Does the mind look for change and the soul look for the unchanging?

And we can move towards Krishna. Does the mind look for change and the soul look for the unchanging? I'd say yes and no.

From the impersonalist perspective, because the absolute truth is unchanging, so there is a simple existence. Basically, the monistic idea is that when we have consciousness, say right now, I am the person who is speaking to you and you are hearing. So say you are hearing me, then you are the subject of consciousness, I am the object of consciousness and in between us is the stream of consciousness.

So their understanding of liberation is that both the subject and the object are illusion. Only the stream exists and in that stream there is no change ever. So the bhakti understanding is that the absolute truth is also changing in the sense that Krishna is dynamic.

Just as we have three modes of material nature, Samvid, Sandhini and Ladini, they are considered to be like modes of spiritual nature. There is dynamism even in the spiritual world through which Krishna manifests his eternal loving pastimes. So we could say that in the material world, there is change which causes deterioration and destruction.

In the spiritual world also there is change but it simply causes dynamism and brings delight. It doesn't cause any deterioration or destruction. So Radharani wants to cook new items for Krishna everyday.

That's the change. Krishna also delights in eating those new items. That's the change.

But that is a very lofty level of consciousness. So in our condition stage we could say that the mind is always looking towards new objects for pleasure. So the subject of consciousness is there, the object of consciousness is there.

And the stream of consciousness that goes from the subject to the object is filtered through the mind. So in the spiritual world, the object of consciousness is always Krishna. And in that sense, although there are new food items being prepared, they are being prepared for the same person.

So ultimately the object of consciousness is one. In the material realm, the mind causes the soul's innate need for pleasure to be misdirected towards various objects. By that, the soul stays chasing after pleasure in various things.

And because the soul knows more, the mind by past experience has come to know that nothing actually gives enduring pleasure. So the mind is always looking for something new, something new, something new. It's said that when people are actually watching TV, they are more attentive in their surfing channels than they are watching a program.

Because there is a change, there is excitement and hope that something good will be found. It's said that the soul at our stage is meant to focus on one object. And if that object is Krishna, then we can get enduring satisfaction.

Krishna can also be served in various ways. And in that also there is pleasure, in that variety also. So we could say in the spiritual world, there is variety within fixity.

The soul is fixed on Krishna. But while being fixed on Krishna, there is variety in how to serve Krishna. So there is change on a foundation of changelessness.

Whereas in the material world, the foundation itself is constantly changing. Because of which there is a huge amount of dissatisfaction. The soul is whatever it gets.

And to the extent the mind is in control, we will not be satisfied with anything. So if you look at Sanskrit, Krishna refers to the Gita, the soul as chanchala and the mind as achala. achaloyam sanadhanah, second chapter, the twenty-fifth verse he says.

chanchalam himanah krishna asamshaya mahabahu mano durnigraham chalam chala is restless. So the restless soul, chanchalam himanah causes the achala atma to keep wandering in material existence. And to the extent we can fix it on something steady, to that extent it becomes peaceful.

And if it becomes fixed on the supreme object Krishna, then it will become not just peaceful, it will also become joyful.