Engaging in Spiritual Activities - The Positive Alternative to Material Life
A common misconception about spiritual life is that it involves the cessation of all activity—a state of silent meditation or voidism. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that the soul is inherently active. Therefore, the perfection of life is not to stop working, but to change the quality of one's work. By engaging in spiritual activities dedicated to the Supreme Lord, the living entity finds a positive alternative to material existence, solving the problems of suffering and attaining true happiness.
Limitation of Mere Negation
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that simply realizing "I am not this body" or attaining the Brahman platform is insufficient. While this stage is free from material contamination, it is not perfect because it lacks positive engagement. The soul cannot remain inactive for long; if it does not find spiritual activities, it will inevitably fall back into material activities. Realizing "I am Brahman" must be followed by acting as Brahman.
- According to the Vaisnava philosophy if one simply ceases from materialistic activity one cannot remain inactive for very long, and everyone should engage himself in spiritual activities, which will solve the problem of suffering in this material world.
- Although there is no material contamination when one attains the stage of Brahman realization, that stage is not perfect because there is no positive engagement in spiritual activity. Because it is still on the mental plane, it is external.
- Simply realizing that one is spirit soul is not sufficient. One has to engage in spiritual activity, and that spiritual activity is bhakti.
- Realizing "I am Brahman" means engagement in spiritual activity because we are spirit, and our activities are exhibited even though we are contaminated by matter.
Nature of Spiritual Engagement
What does it mean to engage in spiritual activities? It means employing one's senses, mind, and body in the service of the Lord. Unlike material activities which produce karma (reaction), spiritual activities liberate the performer from the actions and reactions of the gross and subtle bodies. When physical objects—like a stone statue or food ingredients—are engaged in the worship of the Lord, they are transformed into spirit.
- Devotional service means engaging the spiritual body and spiritual senses in the service of the Lord. When we are engaged in such activities, the actions and reactions of the gross and subtle bodies cease.
- Bhakti, bhagavan and bhakta do not belong to the material world. This is confirmed BG (14.26): One who engages in the spiritual activities of unalloyed DS immediately transcends the modes of material nature and is elevated to the spiritual platform.
- Let us therefore offer our obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead (because the so-called stone statue of the Deity is directly God), by whose mercy so-called material things also become spiritual when they are engaged in spiritual activity.
The Symptom of Mukti (Liberation)
Liberation is not an inert state. Śrīla Prabhupāda defines mukti as the condition where one engages in spiritual activities instead of falsely engaging in material activities. This active service is the symptom of a liberated soul. Once engaged in bhakti-yoga, the devotee transcends birth and death and does not fall down, as their consciousness is always fixed on the Supreme.
- The symptom of mukti (liberation) is that one engages in spiritual activities instead of falsely engaging in material activities.
- If the spirit soul engages in the spiritual activities of devotional service, he is completely freed from the platform of birth and death. His next position is complete spiritual freedom from a material body.
- Our Vaisnava philosophy is that you cannot keep yourself in spiritual consciousness unless you are fully engaged in spiritual activities. That is the perfect philosophy.
- Liberation means knowledge and detachment. Knowledge, full knowledge, means that - I am not this body; I am spirit soul, and my bodily activities are not congenial for my ultimate goal of life. I must engage myself in spiritual activity."
Tireless Service
A distinguishing feature of spiritual activity is that it does not cause fatigue in the same way material work does. In the material world, we require regular rest intervals; in spiritual life, the devotee wants to serve continuously—24 hours a day. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that even if the external body appears diseased or suffering, if the individual remains engaged in the Lord's service, they are to be understood as transcendental to those bodily conditions.
- In the material world, after working for some time, we want an interval for rest. But if you are actually engaged in spiritual activities, you won't like to be rested. You want to continue always: work, work, work. Rest will be disgusting.
- One may argue that we may see a person who is spiritually engaged 24 hours a day but is still suffering from disease. In fact, however, he is neither suffering nor diseased; otherwise he could not be engaged 24 hours a day in spiritual activities.
- Just as an ordinary man always engages his mind in material activities, a devotee always engages his mind in spiritual activities. This is called brahma-satra, or meditating upon the Supreme Lord always.
Conclusion
The path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the path of positive engagement. Śrīla Prabhupāda says that rather than trying to artificially stop the mind or senses, the devotee utilizes them in spiritual activities to God. This positive alternative allows one to be happy even while performing duties, for the work itself becomes a source of transcendental bliss rather than a burden of material labor.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Engaging in Spiritual Activities to God. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.