Before we can walk, we must know where we stand. Level One establishes the foundational understanding of our true identity as spirit soul, distinct from the temporary body and flickering mind.
The Soul and Its Coverings
We are not this body. We are not this mind. We are eternal, conscious, blissful spirit souls, temporarily encased in material coverings. The Bhagavad-gita declares this directly, and the realized souls of the parampara have never deviated from this single, essential truth.
The Three Modes of Nature
The material world operates under three modes: goodness, passion, and ignorance. Every conditioned soul is situated under one or a combination of these modes. To transcend them is not to suppress them but to rise above through the potency of shuddha-bhakti.
Authorized Texts
- Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Chapters 1-6
- Jaiva Dharma, Chapters 1-4