Category:Material or Spiritual
Theme Analysis
The distinction between material and spiritual existence is a fundamental concept in Vedic philosophy, yet Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that ultimately, everything is an expansion of Kṛṣṇa's energy Whether manifested as the superior (parā) spiritual nature or the inferior (aparā) material nature, all existence rests in the Supreme Lord. For the pure devotee, the duality fades; because they utilize everything—wealth, intelligence, and resources—for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, even so-called material activities are transformed into spiritual yajña. Consequently, a pure devotee seeks no personal benediction, either material or spiritual, but desires only to remain engaged in the service of the Source of all energies.
- Unity in Diversity: All planes and planets are parts of One Unit. Everything belongs to either the parā or aparā prakṛti of the Lord.
- The Devotee's Vision: A Kṛṣṇa conscious person does not distinguish between material and spiritual in terms of utility; they see everything as Kṛṣṇa's property.
- Desirelessness: Unlike karmīs (who want material assets) and jñānīs (who want spiritual liberation), a pure devotee wants neither. Their only desire is service.
- Power through Regulation: Adherence to regulative principles generates power, whether one is seeking material strength or spiritual realization.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Everything Material or Spiritual Is an Expansion of Kṛṣṇa's Energy.
Subcategories
This category has the following 2 subcategories, out of 2 total.
Pages in category "Material or Spiritual"
The following 44 pages are in this category, out of 44 total.
A
- A pure devotee never asks for any kind of material or spiritual benediction from the Lord; his only prayer is that he may not forget the lotus feet of the Lord (Krsna) in any condition of life
- All material or spiritual planes and planets are different parts and parcels of One Unit only but there are immense diversities in unity for variegatedness is the necessary paraphernalia of eternal pleasure which we are all seeking in the wrong way
- Although he (living entity) has the facility to live in either the material or spiritual world, he suffers the threefold miseries of material existence because he is influenced by the avidya (nescience) potency, which covers his constitutional position
- Although the energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead interact within the cosmic manifestation, each keeps its separate individual existence. Merging with the material or spiritual energies, therefore, does not involve loss of individuality
- Anyone who sticks to the regulative principles, he gets a power, spiritual or material. He gets power. A brahmacari gets power if he follows brahmacarya. Everyone, if we follow the prescribed rules and regulations, automatically you become powerful
- Anything material or spiritual done for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord is understood to be an actual yajna, and by performing such yajnas one gets liberation from material bondage
- Anything, either material or spiritual, is but an expansion of the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and as stated in the Bhagavad-gita, the omnipotent Lord has His transcendental eyes, heads and other bodily parts distributed everywhere
- As far as the material or spiritual resources were required, there was no scarcity in the case of the Pandavas. Materially they were well equipped because two great warriors, namely Bhima and Arjuna, were there
- As in this body the stomach is the enjoyer, the central figure of the whole cosmic manifestation, material or spiritual, is Krsna, God. He is the enjoyer. We can understand this just by considering our own bodies
E
- Even if one is highly advanced, materially or spiritually, he may be attracted by lusty desires. The object of attraction may even be one's mother, sister or daughter. Therefore, one should be extremely careful in dealings with women
- Everyone is trying to fulfill his aspirations and desires, be they material or spiritual
I
- In the Vedanta-sutra, Vyasadeva has described that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is potent and that everything, material or spiritual, is but an emanation of His energy
- Is it very difficult to become a devotee? What do you mean by material life? I am sitting on this bed. Is it material or spiritual? How have we given up material life? What is material
K
- Karmis, jnanis and yogis all hanker to possess some material or spiritual assets. Karmis want material possessions, jnanis and yogis want spiritual possessions, but devotees do not want any material or spiritual assets
- Krsna is already father for everyone, either in spiritual or material. Father is father. Does it mean, if your father goes somewhere and the relationship changes, you become father and he becomes son? He's always father
O
- Offering by the student to the teacher or spiritual master is called guru-daksina. It is essential that a student satisfy the teacher in return for any learning received, either material or spiritual
- On the contrary, he (the devotee of the Lord) will accept any body, material or spiritual, for he wants to serve the Lord. This is real liberation
- One must give aural reception to any knowledge one wants to receive, either material or spiritual. Therefore srotram is very important
- One who is in full Krsna consciousness does not distinguish between things material and spiritual; he takes everything to be related to Krsna and therefore spiritual
S
T
- The first-class yogi who has attained perfection in the practice of the yoga system ultimately passes through the brahma-randhra to any one of the planets in either the material or spiritual worlds
- The individual soul finally changes the body at death and transmigrates to another body; and since it is sure to have another body in the next birth - either material or spiritual. BG 1972 purports
- The latest desire man has developed is the desire to travel to other planets. This is also quite natural, because he has the constitutional right to go to any part of the material or spiritual skies
- The Personality of Godhead is the supreme master of everything auspicious because the results of whatever actions are performed by the living being, in either the material or spiritual existence, are awarded by the Lord
- The Pracetas practiced these austerities not for material benediction but for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord. One may engage in any business - material or spiritual - but the purpose should be the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- The Vedic knowledge is called sruti; knowledge has to be received by hearing. By hearing only can we have access to either material or spiritual enjoyment
- The word ahaituki means "without reason." A pure devotee does not render loving service to the Personality of Godhead for any cause or for any benefit, material or spiritual. This is the first symptom of unalloyed devotion
- There are various classes of men. One class is called akamis, referring to those who have no material desire. Desire must exist, either material or spiritual
- There is nothing in the universe that does not belong to either the para or the apara prakrti
- There is nothing in the universe that does not belong to either the para or the apara prakrti; therefore everything is the property of the Supreme Being
- These damsels (gopis, or cowherd girls) simply loved Krsna without any motive for material or spiritual gain - CC Preface
- They (devotees) want only to serve the Lord anywhere in the material or spiritual worlds that the Lord desires, and the Lord is always specifically compassionate towards such devotees
- This is the mentality of a pure devotee (to ask nothing from God and to be fully satisfied to be engaged in the service of God), who does not want anything, material or spiritual, from the Personality of Godhead
W
- When one is infected by contaminated activities, his power, material or spiritual, reduces
- When the Lord is satisfied, one can fulfill any desire, material or spiritual. Bhagavad-gita (BG 3.14) also says, yajnad bhavati parjanyah: by offering sacrifices to Lord Visnu, one can have sufficient rainfall
- Without knowledge of the presence of God in every living entity, any so-called advancement of human civilization, either spiritual or material, is to be understood as being in the mode of ignorance