Conditioned life: The reflection in the dark room (Sankhya #10)
The example of the sun reflected on a pot of water and then on the walls of a room is central to understand how the soul appears inside the material creation.
« SANKHYA, The Philosophy of Lord Kapila
Conditioned life: The reflection in the dark room
"A liberated soul realizes the Absolute Personality of Godhead, who is transcendental and who is manifest as a reflection even in the false ego. He is the support of the material cause and He enters into everything. He is absolute, one without a second, and He is the eyes of the illusory energy.
The presence of the Supreme Lord can be realized just as the sun is realized first as a reflection on water, and again as a second reflection on the wall of a room, although the sun itself is situated in the sky.
The self-realized soul is thus reflected first in the threefold ego and then in the body, senses and mind." (SB 3.27.11-13)
These three verses give a very deep explanation of the nature of our material, conditioned consciousness, the presence of the Lord, and the vision of a pure devotee.
The Lord is present everywhere in the material creation, even in the false ego, which is the most subtle of all material elements. However, at the same time, it is said that the Lord never touches material nature. How is it that the Lord is present everywhere if He never touches the material creation?
Lord Kapila explains this point by using the example of the sun reflected on a pot of water and then on the walls of a room. The material world is by nature dark, just like a dark room, and the only light comes from the Lord.
Prabhupada explains this example: "The example given herewith is perfect. The sun is situated in the sky, far, far away from the surface of the earth, but its reflection can be seen in a pot of water in the corner of a room. The room is dark, and the sun is far away in the sky, but the sun’s reflection on the water illuminates the darkness of the room."
Because the sun is so powerful, even the reflection of the sun in a pot of water in the corner of a dark room is sufficiently luminous to be again reflected in the walls of the room and thus illuminate the whole place. The sun thus enters into the room and illuminates it, although it never leaves its position in the sky. Similarly, although the Lord is far, far away, outside the coverings of the universe, he becomes present everywhere by the diffusion of the reflection of His energy.
The Lord is situated in the spiritual sky, and He never comes in contact with the material energy. However, at the same time, He becomes present through the reflection of His energy. In this way, Lord Maha-Vishnu appears as Lord Garbhodakasayi-Vishnu and then as Ksirodakasayi Vishnu, and from Him, all avataras are manifested. Even Krsna Himself, who never leaves Vrindavana, appears in the different universes together with his supreme abode. A pure devotee can thus see Krsna present everywhere, although He is eternally situated in the spiritual sky.
This also shows that although present everywhere, Paramatma is just one. Ksirodakasayi Vishnu is like the reflection of the sun in the pot of water. The light of the reflection illuminates the whole room, although all the light comes from a single source. Just like the light coming from the reflection on the pot of water illuminates the whole room, Paramatma permeates all parts of the universe, although, at the same time, living in his own abode in Svetadvipa. The Lord is thus simultaneously all-pervading (being present everywhere) and localized (being present in one place). This may sound like a contradiction but is just another illustration of the transcendental nature of the Lord.
Prabhupada reinforces this point in his purport:
"The word advayam, “without a second,” which is used in this verse, indicates that although the Supreme Personality of Godhead is represented in everything, including the atoms, He is not divided." And then: "In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa it is stated that as the presence of fire is understood by heat and light, so the Supreme Personality of Godhead, although one without a second, is perceived everywhere by the diffusion of His different energies. It is confirmed in the Īśopaniṣad that the presence of the Lord is perceived everywhere by the liberated soul, just as the sunshine and the reflection can be perceived everywhere although the sun is situated far away from the surface of the globe."
What about the soul? The soul is just like the Lord (tat tvam asi). The Lord is like the sun, and the soul is like a ray of the sun or like a small sun. Sometimes it is also described as the Lord being like the moon and the souls being like stars, conveying the same idea. They are qualitatively one, but quantitatively distinct.
The infinite Lord can simultaneously permeate all material universes, while the infinitesimal soul can permeate just a single material body. Just like the Lord doesn't come in contact with the material energy, the soul also doesn't, although the consciousness of the soul somehow becomes entrapped here. Lord Kapila explains this point on verse 3.27.13: evam trivṛd-ahankāro, bhūtendriya-manomayaiḥ, svābhāsair lakṣito ’nena, sad-ābhāsena satya-dṛk.
