Further Inquiries by Vidura
Vidura, whose spiritual consciousness was becoming increasingly elevated through hearing Maitreya's explanations, now asked questions that went beyond the mechanics of cosmic creation to address the more subtle and philosophical aspects of existence. He wanted to understand not just how the material world functions, but why it exists at all. Why would the Supreme Lord, who is completely perfect and satisfied in Himself, create a material world full of suffering and impermanence? What is the purpose of this creation from the perspective of the living entities who become trapped in it? How does one distinguish between matter and spirit when they appear to be so thoroughly mixed in our experience? What is the actual nature of the relationship between the individual soul and the Supreme Soul? These questions demonstrated that Vidura was not satisfied with superficial understanding but wanted to penetrate to the very core of existential truth.
Maitreya responded to these profound inquiries by first clarifying the most fundamental distinction in all of existence: the difference between purusha (spirit, consciousness, the living entity) and prakriti (matter, material energy, unconscious substance). This distinction is the foundation of Sankhya philosophy, the analytical study of matter and spirit. Matter, in all its forms - from gross elements like earth and water to subtle elements like mind and intelligence - is inert and unconscious. It has no awareness, no desires, no will of its own. Spirit, on the other hand - whether referring to the individual soul or the Supreme Soul - is the essence of consciousness, awareness, and life. Matter becomes animated only when spirit enters into it, just as an automobile becomes functional only when a conscious driver sits behind the wheel. The body appears to be alive only because the conscious soul is present within it; when the soul departs at death, the body immediately begins to decay, revealing its actual material nature.
The sage explained that the material world exists because countless living entities, in their misuse of free will, have chosen to turn away from Krishna and attempt to enjoy independently. The Supreme Lord, respecting their free will, creates this material world as a place where they can pursue their desires for independent enjoyment and leadership. However, the material world is designed in such a way that it cannot actually provide lasting satisfaction - everything here is temporary, full of suffering, and ultimately frustrating. This is not cruelty on Krishna's part but rather mercy. The very nature of material existence, with its inevitable suffering and temporary nature, is meant to remind the rebellious souls that they are trying to do something impossible - finding happiness independent of Krishna. Just as a loving parent might allow a stubborn child to experience the consequences of a poor decision so they will learn from it, Krishna allows living entities to experience the frustration of material existence so they will eventually realize their mistake and return to Him.
Maitreya then explained the concept of the three modes of material nature (gunas) - goodness (sattva), passion (rajas), and ignorance (tamas) - which are like three colored threads woven together to create the vast tapestry of material existence. All material phenomena, all psychological states, all types of activities, and all varieties of material bodies are created by different combinations and proportions of these three modes. When goodness predominates, there is knowledge, peacefulness, and happiness; when passion predominates, there is activity, desire, and anxiety; when ignorance predominates, there is laziness, delusion, and suffering. Every living entity in the material world is under the influence of these modes in varying proportions, and their material condition - whether they are born as demigods, humans, animals, or lower species, whether they live in heavenly, earthly, or hellish conditions - is determined by which modes dominate their consciousness.
However, Maitreya emphasized a crucial point: although the living entities are influenced by the modes of nature, they are not actually of the same nature as these modes. The soul is spirit, transcendental to all material qualities, but it has become covered and conditioned by material nature through prolonged contact with it. It is like a person wearing colored glasses - they see everything through the tint of those glasses, but the tint is not their actual vision. Similarly, the soul experiences material existence through the conditioning of the three modes, but this conditioning is not the soul's actual nature. The process of spiritual advancement consists in gradually transcending the influence of the modes - first by rising from ignorance to passion, then from passion to goodness, and finally from goodness to complete transcendence by engaging in pure devotional service to Krishna. When one transcends even the mode of goodness through pure bhakti, one becomes completely free from material conditioning and experiences one's original spiritual nature.
The chapter concludes with Maitreya explaining that the purpose of understanding all this knowledge about creation, the modes of nature, and the distinction between matter and spirit is ultimately practical - it is meant to lead to liberation. Knowledge that does not lead to detachment from matter and attachment to Krishna is merely academic and serves no real purpose. The true goal of spiritual knowledge is to help one distinguish spirit from matter in one's own experience, recognize one's eternal spiritual identity as Krishna's servant, and redirect all one's consciousness and activities toward Krishna rather than toward temporary material goals. When this understanding is combined with devotional practice - hearing about Krishna, chanting His names, serving His devotees, and ultimately surrendering to Him completely - one can achieve liberation from material bondage even while still living in the material body. This is the ultimate purpose of all the philosophical discussions: to facilitate the actual transformation of consciousness from material to spiritual, from bondage to freedom.