"Throughout your books you say that when you are a devotee you are on the transcendental platform but at the same time you talk about being affected by the mode of material nature.
And although I'm a devotee and I'm practicing the principles of devotional service, and experiencing a certain amount of transcendental pleasure, at the same time I feel affected by the modes of material nature. So how is it that I can be on the transcendental platform and still be affected by the modes of material nature?"
Srila Prabhupada explained, "It is just like being on a boat. When you're on the boat, nobody can say, 'you're not on the boat!' you're on the boat!
But...when you sail on the boat, sometimes very big waves will come and rock the boat. So your position on the boat will not be very steady.
Those waves are the modes of material nature and the boat is the transcendental platform. You're on the transcendental platform but sometimes the waves of material nature will rock the boat and your position is not steady.
So how do you become steady? Then you have to learn from the captain of the boat; that is the spiritual master. How to steer the boat. And if one learns expertly from the captain how to steer the boat then even in the greatest storm, your position on the boat will become steady."
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