There are two meanings in this verse. One is that the soul is reflected in the false ego, and then in the body, senses, and mind, and another is that the Supreme Brahman, the Lord, is reflected in the material elements and is thus present everywhere. Prabhupada translates it as "The self-realized soul is thus reflected first in the threefold ego and then in the body, senses and mind." and then explains also the other meaning in his purport.
A pure devotee can see the Lord present everywhere by His reflection in the material energy, understanding that everything should be used in His service. Prabhupada gives the example that when a conditioned soul sees a nice flower, he thinks how this flower can be used for his sense gratification, while a liberated soul sees the flower as a reflection of the superior energy of the Lord, and plans how to utilize it in His service. A pure devotee also sees the Lord present in his body, mind, intelligence, and senses and thus understands that all of these should be used in the service of the Lord.
Just as the Lord is present in the material world as a reflection, the pure devotee can see himself also present as a reflection. The consciousness of the soul is first reflected in the three divisions of the false ego (in goodness, passion, and ignorance) and from there permeates the body, senses, and mind, just like the sun first reflected in the water and then in the walls. In this way, the big sun permeates all material universes, while the small sun permeates just a particular body, but both are eternally situated in the sky.
How the soul enters into the body without leaving the spiritual sky
As explained, the soul enters into the body in the form of consciousness, and goes from one body to the other, even though the soul never factually comes into contact with matter, remaining always in his eternal transcendental position. The material consciousness we have now is manifested by Lord Vasudeva as a reflection of the original consciousness of the soul, and this reflected consciousness is then covered by the false ego, manifested by Lord Sankarṣaṇa, and then the intelligence and the mind, manifested from Lord Pradyumna and Lord Aniruddha. This combination, what we call the subtle body, is the particle of consciousness that is transported by the vital air from one body to the other. However, if one looks for the soul inside the subtle body, one will not find it, because, in reality, the soul is not present there. The soul is present in his original position in the spiritual sky, and only his attention is somehow captured in the material elements. This elusive nature of the soul is indicated in the Svetasvatara Upanisad (5.9), "When the upper point of a hair is divided into one hundred parts and again each of such parts is further divided into one hundred parts, each such part is the measurement of the dimension of the spirit soul." If one takes the smallest particle he can measure, he will find that the soul is still smaller. If, by the improvement of technology, one becomes able to detect and measure a still smaller particle, like an atom, he will find the soul is still smaller. In this way, one will never be able to measure the soul, it will always escape him.
As explained by Lord Kapila, we are not factually present in this material world, although our consciousness is focused here. This explains how a soul can achieve liberation by just focusing his meditation on Krsna. When one can do so, he sees himself immediately with Krsna, even while still technically living in a material body. Being in the material world is thus not a question of being in a geographical space, but a matter of consciousness. As long as our consciousness is focused on the material world, we are here, but as soon as our consciousness is again focused on Krsna, we suddenly realize we never left. This is a very subtle point in our philosophy Prabhupada explains in his purports.
In the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Srila Rūpa Gosvāmī explains that a pure devotee can be liberated even while living in his material body. From this, we can understand that liberation is not about living in a certain geographical space, but about becoming aware of one's eternal relationship with Krsna. This leads us to the question: How can the pure devotee become aware of His eternal relationship with Krsna and thus be directly present with Krsna even though he is still living in his physical body?
The answer is that the sun still shines in the sky, even though it is reflected in the water. The light of the sun has no problem in being manifested in many places simultaneously. As Prabhupada explains: "When one is reflected through the material contamination of the body and mind in false identification, he is in the conditional state, but when he is reflected in the pure stage he is called liberated."
The eternal servitor of the Lord
Prabhupada goes further by explaining the eternal position of the soul as a servitor of the Lord. This is the explanation for the "origin" of the soul that Prabhupada consistently gives in his books, and is the only explanation that does not contradict the scriptures.
As he mentions: "Real individuality is to understand oneself to be the eternal servitor of the Supreme Lord. This information is received from the mouth of Lord Caitanya. He said clearly, upon the inquiry of Sanātana Gosvāmī, that a living entity is the servitor of Kṛṣṇa eternally. Kṛṣṇa also confirms in Bhagavad-gītā that the living entity is eternally His part and parcel."
