating and sleeping. In this case, the activities of the body are carried out automatically by the Lord, through the actions of the three modes of nature. As Lord Kapila mentions, in this case "the perfectly realized soul has no conception of how the material body is moving or acting, just as an intoxicated person cannot understand whether or not he has clothing on his body."

How can we come to this stage? First of all, we need to realize it intellectually. Lord Kapila gives the example that even a common person can understand his money and his family members are different from him, even tough he feels affection for them. Similarly, we identify with a particular material body out of affection for it and for the material gratification it can provide, but by philosophical introspection we can understand the body is different from our real self. As Prabhupada mentions, "I am separate from my body. It is a question of understanding, and the proper understanding is called pratibuddha. By obtaining knowledge in devotional service, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one can become a liberated soul."

The Lord and the jiva

"The blazing fire is different from the flames, from the sparks and from the smoke, although all are intimately connected because they are born from the same blazing wood. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is known as Parambrahma, is the seer. He is different from the jīva soul, or individual living entity, who is combined with the senses, the five elements and consciousness. A yogi should see the same soul in all manifestations, for all that exists is a manifestation of different energies of the Supreme. In this way, the devotee should see all living entities without distinction. That is realization of the Supreme Soul. As fire is exhibited in different forms of wood, so, under different conditions of the modes of material nature, the pure spirit soul manifests itself in different bodies. Thus the yogī can be in the self-realized position after conquering the insurmountable spell of māyā, who presents herself as both the cause and effect of this material manifestation and is therefore very difficult to understand." (SB 3.28.40-44)

Some philosophies believe in dualism, or that the souls are of some separate nature from the Lord. Others believe in monism, that there is no difference between the souls and the Lord, and that we are all one. Both concepts were contested by the four great Vaishnava acaryas. The essence of their philosophies is that the soul is simultaneously one and different from the Lord. The example given by Lord Kapila is fire, smoke, and the sparks coming from the fire. In one sense, these are three components of the fire, but in another they are distinct. Similarly, the souls are parts and parcels of the Lord, just like the sparks, and the material nature is a permutation of the external potency of the Lord, being like the smoke. Both the souls and material nature are thus potencies of the Lord, but at the same time, they are distinct. Everything is simultaneously one with and different from everything else. This delicate balance between monism and dualism is explained by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in His acintya-bhedābheda-tattva philosophy.

One trap of material conditioning is impersonalism, to fail to realize the Lord as a person and consequently to fail to realize our eternal relationship of service to Him.

To see oneself as one with God is still connected with the false ego, and is thus not a perfect conception. Another trap is to see things as different from the Lord. Under the material duality, we see souls in different species of life as distinct from one another, we see the material energy as something disconnected from the Lord, and so on. This mentality keeps us under the control of the false ego and should also be avoided, just like we avoid impersonalism. Instead, we should see everything in connection with the Supreme Lord.

By developing this consciousness, we can be engaged in devotional service to the Supreme Lord, which is not possible in the materialistic platform, nor as an impersonalist. Only by being situated on the proper platform and engaged in devotional service, can we avoid all the traps of Maya and finally be reestablished in our original position. As Prabhupada mentions: "For those who engage in devotional service there is no spell of māyā, and their situation is all-perfect. The duty of the living entity, as a part and parcel of the whole, is to render devotional service to the whole. That is the ultimate perfection of life."

Developing Pure Love (Srimad Bhagavatam #39)

Lord Kapila describes the process of meditation on the form of the Lord. The same applies both to the yogi seeing Paramatma and to the devotee seeing the Lord in the temple.

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