LA april 30 70

Prabhupāda: Why a living entity is superior energy? Can anyone explain? Why living…? Yes? Stand up.

Devotee: Well, it is stated that the living entity, or the jīva soul, belongs to the jīva-tattva, that categoristic…, falls into that categoristic of the Lord’s energy. He is… Spark…

Prabhupāda: No, the question is why the living entity is called superior energy? That is the question. The material, matter—earth, water, air, fire, sky—the inferior energy; and why the living is called superior energy? Who can explain? Yes? Stand up.

Devotee: Well, the individual living entities are all part and parcel of the Supreme Lord…

Prabhupāda: The part and parcel, this material energy also, part and parcel. Because energy…

Devotee: It’s separated. Material energy’s separated, whereas the superior energy…

Prabhupāda: Separated, and this also, living entities also separated. In this sense. One sense, nothing is separated; but at the same time, separated. But the question is why the living entity’s called superior energy?

Devotee: The living entities are conscious and the material energy’s not.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is also one of the reasons. Living entity’s conscious, whereas the material energy is not conscious. This is one of the… Yes?

Devotee: The living entity is also eternal, unchanging, whereas the material energy is subject to change repeatedly.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is also. And the most important is that living entity is superior in this sense, that the living entity can control over the material energy.

Now, when you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, if we chant mechanically, then the effect is different. I have already given you ten kinds of offenses there are in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So mechanical way of chanting is also another offense. So offenseless chanting… Of course in the beginning, neophytes, we are apt to commit so many offenses. But we should be careful that the chanting should be offenseless. Then we shall realize that Kṛṣṇa is present by His name. He is present. You’ll realize and you’ll have the same effect as you expect by meeting Kṛṣṇa personally. You can see Kṛṣṇa and you can hear Kṛṣṇa. Because Kṛṣṇa is absolute, there is no difference between seeing and hearing. That is the absolute sense. People give more stress on the eye: “Oh, can you show me Kṛṣṇa?” Oh, can’t you hear Kṛṣṇa? Why do you give…? This is also one sense, that is also another sense. Do you think by seeing you’ll understand everything? You are seeing so many things daily. Do you understand? So this is all foolishness, that “Can you show me?” Now we have got so many senses. So perception through any sense, because He is absolute, the same effect. Either you see Him personally or you hear Him. Rather, hearing is better because by seeing you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa is present, all people saw Him, but they could not understand Kṛṣṇa. But one who heard of Kṛṣṇa even five thousand years after, just like we are hearing, we can understand Kṛṣṇa as far as possible. So hearing is most important thing. You’ll find in the Thirteenth Chapter, śruti parāyaṇa. Śruti parāyaṇa. Śruti parāyaṇa means one who is very much eager to hear about Kṛṣṇa, he’s a very nice qualified man. So hearing is very important thing than seeing or touching or smelling. Hearing is very… Hearing is the, is so important. When all other senses are not acting, sleeping, no other sense is acting, as soon as telephone bell is called, you get up. No other sense will act. So hearing is so perfect. Therefore according to Vedic principle this hearing is very important thing. Hearing. And one who is very much eager to hear about Kṛṣṇa is very expert, because hearing is knowledge.

….Māyā ca yat, yaya sammohito jīva. So this māyā, Kṛṣṇa’s māyā, this illusory energy, external energy, also saw. Vyāsadeva saw. He saw Kṛṣṇa, apaśyat puruṣaṁ pūrṇam. He saw the Supreme Personality as well as His māyā.