In the Bhagavad-gita Krsna explains that "nāsato vidyate bhāvo, nābhāvo vidyate sataḥ". Everything that is sat (real) is eternal or immutable, and everything that changes or has a beginning is asat (non-existent, or illusory). If the relationship of the soul with Krsna had to be established at a certain point in time, this relationship would have a beginning and thus would be asat, illusory, and temporary, existing only under the purview of the material manifestation. The only way the soul can have an eternal relationship with Krsna is if that relationship is eternally existing. As Prabhupada explains, the soul is eternally connected with Krsna in a bond of love. This relationship is eternal and ever existing, and can't ever be broken, although it can be temporarily forgotten. The soul thus can come to the material world and become focused on the temporary reality, just like the light of the sun can be reflected in the pot of water and from there illuminate a room, although the sun is permanently fixed in the sky. The reflection of the soul thus becomes engaged with the material ego, mind, intelligence, and senses, creating a delirious consciousness from where one believes there is no God, that he is one with Brahman, or that he is eternally part of the material world, he was never with Krsna or doesn't have a relationship with Krsna, that an eternal relationship with Krsna has to be established, and so on. These are all illusory concepts that come from one's delirious condition.
Lord Caitanya encapsulates this intricate point in his famous instructions to Srila Sanātana Gosvāmī: jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya — kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’. A living entity is the servitor of Kṛṣṇa eternally.
Later He clarifies: nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-prema ‘sādhya’ kabhu naya, śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya. "Pure love for Kṛṣṇa is eternally established in the hearts of the living entities. It is not something to be gained from another source. When the heart is purified by hearing and chanting, this love naturally awakens."
These two verses encapsulate the following points:
a) The soul is eternal and thus has no origin or creation. It is simply ever existing.
b) The soul is constitutionally a servant of Krsna.
c) The soul's relationship with Krsna is eternal (and thus has no beginning).
d) The soul is eternally an individual since a relationship implies two persons. There is no possibility of becoming one with the Lord.
e) Love for Krsna is eternally established in the soul. It is thus part of the soul and inseparable from it.
f) Being part of the soul, this love for Krsna is not something to be gained from another source.
g) Being eternal, the relationship with Krsna can't be broken. Being part of the soul, love for Him can't be lost. Both can only be forgotten.
h) When the heart is purified by hearing and chanting, this love naturally awakens.
Lord Caitanya then elaborates, by explaining:
kṛṣṇa bhuli’ sei jīva anādi-bahirmukha
ataeva māyā tāre deya samsāra-duḥkha
"Forgetting Kṛṣṇa, the living entity has been attracted by the external feature from time immemorial. Therefore the illusory energy [māyā] gives him all kinds of misery in his material existence."
bhayam dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syād
īśād apetasya viparyayo ’smṛtiḥ
tan-māyayāto budha ābhajet tam
bhaktyaikayeśam guru-devatātmā
"When the living entity is attracted by the material energy, which is separate from Kṛṣṇa, he is overpowered by fear. Because he is separated from the Supreme Personality of Godhead by the material energy, his conception of life is reversed. In other words, instead of being the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, he becomes Kṛṣṇa’s competitor. This is called viparyayo ’smṛtiḥ. To nullify this mistake, one who is actually learned and advanced worships the Supreme Personality of Godhead as his spiritual master, worshipful Deity, and source of life. He thus worships the Lord by the process of unalloyed devotional service."
veda-śāstra kahe — ‘sambandha’, ‘abhidheya’, ‘prayojana’
‘kṛṣṇa’ — prāpya sambandha, ‘bhakti’ — prāptyera sadhana
"The Vedic literatures give information about the living entity’s eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa, which is called sambandha. The living entity’s understanding of this relationship and his acting accordingly is called abhidheya. Returning home, back to Godhead, is the ultimate goal of life and is called prayojana."
Reflected consciousness
This discussion about the "origin" of the soul is quite complex because it is very difficult for us to think outside of the limitations of material time. The whole discussion is largely misguided because by definition the soul has no origin, but just an eternal nature that is unchangeable.
