Category:Enemy of a Conditioned Soul
Theme Analysis
In the material world, the conditioned soul is in a constant state of anxiety, perpetually defending itself against perceived adversaries. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the greatest enemies of the living entity are not external, but internal. The desire to lord over material nature and enjoy sense gratification gives rise to the six formidable internal enemies: lust, anger, greed, illusion, madness, and envy. When lust is frustrated, it immediately transforms into krodha (anger) and ahaṅkāra (false ego). Among the senses, the tongue is identified by great ācāryas like Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura as the most dangerous enemy, urging the soul to commit countless sinful activities. Ultimately, the mind itself acts as either the greatest friend or the worst enemy, depending entirely on whether it is controlled or uncontrolled.
Because the conditioned soul identifies with the temporary physical body, it becomes entangled in the dualities of material nature. This false ego creates the illusion of friendship and enmity. In the struggle to survive and acquire material necessities, conditioned souls inevitably cheat one another. This cheating transforms even intimate friends, and sometimes even family members or spiritual masters, into bitter enemies. The soul is continuously aggrieved by harsh words, government chastisement, and the biting of envious rivals, who are compared to serpents in the forest of material existence.
The only way to transcend this everlasting disease of duality is through Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, being the absolute īśvara, is completely transcendental and unaffected by material friends or enemies. The bona fide spiritual master acts as the savior, delivering the conditioned soul from the clutches of māyā, where one falsely thinks in terms of mundane enmity. By awakening spiritual knowledge and fixing the mind on the Lord—even if one initially thinks of Him as an enemy, like Kaṁsa did—the conditioned soul attains the ultimate benefit and conquers the material world.
- The Internal Foes: The real enemies of the conditioned soul are the uncontrolled mind, the tongue, lust, anger, and the false egocentric attitude of ahaṅkāra.
- The Illusion of Duality: Bodily identification forces the soul into the dualities of the material modes, falsely labeling others as friends or enemies based on bodily relations and praise or chastisement.
- The Result of Cheating: In the pursuit of material opulence, conditioned souls inevitably cheat one another, turning even the most intimate friends into bitter enemies.
- Transcending Enmity: The Supreme Lord is transcendental to material dualities, and by focusing on Him and following the spiritual master, the soul conquers all internal and external enemies.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Enemy of a Conditioned Soul - Conquering the Internal Foes.
Pages in category "Enemy of a Conditioned Soul"
The following 17 pages are in this category, out of 17 total.
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- If a conditioned soul, thinking of the Lord as an enemy or a friend, somehow or other becomes attached to the Lord, he receives great benefit
- In order to acquire these things (apartment, house, food, friends) he has to cheat others, and this creates enmity even among the most intimate friends. Sometimes this enmity is created between the conditioned soul and the father or spiritual master
- In the forest of the material world, the conditioned soul is sometimes bitten by envious enemies, which are compared to serpents and other creatures. Through the tricks of the enemy, the conditioned soul falls from his prestigious position
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- Sometimes conditioned souls exchange money, but in due course of time, enmity arises because of cheating. Although there may be a tiny profit, the conditioned souls cease to be friends and become enemies
- Sometimes the conditioned soul is very aggrieved by the chastisement of his enemies and government servants, who use harsh words against him directly or indirectly. At that time his heart and ears become very saddened
- Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, tara madhye jihva ati, lobhamaya sudurmati. Among the senses, the tongue is the most formidable enemy of the conditioned soul. Urged by the tongue, one commits many sinful activities
- Sukadeva Gosvami proves that because the body of the conditioned soul is infected by the three qualities of nature, dualities arise such as enmity and friendship, attachment and detachment
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- The conditioned soul eternally suffers the pangs of material existence known as the threefold miseries. He is also subjected to six enemies (such as lust, anger, etc.). Such is the everlasting disease of the conditioned soul
- The conditioned soul has friends and enemies. He is affected by the good qualities and the faults of his position. The Supreme Lord, however, is always transcendental. Because He is the isvara, the supreme controller, He is not affected by duality
- The spiritual master, the servant of God, is engaged in the most confidential service of the Lord, namely delivering all the conditioned souls from the clutches of maya, in which one thinks, "This person is my enemy, and that one is my friend"
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- When lust & hankering are unsatisfied, the element of krodha appears, which is the formidable enemy of the conditioned soul. This most sinful passion is represented as ahankara, or the false egocentric attitude of thinking oneself to be all in all
- When lust and hankering are unsatisfied, the element of krodha appears, which is the formidable enemy of the conditioned soul. This most sinful and inimical passion is represented as ahankara