Material Entanglement - an essential subject

When the spirit soul comes into contact with the material energy of the Lord - Maya - such a soul becomes entangled into material affairs with deep-rooted attachments to family life, wealth and other mundane matters. There are unlimited sources of material entanglement within this world, and persons who thrive on fruitive results centered around their bodies can never find the happiness and peace they search. Such entangled souls find no time to connect with their ever joyful spiritual selves. By enjoying this material world that presents to us an illusory face of pleasure, of worldly relationships, of Godless meditations and of hallucinatory happiness, the living entity is drowning more and more into an ocean of sorrow.

There is no way out of material entanglement by mental speculation. It is a very strong bond, just like three ropes are twisted in one and become very strong. “Then what to do?” one might ask. Hopelessness? No. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gita that anyone who surrenders unto Him and becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, becomes free of all entanglements. There is undoubtedly hope for materially entangled souls, for by the mercy of Lord Caitanya, they can be extricated from their entanglement in Maya by offenselessly chanting the Lord's Holy Names - the Hare Kṛṣṇa Maha-mantra. If one regularly vibrates these transcendental sounds one's natural attraction for Kṛṣṇa will be revived.

Srila Prabhupada's books, lectures, conversations and letters offer a comprehensive presentation of this essential subject as seen in the Vaniquotes Material Entanglement category. An introduction from his books is given below in the following 9 quotes.

Quotes from Srila Prabhupada's books


vanipedia.org 		In this material world, the conception that one is very rich or very poor—or any such consciousness in connection with material existence—is false, because this body itself is false, or temporary. A pure soul who is prepared to be freed from this material entanglement must first of all be free from the association of the three modes of nature. Our consciousness at the present moment is polluted because of association with the three modes of nature. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.25.24)



vanipedia.org 		When one is frustrated in lording it over material nature and is very serious about getting out of this material entanglement, the Lord, from within, gives him the knowledge that he has to surrender unto Him; then there is liberation. This knowledge cannot be imparted by anyone other than the Supreme Lord or His representative. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.31.16)



vanipedia.org 		A life in this material world is exactly like a blazing forest fire. No one goes to set fire to the forest, yet the fire takes place. Similarly, everyone wants to be happy in the material world, but the miserable conditions of material life simply increase. Sometimes a person caught in the blazing fire of material existence condemns himself, but due to his bodily conception he cannot get out of the entanglement, and thus he suffers more and more. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.14.15)



vanipedia.org 		Since no one can trace the history of the living entity's entanglement in material energy, Lord Caitanya said that it is beginningless. By "beginningless" He meant that conditioned life exists prior to the creation; it simply becomes manifest during and after the creation. Due to forgetfulness of his real nature, the living entity, although spirit, suffers all kinds of miseries in material existence. (Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 4)



vanipedia.org 		Simply by understanding one's spiritual position, or by seeing oneself as he is, one can be freed from material entanglement. In various ways, the seeing of oneself is described in the Vedic literatures, and it is confirmed in the Bhāgavatam (puruṣasya ātma-darśanam) that one has to see oneself and know what he is. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.26.2)



vanipedia.org 		A saintly person is one who understands fully that simply by discharging devotional service he can become confident of liberation. He is always situated in the regulative principles of devotional life and at the same time aspires to be liberated from material entanglement. A saintly person thinks like this: "When shall I be able to live alone in the caves of the mountains. (Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 35)



vanipedia.org 		For a materialistic person, material wealth and opulence are only illusory. Actually they are not possessions but entanglements because by enjoying the material world a conditioned soul becomes more and more entangled by incurring debts for his present enjoyment. Unfortunately, a conditioned soul considers property for which he is in debt to be his own, and he is very busy acquiring such property. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 13.124)



vanipedia.org 		Even if for the sake of argument the material world is accepted as untruth, the living entity entangled in the illusory energy cannot come out of it without the help of the body. Without the help of the body, one cannot follow a system of religion, nor can one speculate on philosophical perfection. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.19.39)



vanipedia.org 		By the grace of the Lord one is allowed to enjoy this material world, but when one is disgusted with material enjoyment and is frustrated, and when one sincerely surrenders unto the lotus feet of the Lord, then the Lord is so kind that He frees one from entanglement. Kṛṣṇa says, therefore, in Bhagavad-gītā, "First of all surrender, and then I will take charge of you and free you from all reactions of sinful activities". (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.25.10)


Material Entanglement - explore more within this category.

Vanipedia has now over 903 introductory articles compiled from Srila Prabhupada's books under the series titled Essential Subjects. All these articles can be seen in the Table of Content on the right side of this article and also here in this Umbrella Category. Browse through them to relish the breadth and depth of Srila Prabhupada's teachings - There is a subject for everyone.


   
 

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