Our three immediate prominent acaryas, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura share an agreement on the intrinsic nature of the soul as a servant of Krsna, and this goes all the way back to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In fact, all four main Vaishnava acaryas agree on this point, starting with Sri Ramanujacarya. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura named his main work “Jaiva Dharma”, which can be translated as 'The Eternal Nature of the Soul', again emphasizing the intrinsic nature of the soul as a servant of Krsna. When all material contaminations are peeled off, this natural love for Krsna automatically manifests.
However, we may have real trouble connecting our current consciousness with this perfect intrinsic consciousness. If my intrinsic inclination is to serve Krsna, how can my current consciousness be so far from it?
To understand this, it’s important to take into consideration that our current consciousness doesn’t have much to do with our original consciousness. Srila Prabhupada explains it by giving the analogy of a dream, which I believe is the best analogy that can be made on this connection.
When I’m inside of a dream, I can’t remember who I really am, nor can I remember most facts from my “real” life. I also can’t think straight, everything just becomes hazy. Sometimes I may remember something from real life, or even understand I’m inside a dream, but even when this happens, still I can only think inside the constraints of the dream. It's thus more like dreaming that I'm dreaming than being factually conscious inside of the dream.
My sleep also has stages. There is very deep sleep, where there is practically no consciousness, different stages of lighter sleep, the dreaming stage, where I perform activities in my altered dreaming consciousness, and a transitional stage, where I’m almost awakened, but still sleepy and still under the effects of the dream. At this stage, my “real” consciousness is more or less awakened, but I still remember the dream and may easily go back to sleep and start dreaming again.
Similarly, our current consciousness is the product of the combination of the false ego, material mind, intelligence, senses, and finally the gross body, including the brain. All these different layers have different effects and the final product is what we call consciousness. Similar to the limited consciousness we have inside of a dream, this is not really “us”, but just a temporary delirious stage. As difficult as it may seem to grasp from the position we are now, the goal of life is not to just remain in this dreaming condition, but to gradually peel the material layers and recover our original spiritual consciousness that is currently forgotten.
In the Bhagavad-gita Krsna explains that the soul is immovable. One meaning of that is that it is not possible to mechanically remove the soul from inside the heart and put it in a different place as we can do to a material object. A deeper meaning however is that the soul is immovable because it never leaves its original position. Whatever the soul is, that’s what he is. There is no possibility of becoming anything else. This eternal nature of the soul is defined by our acaryas as a position of service to Krsna. Losing this position would mean becoming something else, which is impossible since by definition spiritual things don’t change.
However, the soul may falsely identify with a temporary material consciousness, composed of false ego, mind, intelligence, etc. The soul thus doesn’t become something else, but identifies with it, just like someone playing a game on a computer doesn’t become part of it, although he may identify with the knight on the screen, thinking that he is killing orcs or being killed by them.
This material consciousness is different from the soul, but we identify with it, just like a driver may temporarily identify with a car he is driving, or a gamer may identify with the avatar in the game he is playing and completely forget he has an existence separated from it. However, differently from the driver or the gamer, who can at any moment be easily pushed back to reality, our identification with the temporary material consciousness is much more intimate and long-lasting, and therefore much harder to give up. If one could play a game long enough, he would eventually forget his original identity as a human being and become completely absorbed in the game. His original identity would be thus “lost”, although in reality he is still a human being, and can go back to his original consciousness if he can somehow or other become free from the illusory reality of the game.
As in any example, this comparison of the conditioned soul and the gamer has its limitations, but still, the basic principle is similar, since it is based on a false identification. Following this example, we can understand why some of our acaryas would use the word “lost” when describing the original position of the soul. When something is forgotten long enough, we can say that it is lost, and when something is “lost” it implies we currently don’t have it with us, but it can still be recovered if we find it. Our true spiritual nature may be thus currently “lost” for us, and as a result, we are disconnected from our original consciousness of love to Krsna, but this original consciousness can be restored if we “find” it with the help of a self-realized soul. This understanding is the key to deciphering many intricate philosophical concepts and many apparent disagreements between different spiritual authorities.
In one sense, we were never out of this material world, because what we now call “us” (our current material consciousness, composed of the false ego, mind, intelligence, senses, etc.) is a product of this material world and was never outside of it. When we look from this perspective, we are eternally conditioned and there was never a time we were out of it. This material identity we identify with was never out of the material world and will never be. The only way for us to become free is by breaking this identification and reconnecting with our original nature. However, being under the influence of material time, we have, from the material perspective, been disconnected from our eternal nature for so long that it is practically lost to us.
