Text 9] Understanding Material Nature 1145

satisfied with his natural income, eat only as much as he needs to keep his
health, live in a secluded place and always remain peaceful. Peace of mind
is necessary for prosecuting Krsna consciousness.

The next item is maitra, friendliness. A devotee should be friendly to
everyone, but his intimate friendship should be with devotees only. With
others he should be official. He may say, “Yes, sir, what you say is all
right,” but he is not intimate with them. A devotee should, however, have
compassion for persons who are innocent, who are neither atheistic nor
very much advanced in spiritual realization. A devotee should be com-
passionate towards them and instruct them as far as possible in making
advancement in Krsna consciousness. A devotee should always remain
atmavan, or situated in his spiritual position. He should not forget that
his main concern is to make advancement in spiritual consciousness, or
Krsna consciousness, and he should not ignorantly identify himself with
the body or the mind. Atma means the body or the mind, but here the
word datmavan especially means that one should be self-possessed. He
should always remain in the pure consciousness that he is spirit soul and
not the material body or the mind. That will make him progress confi-
dently in Krsna consciousness.

TEXT 9

Tay 3 Atsfraqiqaaay |
aaa teas Tad: TSA TINS I

sdnubandhe ca dehe ’sminn
akurvann asad-dgraham

jiidnena drsta-tattvena
prakrteh purusasya ca

sa-anubandhe—with bodily relationships; ca—and; dehe—towards the
body; asmin—this; akurvan—not doing; asat-dgraham—bodily concept of
life; jidnena—through knowledge; drsta—having seen; tattvena—the reality;
prakrteh—of matter; purusasya—of spirit; ca—and.

TRANSLATION

One’s seeing power should be increased through knowledge of spirit and
matter, and one should not unnecessarily identify himself with the body
and thus become attracted by bodily relationships.
