etc. Just as the fire that burns and illuminates is different from the firewood that must be burned to give enlightenment, so the seer in the body, the self-luminous spiritual soul [radiance emanates from the spirit body of the soul and the envelope, giving it the appearance of a large luminous ball], is different from the body, has different characteristics and are distinct entities.

Just as fire can appear differently as dormant, manifest, weak, brilliant and so on, depending on the state of the fuel, likewise, the spiritual soul enters into a material body and accepts particular bodily characteristics. The subtle (ethereal) and coarse (dense matter) material bodies are created by the attributes and modes of influence of material nature (virtue, passion and ignorance), which develop from the power of Supreme Person. Material existence occurs when the living entity falsely accepts the qualities of gross and subtle bodies as its own factual nature. This delusional state, however, can be destroyed by actual knowledge. Therefore, in cultivating knowledge, one must approach the Supreme Person within oneself (in our heart). In understanding the pure and transcendent existence of the Lord, one must gradually abandon the false view of the material world as an independent reality.

The spiritual master can be compared to the lower kindling stick, the disciple to the upper kindling stick, and the instruction given by the spiritual master to the third stick placed in between. The transcendental knowledge imparted from the master to the disciple is compared to the fire from contact with them, which burns the darkness of ignorance to ashes, bringing great happiness to both master and disciple. By obediently listening to a genuine spiritual master, the genuine disciple develops pure knowledge, which repels the onslaught of material illusion resulting from the three modes of influence of material nature. Finally this pure knowledge itself ceases, just as the fire ceases when the fuel stock has been consumed.

There will always be birth, disease, old age and death, for all living entities must accept a material body subject to the influence of time. We observe in the material world that sometimes even an intelligent person is not happy. The concept of becoming happy through expert material activities is simply unnecessary exposure of false selfishness. Even though people know how to achieve happiness and avoid unhappiness, they still don't know the process by which death will not be able to exercise its power over them. Death is not at all pleasant, and since everyone is exactly like a convict led to the place of execution, what happiness can one derive from material objects or the gratification they provide?

material that we hear about, like promotion to the heavenly planets (heavenly, Edenic) for heavenly enjoyment, is just like that material happiness that we have already experienced. Both are polluted with jealousy, envy, decadence and death. Therefore, just as an attempt to cultivate the fruits becomes unsuccessful if there are many problems like crop diseases, insect plague, or drought, so too does the attempt to achieve material happiness, either on earth, either on the celestial planets, is always unsuccessful due to countless obstacles. If one performs Vedic sacrifices (from