In another sense, however, when we look from the spiritual perspective, of us as immovable souls, we never really left, although our consciousness became somehow entrapped here, identified with the temporary material consciousness. Going back to our original consciousness means thus coming to a stage of Krsna consciousness, and in this purified consciousness we abandon not just our current material body but also the subtle combination of mind, intelligence, and ego we have been identifying with for so long. Although this process is extremely difficult, it is possible when we follow the process of Krsna consciousness under the guidance of a pure devotee of Krsna.
This understanding allows us to reconcile many apparently contradictory ideas. The soul is an eternal servant of Krsna, but at the same time, we are here in the material world. We have an intrinsic propensity to serve Krsna, but at the same time, we may not have it now. Bhakti is eternally established in the heart, but at the same time, we depend on the mercy of the spiritual master to get it, and so on. When we study the books of Srila Prabhupada, as well as of our previous acaryas with the right understanding, we can understand that there are no contradictions between all these conclusions.
Part of our material conditioning is exactly this propensity of seeing contradictions instead of seeing the underlying principle behind different spiritual principles. For one who is blind, the descriptions of an elephant as being similar to a snake, a fan, a tree trunk, a wall, a rope, and a spear may sound completely contradictory, but a person who can see can immediately understand that these different descriptions are complementary in nature. As long as our intelligence operates under the modes of passion and ignorance, many points of the philosophy will sound contradictory, because under these lower modes, the intelligence operates under material duality, seeing everything as black and white, good or bad, and so on, failing thus to grasp all the delicate aspects of different explanations. Only when we are able to ascend at least to the mode of goodness does our intelligence start to work properly. Apart from that, there is the need to receive the right conclusions from a self-realized soul and have faith in such conclusions. Without following this process, even the greatest celestial sages are incapable of understanding transcendental knowledge.
In his Tattva Sandarbha, Srila Jiva Goswami explains that the Vedic literature is written in very esoteric language, and the only way to understand it is by receiving the right conclusions from a self-realized soul and studying the text under this prism. Even when we go to the works of our previous acaryas, the possibility of misunderstanding is still present, since their books were written in a language and cultural context that is often incomprehensible to us. We then come to the books of Srila Prabhupada, who is the current prominent link of our sampradaya. In these books, we find something that we can clearly understand, and if we accept all the conclusions he gives, we may be able to gradually study all the works of the previous acaryas and properly understand them.
Becoming free from the false ego
"Although a devotee appears to be merged in the five material elements, the objects of material enjoyment, the material senses and material mind and intelligence, he is understood to be awake and to be freed from the false ego.
The living entity can vividly feel his existence as the seer, but because of the disappearance of the ego during the state of deep sleep, he falsely takes himself to be lost, like a man who has lost his fortune and feels distressed, thinking himself to be lost.
When, by mature understanding, one can realize his individuality, then the situation he accepts under false ego becomes manifest to him." (SB 3.27.14-16)
In these verses, Lord Kapila explains more about the nature of the false ego, details how can a person realize his eternal nature while still living in the material body, and calls our attention to the menace of impersonalism, the last snare of Maya, that can prevent a soul striving for perfection from attaining the ultimate goal. Falling into this trap, the transcendentalist gives up the search for his eternal, original position and settles in a position of pseudo-liberation, that is still under material conceptions.
The connection between the soul and the material reality is the false ego. The material manifestation is composed of many planets, countries, bodies, and material experiences and everything is going on more or less automatically because of the influence of the three modes of material nature. There are millions of living beings being born and dying in innumerable universes every second, but it doesn't at all concern us. However, when the particular material body we call "ours" is under threat, we become terrified. This happens due to our identification with this particular body and its subproducts. Even when we understand we are not the body, we still tend to think we are the mind or the intelligence. This all happens under the influence of the false ego.
The practical effect of the false ego is to create the sense of an identity different from the soul's eternal identity as an eternal servitor of the Lord. Under the influence of false ego, the soul is prepared to accept any position, be it of a demigod, a human being, a horse, or a cat; any position at all, except his original position as an eternal servant of the Lord.
