When the influence of ignorance covers the distinct soul [the individual and distinct soul of God], it cannot understand the nature of the infinitesimal being or that of the Supreme Being; its mind is then monopolized by the interested action. Consequently, unless she develops her love for the Lord, who is none other than Myself, she is certainly not freed from successive transmigrations (reincarnations).
If he were very wise and erudite, a man will be said to be insane if he does not understand that the efforts made to satisfy his senses are only a waste of time. Forgetting his own interest, he seeks happiness in this world and centers all his attachments on home life, which is focused on sexual relations and subjects it to all kinds of material suffering. In this way, it is hardly better than a stupid animal.
Attraction between male and female is the fundamental principle of material existence. On the basis of this erroneous conception, which chains the hearts, the being develops an attraction for his body, his home, his lands, his children, his relatives and his material goods. He thus increases his illusions, to think only according to the “I” and “mine”. When one loosens the solid knot that has formed in the heart of a being chained to material existence as a result of his past acts, he loses his attachment to the home, to his wife and children. He thus rejects the fundamental principle of illusion based on the concepts of “self” and “mine” and becomes liberated; it is then that he returns to the spiritual world.
My dear children, you should approach a being very advanced in spirituality, and accept him as spiritual master, thus placing your faith and love in Me, the Sovereign Lord. You should hate material enjoyment and tolerate the duality of joys and sorrows, comparable to the seasonal changes between winter and summer. Try to become aware of the miserable condition in which living beings are plunged, who are unhappy even on the higher planetary systems. Seek the truth in a philosophical spirit, then accept all kinds of austerities and penances for devotional service. Renounce every effort to satisfy the senses, and devote yourselves to the service of the Lord. Listen to discussions about God, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and always live in contact with holy beings.
Glorify the Supreme Lord and consider all beings as equal on the spiritual plane. Defeat all hostility, and overcome anger and affliction. Stop identifying your being with your body and home, and get into the habit of reading the scriptures. Live in a secluded place and follow the path to perfect mastery of the vital breath, mind and senses. Have total faith in the revealed texts, the holy scriptures, and always respect the vow of continence. Do the duties that are prescribed to you and avoid unnecessary talk. While meditating unceasingly on God, the Supreme Person, seek to know this from a sure source. Thus practicing the service of devotion, you will be able, by dint of patience and enthusiasm, to rise in knowledge and to get rid of the false ego [of identification with the body, and on the domination of the material nature].