By deep affection for family and wealth, one will see a son or money as his own, and by affection for the material body, one will consider it in the same way. But in truth, just as one can understand that family and wealth are different from oneself, the liberated being knows himself different from his body. Fire itself is distinct from flames, sparks and smoke, even though all these elements remain intimately linked by the fact that they come from the same burning wood.

The Sovereign Lord, known as Param Brahman [The Divine in His Ultimate Form, the cause of all causes. The Supreme Spiritual Being, God, the Supreme Person, Krishna], is the real observer, and He is distinguished from the individual soul, which is united with the senses, the five elements, and the consciousness.

The spiritualist must see in every manifestation a single soul, for all that exists proceeds from the different energies of the Supreme Being. Thus the wise must see all beings with an equal eye, without any distinction. This is the realization of the Supreme Soul.

Just as fire manifests in different kinds of wood, the purely spiritual soul, under different conditions created by the three attributes or forms of influence of the material nature; virtue, passion, ignorance, manifests itself in various bodies.

Thus the spiritualist can become a realized soul after overcoming the insurmountable spell of maya (The energy of illusion) which presents itself both as the cause and effect of material manifestation and is therefore very difficult to understand.

Devotional service has many ways, according to the characteristic features of those who perform it.

The devotional service performed by an envious, proud, violent, angry and separatist person is under the sign of ignorance.

As for the separatist who adores murtis (the representations of the Lord in the temple), animated by a desire for material enjoyment, fame and opulence, it is said that his devotion is passion.

When a wise man worships the Sovereign Lord and offers Him the fruits of His deeds so as to free Himself from the stain of self-serving action, His devotion belongs to virtue.

Pure and unmixed devotional service is manifested when the mind of the sage is instantly drawn to listening to the name and spiritual and absolute attributes of the Sovereign Lord, who dwells in the heart of every being. As the water of the Ganges flows naturally towards the ocean, such devotional ecstasy that interrupts no material condition, flows freely towards the Lord.

The pure holy being accepts no form of liberation, whether salokya, sarsti, samipya, sarupya or ekatva, even if they are offered to him by the Sovereign Lord himself.