Under the spell of the false ego, we forget our original identity and become absorbed in lamentation connected with different material situations. Lord Kapila compares this state with the situation of a man who forgets himself while sleeping. While sleeping, one doesn't stop existing, nor does he go anywhere, but due to the forgetfulness of sleep, he becomes unconscious. While sleeping one can also identify with illusory situations while dreaming, but these also don't affect his real existence. Another example given is that a man identifying with his money may think he is lost after losing some money, but this is also due to illusion since only the money was lost.
These different concepts, of a person losing consciousness while sleeping, identifying with illusory situations while dreaming, and identifying with his money, illustrate how the soul forgets his eternal nature while absorbed in the material world, although this original spiritual identity is never lost.
As Prabhupada explains: "Similarly, when we falsely identify with matter as our field of activities, we think that we are lost, although actually we are not. As soon as a person is awakened to the pure knowledge of understanding that he is an eternal servitor of the Lord, his own real position is revived. A living entity can never be lost. When one forgets his identity in deep sleep, he becomes absorbed in dreams, and he may think himself a different person or may think himself lost. But actually his identity is intact. This concept of being lost is due to false ego, and it continues as long as one is not awakened to the sense of his existence as an eternal servitor of the Lord."
Only when we finally realize our eternal position in our relationship with the Lord can this false ego be finally given up. At this point, one may still be living in the body, but by not identifying with it, he can be situated in his original position.
As Prabhupada explains: "The living entity who has become satya-dṛk, who realizes his position in relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, may remain apparently merged in the five elements of matter, the five material sense objects, the ten senses and the mind and intelligence, but still he is considered to be awake and to be freed from the reaction of false ego."
As long as one is not prepared to accept his original position, any other identity one may accept will be still under the concept of false ego. When one finally understands he is not the body, nor the mind or the intelligence, that he is not part of this material world, but part of the eternal spiritual nature, a last trap is set up by Maya: the idea of being one with the Lord. This allows the soul to accept the idea of becoming free from material contamination without accepting his original position of service to the Lord. As Prabhupada explains, this is also a form of false ego, making one believe to be something he is not. The result is that instead of re-attaining one's original position in the spiritual planets, the soul can go no further than the pradhana or the impersonal brahmajyoti, a position from which one can fall back into the material energy.
As Prabhupada explains: "The Māyāvādī philosophers’ concept of becoming one with the Supreme Lord is another symptom of being lost in false ego. One may falsely claim that he is the Supreme Lord, but actually he is not. This is the last snare of māyā’s influence upon the living entity. To think oneself equal with the Supreme Lord or to think oneself to be the Supreme Lord Himself is also due to false ego."
The idea of becoming one with the Lord or His associates is also found in several Vaishnava apasampradayas. Saki-bhekis for example, still common in Vrindavana, believe that one can become one with Krsna's associates, instead of becoming one of their servants. Similarly, chuda-dharis believe they can become one with Krsna by imitating His rasa dance. Ativadis, common in Jagannatha Puri, worship Lord Jagannatha while at the same time believing they will ultimately become one with Him. They are all attracted to Krsna, but their devotion is somehow misguided and transformed into a desire to become Him, instead of aiming to serve Him.
Other sahajiya groups adopt a false form of siddha-pranali, where one acquires an imaginary relationship with Krsna. There is a true siddha-pranali, based on reviving our eternal relationship with the Lord by practicing Krsna consciousness in the association of pure devotees, but that's different from the imitation practiced by these groups. This imaginary siddha-pranali is just another form of upadhi, an imposed material designation that is under the influence of false ego.
Prabhupada mentions this in chapter 16 of Nectar of Devotion, when he mentions:
"In this connection, we should be careful about the so-called siddha-praṇālī. The siddha-praṇālī process is followed by a class of men who are not very authorized and who have manufactured their own way of devotional service. They imagine that they have become associates of the Lord simply by thinking of themselves like that. This external behavior is not at all according to the regulative principles. The so-called siddha-praṇālī process is followed by the prākṛta-sahajiyā, a pseudosect of so-called Vaiṣṇavas. In the opinion of Rūpa Gosvāmī, such activities are simply disturbances to the standard way of devotional service."
Only when we can survive the onslaught of all these misconceptions and keep ourselves on the proper spiritual path that comes to us through our Parampara, can we finally come to understand our real relationship with Krsna, finally surpassing the influence of the false ego.