CONTENTS:
- THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MATTER AND SPIRIT
- SRILA PRABHUPADA'S APPRECIATION
- GURU MAHARAJA’S INSTRUCTIONS
1. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MATTER AND SPIRIT
Beyond this material nature there is another nature which is called the spiritual nature. This spiritual nature is composed of three elements known as saccidananda, eternity, knowledge and bliss. This material nature is composed of eight elements: earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind intelligence and false ego. Krishna’s form is not made with these elements but is made of eternity, knowledge and bliss. Our form is made of these elements. Krishna comes in order to take us back to the spiritual sky to Him.
Mahabharata basically describes about the activities of the Pandavas and Kauravas. When these Pandavas and Kauravas were present on this planet at that time Krishna appeared. 
The Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared and why does He appear? He appears in order to deliver the devotees and destroy the demons. Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita, BG 4.8: paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam dharma-samsthapanarthaya sambhavani yuge yuge. Krishna comes from time to time in order to rescue His devotees and annihilate the miscreants (those who do not want to abide by the instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead).
Krishna comes in order to reestablish dharma and religious principles when people become atheistic and reject dharma. When Krishna comes His devotees become more attracted towards Him and the demons become inimical towards Him. When Krishna appeared then His devotees the Pandavas were very much favoured by Him and the saintly people of this world naturally became attracted towards Krishna and His devotees the Pandavas. Those who were inimical towards Krishna the demoniac people they sided with Duryodhan who was actually representing the demoniac principles. The good part of the Mahabharata is describing the activities between the Kauravas and Pandavas.
Ultimately a battle was fought in the place of Kuruksetra and there just before the battle was about to begin Krishna instructed Arjuna with the knowledge of this Bhagavad Gita. Gita means song and Bhagavad means of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Bhagavan. The word Bhagavan means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The song that was sung or the instructions that were given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the Bhagavad Gita. The question may arise why the instruction mentioned here was a song? Sanskrit is such a language that it was composed in the form of poetry and spoken as song and that is the spiritual nature.
Sanskrit is the spiritual language and in the spiritual sky they speak in music and in song. Goloka Vrindavan the topmost region of the spiritual sky has been described as katha ganam nacyam gamanam, in the spiritual sky katha or words are music gamanam and nacyam, movements are dance. In the spiritual sky they speak in songs and they move in dance. Bhagavad Gita, we can see it’s spoken in perfect poetry and Krishna when He spoke, He actually sang this. It is a poetry but at the same time it contains the highest philosophy. This philosophy describes basically the difference between matter and spirit. This difference is the first thing that one must understand if one wants to make spiritual advancement. If anyone wants to understand the spiritual nature, he will have to first understand the difference between matter and spirit. When we learn about spirit we find out there are two types of spirits one is the individual, minute spirit the jivatma and the Supreme spirit or Supersoul Paramatma.
We all are tiny little spiritual sparks but Krishna is the absolute and supreme spirit, Isvara or Bhagavan. Unfortunately, in the material nature people do not have any information about the spiritual reality, people only know matter. They do not have any information about the spirit soul. Any intelligent man can understand that the spirit is there and the spirit is not material. This can be very easily understood. For example, this table, platform, floor, building is there but all these are matter. We are also here and our bodies are also matter but is there a difference between our bodies and this table’s? The table is inert and our body is conscious, now what is making this difference? The spirit soul.
How do we know that the spirit soul is there? The spirit soul’s presence is felt through consciousness. We are conscious whereas this table is not conscious but we are conscious. What makes us conscious? Consciousness comes from the spirit soul. As long as the spirit soul is present in the body the body is conscious. As soon as the spirit soul leaves the body the body becomes matter. This body is made of matter but there is an obvious difference between a living body and a dead body.
What is the difference between a living body and the dead body? The presence and absence of the spirit soul. That is the first information that we get from the Vedic literatures or Bhagavad Gita. Bhagavad Gita is actually the summary of the whole Vedas. Then the question is what is the spirit soul? 
The characteristics of the spirit soul is unchanging and eternal. Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita BG 2.20 na jayate mriyate va kadacin nayam bhutva bhavita va na bhuyah ajo nityah sasvato ‘yam purano na hanyate hanyamane sarire. The spirit soul is never born and never dies.
The thing that makes this body alive, atma does not die. Who dies? The body dies. When does the body die? When the spirit soul leaves the body then the body dies. When does the body take its birth? When the spirit soul takes the possession of the body. Birth and death are of the body, the spirit soul does not die nor does it ever take birth. Nayam bhutva bhavita va na bhuyah once it comes into being it never ceases to exist. The spirit soul is eternal. Ajo nityah sasvato ‘yam purano na hanyate hanyamane sarire. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.
2. SRILA PRABHUPADA’S APPRECIATION
So, always remember cooperation amongst devotees is the most important thing. How you cooperate with each other that will be the real sign of our love for Srila Prabhupada.
3. GURU MAHARAJA’S INSTRUCTIONS
- This philosophy describes basically the difference between matter and spirit. This difference is the first thing that one must understand if one wants to make spiritual advancement;
- We all are tiny little spiritual sparks but Krishna is the absolute and supreme spirit, Isvara or Bhagavan; and
- Birth and death are of the body, the spirit soul does not die nor does it ever take birth;
(The content of this E-Magazine was based on a Lecture given by HH Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaja on 2 August 1993.)
(Compiled and Edited by Hemavati Radhika Devi Dasi)