140 THE PATH OF PERFECTION The Path of Perfection 141
may look at millions and millions of stars through telescopes, but cloudlike material nature, there is a superior nature, which is
we cannot approach what we are seeing. Similarly, our senses are sanatana, eternal. Yah sa sarvesu bhiitesu naSyatsu na vinasyati.
so insufficient that we cannot approach an understanding of the When this material manifestation is annihilated, that spiritual sky
Spiritual nature. Being incapable, we should not try to understand remains. This is called avyakto ’vyaktat.
God and His kingdom by experimental knowledge. Rather, we In the Second Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, we find a descrip-
have to understand by hearing Bhagavad-gitad. There is no other tion of the spiritual sky and the people who live there. Its nature
way. If we want to know who our father is, we simply have to and features are also discussed. From this Second Canto we un-
believe our mother. We have no other way of knowing except by derstand that there are spiritual airplanes in the spiritual sky, and
her. Similarly, in order to understand who God is and what His that the living entities there—who are all liberated—travel like
nature is, we have to accept the information given in Bhagavad- lightning on those planes throughout the spiritual sky. This ma-
gita. There is no question of experimenting. Once we become ad- terial world is simply an imitation; whatever we see here is simply
vanced in Krsna consciousness, we will realize God and His a shadow of what exists there. The material. world is like a cinema,
nature. We can come to understand, ‘‘Yes, there is God and a wherein we see but an imitation or a shadow of the real thing that
spiritual kingdom, and I have to go there. Indeed, I must prepare is existing. This material world is only a shadow. As stated in
myself to go there.” Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.1.1), yatra tri-sargo ‘mrsa: ‘This illusory
The word vyakta means ‘‘manifest.’? This material universe material world is a combination of matter.”’ In store windows we
that we are seeing (or partially seeing) before us is manifest. At often see mannequins, but no sane man thinks that these manne-
least at night we can see that stars are twinkling and that there are quins are real. He can see that they are imitations. Similarly,
innumerable planets. But beyond this vyakta is another nature, whatever we see here may be beautiful, just as a mannequin may
. called avyakta, which is unmanifest. That is the spiritual nature, be beautiful, but it is simply an imitation of the real beauty found
which is sandtana, eternal. This material nature has a beginning in the spiritual world. As Sridhara Svami says, yat satyatayd mithyd
and an end, but that spiritual nature has neither beginning nor sargo ‘pi satyavat pratiyate: the spiritual world is real, and this
end. This material sky is within the covering of the mahat-tattva, unreal material manifestation only appears to be real. We must
matter. This matter is like a cloud. When there is a storm, it ap- understand that reality will never be vanquished and that in es-
pears that the entire sky is covered with clouds, but actually only sence reality means eternality. Therefore material pleasure, which
an insignificant part of the sky is covered. Because we are very is temporary, is not actual; real pleasure exists in Krsna. Conse-
minute, if just a few hundred miles are covered, it appears that the quently, those who are after the reality don’t participate in this
entire sky is covered. As soon as a wind comes and blows the shadow pleasure.
clouds away, we can see the sky once again. Like the clouds, this Thus when everything in the material world is annihilated, that
mahat-tattva covering has a beginning and an end. Similarly, the Spiritual nature remains eternally, and it is the purpose of human
material body, being a part of material nature, has a beginning and life to reach that spiritual sky. Unfortunately, people are not aware
an end. The body is born, grows, stays for some time, leaves some of the reality of the spiritual sky. According to Srimad-Bhagavatam
by-products, dwindles, and then vanishes. Whatever material (7.5.31), na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum: people do not know ©
manifestation we see undergoes these six basic transformations. their self-interest. They do not know that human life is meant for
Whatever exists within material nature will ultimately be van- understanding spiritual reality and preparing oneself to be
quished. But herein Krsna is telling us that beyond this vanishing, transferred to that reality. No one can remain here in this material
