Philosophical atheism believes that it is the global material energy that generates cosmic manifestation, but that's a mistake. Matter, by nature inert, has no active power so that it cannot act alone, independently.
It is the Lord who infuses his own creative power into the components of matter, only then, by the will of God, the Supreme Person, matter comes to life and is transformed under the effect of various interactions, starting a chain reaction. God is at the origin of everything that occurs in material nature. Material nature being inert and lifeless, it cannot be the cause of creation. Krishna, God, the Supreme Person shows his mercy by infusing his energy into this inert and inanimate matter. Thus material nature becomes, by the force of the energy of the Lord, the secondary cause of creation. Krishna is the original cause of cosmic manifestation.
Atheistic materialists therefore make a gross error in thinking that matter moves by itself, independently.
When unmanifested material nature comes into existence movement under the power of the gaze of God, it begins to manifest itself in different ways. Before this setting in motion, it remains in a neutral state, without there being any interaction of the three attributes or modes of influence of material nature; virtue, passion and ignorance. In other words, the material nature cannot produce any kind of manifestation without the contact of the Supreme Lord.
Krishna, God, the Supreme Person, is the originator of the creations of the material nature. Without his intervention, she cannot do or produce anything. The actions and reactions of material nature may seem marvelous to scientists, but in reality, nature can do nothing without the time which sets it in motion and which represents God, the Sovereign Person. It is when time animates material nature in its neutral state that it begins to produce different varieties of manifestations. In the final analysis, we will therefore say that it is God, the Supreme Person, who is at the origin of creation. Material nature cannot produce or manifest anything, unless it is “fertilized” by God in the form of Time. Through the unfolding of his powers, the Sovereign Lord adjusts all of these different elements, abiding Himself within all that is as Supreme Soul, and outside in the form of time.
Matter is the secondary manifestation of the spiritual element, because matter proceeds from the spirit. All material elements have their origin in the Sovereign Lord, in the Supreme Spiritual Being, the body itself is a product of the spiritual soul. The body owes its existence to the spiritual soul, so it is called “the second”. Whoever becomes absorbed in this second element, in this subsequent manifestation of the spirit, fears death. On the other hand, the one who has the firm conviction to be distinct from his body, does not conceive the slightest fear with regard to death, for the spiritual soul being immortal, does not die. If the soul is employed in spiritual activities, in particular with regard to devotional service, it frees itself completely