Injecting Life into a Dead Body – The Process of Becoming Enlivened
Matter is dull and lifeless. Spirit is conscious and active. Śrīla Prabhupāda uses a striking metaphor to describe the mission of his movement: he explains that the material world is essentially a "dead body." No amount of decoration can make a dead body beautiful or happy. However, when the soul is present, the body appears alive. Similarly, our modern civilization is dead without God, and the purpose of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is to inject spiritual life into it, resulting in the practitioner becoming enlivened. This enlivenment is the hallmark of a genuine spiritual connection.
Symptom of Self-Realization
The immediate result of realizing one’s true identity is relief. In the material concept of life, the living entity is burdened by the miseries of the body and the struggle for existence. But as soon as one realizes, "I am not this body, I am part and parcel of the Supreme," the burden is lifted. This state is called prasannātmā. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that one becomes immediately enlivened because they no longer identify with the temporary pains and pleasures of the material world.
- Although this world is dead body, when there is Krsna consciousness, it becomes enlivened. That is our movement. We are trying to inject Krsna consciousness in everything dead within this world.
- As soon as one understands that he has nothing to do with matter, he at once ceases his material hankerings and becomes enlivened as a spiritual being.
- Prasannatma means he becomes immediately enlivened: I don't belong to this. Why I am identifying myself with these miseries of material world? I belong to the part and parcel of the Supreme, sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah (Bs. 5.1), eternal, blissful knowledge
Keeping the Fire Burning
How does a community of devotees maintain this enthusiasm? Śrīla Prabhupāda gives practical formulas. He emphasizes the importance of daily classes where the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is read and discussed verse by verse. This intellectual and spiritual engagement purifies the atmosphere and ensures that everyone becomes enlivened. Furthermore, active service—such as printing and distributing books—gives the workers a sense of higher purpose, which translates into spiritual vitality.
- Introduce this system in all of the centers in your zone, and you will discover that everyone becomes very much enlivened by these daily classes. Read one sloka (of Srimad-Bhagavatam) and discuss and then go on to the next sloka on the next day, and so on.
- If by your presence in a centre the devotees become enlivened, that is the sign of successful preaching. It is not very difficult. Just read from my books and try and explain the meaning in your own words.
- I am so glad the press workers have become enlivened in their work. This is required if we at all wish to be a truly worldwide organization. Worldwide means worldwide distribution of literatures. That is the business of ISKCON Press.
Reciprocation of Bliss
Spiritual life is not a one-way street; it involves a dynamic reciprocation between the Lord and His devotees. In the spiritual world, Kṛṣṇa becomes enlivened by seeing the beauty and devotion of the gopīs, and in turn, the gopīs blossom upon seeing Kṛṣṇa. This principle extends to the relationship between the spiritual master and the disciple. Just as a father is happy to see his son surpass him, a bona fide guru becomes spiritually enlivened when he sees his disciples advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
- By looking at the beautiful gopis Krsna becomes enlivened, and this enlivens the gopis, whose youthful faces and bodies blossom.
- The father becomes more enlivened when he sees his son advance beyond himself. Similarly, the spiritual master takes more pleasure in seeing his disciple advance than in advancing himself.
Conclusion
To be enlivened is the natural state of the soul. The dullness, depression, and lethargy often found in modern society are symptoms of a "dead" civilization disconnected from its source. As these instructions reveal, the method to revive this dead body is simple: inject the vibration of the holy name and the philosophy of the Bhāgavatam. By doing so, one transcends the modes of nature and tastes the nectar of the eternal, blissful reality.
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 Becoming Enlivened. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.